Category: C64

  • Best Release

    There were “loads” of releases this year, but it seems that for every great one, there where 12 “eps” of questionable quality. A truly great release must withstand repeated listening, have overall top grade quality, and be presented in a cool manner. Here are some of the best releases of the year.

    minusbaby – Saudade for Beginners

    Lowbit renaissance minusbaby started what seems to be an ambitious cycle of records with Saudade for Beginners. Playful melodies intertwine with complex voicing and awesome artwork in one of the more personal and heartfelt releases of the year.

    Disasterpeace – Level

    II music label head Disaterpeace maintained a consistent vision and  artful composition and pulled it all together with thoughtful sound design and masterful use of the limitations inherent in the genre.

    Trash80 – Icarus

    Trash80 similarly transcended the restraints of the chip sound, and used studio production to enhance, not overwhelm the glorious chip sounds. “Missing You” was perhaps the breakup track of the summer, but all the songs were great tracks of their own, and could’ve carried any release by their own accord.

    stu – atari solo

    Is there any artist in chip music who is synonymous with the chip they use as much as stu? Pushing the chip to its limits, then forcing it farther, stu redefines the concept of what exactly these limitations are, and how they are no barrier in the hands of a masterful musician.

    Chromelodeon – The Final Recordings

    Its initial release was so small, and sold out the only night it was on sale, II should be thanked heartily for giving the rest of our saps a chance to hear the biggest band you never knew. Dino Lionetti’s awesome compositions are matched by a bevvy of talented musicians and masterful production in a great blend of chip rock hybrid sounds. The band is sorely missed, but this impressive document will live on.

  • Best Live Visuals I

    VJs are a core element in today’s music shows.
    Wherever you will go to a show, you will see an assortment of screens with visuals on it. Unfortunately, the importance of the VJ is usually under appreciated.

    For certain they yield big power: they can enhance or destroy a performance. Many times I have remained in awe gasping at a screen on a music show, and many times I wanted to yell “turn off the fucking screen”… Having being a “full time VJ” (that means, this being my main and only means of income) for about 8 years, and having curated many a VJ events and exhibitions in that time, I am pretty certain of what makes or break a good one and some times believe me, for the sake of conserving the good name of live visualists, it would be best to shut the screen off :P

    The task is a complex one. In my view, the VJ is a bit of a “Swiss Army Knife” in the electronic music business. He or she has to have a grasp of visual aesthetics, obvious dominance of the video field (be it live motion video or animation), a bit of layout/design skills, music sense or, better, more advanced music knowledge and last, but not least, notions of scenography and stage setup, as well as all the tech know-how that makes each of these possible. They usually have to provide, as well, all the gear that makes their set possible, with no such thing as a “house backline” for VJs existing in many places (sometimes, venues will not even have a projector). It makes you think a lot each time you think that shoving images on-screen is an easy task.

    I’ll cut the babble short now and present you with our first nominee in the Live Visuals Award. Hailing from Philly in the United States, he is a very regular VJ at the monthly Pulsewave events at NYC, as well as other events around the area and abroad. Frequent workshop lecturer and fine 6502 coder, please welcome him:

    NO CARRIER
    [Philadelphia, USA]

    [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/LQ1PBTsJ4lw" width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen="true" fvars="fs=1" /]Cow'p + No Carrier @ Blip Festival 2008
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  • Best Demo Production V

    We finish off this category with the final and one of the most wanted pieces in the nomination rounds…

    Making jaws drop when presented at the X’2008 party in The Netherlands (where it got a more than deserved first position), Booze Designs’ demo brings forth a bag of surprises for our Commodores, pushing the 64 past its limits with an array of effects before thought impossible. Couple this with nice graphics and music (Dane doing a double role there!) and you got yourself a winner.

    The bar for tchnological achievement on the stock C64 platform has been raised once again, until X’2010 perhaps? :)

    Ladies and gentleman, this is:

    Edge of Disgrace by Booze Design
    [C64]

    Part 1
    [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/yFdjWSaDlIo " width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen="true" fvars="fs=1" /]

    Part 2
    [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/0b4uGv-9xpw" width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen="true" fvars="fs=1" /]

  • C64.sk’s Last Compo is OVER!

    Source: C64.sk

    This ain't no bleep bleep shit...
    This ain't no bleep blip shit.

    Here be the results and download packs:

    1. Eskimonika by Stellan Andersson (Dane) (03:47) (852 PT)
    2. Intrinsic by Conrad/Viruz/Samar/Onslaught (Owen Crowley) (3:58) (850.5 PT)
    3. A Liquor Store Anthem by Randall (4:09) (787.5 PT)
    4. Love Land by Steven Diemer (A-Man/Xenon) (2:35) (781 PT)
    5. Two Minute Jam by Josep Barwick (Stainless Steel) (2:00) (675 PT)
    6. Stay Chill by Marcin Majdzik (PSycHo) (3:23) (641 PT)
    7. Rocco Siffredi Invades 1541-II by Kamil Wolnikowski (Jammer) (2:58) (638 PT)
    8. Stretch Marks by Hein Holt (Hein/Vision) (3:57) (627 PT)
    9. Christ 69 Electroclash Deluxe by Arman Behdad (Intensity) (3:30) (615 PT)
    10. Wander Fool by Vincent Merken (_V_) (6:24) (563 PT)
    11. Johnny Rocket by Uneksija (Antti Pitkämäki) (3:46) (534 PT)
    12. Back to Planet:dATA by LordNikon/Dekadence (3:25) (513 PT)
    13. fuckyou.progressivedata.fuckme by Sascha Zeidler (Linus) (2:46) (508 PT)
    14. Pixel Hell Level 9 by H?kon Repstad (Archmage of Instinct) (3:04) (498 PT)
    15. Drunken Ninja Dance by Rambones (4:54) (454 PT)
    16. See You Later Oscilator by Kristian Myklebust (kribust) (2:21) (451.5 PT)
    17. Elegy by Peter Bergstrand (1:24) (392 PT)
    18. Levitation by Henne / The Dreams (2:15) (385 PT)
    19. Disco Dream by Richard Bayliss (3:54) (380 PT)
    20. Mustelid by Hukka/Dekadence (2:34) (359.5 PT)
    21. Ninja Life by G-Fellow / CiViTaS (Gerhard Flagge) (2:48) (353 PT)
    22. Upgrade by Dennis Hildingsson (Rusty46) (2:00) (286 PT)

    ENJOY LISTENING: MP3 PACK (.ZIP) | D64 DISK (.D64) | SID PACK (.ZIP)

  • Announcing the 2008 TCTD Awards

    Handcarfted using only the finest child labor.
    Handcrafted using only the finest child labor.

    As 2008 comes to a close, the staff at TCTD takes time to take stock and acknowledge the best and brightest achievers in the International Chip Community. TCTD is pleased to announce that we are accepting nominations for the following Categories.

    Please email all one paragraph or less nominations to:

    2008@truechiptilldeath.com
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