Tag Archive for '8-bit'

The Beatles Dissected and Remixed: BBC Radio 6′s “Record Producers” and 8-Bit Operators

carla published on October 12, 2009 in art and technology. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

The Beatles

I’m a bit of a brat when it comes to the Beatles. I’ve always felt their music is at a level of “classic” that shouldn’t be tampered with, so (unfortunately, for me) whenever I’ve found remixes, or pretty much anything Beatles related on the web, I’ve tended to sort of subconsciously avert my eyes and skip it. This morning, however, was different. I found two incredible Beatles related links and the descriptions were waaaay too tempting to just skip over.

First off is a great multitrack analysis from the BBC 6 radio program, “Record Producers” hosted by Richard Allinson and Steve Levine. About a month ago, these fine gentlemen picked apart a few of the Beatles’ original multitrack masters, isolating and highlighting pieces from “She’s Leaving Home,” “A Day in the Life,” and “Come Together. They’re short, only about 5 minutes each, but incredible. Listening to each of the tracks individually gave me such a deep sense of appreciation and then to listen to the tracks put together, ahhh! I got goosebumps!

Here they are:

  1. She’s Leaving Home
  2. A Day in the Life
  3. Come Together

Love!

Shortly after, I found a recent Beatles 8-bit chip tribute that has been two years in the making. “Wanna Hld Yr Handheld, Vol. 1 focuses on the glorious avant-garde and electronic side of the Fab 4 with over 20 of the biggest international names in 8-bit chip music, all utilizing re-tooled, classic Game Boys, Ataris, Commodore 64s, Apple II, Nintendo Entertainment Systems and circuit-bent toys.”

Yes, this is exactly the kind of stuff I would avoid in the past, but the fact that it was 8-bit chip music sparked my curiosity. I listened to the “Tomorrow Never Knows Megamix” and was astounded! Granted I can imagine a few of folks out there might not find this particularly pleasant (and some tracks on the playlist are better than others) but for those of you that dig the trippy electronic sound, I recommend you take it to the next level by hooking up your computer to some big speakers and going full blast. It’ll wake you up and liven up your Monday morning, I promise.

<a href="http://8bitoperators.bandcamp.com/album/wanna-hld-yr-handheld-vol-1" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://8bitoperators.bandcamp.com']);">8-Bit Operators “Tomorrow Never Knows Megamix” by 8-Bit Operators</a>

Happy belated birthday, John.

Love from,

Carla

(And love to waxy and yewknee for the tips)

Eat your heart out Techno fans, 8 Bit music is HERE…

jaell published on August 9, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .
…and it has a big ‘underground’ following.  If you haven’t heard of it yet, I’m sure you’re just not in the appropriate social circles.  A few months ago I found myself at a house party – turned – concert where 8 bit musicians from around the country stopped to perform in a guy’s basement.  
From the wikipedia article:
“8-bit can refer to a style of electronic music inspired by the sound of old computer consoles from the 8-bit era of video games.  This music will often reflect sounds from technology that is seen as primitive or “outdated” such as the Game Boy and home made synthesizers.”
Check out the following video to hear a little and understand the method:

Its amazing what people get inspired by.  And its amazing what can be created by these inspirations.  Not only are people creating music, but people are creating applications for Game Boys and Nintendos to specifically create music in a more efficient way.
Here is another sample of some tunes:

There is an online community known as 8 bit peoples that helps promote events such as the Blip Festival.  Its the lollapalooza of 8-bit.

And also, if you’re interested, check out my friend Logan’s myspace for some interesting 8-bit tunes.

http://www.myspace.com/lowgainaudio

Go create some music!  With whatever you can find!  Inspiration is all around you.