Here is the original English version of this interview.

You’re into brutal cyberpunk sounds? The kind of music that pulls you in just like when you’re roaming Night City? Then today’s interview guest is exactly your guy. He’s a producer of hard electronic sounds, comes from France, and has already released several albums.

With his tracks he tears up the stage, collaborates with well-known artists from the scene, appears in major film productions – and has taken the time for CBRPNK.DE to sit down with me for a properly cyberpunk-style interview.

Please welcome: EXTRA TERRA – known, among other things, for tracks like “Cyberpunk”, “Agonize”, “Dune 2077”, “Cybertruck” and many more.

His latest album “Accelerate or Die Pt. II” was released on October 24, 2025 and features bangers like “Dune 2077”, “TRON”, “Kardashev Scale” and many more. You can listen to it on all major streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube). But now, on to the interview 😉

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Hello Extra Terra, great to have you and thanks for taking the time for this interview. For everyone who hasn’t heard you yet: who is Extra Terra, and how would you describe your music in a few words?

Hey! Thanks for having me, really happy to do this interview with you. My music is a fusion of electronic, synthwave, and cyberpunk energy, mixed with a touch of psytrance and sometimes metal. It’s the sound of the future colliding with the present.

Your tracks sound like future, neon lights, and machines. What do you personally love about that cyberpunk feeling?

I’ve always loved the cyberpunk aesthetic since I was a kid. My father used to watch movies like Blade Runner, and that world really left a mark on me, especially Vangelis’ soundtrack. The music felt otherworldly, emotional, and futuristic at the same time. For me, cyberpunk isn’t just a mirror of our present and our future, it’s a warning. As Mike Pondsmith, the creator of Cyberpunk, said, it’s not something to aspire to, but something to learn from.

Mike Pondsmith, a legend in his own right. Speaking of names… Where does the name “Extra Terra” come from? What does it mean to you?

There are several layers behind the name. First, I’ve always felt that electronic music has something truly unique, almost extraterrestrial in its sound design. Synthesizers changed the way we think about sound, they allowed us to create textures that didn’t exist before, beyond the limits of traditional instruments. On a more personal level, I’ve always felt a bit different from the world around me, so Extra Terra also reflects who I am, someone slightly “out of place,” or maybe just ahead of my time.

And beyond that, the name carries the idea of augmentation, the fusion between human and technology, like becoming an “extra-human,” or an evolved version of what we are today. Everything I do is connected to sci-fi and cyberpunk concepts.

Which artists or soundtracks influenced you the most? For example, from movies or video games?

Hans Zimmer has been a huge inspiration for me, especially in the way he uses sound design and creates those epic emotional progressions in his music. I actually started with metal, I was playing guitar in music school when I was around 11. But the artist who truly made me want to produce electronic music was Infected Mushroom. I began making psytrance before evolving into my current sound.

In terms of films, The Matrix and Blade Runner are major sources of inspiration for me. And when it comes to games, I love Cyberpunk 2077, but also No Man’s Sky and, more recently, Dune: Awakening.

Cyberpunk 2077 – love it. Do you also know bands like Hybrid and, out of personal interest, what do you think of Linkin Park?

Sure, I know Hybrid, they have that cinematic electronic sound I really love. And Linkin Park was a big part of my teenage years. They definitely influenced a whole generation of artists, including me.

Your music uses heavy bass, deep synths, a dark mood. How do you build that sound? Can you explain it in simple terms for non-producers?

It really depends on the type of track. If it’s a club or “banger” type of song, I usually start with a strong kick and a badass bass, that’s the foundation, and I build everything else around it.

But if it’s a more epic, melodic, or cinematic track, I begin with a chord progression. That gives me the emotional core of the song, and from there I create the melodies, the structure, the tension, and the rhythm.

Sound design also plays a huge role in my composition process, every sound is crafted to tell part of the story, to give the track its texture and identity.

Your songs feel perfect for games and futuristic worlds. Are you a gamer yourself? And do video games influence your tracks?

I kind of answered that a bit earlier, but yes, I do play video games, and they definitely influence my music. They’re a huge source of inspiration for me.

I can’t say too much for now, but I’m actually working on a project that goes beyond music… maybe a video game? Who knows? Haha. Let’s just say it’ll be a surprise, so keep an eye on my socials if you want to find out more.

Oh, now I’m really curious. Do you have one track where you’d say: “If you want to get to know me, listen to THIS one first”?

I’d probably pick two tracks to show the variety of my sound: Dune 2077 and The Singularity Is Near. I think those two capture both the cinematic and the powerful sides of what I do.

Would you say you have a more hopeful or more dark view of humanity’s future?

I’d say I have both visions. I think our ancestors would have loved to live in our time for many reasons, some aspects of our world would look utopian to them. But at the same time, there are clearly dystopian elements in our society that already feel very cyberpunk. For example, when AI is used by tech giants mainly for engagement farming, rewiring our brains while neglecting real human interaction and creativity, we’re already there in some ways.

