From 8BC. TRASH80 sends an update on his midi hardware for gameboys:
GB (Midi for gameboy) has a interface now, with some neat live mode features such as multi-selection editing & user definable presets (each synth has 16 save slots)
In the reflection: Bigfoot.
It also has some help at the bottom of the screen which displays what the parameter on the cursor position and gives the corresponding MIDI CC value for your sequencer.
Arduinoboy was updated with some neato led fx when syncing or in mGB mode. (lights strobe to sync, different blinks to midi message on mGB)
I’m planning to add custom wave shaps in mGB as well as MIDI sync’d tables. But that might be added either tomorrow or next year depending on motivation
Last weekend, the Philadelphia area was blasted with what is hopefully the first in a series of regular chip shows under the 8STATIC name. The event, at a yoga studio felt like being in a big (and awesome) living room.
Akira posted his impressions on 8BC of the Main 2008 Demo Party:
YO yo yo!
Reporting live from the partyplace on the second day
Yesterday night the internet was hard to come by, so we spent our night partying (like if that hurts… )
The night started early with Lithis closely followed by Psilodump, representing the swedish collective X-Dump. Those who know the work of these dudes know they can expect some heavy dancefloor smashers, with these guys’ particular style. It rocked (the soundsystem in the Espace Julien is amazing)
After that I went to check out Dr. Von Pnok. Hailing from Rennes, this GB-powered drum and death dude has heavy shit going on. I can’t get tired of his tunes. Fucking amazing bass coupled with wicked syncopated beats. Just check out his profile and get some music if you never did (why?). But I am sorry to say the Doctor is to be experienced live (videos of yesterday soon) since most of his music is nowhere to be downloaded
A quick refreshment session in the backstage with the swedish crazies, and then we went onto the main stage to get a load of Meneo. As always, the guys rocked the house, and managed to fit all the present audience into the stage at the end of the set (which also included some jamming with friends! What else ya want?). I have to make a special note on Entter’s visuals. This show I spent most of my time looking at the screen, and now that Raul has a wireless connection to his software (he’s controlling it with a portable device), he has more freedom to go crazy on the visuals, stage and audience. I managed to see visuals for lots of new songs (current favorite being “I KNOW BASIC”) and it was fucking kickass.
So now the main space finished its programme, so we reared onto the café space, which is only smaller in size, because the soundsystem is out of this planet. I played a couple of new tunes before Je Deviens DJ en 3 Jours stormed the stage as always. His mix of nanoloop-powered, currently fashionable french electro/techno, is something that will get your ass shaking no matter how tired, shy or lame you are. The show is coupled by a very energetic performance by him, so it has all the elements of a powerful set. One of my current favourites.
After him, Confipop took the stage with his techno mix and circuitbent toys. This guy knows how to rock a dancefloor. Massive dance anthems and amazing LSDJ skills for the local man. We just couldn’t keep dancing with Psilo and Lithis, while trying to take over all the computers spread around the partyplace (lots of Amstrads and Atari STs, a few Amigas, couple of C64s, one MSX, and more), infecting them with the GOVERNATOR VIRUS, which has only been defeated in one machine by, exactly, who else? A swedish hacker xD
After this we decided to ponce around looking for the last drinks of the night. When we realized the party was over for the day, and it was 5 AM
So that’s all for yesterday’s report, today we have my set and the Micromusic All Stars, which will be a massive jam of hours between all the chipmusic artists present at the partyplace.
Suffice to say, if you are in France or close proximity, if you are not here, you are missing out big time!
Retinascan keeps up with its crazy 3″ CD-r series, so I thought I’d do a rundown of whats been released so far.
The Best.. etc
8gb‘s release sounds very good, even though he just has previews online. The pounding and techy drum programing and glitchy pulsewaves are crackhead addictive, so this sounds like a no brainer of a purchase. So far “Viking Line” might be my favorite chip song to flay alive my helpless victims. And “61b” is hard enough for the toughest of Techno Vikings. 8GB shows that a savvy ear can push the genre far enough you forget all about what hardware is doing what and just fucking dance.
Stunning, and blinding.
Another release is from Multifaros, the alter ego of young Swedish gameboy artist Bard Ericson. “Good Luck” is an mix of the Swedish hump style happy blip mania and really grungy almost rock like tones and how successful the blend came across was one of the biggest surprises for me. Following that with the mournful pause of “Legoman” and “Mr. Rai”, and closing out with the arcade funk of “Toffel” and the beautiful “Why Are You Floating” has added Ericson to my must listen list. Excellent stuff.
Minimally invasive procedures.
Finally is the first release in this series, Stu‘s “Atari Solo”. The release is simply a prolonged beat down of the Atari ST soundchip, especially the wife beating kick stomp of “Ready to Score” and the moaning lofi samples in “Fuck Machine”. Stu shows unwavering dedication to fucking shit up. The sound design alone would make this one of the top chip releases of the year, but Stu also has a number in tricks in store with amazing composition and intriguing mix choices. If you only get one (and hell they are cheap enough to get all three), you’d be hard pressed to ignore “Atari Solo”
I am unclear how many retinascan releases they intend to put out in this format, but this may be the hottest chip run of any label in years. Will be sure to keep an eye on it.
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