Tag Archives: 8bit

ALBUMS, MIXES

Of Atoms and Stardust (Remix) by Auxcide ~ A Lost in the Music Review

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TC

Compilation albums rock. Through them, you gain exposure to other musicians and genre’s that you may not have heard of. OCReMix is wonderful at that as I have discovered several different genres and artist through them. It is because of OCReMix I have discovered my love for rock game covers, as well as classical piano work. Another example of a great compilation album is the remix version of one of Auxcide’s earlier albums, Of Atoms and Stardust, which I will be looking at today.

Before getting into the review itself, I would like to first commend Auxcide in using a Gameboy while making the album. Using a 20 some odd year old console to make music, and make it sound good is quite a talent, and this isn’t just limited to Auxcide. There are plenty of artists out there who use the Gameboy as an instrument which gives the old brick a new lease on life. I commend these artists for utilizing an important piece of gaming history in new ways.

Reading up on Of Atoms and Stardust, I can appreciate the love and kindness that went into these remixes. The performers here didn’t just remix the songs for fun, they did it to show appreciation to Auxcide’s first album, which is an example of how close knit the indie music scene can be.

So how is this album? It is a solid remix project. The artists keep it safe which can be a mixed blessing. They keep the music simple, but it lacks innovation. I do believe they didn’t try to innovate because they wouldn’t want to overshadow Auxcide’s original album, while commendable, does in the end make it sound somewhat average. Don’t get em wrong, the album is great, but it is also sadly predictable.

I never had a chance to listen to the original Of Atoms and Stardust as I came across Auxcide through word of mouth, but listening to this remix album makes me want to listen to the original. Also, it is because of this remix album that I would like to listen to the other chiptune artists on this album and check out their work.

Should you purchase this album? Even though they played it safe, I would still say yes as the album exposes you to new chip artists. These guys are good, and if they start experimenting more, then they could be great.

You can find Of Atoms and Stardust (Remix) on Auxcide’s Bandcamp page.

This is Daimo Mac and I am lost in the music.

ALBUMS, CHIPTUNE, MUSIC

“Warrior-Poets” – A Review of Chipmusic Heroes II: Reditum

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Chipmusic Heroes II: Reditum

Bolstered by the success of their first release and back for a second helping, global chiptune collaboration group Chipmusic Heroes has released their second album, three months to the day since their self-titled debut. Reditum picks up where the debut left off and goes even bigger and louder. Thirteen different artists from countries as far-flung as Norway, the Netherlands, Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Russia, Israel, and New Zealand are represented here. With one exception, every contributor to the debut returns, as well as adding new blood like Octobox, Aimm, and Super Robotic Encounters.

The opener, “Side By Side,” sets the tone followed throughout the album, striking a balance of sounding like video game music without actually being that. This album showcases a range of chip as diverse as the contributing artists, though there are definite high points.

Kartmaze‘s nine-minute romp “Across the Nebula” gets my vote for best track, and that has surprisingly little to do with my obsession with lengthy songs. This track has a very story-like feel to it, as though the listener is flying through space visiting different planets, where the music shifts every so often to sound like it was inspired by video games as diverse as Castlevania, 2D-era Final Fantasy, Contra, and Metroid.

Several other tracks deserve specific attention as well. Grimmy‘s aptly-named “Arcade Nights” opens with a build that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into Flynn’s Arcade before kicking into something I would best describe as 80’s synth revival, like the Hotline Miami soundtrack with chip tossed in. “Pixelated Sunshine” by Freq is a joy, a jaunty and bouncy little tune that somehow evokes both old Mario tunes and old rap beats. “Worker Ants” by Same Type Attack Bonus sounds like someone attempting, with success, to give MegaMan a boss stage theme of his own. Finally, Mr. Lenix & Thunder Fox‘s collab track “Frustration,” complete with random angry soundbites sprinkled in, shamelessly throws what sounds to me like an elevator track into a chipstep song. And it works! It’s like “Welcome to Rapture, enjoy your wubs.”

Something that doesn’t stick out right away and – yet strikes me as incredible after giving the album a couple listens – is that this group is all fairly new talent. To name just a few examples: none of these artists have been on soundcloud more than a year, __twc is a mere sixteen years old, and Octobox is a newly-minted Calarts grad.

Overall, the album is solid from cover to cover, with every track worth listening to and offering something fun and enjoyable. The video game influence on Reditum is very prevalent, with most of its tracks sounding very much at home alongside arcade and 8/16-bit era music. But as I said above, this album never sounds derivative or uninspired, which I think is its greatest strength, and why I would highly recommend it. This is a great starting point for anyone thinking to themselves “Just what the blazes is chiptune anyway?” or any long-time listeners looking for a reminder of what got them into this in the first place.

 

Danwich is terrified of The Man and does his best to minimize his online presence.  But you can reach him through his email or his radio show’s page.

ALBUMS, CHIPTUNE, MUSIC

halc & Miearth: When Late Becomes Early

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When Late Becomes Early

I enjoy Chiptunes. From Anamanaguchi’s work to Jake Kaufman to the crew over Chiptunes = Win, Chiptunes are a great music genre and like dubstep there are good and bad examples of the genre. halc is an example of an artist who knows how the genre works. Today on Lost in the Music, I will be taking a listen to halc and Miearth’s latest album, When Late Becomes Early.

