Comments on: Yeah, but is it modular?

Yeah, but is it modular?

bigmusic — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:17:35 -0800

Switched on Game Boy (zip of mp3's) by Pharmacom , released on 20kbps rec. Wendy Carlos, beware.

By: bigmusic

bigmusic — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:18:08 -0800

For more more lowbit rate stuff like this on 20kbps rec, have a look at 19. Dec 05 Vivaldi-the_four_seasons a little bit down the front page.

By: Jimbob

Jimbob — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:35:58 -0800

Excellent. For years I have battled the bitrate nazis. Finally, a label for me.

By: Mikey-San

Mikey-San — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:42:01 -0800

I am in love with "Invention No. 13".

By: Herr Fahrstuhl

Herr Fahrstuhl — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 04:47:45 -0800

People who dug that might also dig these free cc-licensed game boy / lo-tech mp3s.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 05:07:42 -0800

Whoo, I have Switched on Bach on LP; this should be interesting.

By: phylum sinter

phylum sinter — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 05:10:29 -0800

low bitrate and gameboy go together like peanut butter and chocolate. I just wish there was more deviation from what i'd expect here.

By: Nelson

Nelson — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 08:57:52 -0800

It's very weird to hear percussive sounds in a Bach fugue. Is he using the noise generator because it's the only way to get more than two voices out of the sound chip? Or is it artistic embellishment?

By: jake

jake — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 12:10:01 -0800

If you enjoyed this, please don't let my retardedly nitpicky analysis spoil it: Any chip music is good music, but he's not doing a great job of reproducing either Bach or Game Boy - this is pure kitsch (in a similar vein to the Something Awful "80s covers" done by taking existing MIDI files and playing them back with simple-waveform VST Instruments). The title is misleading and a turnoff to those of us who know love Game Boy music, listen to it, and write it. What you're hearing is "square waves, white noise, and cliche NES samples", not Game Boy or NES music. It's got sampled Punchout super-punches, Mario coins, Konami pauses, and Zelda swords in there, and low bitrate or not, it's obvious from the pitch range and volume fades) that the melodic voices are coming from something other than a Game Boy. I want to contact Pharmacom and get him (and as many of you as I can) turned on to the real thing. If you're going to appeal to nostalgia, thoroughness is way cooler. Chip music is approachable and the community is great, it's just largely unknown, so you end up hearing lots of kitschy covers with Mario Coins. For an inaccurate but seriously rocking Toccata and Fugue, grab an NSF player and check Konami's Gyruss. (also relevant: I'm posting in MetaChat about a free NYC chip show on the 4th of July where you can see a few Game Boy dudes do their thing, I'll be there cheering them on if any of you want to get introduced to this crazy scene.) All this said, I'm thrilled to see chip love on the blue, so thank you for the link.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 17:18:43 -0800

Herr Fahrstuhl, that's some excellent stuff to round out the original links. Thanks a bunch.