Chiptune: On like Donkey Kong
While it doesn't take much to be a music geek, what with diversity in musical styles and the high collectibility of music itself these days, there is a special place in geekdom for chiptune.
Chiptune is a unique form of music in that it has a very specific niche without being tied to any distinct genre; you needn't be interested in a particular style of music — like country, rap or rock music — but you may need to have an open mind and a penchant for whimsy.
As an art form, chiptune takes its beginnings from the creation of computerized music back in the 1950s, but it was the advancement of home entertainment technology in the 1980s that provided the real push into the foreground. Computers like the Commodore 64 and NEC PCs, as well as Nintendo gaming systems, evolved to the point that they required an in-board 8-bit sound chip or subsystems to support the game, and the musical canvas was just broad enough for composers to create some elaborate works of music.
Gaming systems continued to evolve, but not all of the composers followed suit. MIDI music would continue on through the 1990s, and that concept of distilling music down through 8-bit filters would also prove to survive.
Enter the geek. These home entertainment systems all featured variations on a waveform generator, a module within that provided some control over tracks and tones, though often within the confines of a certain pitch or timbre, the quality or colour of the notes themselves. While an 8-bit tone is much more forgiving than voice-quality recordings, it presents more in the way of a challenge when it comes to composing.
Chip music continued on, elaborately composed and used in all manner of private or commercial projects, though was rarely performed in a live setting outside of being used in samples in works of hip-hop or rock music. But then the 2000s hit, and young bands and composers began to incorporate the old equipment to complement their sound with specially designed 8-bit electronic textures. Chiptune was one of the first triumphs of the musical open-source movement empowered by the Creative Commons copyrighting protocols, which meant that composers could share and connect with each other in all new ways over the Internet.
When Anamanaguchi — a chiptune rock band from New York that incorporates a custom hacked Nintendo Entertainment System from 1985 into their live setup - was featured on CollegeHumor's online show Bleep Bloop in 2009, the exposure opened doors for them to explore exciting opportunities, like composing the soundtrack to Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game. The band is still as active as ever before, and spent the summer touring France.
And while it's commonly known that the Internet age has had some profound impacts on music and the industry, there aren't many other examples of it having so direct and important a hand in the birth of a new cultural music, a real contribution to music lovers and geeks alike.
For more information on chiptune or to browse, listen to and engage with a thriving chiptune community, visit the 8bitcollective at 8bc.org.
Check out some chiptune bands
Interested in checking out some chiptune bands? These groups provide a broad spectrum of sounds and serve as great examples of different ways that artists can incorporate chiptune into their music.
Anamanaguchi
From: New York, NY
Sounds like: classical music composed for video games. Anamanaguchi begins with rich 8-bit compositions and then blends in traditional rock elements like guitars, drums and bass. The chiptune is the main instrument here.
Sky Eats Airplane
From: Fort Worth, TX
Sounds like: metal meets Mega Man. Sky Eats Airplane is a tight hardcore metal outfit that employs chiptune elements for texture throughout their songs a modern rhythm section.
Supercommunter
From: Seattle, WA
Sounds like: space-age hip-hop. Flowing over top of chiptune compositions seems like the kind of game Kanye might've gotten into if he could have done it as well as this trio from Seattle.
I Fight Dragons
From: Chicago, IL
Sounds like: pop rock music for dancers. All the energy and polish of pop rock acts are present, however the electronic element provided by the chiptune undertones make for a musical flavour just begging you to get up and get down.
YMCK
From: Tokyo, Japan
Sounds like: a Nintendo came to life and started to sing. Since 2004, YMCK has been performing around Asia and composing chiptune, even filtering singer Midori Kurihara's vocals through a vocoder to emulate the 8-bit effect. The music is infectious, but there isn't much English to hear.
Chiptune is a unique form of music in that it has a very specific niche without being tied to any distinct genre; you needn't be interested in a particular style of music — like country, rap or rock music — but you may need to have an open mind and a penchant for whimsy.
As an art form, chiptune takes its beginnings from the creation of computerized music back in the 1950s, but it was the advancement of home entertainment technology in the 1980s that provided the real push into the foreground. Computers like the Commodore 64 and NEC PCs, as well as Nintendo gaming systems, evolved to the point that they required an in-board 8-bit sound chip or subsystems to support the game, and the musical canvas was just broad enough for composers to create some elaborate works of music.
Gaming systems continued to evolve, but not all of the composers followed suit. MIDI music would continue on through the 1990s, and that concept of distilling music down through 8-bit filters would also prove to survive.
Enter the geek. These home entertainment systems all featured variations on a waveform generator, a module within that provided some control over tracks and tones, though often within the confines of a certain pitch or timbre, the quality or colour of the notes themselves. While an 8-bit tone is much more forgiving than voice-quality recordings, it presents more in the way of a challenge when it comes to composing.
Chip music continued on, elaborately composed and used in all manner of private or commercial projects, though was rarely performed in a live setting outside of being used in samples in works of hip-hop or rock music. But then the 2000s hit, and young bands and composers began to incorporate the old equipment to complement their sound with specially designed 8-bit electronic textures. Chiptune was one of the first triumphs of the musical open-source movement empowered by the Creative Commons copyrighting protocols, which meant that composers could share and connect with each other in all new ways over the Internet.
When Anamanaguchi — a chiptune rock band from New York that incorporates a custom hacked Nintendo Entertainment System from 1985 into their live setup - was featured on CollegeHumor's online show Bleep Bloop in 2009, the exposure opened doors for them to explore exciting opportunities, like composing the soundtrack to Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game. The band is still as active as ever before, and spent the summer touring France.
And while it's commonly known that the Internet age has had some profound impacts on music and the industry, there aren't many other examples of it having so direct and important a hand in the birth of a new cultural music, a real contribution to music lovers and geeks alike.
For more information on chiptune or to browse, listen to and engage with a thriving chiptune community, visit the 8bitcollective at 8bc.org.
Check out some chiptune bands
Interested in checking out some chiptune bands? These groups provide a broad spectrum of sounds and serve as great examples of different ways that artists can incorporate chiptune into their music.
Anamanaguchi
From: New York, NY
Sounds like: classical music composed for video games. Anamanaguchi begins with rich 8-bit compositions and then blends in traditional rock elements like guitars, drums and bass. The chiptune is the main instrument here.
Sky Eats Airplane
From: Fort Worth, TX
Sounds like: metal meets Mega Man. Sky Eats Airplane is a tight hardcore metal outfit that employs chiptune elements for texture throughout their songs a modern rhythm section.
Supercommunter
From: Seattle, WA
Sounds like: space-age hip-hop. Flowing over top of chiptune compositions seems like the kind of game Kanye might've gotten into if he could have done it as well as this trio from Seattle.
I Fight Dragons
From: Chicago, IL
Sounds like: pop rock music for dancers. All the energy and polish of pop rock acts are present, however the electronic element provided by the chiptune undertones make for a musical flavour just begging you to get up and get down.
YMCK
From: Tokyo, Japan
Sounds like: a Nintendo came to life and started to sing. Since 2004, YMCK has been performing around Asia and composing chiptune, even filtering singer Midori Kurihara's vocals through a vocoder to emulate the 8-bit effect. The music is infectious, but there isn't much English to hear.