I feel if music makes you think, then it is doing its job and doing it well. I enjoy it when an album has you become more introspective, thinking about life and the universe. Although the answers I get aren’t what I am looking for, the journey to find the answer is fulfilling. That is what halc and Miearth did with When Late Becomes Early. It has me think, but it also tells a story in its way. The music seems to be something out of a cyberpunk story, except the main character is an average salaryman, not some angst filled hero, bent on toppling some corrupt corporation or government.

When Late Becomes Early does what I feel many Chiptune artist omit from their work and that is making the music atmospheric. Don’t get me wrong, groups like Anamanaguchi and Jake Kaufman are fantastic at their craft, but they don’t have me feel as if I am in the music. With them, I am merely experiencing it while halc and Miearth, draw me into the music. They have me feel as if I am drawn into this cyberpunk world.

It is rare that i get drawn into an album in such a way. While other artists have me visualize a story, it is rare for me to feel as if I am part of the actual world. The last time this has happened was back in 2003 when I first heard the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Through Howard Shore’s work, I felt I was actually in Middle Earth. Ten years later halc would provide the same feeling. 

That is the mark of a great artist.

I have said that in the past that there have been individual songs that have brought me into the world that the artists have made, but that is it. With When Late Becomes Early, it was the entire album that made me feel apart of the world, not just a single song.

Is When the late Becomes Early worth picking up? Yes it is. When the Late Becomes Early is a great album to pick up. halc and Miearth did a fantastic job with this album, successfully weaving both Chiptune and Dubstep together. Very few artists can do that without making the song sound like a distorted mess, but halc is talented enough to know how to make the songs mesh and make them sound good.

I know there are people out there who are getting tired of Chiptunes, but before they give up on the entire genre, I would like to suggest that they give this album a listen to. It draws you into the world and has you become lost within the music.

You can find When the Late Becomes Early over at Bandcamp. I strongly suggest you pick it up.

This is Daimo Mac and I am lost in the music.

Also, Dj CUTMAN has an IndieGoGo campaign going on now for some sweet GameChops Merch. Donate for some awesome gear from GameChops.

ALBUMS, CHIPTUNE, FUSION, MUSIC

Bringing the 80s Back to the Future: A Review of One: A Telefuture Compilation Album

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One: Telefuture AlbumAmidst the commotion of fast-paced 21st-century life, 80s-inspired record label Telefuture reminds their listeners of a more optimistic time, when we could only just begin to glimpse at what technology might become. Over the last year, Telefuture has strived to keep alive the ideals and sounds of the 80s.  A celebration of the label’s first anniversary, One: A Telefuture Compilation Album is an hour-long musical ride that pays homage to the golden age of wayfarer sunglasses, hairspray, and video arcades.  The eleven songs showcased in this album re-imagine 80s auditory tropes for the listeners of today by capturing neon-lit nostalgia through the use of classic analog sounds and samples.

The album leads off with “Gemini,” an exquisitely introspective track by Nashville-based Makeup and Vanity Set. The song draws us in with its subtle buildup of atmospheric synths coupled with delicate percussive pops, while also sparking Cosmos-like visions of exploding stars and faraway galaxies. Moving on through time and space, the album next invokes the era of the Brat Pack with Le Cassette‘s “Tonight.” No album inspired by the sounds of the 80s would be complete without a throbbing vocal ballad and Telefuture’s inclusion of “Tonight” definitely does not disappoint. Flashing back to an electronic love affair long gone, “Tonight” shines bright as the only song on the album with vocals at the forefront; the track blends buttery backing synths with smooth vocals into a delicious sonic simulacra of an 80s-style ballad.

One leverages the combination of different musical artists to great effect; the songs combine old and the new to the point where it is difficult to tell where one era stops and the other begins. With its bouncy, upbeat synths and delightful underlying rhythms, Arcade High‘s “One Year Ago” summons up an especially jubilant acoustic throwback to the coming-of-age films of the 80s.

While there are many bright moments to be savored on this album, not every song completely hits the mark. Planted squarely in the middle of the album, Swedish musician Linde‘s “M.Y.S” clocks in at just over eight minutes. Wading through the track’s psychedelic echoes and ethereal arpeggios, though they are at times gripping and always interesting, constitutes an exercise in patience. By the seventh minute of languid electro synths, there exists an almost palpable desire for a jolt of musical rejuvenation. Thankfully, this jolt comes in the form of the track that follows “M.Y.S.” – lpower’s “Passage.” “Passage” recovers the album’s energy and recaptures the spirit of chiptune as it draws upon the power of bassy and driving melodic synths to pack in an energetic, addictive blend of dance beats, chip harmonies, and an intense boss fight wrapped up all in one.

The end of One does not impress as much as the beginning; this is not to say that the latter songs on the album do not deserve as much credit, but in the wake of the earlier musical heavy-hitters they remain at an auditory disadvantage. Overall, the album is a fantastic and thoughtful tribute to the sounds of the 80s, where the sincere efforts of the musicians on the album pack a punch as powerful as He-Man himself. With one ear in the present and the other in the past, any listener will find Telefuture’s first anniversary compilation to be a memorable musical marvel.

Find out more about Telefuture on their Facebook page, Soundcloud, or bandcamp.