Pixel Bath is the debut studio album by Mexican-American artist Jean Dawson, released on October 23, 2020. While his previous project Bad Sports marked his first attempt at a cohesive body of work, Dawson has described Pixel Bath as his first true album, defined by a clearer sense of intention, direction, and artistic identity. The project was created during a transitional period in Dawson’s life, shortly after relocating to Los Angeles. At the time, he was navigating isolation, long-distance relationships, and a growing sense of self-awareness. Dawson has described feeling uncertain but driven, attempting to define who he was both as a person and as an artist. Unlike his earlier work, which reflected confusion and emotional instability, Pixel Bath represents a more deliberate effort to shape his sound and vision. A key influence on the album came from Dawson’s frequent bus trips between Los Angeles and San Francisco, where he would visit his longtime partner. During these journeys, he became deeply inspired by Makeout Videotape by Mac DeMarco, which he has described as a transformative listening experience that “felt like seeing a new color.” This influence helped inform the album’s melodic sensibility and indie-oriented textures. Despite this inspiration, Dawson did not fully identify with existing indie rock scenes. He has noted that he felt disconnected from both the “hipster” indie community and traditional hip-hop spaces, having grown up primarily around rap music wi