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‘I am entirely self-taught, and it shows:’ Gabe Newell admits he did actually throat-sing for months in Valve offices to the point it got ‘annoying’
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell has confirmed that he spent months practising Mongolian throat singing in the company’s offices, eventually irritating some staff. The unusual hobby reportedly emerged during the development of Half-Life 2 and was later replaced, at least partly, by sword collecting.
Newell said he taught himself styles including sygyt and kargyraa, acknowledging that his technique showed his lack of formal training. He still occasionally returns to throat singing, saying it takes weeks to condition his throat and longer to produce a clear sygyt sound.
In short
- Gabe Newell confirmed practising throat singing at Valve.
- His singing became annoying to some employees.
- He still occasionally practises the hobby.
Explained simply
Gabe Newell is the co-founder of Valve, one of the world's largest video game companies, known for popular titles including Half-Life and Counter-Strike. He has recently revealed that during the development of Half-Life 2, he spent months learning and practising Mongolian throat singing in his company's offices, eventually reaching a point where colleagues found it irritating.
Throat singing is a Central Asian vocal technique where singers produce multiple tones simultaneously, creating an unusual sound. Newell has acknowledged that he is entirely self-taught and that his technique reflects this lack of formal instruction, and he continues to practise sporadically, though he says it takes weeks to prepare his throat before he can produce the proper sounds.
Newell has pursued various other interests over the years, including collecting swords, though he still occasionally returns to throat singing. The revelation provides an insight into the personal interests of one of the technology industry's most prominent figures during the period when Half-Life 2 was being developed.