Category: Chipmusic

Toons from various consoles.

  • Cheap Dinosaurs – Johnny 5 [live at MAGFest, Jan 2011]

  • VR004: kraettz – galaxy whore recovery center

    Tracks

    1. Like a Hoe
    2. Slasher
    3. Stardust
    4. Delirium
    5. Malfunction
    6. I Love Synth

    Download

  • raquel meyers – useless yet crucial dvd

    A surreal and amusing compilation of works developed by 8bit graphic artist and performer Raquel Meyers, where fighting washing machines and killer lego ducks battle it for a pixel perfect finish. useless yet crucial brings together some of raquels most precious works to date and throws down some great new tracks unseen, aswell as 11 remixes and collaborations with some of the top computer chiptune artists and a kool krew of pixel pushers.

    Artists include: goto80, los punsetes, glomag, bubblyfish, tr1c3, sajama cut, psilodump, la belle indifférence, tubular balls, fredmoth, jellica

    Purchase

  • Paris Graphics – Videogame Music in Context

    From the Upcoming Collapsed Desires DVD comes this TCTD exclusive transcript of bonus commentary from chip vj PARIS GRAPHICS. The interview, taken from bonus digital content currently being prepared for Kickstarter backers, talks about his background as a motion visualist and how he came to be involved n the chip scene.

    More info about the DVD, which will be limited to 100 copies, can be found HERE.

    “I’d like to give a little background on what got me into doing visuals, what I’ve been doing within the chip community, and what’s next.

    It all sort of starts with electronic music: I used to be part of a duo called Voltage Control that made electronic music with analog equipment—synthesizers, function generators, Navy surplus equipment… anything we could get our hands on. With synthesis there are two aspects. One is taking elementary waveforms to create sounds. It might be something that emulates a sound you’re familiar with, like a plucked string, a trumpet or a drum. Or it might be creating a brand new sound that is all yours.

    The other thing you can do is take these elementary wave forms and create patterns of rhythm, melodic patterns and things of that nature, which to me have a great correspondence with visuals and creating visual patterns. From there, we started making visuals with oscilloscopes. Then it went on to taking the equipment and plugging it into TVs, making patterns that varied with the wavelength, frequency, amplitude and so on.

    This isn’t something that we had invented. It had been done in the 1970’s, but we were new to it. We were just learning about it and exploring it. It was quite a bit of fun. Then I moved to New York and all of a sudden I’m 3,000 miles away from all this equipment and I wanted to start doing things. I started playing around with a laptop and seeing what I could do. Some other years went by and I went to my first chip show. I remember thinking, wow, this is really cool! These guys had portable little synthesizers in their hands, the Game Boy. The Game Boy has a sound chip in it that does elementary waveforms and here they are making these great sounds. I started going on a regular basis to all the shows.
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  • Interview with Edward Shallow

    Edward Shallow is a creative powerhouse currently residing in Dundee, Scotland. His approach to chipmusic is on the deeply technical and intricate side. He is definitely among the most interesting musicians to come out of Scotland for the past few years. I caught up with Edward today and he was kind enough to answer all of my questions.

    Hello Edward, thanks for taking the time to talk to me today.

    You are very welcome.

    So, how was meeting Lorraine Kelly?

    I didn’t actually meet her. I made a conscious effort to avoid her.

    According to your previous university website, I understand that she was a VIP at your degree show for Time Based Art & Digital Film.

    She was, for the whole art college, in fact. They tend to invite ‘names’ to walk through and say things are nice. It’s good for advertising but does nothing for the esteem of artists who have spent years honing their art for it to receive nothing but a glimpse and a nod by Lorraine Kelly. She didn’t see any of my work.

    I wonder how that conversation would have went down if it had taken place.

    I would make comment, but libel is a tricky road to walk. She wasn’t the only VIP though. There were visitors who have a better grasp for the work I do.

    You’ve used a mixture of outdoor performance, installation and now you’re working on a music video as a way of extending Edward Shallow beyond a simply musical project. Why do you go all out?

    Do I go all out? I’d say ‘all in’. Whatever engages me at the time is where my interest lies. I run with most ideas until they run dry.

    (more…)