Top 5 Chipmusic Albums of 2009
A lot of people have been calling 2009 chipmusic’s biggest year ever. With the growing success of Blip Festival, the sudden blossoming of scenes in cities across the United States and a small but noticeable infiltration into mainstream and indie music, 2010 could be the year that truly takes chipmusic to the next level, both in terms of implementation and mainstream appeal. Whether or not this will be entirely a good thing, I can’t rightly say. But what I can do is give you a rundown of my favorite chipmusic releases from 2009.
Hit the jump below to see which albums made the cut, and check out the article on OSV for an additional Top 5 list from Audun “I Love Shirtless Cowboys” Sorlie.
5. Error Repeat – Little-Scale
While it’s by no means the only noteworthy 2009 release from Australian chiptune godfather Little-Scale (aka Sebastian Tomczak), Error Repeat is definitely one of the year’s most memorable listening experiences. Adelaide’s prolific wire-pulling guru crafts a deeply moving and incredibly cohesive odyssey, told by an unholy union of heavily-modified NES and Sega Master System consoles. Echoing pulsewaves, fleeting arpeggios and steady, thumping beats smoothly switch between forlorn, alienating and adventurous, all the while remaining cool and confident of the road ahead. If you’ve yet to hear any of Little-Scale’s material, this is as good a place to start as any.
Available at: CalmDownKidder Records
4. Left – minusbaby
Being one of the original members of the New York chipmusic scene, Rich Alexander Caraballo (aka minusbaby) has had plenty of time to refine his craft. With his latest 8bitpeoples release, Left, it’s fairly obvious that all those years of staring at computer monitors and chewing gum have paid off. Minusbaby’s sound is massive — a hip-shaking, trance-inducing audible monolith that blends dancehall reggaeton with transcendent ambience. Wandering somewhere between inebriated night on the town and osmotic transmission into another plane of existence, Left stands out as one of the most arresting and hypnotic works of chipmusic in recent memory. If there’s truly a way to dance yourself into spiritual enlightenment, Caraballo most definitely has the patent.
Available at: 8bitpeoples
3. Popular Music – Bud Melvin
In a scene that’s seemingly dominated by unrelenting, floor-stomping dance music, what’s an old-fashioned banjo-playing fellow with a handsome mustache and a Game Boy to do? New Mexico native Bud Melvin seems to have found the answer, and delivers it with plenty of style in his self-released LP, Popular Music. Folksy pop vocals and bluegrass-style banjo diddies blend effortlessly with Game Boy accompaniment, creating playful and lighthearted tunes about adolescence, love, sea voyages and persistent felines. You don’t need to be a fan of folk or even chipmusic to be smitten by Bud Melvin’s undeniable charm, but make sure to prepare yourself for some incredibly catchy tunes that you’ll be humming later.
Available at: Bandcamp (MP3), Bed Melvin Website (Vinyl)
2. Kind of Bloop – Various Artists
You may have noticed that the ‘8-bit tribute album’ became a bit of a trend last year, and honestly, I wasn’t a fan of most of them. But as much as I’m tempted to omit cover compilations from this list entirely in lieu of original music, this re-imagining of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue is simply too good to ignore. Organized by Waxy.org’s Andy Baio, the project unites some of the most talented names in chipmusic in a heavily stylized salute to the legendary jazz master. Featuring A-list chip artists like Virt, Shnabubula and Disasterpeace, each track offers a unique and deeply personal permutation of Davis’ seminal jazz classic, all while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original music. Not only does this album help fill the perennial void of chiptune jazz, it serves as a testament to the dynamic and expressive potential of chip instruments when put into the correct hands.
Available at: KindofBloop.com
1. Pamplemousse – J. Arthur Keenes Band
Until a few months before Blip Festival, I was under the impression that J. Arthur Keenes was a real person, and that he, as his stage name suggested, had a band. As it turns out, I was wrong on both accounts. But in my error, it was far more impressive to realize that the insanely catchy ska/punk/reggae tunes of The J. Arthur Keenes Band’s debut EP, Pamplemousse were all composed, performed and sung by a 17-year-old chap named Dan. Using intricately programmed Game Boy composition as a base, Dan supplements 8-bit sounds with layer upon juicy layer of instrumentation — from energetic electric guitars to keyboards and melodicas, the album overflows with texture, topped off by tastefully jaded vocals that contrast the exuberant instrumentals. In the end, it all adds up to one of the most surprising and eclectic chipmusic releases of the year, guaranteed to strike a chord with anyone that has a beating heart in their chest and memories of youth in their head.
Available at: Pause Music
Honorable mentions: ‘Blip Festival 2008′ – V/A • ‘Future, And It Doesn’t Work’ – Starscream • ‘Dawn Metropolis’ – Anamanaguchi
