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January 12, 2007

Chiptune Tribute To Kraftwerk

Take 8-bit gadgets (old computers, handheld games, Nintendos, etc), record those blips and bleeps, and string 'em together to make sweet, sweet music -- and you've got the genre known as bitpop. Or chiptune. Or, simply enough, 8-bit. The bitpop world owes a debt to the original bleepers -- krautrockers Kraftwerk -- and now a collection of artists repay the debt with a covers compilation called 8-Bit Operators. Great idea, surprisingly awesome in sound. Listen at MySpace. (Start with "Pocket Calculator.") No surprise that the tracklist features a bunch of Computer World, but there's earlier stuff, too. Spot the Super Mario sample, and we'll send you a crate of old NES and Gameboy games. You deserve 'em.

8-Bit Operators is out 2/6/07 on Astralwerks.

Posted at 8:41 AM
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6 Comments

First post again! Is this a dream? It's a glorious day!

Posted by: Firsty McFirst at 01/12/07 9:54 AM  | Reply
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In Pocket Calculator, isn't that the noise Mario makes when he spins with the yellow cape on?

Posted by: julia at 01/12/07 10:32 AM  | Reply
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spacelab also sounds like it has the noise from the legend of zelda when you are low on hearts.

Posted by: ryan at 01/12/07 10:50 AM  | Reply
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the sounds generally aren't recorded from video games (although this might happen occasionally). in most cases the synth engines inside the machines themselves are manipulated either though a homemade process, or a handful of bootleg cartridges (like 'little sound dj' for the gameboy).

Posted by: mmnn at 01/12/07 1:37 PM  | Reply
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yeah! this is real, guys!
no crystal castle shit here!
pure 8-bit energy in this marvellous album!..
btw, new chippy track by one of the Operators...
http://stash.alonetone.com/mp3/4192/Bacalao-I_mStillAlive.mp3

Posted by: rené siegrist at 12/09/08 5:31 AM  | Reply
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yeah! this is real, guys!
no crystal castle shit here!
pure 8-bit energy in this marvellous album!..
btw, new chippy track by one of the Operators...
http://stash.alonetone.com/mp3/4192/Bacalao-I_mStillAlive.mp3

Posted by: rené siegrist at 12/09/08 5:32 AM  | Reply
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