Chiptunes , you’ve got to love em right? The blooping and bleeping, to me it’s just so infectious and appealing to me. Maybe it’s because I’ve played games and listened to their chiming since I was a toddler or because of some other obscure reason, maybe my grandma made me listen to them in my sleep? Maybe they are associated with the happiness that is often associated with being a child? Who knows? I just know that I do and It was the reason why I started making my own chiptune influenced music 2 years ago, which has since both brought me loads of joy and also further made me appreciate the people who devote their time make these things.

But while my musical experiences could amount to a potentially entertaining story this blog is devoted to the people I look up to and the bands and beat creators that inspire me every day.


J. Arthur Keenes Band

This is a recent one but probably one of my all-time favorites, question , what happens when you take ingenious pop-esque distinctly chiptuni’sh melodies, then add some seriously mopey and remorseful vocals on that? Heaven happens, or at least something glorious and very reminiscent of the wondrous paradise discibed in that dusty old tome. Sure you could just take the instruments and it would be superb as it is but with the lovely and at times sentimental lyrics it becomes something more, something unlike anything I've heard before. I mean when was the last time you heard the sentence - You fall short but take so long, and ten tethers pull with every motion , in a pop song? Or , uh, that at least what I think he saying , the choice of word is most of the time very refreshing!

And for the purists there is also some some songs without vocals like the upbeat Cluck or the amazingly paced Expelling Bee. Seriously that song never slows down, it just keeps going and going, it’s my personal pick from their “new” album computer savvy. Get it over at 8bitpeoples here. But the victory is by inches since every track on the album is golden in some way! The album desciption covers it pretty well , “ Computer Savvy offers a hazy blend of the archaic sounds you know and love with as many other sounds as could fit.”

I couldn’t recommend it more and I would love it if somebody was as taken as I first was when I first heard it. I seriously listen trough it once a day as I ride my bike to school , and every time I experience pain, happiness, loss, remorse , power and a whole lot of other powerful emotions all while going trough the best game ever made in my head. Gosh, when I grow up I want to be like those guys! Anyways , I could go on forever why I love these guys so let’s move on shall we?



I guess everyone has heard the fantastic scott Pilgrim vs the world Anamanaguchi album by now, or? I still have it on my playlist and was my previous listen trough once a day album untill J. Arthur Keenes Band came along, since this is a given I’ll not linger on about it , just listen to it and bathe in it’s greatness will you?

Another question , what’s better than Weezer album? An 8 bit Weezer remix album offcourse! Listen until your ears bleed as your favorite chiptune artists such as Anamanaguchi , BItshifter and a whole bunch of other talanted folks cover your favorite Weezer songs. Brilliant! How about Island in the sun with a Castlevania-like intro?. Or the amazingly talented Bit shifters take on The world has turned and left me here. What ?! That’s been my ring-tone signal for a year and every time I hear it I think somebody calls me ? No? Testament of glory I say!

Pop or rock not your thing? No worries I’ve got you covered! How about some rap with your social commentary? Mr spastic has loads of great tunes but the insanely catchy beats coupled with some rhymes just does it for me every time, check out the Puppeteer if you’re one of those rebbelious types , for us craving something more nightmarish there also the “Oh god I would love to play this level just for the theme” song , Daymare I always imagine this in a Castlevania game. Oh , the glory!



If you’re more of a growling metalhead with a sense of humour you’ll love Rainbowdragoneyes. Besides from sporting a silly name they make some superb music with a large portion of humour, just listen to Creature of deception and you’ll know what I mean! Here’s part of the chorus of the song!


IF ITS IN MY GREATER INTEREST
YOU MAY SUMMON ME TO FIGHT
BUT AS SOON AS I SAVE YOUR ASS FROM YOUR DOOM
WE FUCK ALL NIGHT

Then there's a song about cloning somebody and making them watch as you stab them in the crotch, over and over again, I don't really know , just listen will you?

So that’s a couple of artists and songs I’ve been listening to lately , most of them gathered from the 8bitpeoples amazing discography pages, which all can be downloaded for FREE!

So do you have any awesome chiptun’ish music to share with me?