On the other hand, we’re also developing more Solarpunk technologies, using AI for things like energy optimization, food production, and medicine. So I believe the future will be made of shades of gray, just like the present. Not a pure utopia, not a total dystopia, a mix of both. Cyberpunk, in a sense, exists to show us what not to become, and maybe it will help us avoid falling into a complete dystopia.

You come from heavier sounds – dubstep, bass, industrial. What is it about hard, aggressive sound design that fascinates you?

Well, it’s definitely great music to get pumped at the gym, haha. But jokes aside, I get a lot of messages from fans telling me my music helps them fight depression or gives them motivation to train and push forward. That means a lot to me. Maybe it’s that hard, aggressive edge that gives people energy, a kind of raw power they can connect to.

You’ve collaborated with other artists before. For you, what makes a good collaboration?

I think it’s important to be aligned on the vision of the track. The more you and your collaborator share the same direction, the more the creativity flows naturally. For me, a good collaboration is when ideas resonate in harmony, when both artists are in sync and create something that feels bigger than what either could do alone.

Which collaboration has stuck in your memory the most, and which track came out of it?

All my collaborations are memorable in their own way, and each one has something unique. But if I had to highlight two in terms of artistic vision, it would be Overdrive with Renesis and AGONIZE with F.O.O.L.

And with F.O.O.L, it was special because I’ve admired his work for a long time, creating a track together and seeing how our sounds blended was a really meaningful moment.

Imagine you could compose the full original soundtrack for a sci-fi game tomorrow – what kind of game would it have to be?

It could be a game about the post-singularity, something with a cyberpunk aesthetic. I think the concept of post-singularity is rarely explored in video games or movies, and it would be fascinating to dive into that world.

A mix between Mass Effect, Star Citizen, and Cyberpunk 2077 would be absolutely insane. But of course, I’d also be totally happy composing for a pure cyberpunk universe too!

A lot of producers are using AI tools today. For you, is AI more of a helpful tool or more of a threat?

I’m not really convinced that many music producers are actually using AI tools to help them compose. Among all my producer friends, none of them use it, except sometimes for artworks.

But when it comes to art, I think real artists, not “AI artists,” who aren’t truly artists in my opinion, want to keep a personal touch.

I’m 100% for AI. But the main problem right now is that it feels too impersonal, especially with the current approach where people just type five words into a prompt and let the machine do everything. It’s not a real human–AI collaboration, it’s more about replacement.

And this approach is intentional, it’s designed to create a kind of dopamine machine that gives users the illusion of having created something, when in reality it’s the AI that did the work for you. That illusion of satisfaction is what keeps people coming back, generating profit for the platforms.

But this system is dangerous for independent musicians, because it allows the creation of a massive amount of low-quality music that floods the market. Even if most of it isn’t very good, it drowns out real human artists in a sea of noise.

Streaming platforms need to implement a clear labeling system to separate human-made content from AI-generated material, like Deezer recently did. I really hope others will follow, otherwise it’s a real threat to the value of human creativity.

The Dead Internet is becoming real. We need something like the post-collapse NET from Cyberpunk 2077, where humans stay in safe zones while AIs and bots remain in the digital wastelands.

Do you think that after the “dead internet” a new one will emerge that is based on different values and clearly takes a stand against things like AI slop and AI-generated music?

Yes, I believe a new internet will eventually emerge, or even split into two, with one version aligned with better values. After the “dead internet” phase, where bots and AI slop dominate, I think we’ll see a shift toward something more curated, more transparent, and more human-centered.

You use a lot of futuristic terms in your track titles – things like “Singularity,” “Human 2.0,” “Augmentation.” How do you come up with your titles?

I read a lot of books about the future and technological evolution. One that really inspired me is The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil, which explores the idea of the technological singularity. I’m passionate about understanding how our future might unfold, so it just come naturally to me when I create music.

Are there hidden stories or little details in your tracks that most listeners don’t even notice?

Oh, absolutely. There are always little secrets hidden in my tracks, sound design Easter eggs, reversed messages. Sometimes my own voice processed beyond recognition. It’s like leaving digital fossils for future archeologists of sound to discover. Most people won’t notice… but the machines probably will. Haha.

Would you tell me one of these Easter eggs?

Honestly, it’s up to people to discover those secrets by listening to my music, haha. That’s part of the fun.

Damn XD What was the craziest moment in your career so far – a moment where you thought: “Okay, this is getting serious now”?

I think that moment came when film and game studios started reaching out to use my music in their productions, or to collaborate on original tracks. When my music was featured in NVIDIA events and even in the Hollywood adaptation of Borderlands, that’s when I realized things were getting serious, when the worlds I was inspired by growing up started calling me back to be part of them.

Wow, really cool. I hope there will be many more collabs to come. Now, looking toward the future: How do you think the world will look in 30 years?

