It was like a "Peep Show" about Jez interviewing with the hippest possible Shoreditch company. I dropped them a line asking if they needed a freelancer. I get this automated request to fill out a "Polymath Test" questionnaire to prove how fascinating I am. I fill it out with thoughtful enough answers. (Looking back, tests like that might not be great for staff diversity.)
After the interview is rescheduled, and I have crammed for weeks on MIDI codes and audio buffers, I open the front door of this old brick building to reveal sleek halls bustling with dudes with blond beards.
I've been told to familiarize myself with my interviewer, but someone else shows up instead. The HR person is very nice. But the software engineer thinks the JS realtime libraries I use are not cool anymore. And he wants to know how I'd fit in if I'm not an artist. I babble something stupid about recording a song cover once or twice on Garage Band. The interview all felt a bit chilly if I'm honest!
Afterwards they tell me the future of the role itself is in limbo, so nothing happens. In retrospect I feel like they could be a bit more real with themselves about what they do. Their American founder studied Zen Buddhism and from what it seemed like from reading up on him, he has this vision for changing the entire paradigm of society with MIDI instruments. This might be a bit lofty? I mean it's not like they are eliminating child poverty, the main feature of their product is demonstrated in a video where a guy is able to bend synthesizer keys and cover a Hendrix solo. It's cool but come on.
