Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[New album available from VVVVVV composer Souleye]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/21/new-album-available-from-vvvvvv-composer-souleye/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/21/new-album-available-from-vvvvvv-composer-souleye/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/21/new-album-available-from-vvvvvv-composer-souleye/#comments
Souleye, the chiptune mastermind behind the incredible soundtrack for indie darling VVVVVV, has released a new, full-length album of original delights entitles Adventure. The 20 track collection of bleeps, boops and beats includes brand new songs, tracks from VVVVVV 2.0 and VVVVVV for the 3DS, as well as unreleased remixes from the indie rhythm title Pulsen.

As the above trailer testifies, Souleye's pseudo-retro compositions are guaranteed to lift your spirits in his trademark, undeniably catchy way. The album is available for $10 (or more) at Souleye's official website, and can be listed to for free at Souleye's Bandcamp profile.

JoystiqNew album available from VVVVVV composer Souleye originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurealbumchiptunemusicPulsenremixSouleyesoundtrackVVVVVVSat, 21 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[cTrix's gATARI2600 chiptune "guitar"]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/01/ctrixs-gatari2600-chiptune-guitar/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/01/ctrixs-gatari2600-chiptune-guitar/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/01/ctrixs-gatari2600-chiptune-guitar/#comments
The chiptune music scene is known for its creative use of antiquated gaming hardware, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better example of "antiquated" than 1977's Atari 2600. Through a clever mix of custom software, handmade cartridges and three Boss stomp boxes, chiptune artist/modder cTrix has created the gATARI2600, an instrument as massive as it is massively impressive.

Check out the video above for cTrix's explanation of the device's components, as well as footage of the monstrosity (the instrument, not cTrix) in action at Blip Fest 2011. Personally, we're still holding out for an Intellivision viola.

JoystiqcTrix's gATARI2600 chiptune "guitar" originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atariatari-2600chiptunecTrixgatarigATARI2600hackmodSun, 01 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Chiptune festival bleepin' and bloopin' at PAX East]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/11/chiptune-festival-bleepin-and-bloopin-at-pax-east/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/11/chiptune-festival-bleepin-and-bloopin-at-pax-east/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/11/chiptune-festival-bleepin-and-bloopin-at-pax-east/#comments Boston8Bit has teamed up with Magfest to bring three days of chiptune concerts to this year's PAX East. Notable chiptune artists (Animal Style and The Engadget Show's own Zen Albatross, among others) will be performing daily in PAX's "Jamspace" area daily from 11AM until 2PM EST -- we've been told the space is not full of jam, despite previous reports to the contrary.

Interested parties should head to the event-within-an-event's Facebook page to confirm attendance, or simply to find additional information. The entire list of performances broken down by day can be found after the break.

Continue reading Chiptune festival bleepin' and bloopin' at PAX East

JoystiqChiptune festival bleepin' and bloopin' at PAX East originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>8-bitbostonboston8bitchiptunepax-eastpax-east-2011zen-albatrossFri, 11 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Chiptune rock band Anamanaguchi providing soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/chiptune-rock-band-anamanaguchi-providing-soundtrack-for-scott-p/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/chiptune-rock-band-anamanaguchi-providing-soundtrack-for-scott-p/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/chiptune-rock-band-anamanaguchi-providing-soundtrack-for-scott-p/#comments If you're a fan of both the high-energy electro-rock stylings of Anamanaguchi and the illustrated adventures of Scott Pilgrim, you're in for a serendipitous treat -- the 'Guch announced during their PAX East concert last night that they would be providing the musical accompaniment for Ubisoft's recently announced video game adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim comic series. Given the comic's penchant for 8-bit gaming references, and the band's penchant for 8-bit gaming synthesizers, we think this partnership is a match made in heaven.

JoystiqChiptune rock band Anamanaguchi providing soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim game originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anamanaguchichiptunecomicconcertmusicpax-eastscott-pilgrimscott-pilgrim-vs-the-worldsoundtrackubisoftSat, 27 Mar 2010 23:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Game Trivia Catechism: Casual, homebrew gaming for the hardcore gamer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/game-trivia-catechism-casual-homebrew-gaming-for-the-hardcore/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/game-trivia-catechism-casual-homebrew-gaming-for-the-hardcore/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/game-trivia-catechism-casual-homebrew-gaming-for-the-hardcore/#commentsFiled under:

Programmer Multiple: Option continues to release some of the most interesting homebrew titles out there, this time with Game Trivia Catechism. Billed as a casual game for hardcore gamers, this original title takes the bland and basic multiple-choice trivia format, spicing it up with an intriguing storyline, a gaming theme, and a chiptune soundtrack provided by artists like 8-Bit Terror and PDF format.

