Chiptunes and Pixels and Game art OH MY!

chiptune music is being able to create synthesized music by using electronic devices such as video game consoles to emulate sound. the process was used for creating music for old 8-bit video and computer games which have now evolved into something more for aesthetic reasons and entertainment. While some artists are creating chiptune music for the nostalgia some do it for the fun.

i remember sitting around my living room about four years ago flipping through the channels until i stopped at a certain trendy music tv station and left to grab some grub. in the middle of washing my hands i heard the sounds of bleeps and bloops and i thought to myself "wow, that's pretty frigging awesome!" i ran into the living room to see this guy being interviewed named joshua davis who went by the name bit shifter. in the interview he spoke about how he made music by using his game boy. being a dork, i watched the entirety of the show and took down all the names of the "chiptune" artists such as bubblyfish, nullsleep, covox, etc. and downloaded whatever songs they had available. music through video games, what a combination! who would have thought they'd turn something like a gameboy or an old nintendo entertainment system into a musical partymachine.

four years later since my bleepin' music introduction, it's still alive and well. it's become the new "punk rock", where you have this "F-this and F-that and if you don't like it, well, F-you too!" kind of attitude towards making music and noise with whatever you have and giving it your all and away for free. the kids that grew up playing games like super mario and megaman grew up but it didn't stop them from being influenced to make their very own soundtracks not only for themselves but for the fans of their music.

feeling a bit close-minded, i thought that this whole chiptune movement was only in and around new york city but it's been all over the world from norway to ohio. i never really knew that it was this unique subculture that's been growing and growing. Click up for a music video by YMCK from the birthplace of chiptune music, Japan.

Art also plays a part in the growing "gamer" culture. an art gallery in hollywood, california called i am 8-bit. it showcases artists all over the world who are inspired by or make fan illustrations of video game characters as art and pop culture. Images via Joystiq and kotaku

it seems that video games have created such huge sub-cultures that they even tap into rap called "NerdCore", movies, tv shows and so on. some famous artists underestimate the strong influence of such artists that they have even taken samples or a whole entire piece to create a "new" song. Unfortunately for the artists who created the piece haven't had much luck battling the majors who take advantage of their work. A few of the "rip-off artists" that have taken credit for some of their songs were Timbaland and Crystal Castles to name a few. A better look into the stealing of 8bit properties can be found here.

As long as technology continues to grow and the more kids go out to take things upon themselves to make something out of a silly little hobby, there will always be a new form of art and entertainment. Viva 8-bit Revolution!

for more chiptune artists visit 8 bit peoples

[via 2 player productions, vimeo. joystiq and youtube]