Play That Funky Music, GameBoy

Thanks to MSNBC for their article discussing using classic consoles and handhelds to make retro-styled music. The piece explains: "Over the years musicians have since created software that allows them to tap into the sound capabilities of these old game platforms - as well as the newer Nintendo GameBoy", and references GameBoy sound packages such as Nanoloop and LittleSoundDJ , as well as composers like Micromusic.net, 8BitPeoples, and Paul Slocum. As "8-bit music promoter" Ihu Anyanuwu claims: "Right now there's too much fetishization of new technology. This music is all about simplicity."

Comments

Puss

[Baines]

There's a swedish group called Puss that does some real nice music gameboy music.

Small collection of SID tunes

[Kris_J]

For those of you without access to a real SID anymore, I've just started slowly recording the better tunes from the "High Voltage SID Collection" using a real SID installed in my Catweasel MK3. I take requests. My current request list includes: Shadow of the Beast, Blood money, The intro from Shaped Up/Shape, Batman/JCH, Theme tune to Ghouls and Ghosts, GRG in Cyberspace, Kurt and doris are in love (puterman).

Re:Small collection of SID tunes

[fyrie]

I just checked out your site, and I am dlding now ;). If anyone else is interested in 64 music, check out www.c64audio.com. Also, if anyone is interested in creating music with the SID, I suggested checking out the new HardSID PCI at www.hardsid.com.

Re:Small collection of SID tunes

[yRabbit]

It's also possible to use SidPlay2/w (gui), command-line SidPlay2? or the oldish SIDAMP plugin for WinAmp 2, or any other sid players, to listen to SID files (with a more or less accurate sound? I don't know. I've never heard a real C64 in my life. :)

There's also GoatTracker on http://covertbitops.c64.org/ 's Tools section, for creating your own sid tunes (open source, SDL, has Windows binary).

Re:Small collection of SID tunes

[Kris_J]

Apparently it's less accurate, particularly whenever a tune is considered to be better than average. When you're dealing with hybrid digital/analogue output devices, the Real Thing(TM) is always better than emulation.

Re:Small collection of SID tunes

[DaBj]

I can warmly recommend www.kohina.com myself.
A nice webcast that I basicly always have on, and if you don't like MP3 they have an OGG stream. ;)

8bit peoples

[pillohead]

has great music, i really liked the stuff from i, cactus. That micromusic.net site had no way (not that i could find in 3 seconds) to turn off that annoying music, so I couldn't listen to that. Overall it's fun to listen to what people can do with something considered so woefully antiquated.

Couple weeks ago ...

[torpor]

... there was a gameboy concert in Belgium put on by 4 or 5 8bit artists. I forget the name of the place, but apparently it was a really good gig for them ...

GameBoy Superstar!

[miklernout]

There is even a real Nintendo Gameboy superstar: Alec Empire, the lead of the famous Atari Teenage Riot, had a side project called the Nintendo Teenage Robots. One album was made, called 'We Punk Einhezit!' and all of the songs on it were constructed on a Gameboy. It was released in 1999 on Digital Hardcore Recordings.

Some of the songs are: 'Condom Personality', 'I don't get the printer' and 'Beatles never counted'. I saw the project live this summer and it was the coolest: just one guy, one Gameboy and one hell of sound....

Play That Funky Music, GameBoy

[ArmorFiend]

Best /. article title, EVAR!

YAGMG

[jhoffoss]

[Yet Another Gameboy Music Group]

Sorta kinda...or not. You judge. Interesting if nothing else. http://gorehole.org

Fetishization of technology

[jmitchel!jmitchel.co]

As "8-bit music promoter" Ihu Anyanuwu claims: "Right now there's too much fetishization of new technology.

And this isn't fetishizing old technology?

Re:Fetishization of technology

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, it is. I don't think Anyanuwu thinks fetishization is bad, but most people will blindy worship anything "new" and "higher quality" so he's offering up the other philosophy for balance.

Nectarine / scenemusic has it all !

[Anonymous Coward]

www.scenemusic.net

'nuff said.

Some more info

[Tom7]

If you're interested in making NES music (the Game Boy is more powerful, actually, but I personally feel more nostalgia for the NES), check out MCK:

http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Denei/9628/mak edata_e.html

You can even use my MIDI converter MIDIMML so that you aren't stuck typing numbers into a text-based sequencer.

Also, my Tom 7 Entertainment System project has a bunch of original NES-ish songs for you.

Covox

[elite lamer]

Another Swedish group, Covox makes some fun tunes with a Gameboy. The appropriately simple site, Covox.net, has a few full MP3s to download - worth checking out.

Music not "about simplicity."

[RevAaron]

Ok, don't mean to be a grump, but:

Music isn't "all about simplicity," any more than sex, life, or all art should be all about simplicity. Music is different things to different people.

realaudio??

[snooo53]

Damn, I got all excited until I saw my webrowser trying to download a RealAudio track... time to move on to a different page :(

Re:realaudio??

[Robotron2084]

Yes, I know, and the live track isn't the greatest sound quality. If you'd like to hear Puss, who are one of the BEST chiptuners out there, they have some tracks up on Micromusic.net. If you can, either see them live, or buy their cds, or both :)!! It's very worth it.

8 bit construction set

[Anonymous Coward]

dont forget them. first ever software distribution via vinyl

Re:8 bit construction set

[SharpFang]

When was that?
I have a vinyl record with a ZX Spectrum program (saved after the songs, as last track) with a quiz about the band featuring in the record. (would have to dig it up to remember the name). Was recorded somewhere mid-80's.

Re:8 bit construction set

[Paul Slocum]

I saw Cory Arcangel speak in Austin a couple of weeks ago, and he said that they originally thought it might be the first time software had been distributed on vinyl, but later found out it had been done before in several instances. But that record is great. He said that it was most popular with hiphop djs and they liked to use the data track for scratching. -Paul

MINIKON

[bitrott]

There's a VG music inpired band called Minikon out there you must check out. Also there's a SF group called The Advantage (as in Nintendo's controller) and they've warped some NES classic songs into very decent surf-guitar jams. Finally of course there's Super Madrigal Bros.. these three are probably the best VG bands out there now. Please check out these groups.

Nintendo CORE! Horse the band

[dextr0us]

www.horsetheband.com uses keyboards and sounds like nintendo. they are the 1337357 band on the scene

View Source: one mp3

[Anonymous Coward]

It's cool. Not sure if it's just an excerpt. Here.

Nanoloop CD

[figa]

The disco bruit label put out a CD of Nanoloop compositions. The lineup is pretty incredible: Blectum from Blechdom, DAT Politics, Hrvatski, Merzbow, Pita, and Stock, Hausen and Walkman among others. The music was too harsh for my tastes, but fans of Merzbow and Pita won't be disappointed.

8-bit musicians news

[Anonymous Coward]

www.vorc.org

Vcsclip.mov

[zO1inks]

Ever see Vcsclip.mov?

It's an excellent 8bit track with wicked visuals to match. One of those things that someone pulled off with hyper-style.