Joystiq

'NoiseChan & Nugget: Adventures in Chiptune' features hot jams, good causes

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EST

Chiptune internet radio program Noise Channel Radio, in conjunction with digital music label Ubiktune, has released a compilation album of (surprise!) chiptune jams, dubbed NoiseChan & Nugget: Adventures in Chiptune.

The album, available through BandCamp on a pay-what-you-want basis, features songs from Adventure Time/Double Dragon Neon/Contra 4 composer virt, in addition to 10 other artists. Additionally, all album sale proceeds go directly to Child's Play, which means that while Adventures in Chiptune is technically available for free, you could drop some bucks for a good cause.

'NoiseChan & Nugget: Adventures in Chiptune' features hot jams, good causes originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Street Fighter X Mega Man's chiptune soundtrack now on Bandcamp

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 23:00:00 EST

Street Fighter X Mega Man's superb chiptune soundtrack is now available on Bandcamp, complimenting yesterday's release of the game. Composed by San Francisco-based electronic music producer A_Rival, the 22-track album fuses Mega Man's sonic sensibilities with classic pieces of orchestration from Street Fighter's past.

The soundtrack, which includes character themes and scores from the game's various menus, is being sold through Bandcamp's name-your-own-price model with a minimum price of $0.00. So, hypothetically, this could either be the cheapest or most expensive piece of music you've ever purchased. Regardless of which end of that spectrum you feel is most appropriate, at least do yourself the favor of downloading these sweet, chippy jams.

Street Fighter X Mega Man's chiptune soundtrack now on Bandcamp originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grab the Nubuwo Winter Bundle, help fund the FAMI-MODE 2012 DVD

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:30:00 EST

The third video game music menagerie from Nubuwo is the Winter Bundle, and it's available on the Kickstarter for the FAMI-MODE 2012 DVD, a documentary of Tokyo's live chiptune concert. The Winter Bundle includes two halves of more than 80 songs each, the indie pack and the Fami pack, with either half up for $7 or the full bundle for $10.

The indie pack includes Rainbow Moon Melodies, Slipstream Volume One (revisiting music from Wipeout), El Huervo Trilogy (including music from Kometen, Hotline Miami and Clairvoyance) and the FTL: Faster Than Light soundtrack. The Fami pack includes the holiday chiptune album 8-Bit Jesus, Mega Man cover album Mega Ran Fifth Anniversary Edition, Killed by Koopa Stage One and FAMI-MODE 2012 Live Recordings.

The Kickstarter itself funds the FAMI-MODE 2012 DVD, but if it makes you feel better, look at this as a simple way to get the Nubuwo Winter Bundle on the cheap. The Kickstarter has to succeed for the goods to be distributed in this way, though - there are eight days left to raise $4,700 on this thing. Rock and fund on, chiptune lovers.

Grab the Nubuwo Winter Bundle, help fund the FAMI-MODE 2012 DVD originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama, Romney get chiptuned in battle for presidential seat

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:30:00 EST

The battle for the White House is an epic, intense drama to rival those of legend and myth, so of course it makes a great chiptune video game. The Gregory Brothers, creators of Autotune the News and all those viral videos about burgers and bed intruders, songified Barack Obama and Mitt Romney from the Democratic and Republican national conventions (respectively, in case you get those two mixed up).

The video is titled "Patriot Game" and presents the presidential candidates side-by-side, comparing their talking points as if they were literal points in an 8-bit video game, set to an upbeat tune. Watch the piggy banks, (bleeding) hearts and American flags stack up over at The New York Times, and see who wins to be the fictional, autotuned President of Earths and Moon. It might surprise you.

Obama, Romney get chiptuned in battle for presidential seat originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'The Triforce of Bass' is three pay-what-you-want Zelda remix EPs

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST

GameChops, an indie chiptune/remix record label founded by DJ Cutman, has released a collection of three electronic dance music EPs based off various titles in the Zelda franchise, such as A Link to the Past and Skyward Sword. The Triforce of Bass features three five-track collections of tunes that include varying degrees of wub from DJ Cutman, Spamtron, Mykah and dj-Jo.

Available here, the chiptune/dubstep/trip-hop album is being sold on a "name your price" basis, meaning that customers can pay as little or as much as they want for all 15 songs. From what we can tell, the only way to prevent DJ Cutman from dropping the bass is through repeated use of Guts Man's Super Arm.

'The Triforce of Bass' is three pay-what-you-want Zelda remix EPs originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New album available from VVVVVV composer Souleye

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

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.

New 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.

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cTrix's gATARI2600 chiptune "guitar"

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST

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.

cTrix'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.

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Chiptune festival bleepin' and bloopin' at PAX East

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST

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

Chiptune 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.

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Chiptune rock band Anamanaguchi providing soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim game

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:59:00 EST

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.

Chiptune 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.

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Game Trivia Catechism: Casual, homebrew gaming for the hardcore gamer

Eric Caoili — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew

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!

Game 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.

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Crystal Castles rips off chiptune artists

Eric Caoili — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

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]

Crystal 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.

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Chiptunes homebrew is cool, but pricey

Candace Savino — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew, GBA, Imports

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

Chiptunes 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.

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Blip Festival returns to New York with 8-bit music, workshops, and more

Scott Jon Siegel — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Portable, Retro

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]

Blip 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.

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The DS Life: Insane Youth

Eric Caoili — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Features, The DS Life

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

The 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.

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Alex Mauer's Vegavox album: Now available on NES

JC Fletcher — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 09:50:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

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]

Alex 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.

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Game Boy sound comparison delights musicians, confuses others

John Bardinelli — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:44:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Portable, Retro

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]

Game 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.

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Rap song samples extensively from C64 demo

Kyle Orland — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks, Retro

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.

Rap 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.

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