Caption: Will Wright
Will Wright 

Guest DJ Project: Will Wright

Series: KCRW's Guest DJ Project
From: KCRW
Length: 00:11:18

Embed_button
Video game designer Will Wright changed the entire landscape of gaming with his hit game SimCity, and follow-up The Sims and Spore. It’s clear he looks at the world with a unique point of view and that is reflected in his Guest DJ set. Read the full description.

Willwright_small

Video game designer Will Wright changed the entire landscape of gaming with his hit game SimCity, and follow-up The Sims and Spore. It’s clear he looks at the world with a unique point of view and that is reflected in his song choices – whether contemplating how robots reflect humanity, his favorite Bond theme song or the most beautiful concept album ever made.  Wright is currently at the helm of a think tank for the future of games, toys and entertainment called the Stupid Fun Club.

Tracks
1. Imagine – John Lennon
2. Thick as a Brick -- Jethro Tull
3. You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra
4. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips 
5. Telegraph Road - Dire Straits

Also in the KCRW's Guest DJ Project series

Caption: KCRW's Guest DJ Project

Guest DJ Project: Fred Armisen (00:10:27)
From: KCRW

Before his career as a comedian, Fred Armisen was a musician. He selects some of the bands that have changed his life for his Guest DJ set, from his appreciation of punk to ...
Caption: Jason Segel and KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox, Credit: Bil Zelman

Guest DJ Project: Jason Segel (00:10:57)
From: KCRW

Actor Jason Segel stars in the long running CBS series "How I Met Your Mother". In his Guest DJ set, he shares the inspirational musical number he listens to before he hits ...
Caption: Mae Whitman and Eric J Lawrence

Guest Dj Project: Mae Whitman (00:10:39)
From: KCRW

Mae Whitman plays a rebellious teenager on NBC’s TV series Parenthood, but the actress is thoughtful, sentimental and surprisingly nostalgic in her Guest DJ set.
Caption: Jason Bentley and Ron Artest

Guest DJ Project: Ron Artest (00:11:33)
From: KCRW

Lakers forward Ron Artest shares his surprising pre-game soundtrack – soulful songs about love – and more in his Guest DJ set.
Caption: Cheryl Dunn

Guest DJ Project: Cheryl Dunn (00:11:32)
From: KCRW

Photographer and documentary filmmaker Cheryl Dunn finds inspiration in street culture, as well as a wide variety of music she associates with people, places and experiences ...
Caption: Chris Hardwick and Dan Wilcox

Guest DJ Project: Chris Hardwick (00:11:48)
From: KCRW

Nerdist and Web Soup host Chris Hardwick tells us about the beginnings of his geekdom and gets serious about his favorite Radiohead song, as well as why Neil Finn is one of ...
Caption: David Chang

Guest DJ Project: David Chang (00:10:18)
From: KCRW

Chef David Chang is behind the acclaimed Momofuku group in New York. In his Guest DJ set, he reveals that he almost picked up a guitar instead of following his culinary ...
Caption: Blake Mycoskie with Eric J. Lawrence

Guest DJ Project: Blake Mycoskie (00:10:45)
From: KCRW

Music has made a big impact on TOMS Shoes Founder Blake Mycoskie and he’s made a big impact on the world, with his entrepreneurial spirit. Blake finds inspiration in many ...
Caption: Dan Wilcox and Miranda July

Guest DJ Project: Miranda July (00:11:31)
From: KCRW

Filmmaker Miranda July is a true original and she gives us a glimpse into her creative process in her Guest DJ set, including the song that inspires her to sit down and write.
Caption: Raul Campos with Elon Musk

Guest DJ Project: Elon Musk (00:11:19)
From: KCRW

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk may be best known as an entrepreneur, but he is an engineer at heart and relies on music to remind him of beauty in the world.

Piece Description

Video game designer Will Wright changed the entire landscape of gaming with his hit game SimCity, and follow-up The Sims and Spore. It’s clear he looks at the world with a unique point of view and that is reflected in his song choices – whether contemplating how robots reflect humanity, his favorite Bond theme song or the most beautiful concept album ever made.  Wright is currently at the helm of a think tank for the future of games, toys and entertainment called the Stupid Fun Club.

Tracks
1. Imagine – John Lennon
2. Thick as a Brick -- Jethro Tull
3. You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra
4. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips 
5. Telegraph Road - Dire Straits

Transcript

Eric J Lawrence: Hi, I’m Eric J. Lawrence, and I am here with legendary video game designer and Sims creator Will Wright. Today we’re going to play some excerpts of some songs he’s selected that have inspired him over the years as part of KCRW’s Guest DJ Project. Will, thanks for joining us.

Will Wright: Thank you Eric. Thanks for having me.

EL: What’s the first track you got for us?

WW: The first one is “Imagine” by John Lennon. You know, in some sense, I think it captured the whole gestalt of the late sixties, kind of the hippie, counter-culture movement, but also kind of revisiting all of these basic assumptions about the way we view the world, you know, that materialistic possessions, religion, just all these things we hold near and dear, he was kind of stepping back and saying, can you imagine a world without this stuff?
Where the most basic thing is that we get along, we...
Read the full transcript

Additional Credits

Host: Eric J. Lawrence

Related Website

http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/gd/gd110720will_wright