Magnus Pålsson—better known to the world as Souleye, the composer behind the cult-classic soundtrack to VVVVVV—isn’t just a musician. He’s an artist who has wandered far beyond the world of chiptunes, chasing both financial independence and profound inner transformation. When we spoke, the conversation quickly stretched past music into philosophy, ego, vulnerability, and what it really means to live as an artist.
The Shift Beyond Music
Souleye has always balanced multiple pursuits. Alongside music, he has invested in various things, explored personal development, and even begun designing a game that gamifies self-growth. For him, art and life are both experiments in transformation.
He recalls a pivotal moment in 2012 when, after attending a workshop in San Francisco, he experienced what he describes as ego death—a dissolving of the inner voice we often mistake for ourselves. For eight months, that voice was gone. In its absence, emotions flowed freely, unchecked, and Magnus found himself navigating life with raw openness.
“It’s not the weak who cry,” he told me, “it’s those who have been strong for too long.”
That single sentence, spoken in a vulnerable moment, silenced an entire workshop room. And it sums up the essence of his journey: strength isn’t about control; it’s about surrender.
Creativity Before and After
The VVVVVV soundtrack, filled with relentless optimism and hope, was written before this transformation. Magnus admits that back then, he allowed himself only certain feelings—joy, positivity, lightness. Sadness was kept at bay.
But ego death changed that. Suddenly, he could access the whole spectrum.
“The poet needs the pain,” he said, quoting Bon Jovi with a smile. And while he hasn’t written a deeply sorrowful record since, his creative lens expanded. Negative tones and subtle darkness began weaving their way into the music alongside the bright, hyper-melodic energy fans knew him for.
One Voice, Then None
When his ego dissolved, the familiar inner narrator disappeared.
Fifty percent of people think that voice is who they are,” he explained.
But without it, his way of thinking shifted—less calculation, more intuition. Problems stopped being solved through step-by-step logic and instead through insights that “bubbled up” from somewhere deeper.
Eventually, the voice returned—but different. Now he knows it’s just a tool, not his identity. Amusingly, it even reappeared first in the voice of Arnold Schwarzenegger: “I’m back.”
The key difference today? Awareness. The voice is no longer a dictator—it’s an option.
Vulnerability and the Artist’s Journey
As artists, we often wonder how much of ourselves to share, how public to make our process. Souleye has taken a radical stance: embrace exposure. His vision for his personal development game even includes recording sessions and uploading them publicly, because growth thrives in the light of accountability.
I shared my own perspective during our talk:
“If it doesn’t look cringy when you look back, it means you haven’t grown.”
Souleye agreed. For both of us, the awkwardness of past creations isn’t failure—it’s evidence of evolution.
Play Well
Magnus grew up with Lego, and he sees a direct line between those childhood blocks and his approach to creativity. Build, destroy, rebuild, reimagine. Whether through Amiga trackers, game soundtracks, or inner transformation, the same principle applies: play well.
Art, for Souleye, is less about control and more about discovery. Create for yourself first. The audience will find you.
As he put it:
“If you create music for an audience and lose yourself, that is not as good as creating for yourself and losing your audience.”
Final Notes
Talking with Magnus felt less like interviewing a composer and more like exploring with a philosopher. His path has been winding—through investment, ego death, workshops, games, and music—but at its heart lies a simple pursuit: to live authentically, and to help others do the same.
And if that means crying for nine hours straight, or letting Arnold Schwarzenegger take over your inner monologue, so be it.
Prefer Video? The Full Interview Is Here
For those who want to see the full, unfiltered conversation unfold, in all its nuance and humanity, you can watch the entire nearly 3-hour interview here:
Magnus Pålsson / Souleye – VVVVVV Soundtrack Composer Interview
This visual recording brings his expressions, pauses, and energy into vivid relief—composing into something felt, not just heard.
