On Limitations, Image & Elitism In Chip Music
[Below is a comment made by one of my peers about why chip musicians choose to work within the limitations of antiquated hardware. I obviously respect the commenter’s opinion and realize there is some truth to it, but I feel that by posting this and my response here, it might help clear up a common misconception that chip musicians are elitist scenesters who rebel against modern music trends in order to maintain an image for themselves]
“Yeah I know this is off on a tangent but when Nullsleep was comparing the chip scene to the punk scene of the 90s in [Reformat The Planet], it kinda bothered me, because I kept thinking to myself, “oh great, people are gonna get into this just because it’s ‘alt’ and ‘underground,’ not because they have much of an appreciation for the music.” Not that I disagree with his point, but yeah… there’s an “image” aspect underlying it all; an opportunity to be part of something underground, to get some street cred, to be able to point two middle fingers at all the douchebags playing guitars and drums and say “I’M COOLER THAN YOU BECAUSE I MADE ALL THIS ON 1 GAMEBOY.” Stuff like that.”
If anyone is getting two middle fingers pointed at them, it’s definitely not the millions of bands that use guitars & drums. Nor is it the electronic musician that performs and composes using thousands of $ worth of gear — It’s the retailers, advertisers, corporations and other profit-driven entities that have convinced us, over time, that the only way you can have a chance at being successful as a musician is to spend lots of money on equipment.
I think this feeling of pride in making subversive use of a piece of hardware goes much deeper than the alternative “image” produced as a result. It’s a necessary, healthy and inspiring reaction to years and years of being told that we need X, Y and Z in order to be on a level playing field — X, Y and Z all being money.
I think chip musicians ARE on a level playing field, and I think that needs to be celebrated as a vital part of the music itself. As much as it may seem at times like boast and rhetoric, I think it’s this quality in particular that really inspires most people to push their work to the absolute maximum. And the most common results of that effort, in my observations, are unique experiences & good music, which is precisely why (I would hope) we came to chip music in the first place.
(Source: chipmusic.org)
