Tag Archives: retro music

ALBUMS, CHIPTUNE, MUSIC

Sega Genesis FM Synthesis Albums

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coverThe Sega Genesis has one of the most versatile and powerful chips of the 8-bit/16-bit era. Although tons of chip artists utilize the Genesis or FM synthesis equivalents, there isn’t as much pure Genesis chiptune releases as you might expect. Aside from the recent Flight Away album covered here, here’s a few more excellent Sega chip artists that you have to check out. These are mostly straight-up chip endeavors that really show off the power of the Yamaha YM2612 chip.

 

 

 

Freezedream


What It Sounds Like: The American Dollar, Album Leaf, Mum, Trentmoeller on your Genesis

Favorite Tracks: Origami, The Girl In the Moon

Album: Today

If freezedream’s Today album didn’t actually come on a Sega Genesis cartridge I would never believe it was pure chip.  Instead of pumping up retro-synth sounds to the max, freezedream dials them back to delicate FM bells and gently humming bass lines for a post-rock, ambient chill environment that is the perfect thing to listen to first thing in the morning or to cool down mentally at the end of a long day. You’ve got to love the unexpected but surprisingly smooth key shift in “Realtime Love” too. Quality composing and synth programming make up this release. If the first track seems a little quiet or dull to you, skip ahead to the regae-influenced “See You Next Thursday” or any of the other moody, melodic tracks that compose this fine album.

 

Jredd

 

 

 

What It Sounds Like: Funk, Trance and Post Rock Flavors in 16-bit

Favorite Tracks: Dark Bounce Caverns, Limitless

 

Jredd often collaborates with other artists on his tracks, so they range from smoky lo-fi funky grooves to epic crunchy trance tracks. From what I can tell, he’s strictly a “for fun” artist too, his stuff can be downloaded for free and will definitely work their way into your favorites. Most of his tracks are available over at µCollective.

 

Linde

Sounds Like: Little bits of modern music mixed with funky in-game themes.

Favorite Tracks: Factory Life, Solar Surfing

Album: Stone Soup 

Linde’s music has a lot of different influences. It’s hard to put a label on them. Some tracks sound like old school break-ish stuff while some of the stand out tracks like Factory Life and Solar Surfing sound like something straight out of an old Genesis game. The album closer, Not Reading, is a nice chill way to end out of pretty high-energy and melodic album.

 

Animal Style


Sounds Like: A 90’s arcade shooter soundtrack

Favorite Tracks:  Outer Trace, Lame FAQs

Album: Trenchvent

Animal Style captures that bouncy bass sound that drove every Sonic song into your head for all time. It’s a fun and nostalgic trip that reminds of every 90’s side-scrolling space shooter I ever played. The songs have enough variety to keep you from getting bored too.  Give each song a chance, as there are lots of unexpected bits towards the ends of many of them, like trippy drums that throw you off a bit and other fun changes.

 

Want to make your own? Check out this post we did a while ago on how to start creating some classic Genesis sounds with a tracker or even in a modern DAWS.

 

Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 2.36.44 PMBeatscribe is a full time indie composer, musician and writer. By day he creates soundtracks for various mobile gaming companies, by night creates megaman-inspired chiptunes, in the afternoons he drinks tea. Check out his latest releases, tutorials and retro ruminations at www.beatscribe.com.
ALBUMS, CHIPTUNE, MUSIC

The Flight Away – SEGA Swing

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flightAwayIf you haven’t heard of The Flight Away, you need to get their amazing EP “If I Could Reach the Sky”, an awesome emotronic album that blends sunny emo vocals and guitars with classic 16-bit and 8-bit tones and basslines. Not content to just create the same sound over and over, The Flight Away’s newest release, SEGA Swing is a bit of a departure from the sounds of If I Could Reach The Sky.

Music in the late 80’s and early 90’s (pre-grunge) had a very distinct sound. Those big gated drums and synthetic baselines and synth pianos just scream ending credits of an 80’s teen movie. The SEGA Swing album aims to capture some of this sound. The entire album is made up of instruments ripped straight from Sega Genesis soundtracks as well as drums that mimic the style of the era. It’s a double dose of nostalgia with the song style and the sounds from the 16-bit console of the era.

It’s not the most commonly imitated time period, but I think we’ve reached the point where it can be enjoyed in a nostalgic way. The romantic and pop-infused tracks of SEGA Swing will remind you of everything from New Order to Michael Jackson to EMF. It sounds weird but it also reminds me of Toad the Wet Sprocket. Total 90’s new jack swing styled thing going on throughout it. Also Dance Fight is a somewhat hilarious bonus track that reminds me of Haddaway and Night at the Roxbury.

The stand out tracks in my opinion are The Endless Loop and I Can’t Take (This Feeling), which emulate everything that was amazing about New Order in the 1980s. There’s not a bad song on here and it still feels like something by The Flight Away, not some huge digression from their core style. Grab it today!

 

Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 2.36.44 PMBeatscribe is a full time indie composer, musician and writer. By day he creates soundtracks and sfx for various mobile gaming companies, by night creates megaman-inspired chiptunes, in the afternoons he drinks tea. Check out his latest releases, tutorials and retro ruminations at www.beatscribe.com.