Author: Peter Swimm

  • TCTD Awards 2009: Best Artist

    Our final award is somewhat nebulous and warrants a little explaining. It is someone who should be among the foremost names on your list when explaining chip music to outsiders, a person whose skills as a musician and composer are so inspiring that mere words cannot convey their importance to the scene.  The following nominations comprise artists from all the relevant categories. I am happy to present the (last!) award of 2009, Artist of the Year:

    minusbaby – With a stripped down live approach,  quality EPs for 8bitpeoples and rocking pixel work, Minusbaby made numerous TCTD award shortlists. His music becomes more nuanced and engrossing with each release.

    Bud Melvin – An amazing performer with an awesome release confirms my gut feeling that any year Bud is active, he is a nominee for this category.

    4mat – One of the demoscene greats returns to the fold.  Even his WIPs and fragments outstrip many official releases.

    Goto80 – Do you like breakfast?

    Little-Scale – This insanely prolific inventor and composer was the overwhelming choice of the public in this year’s nominations. He is an innovative songwriter, a great live performer and he knows a thing or two about interfacing with his hardware.

  • TCTD Twitter Posts for 2010-01-26

  • TCTD Awards 2009: Best Track

    In a year where all the gimmicks seemed to be tired (forced limitations, cover comps, time based show-offs) these nominees showed that at its heart, chip music ain’t a thing without good old-fashioned songwriting. There is no way to do justice to the dozens of deserving artists who have created great music this year, so when weighing nominations I tried to consider the artists’ use of chips and the quality of the production, but in the end it was simply a matter of “do you like the song?” These tracks are all superior accomplishments and I am proud to announce 2009’s Best Track Nominees:

    The J. Arthur Keens Band – Catfish Lagoon

    Youthful wunderkin releases dozens of songs and this is the one that catches fire. Catchy and sing-a-longability along with great sound design make a song that is not only one you can rock in your bedroom, but share with your parents, friends and the fairer sex.

    Bit Shifter – Easy Prey

    From the amazing 8bp100 Blip Fest CD package, the mix and the crowd only accentuate an amazing performance by one the masters of the US chip scene, Josh Davis.

    Mr. Spastic – FXLP

    The soundtrack to running through a brick wall, hyper energy and a solo that takes you over the cliff.  Not to be played before bedtime, church, major surgery…

    Dr. Von Pnok – Brain Swap

    Processed chips with insanely large presence and mental beats. Harsh, club-worthy and ultimately danceable.

    Chibi-Tech – A–nie Rabu Damon. (It’s A–nie Love.)

    Perverse and accomplished, what more can you hope for from ths winner of this years Famicompo Originals. Fans of VRC6 and Jodeci, this is your jam.

  • On the FMA: 2009 Blip Festival PT. 2

    Free Music Archive: 2009 Blip Festival on your FMA PT. 2.

  • TCTD Twitter Posts for 2010-01-25

    • LSDJ v4.0.3: now with color inversion for backliters http://www.littlesounddj.com/lsd/latest/full_version/ #
    • RT @FrankieBit JulieHally Chiptune live in Tokyo (starts at 2:31 in the video) http://short.to/14lsu #
    • RT @facundorules Everyone attending @pulsewave this Saturday come early and hit up the open mic! 8pm sharp! #
    • RT: @demoscenepouet: Support C64.sk:Hi everybody. In May 21. 2010, it will be 9 years since I launched c64.sk… #
    • Pac-mania now on iTunes: http://nobuooo.com/item/6757 #
    • Bibin's backlight color guide: #