Instead of solving math equations or recalling historical facts, players will have to put their useless gaming knowledge to work and answer questions like "Which of these games was NOT designed by Yu Suzuki?" or "Which Mario game did Super Mario Advance remake?"

It's a short game -- you can probably finish it within 15 minutes -- but Multiple: Option deserves praise for creating an entertaining title that doesn't rely on the assets or designs of other developers. If you have the equipment to play homebrew games, we definitely suggest you try this one out. Let us know if you're able to score any higher than a "C" without cheating and using the internet!

JoystiqGame Trivia Catechism: Casual, homebrew gaming for the hardcore gamer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chiptunegame-trivia-catechismmultiple-optiontriviatrivia-gameMon, 21 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Crystal Castles rips off chiptune artists]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/12/crystal-castles-rips-off-chiptune-artists/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/12/crystal-castles-rips-off-chiptune-artists/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/12/crystal-castles-rips-off-chiptune-artists/#commentsFiled under:


For those of you who don't follow indie music, no, we're not throwing plagiarism accusations at Atari's Crystal Castles arcade game, nor are we denouncing She-Ra's headquarters of the same name. Crystal Castles is a Toronto-based, two-man group generating a lot of buzz on the strength of its "new sound" and favorable reviews from tastemakers like Pitchfork.

Though the band claims to have no connection with chiptune artists, their songs don't venture far from the micromusic genre. As fans of the chiptune scene, we were irritated to see Crystal Castles snub the community in a recent Exclaim! interview: "It was only to create annoying sounds. That keyboard was made back in 2004 and then we learned about this whole 8-bit scene, which we don't really have anything to do with. It's a completely different world."

Attentive ears, however, have noticed that the group has a very direct connection with several chiptune artists, such as Lo-Bat and Covox, two artists whom Crystal Castles has sampled without credit or compensation, disregarding the Creative Common License the original songs were released under. Crystal Castles' response? They're denying it. Listening to the juxtaposed tracks in the video above, the similarities seem obvious ...

[Via Gameboy Genius, GameSetWatch]

JoystiqCrystal Castles rips off chiptune artists originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 May 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chiptunecovoxcreative-commonsinsecticonlo-batmusicplagiarismstealingMon, 12 May 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Chiptunes homebrew is cool, but pricey]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/chiptunes-homebrew-is-cool-but-pricey/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/chiptunes-homebrew-is-cool-but-pricey/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/chiptunes-homebrew-is-cool-but-pricey/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As gamers, we can't help but adore chiptunes. That's why we were originally giddy over Pixelh8's new program, Music Tech Pro Performer. Not only is Pixelh8 a respected chiptunes musician himself, but having software that lets us mess around with 8-bit sounds seems right up our alley.

Yet, this software doesn't come cheap. It's not available in ROM form, so you won't be able to download it off the internet like many other homebrew apps. Pixelh8 is looking for some compensation for his hard work -- fair enough. But, the price is pretty steep (£30, approximately $59 USD) for a somewhat limited piece of software.

If you disagree with us and have to have it, you can order one of your own here. As for us, we'll be admiring his work from afar. To admire away with us, check out another video past the break.

Continue reading Chiptunes homebrew is cool, but pricey

JoystiqChiptunes homebrew is cool, but pricey originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>8-bitchiptunemusicmusic-tech-pro-performerpixelh8Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blip Festival returns to New York with 8-bit music, workshops, and more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/blip-festival-returns-to-new-york-with-8-bit-music-workshops-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/blip-festival-returns-to-new-york-with-8-bit-music-workshops-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/blip-festival-returns-to-new-york-with-8-bit-music-workshops-a/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Last year, the Blip Festival brought together a plethora of chiptune musical artists, visual artists, and filmmakers to relish in the aeshtetics of an 8-bit lifestyle. This Thursday, Blip Festival 2007 kicks off with an even more ambitious roster of international chiptune musicians, artists, and more.

The event will be held at Eyebeam in New York City from Thursday to Sunday. Concerts each day will include a variety of musical artists, including heavy hitters like Bit Shifter, Nullsleep and Anamanaguchi. Saturday and Sunday of the event will also feature workshops and film screenings. Admission is $10 for each day's events, although multi-day passes are also available on the website.

Fans of anything and everything 8-bit are encouraged to attend. Chiptune artists have to be seen to be believed.