As I mentioned earlier, we’re definitely heading toward an ultra-technological future. But 30 years is a long time, a lot can happen. We could end up in a Star Trek-type future, which I personally see as an ideal for humanity, or in something closer to Cyberpunk 2077 or Matrix… or even WALL-E.

The truth is, the future might be a mix of all those worlds at once, parts utopian, parts dystopian, all coexisting in the same reality.

Do you also take into consideration that humanity might no longer exist by then?

It’s a possibility, of course. Humanity has always lived with existential risks. But I think we tend to underestimate how adaptable we are. Even if the world changes drastically, I believe humans will find a way to survive, evolve, and merge with the technologies we create.

Extinction is possible, but I don’t think it’s the most likely scenario.

I run a Cyberpunk 2077 fan page: have you played the game, and if yes, how was that experience for you?

Cyberpunk 2077 is probably one of my favorite games, so I think we’re definitely on the same wavelength there! The world-building and technological consistency are absolutely insane, you can feel how much research and foresight they put into it. And of course, the story itself is just mind-blowing.

What are you hoping for from the sequel, Cyberpunk 2, which is currently being developed in Boston?

For Cyberpunk 2, I hope they go even deeper into the philosophical side of the cyberpunk genre and what it really means to be human in a world full of artificiality.

Which tools or VSTs do you enjoy working with, and how do new track ideas usually start for you?

I kind of already answered the part about how my tracks start in question 5. I’d say Serum 2, Omnisphere, and Diva are my favorite VSTs. Those three are my go-to tools, they cover almost everything I need for my sound design and atmospheres. Since I’m also a developer, I love experimenting and building my own tools. That’s why I created Cyberdisto, my distortion plugin, and I actually use it on almost all my productions now!

[Note: VSTs are plug-ins for music software that represent virtual instruments and emulate the sound of their real-world counterparts. There are also VSTs that do not have any real-world hardware equivalent.]

When I was really into music production myself about 10 years ago, I thought the Virus TI by Access Music was really cool. Have you ever experimented with the VST or the actual Virus TI?

I’ve tested the Virus TI before, but I never actually bought one. At home I mostly work with Moog hardware synths, so I’ve always gravitated more toward those. The Virus is a classic, but Moog is really where my heart is when it comes to hardware.

Which other music genres fascinate you, outside of what you’re already doing?

I really love movie soundtracks, there’s something powerful about how they tell stories without words. Outside of that, I’m also into metal and even Viking music, both have that raw, epic energy that really speaks to me.

How do you approach a project like “Accelerate or Die Pt. II”? What’s your mindset going into an album like that?

The idea originally came from the e/acc movement (effective accelerationism), a technologist, accelerationist philosophy that aims to accelerate the development of AI. It’s a strong cultural movement in the U.S., especially in Silicon Valley. There are even deep physics concepts behind it, linked to thermodynamics, and those ideas inspired both Accelerate or Die Pt. I and Pt. II.

The goal was to tell a story about humanity climbing the Kardashev Scale , the different levels of advanced civilizations, which is why one of the tracks on the latest album is called „Kardashev Scale“. There are deeply positive ideas behind these albums, but also nuance and sometimes warnings. It’s not just about acceleration for its own sake, it’s about accelerating in the right direction. That’s why I believe things like decentralizing AI are crucial, to prevent a future where only one or two corporations control such power.

Are there any artists you’d really love to collaborate with someday?

Yes, absolutely! I’d love to collaborate with Infected Mushroom or Celldweller, and of course, Hans Zimmer would be a dream collab, haha. Those are definitely on my “dream list.”

Would you be interested in doing a collab with Hyper?

Yes, absolutely! We actually talked about it once, and I really hope it happens one day.

Oh, Hyper has been my absolute favorite in the electronic scene for years. That would be a dream! Now, on to the topic of AI 😉 What’s your opinion on the current pace of AI development?

I already mentioned this a bit earlier, but I believe AI, especially AGI or Superintelligence, needs to be decentralized. These systems seem to be approaching faster than many expected, according to respected AI researchers like Geoffrey Hinton or Ilya Sutskever.

What matters most is making sure this technological acceleration remains beneficial to humanity. AI absolutely needs to evolve, especially in areas like healthcare or space exploration, but we also can’t forget who we are and where we come from. I’m all for technological acceleration, but it has to stay pro-human.

So, we’re coming to the end. First of all, thank you very much for this really interesting interview. It was a lot of fun! One last question: If you suddenly couldn’t make music anymore from one day to the next – what would you do instead?

I love creating and building things, I just can’t stop! So even if I couldn’t make music anymore, I’d still be building projects in some way. I just have that constant need to create..

Thank you. Really cool interview!

Want to learn more about Extra Terra? Then check out his socials on Instagram, Facebook, X, Bandcamp, Patreon or YouTube. If you have any questions, please post them in the comments section 😉