[Via GameSetWatch]

JoystiqBlip Festival returns to New York with 8-bit music, workshops, and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>8bitblip-festivalblipfestivalchiptunemusicTue, 27 Nov 2007 17:45:00 EST<![CDATA[The DS Life: Insane Youth]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/12/the-ds-life-insane-youth/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/12/the-ds-life-insane-youth/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/12/the-ds-life-insane-youth/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handheld and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com.

We really don't give chiptune artists or the micromusic scene the amount of attention they deserve here at DS Fanboy; to remedy that distressing fault, this week's installment of The DS Life turns your ears towards the clicks, pops, and wheezes of chiptune musician Maru's circuit-bent toys and Game Boy systems, low-tech instruments working in concert to sing a high-tech song.

Continue reading The DS Life: Insane Youth

JoystiqThe DS Life: Insane Youth originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chiptunegame-boyinsane-youthmarumicromusicportalenztsuji-technouskWed, 12 Sep 2007 19:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Alex Mauer's Vegavox album: Now available on NES]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/05/alex-mauers-vegavox-album-now-available-on-nes/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/05/alex-mauers-vegavox-album-now-available-on-nes/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/05/alex-mauers-vegavox-album-now-available-on-nes/#commentsFiled under:

Go ahead and toss all your CD's in the garbage, along with your SACD's, audio DVD's, cassettes, LP's, EP's, 45's, 8-tracks, DAT's, Minidiscs, wax cylinders, and player piano rolls. Crush the pile down a little and throw your fancy MP3 player on top. All of that stuff just became embarrassingly obsolete, and we don't want you to appear foolish. There's a new format in town: the NES cartridge.

Alex Mauer is a prolific chiptune artist who has made music with the NES, C64, Sega Master System, and Ad Lib sound chips, among others, and for his latest work, Vegavox, he's really done something special. The only way to get the album of original NES-based music is on an NES cartridge.

If you need us, we'll be installing an NES cartridge slot in our car. And, of course, by "installing" we mean "cramming."

[Via NeoGAF]

JoystiqAlex Mauer's Vegavox album: Now available on NES originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Jul 2007 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alexalex mauerAlexMauercartridgechiptunechiptunesmauermusicnesvegavoxThu, 05 Jul 2007 09:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Game Boy sound comparison delights musicians, confuses others]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/game-boy-sound-comparison/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/game-boy-sound-comparison/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/game-boy-sound-comparison/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

More geeky than most of us can handle, musician Herbert Weixelbaum has an in-depth analysis of the sound output for every Game Boy system, including both Nintendo DS models. He even included minor upgrades to the line and tested systems with backlighting both on and off. The guide is aimed squarely at chiptune musicians who want to get the most out of their performances. Everyone else, just smile and nod.

The results? The original Game Boy has a "warm, bassy sound", the Game Boy Color produces a lot of background noise, while the Game Boy Advance SP has the best display. According to Herbert, however, the original Game Boy is the best of the lot with the all-important "retro feel".

[Via GameSetWatch]

JoystiqGame Boy sound comparison delights musicians, confuses others originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chiptunedsdslitegameboygbamusicretrosoundThu, 29 Mar 2007 09:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Rap song samples extensively from C64 demo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/18/rap-song-samples-extensively-from-c64-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/18/rap-song-samples-extensively-from-c64-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/18/rap-song-samples-extensively-from-c64-demo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you're into the ultra-niche classic console demoscene, last June's release of the Nelly Furtado single "Do It" may have sounded awfully familiar to you. Apparently, the single samples heavily from a 2000 piece originally composed for the Commodore 64 as part of the Old Skool Music Competition. What's more, a 2005 ringtone from Furtado mega-producer Timbaland uses the same sample.

The similarities between Tempest's "Acid Jazzed Evening" (later remixed by demoscener GRG) and the Furtado track are apparent and extensive -- from the bass line to the melody, the songs are nearly identical, except for Furtado's addition of lyrics. Still, it's a tough call as to whether or not the sampling constitutes illegal copyright infringement -- the case law involved is long and somewhat contradictory.

The legal point may be moot though -- according to some hearsay from a self-described friend on the SomethingAwful forums, original artist Tempest doesn't want to go through the "time-consuming and horrible" process of a legal suit. Still, the fact that a major record producer is taking direct inspiration from a years-old chiptune composition speaks to both the creativity of the demoscene and the dearth of originality in modern pop music.

JoystiqRap song samples extensively from C64 demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chiptunedemoscenemusicNelly FurtadoNellyFurtadorapretrosamplingThu, 18 Jan 2007 14:55:00 EST