Tonight ladies, it's chipset night

Ok so let's throw this one out there. Apart from trying to provide you with an informative, interesting viewpoint on the music we love, we'd like to strive to provide something a little more to the community. Hyperbole aside, we want something to kickstart the blog properly, and their ain't nuttin better than a big ol' party.

As we're based in the UK, london would be a great idea (central for everyone & would attract a wider scope of artists).

Right now it's but a mere glimmer in our eyes, but with your input and help we could put on a great lineup and possibly turn it into a frequent event.

If you're a chiptune artist/music promoter who's interested please get in touch, we'd ideally like to organise this for the summer.

Need Buff Plz

Lack of updates for the past few days have been accountable to paintballing, mmorpgs, happy hardcore and downright post negligence! Let's start the week as we mean to go on with a roundup of tracks to beat those monday blues.







Ikuma Morata - Daft Punk - Around The World (NES Remix)

Moogle Charm - What We Had

Emilie - Chipheart



...and what i've been listening to again non-stop.

Portalenz (Live @ Lo-Bit Playground Tokyo)

12:00 in, that's all you need. i'm serious.

As soon as we get our hands on a copy of maru's 'insane youth' everything's going blow up.

An Interview With Bit Shifter

One of the biggest names in the scene takes time out to talk with us about what makes him tick.

Chipset: What interested you about chiptune in the first place? How did you find out about it?

Josh: Um -- in terms of making them -- it was accidentally discovering the Nanoloop website. I remember puzzling over it, thinking "there's no way this can really be what it purports to be". Then shortly after that I remember finding the LSDj website.

As a listener, I didn't fully appreciate that there was a community of people doing this stuff until I'd started delving into musicmaking myself. I was really only distantly aware of the demoscene, so I came to this movement pretty fresh / naive; it struck me as a really radical and fun means of expression.

Chipset: Who were/are your major influences, musically or otherwise for Bit Shifter?

Josh: I think I spend the most time and effort trying to rip off, and then conceal The Theft, The Wedding Present and Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine. Although specific to the Bit Shifter project, I'm not sure how much of that bubbles to the surface. Probably not a ton actually.

I guess I sort of give impulses free reign, so the stuff that comes out is either an attempt at really anthemic powerpop or really pretentious "serious" electronic music ostensibly with drum-and-bass leanings of varying (low) success.

So to come clean and stop dodging the question, I think I'm mainly treading in the realm of melodic punk rock, melodic hardcore, and hooky guitar powerpop, and trying to shove those sensibilites through the Game Boy.

Chipset: Any top tips for 2007?

Josh: Trash Can Man, underrated genius - Markus Schrodt an amazing Lsdj/C64 user, oh and 11hz Robot from california.

Chipset: What's in the pipeline for you in this coming year?

A few live shows in the works -- Philadelphia PA US next month, possibly a few others, and then Nullsleep, Role Model and I are doing a three-date mini-tour in Japan in late March and early April, I can't fucking wait! And then i've got releases planned, but it's all tightly under wraps at this point.

Chipset: Good luck with that! And thanks a lot for chatting with us.

Josh: No problem!

Bit Shifter's involved with tons of projects worldwide, including 8-Bit Operators (chiptune kraftwerk tribute) and Blipfest. Rather than go into specific detail here, please check out his official website or myspace profile.

I say chip it, chip it real good

Uncontent with being a cult icon and providing fantastic scores for hollywood, it seems the DEVO frontman has become interested in the chip scene - and is currently working with computeher for an undisclosed project. Here's what she had to say:

"Hi everyone! I have big news! I have completed special freelance work for Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO! I did freelance work doing sound FX for videogames that Mr. Mothersbaugh and Mutato Muzika are working on! I don't know where my work will pop up, but it was very exciting to meet Mark and also exciting to work for him! I cannot reveal any more information other than that! So please stay tuned!"



Being a DEVO fan and loving the work Mark's done since I can't really see this being anything other than positive. Here's hoping that his status can provide a wider audience for the scene and not use it as a wreckless plug for a fad-project (see: malcolm mclaren and the ridiculous fashionbeast)


Source:VORC

Guitar Hero + Commodore 64

A particularly enterprising hardware hacker is attempting to hook his ps2 axe upto one of our favourite machines. Not only that but he's in the throws of creating a game for the commy in the same guise as guitars hero itself! So far his progress is limited but it looks like he's coming along nicely.

Not sure about you but i'm imagining shredding away to a demotune rendition of 'don't stop me now'!



Source: Engadget

Midweek Playlist

Tugboat - Remix Medley 1
A firm favourite over here at chipset towers. An addictive and technically impressive ode to contemporary rap, served fresh through lsdj. (only available to listen through myspace)

Mataphonia - Spacebaseslap
His remix of paza (rahm's) 'hopefoolia' was incredible and as displayed here, he's a man of many, many talents. Not all chip, but his links with x-dump and the aformentioned demigod prove mataphonia's definatley one to watch this year. (only available to listen to through myspace)

Ears Vs. David Sugar - First OK
There would be no justice without this making an entry. I keep saying he's got the key to take chip into somewhere very special, and this just shows why. Dave sugar came down with a new toy, and blew absolutely everyone away, innit. (available to listen through myspace or watch the excellent video here)

If you've heard a great track and want to share, please get in touch - chipsetblog@gmail.com

Saskrotch Mini-Interview

Tonight I got a chance to catch up with nigel, some would say the pioneer of chipbreak and really one of the first artists to combine the ethics of breakcore with 8/fake-bit. Acclaimed for his excellent 'Nintendo Breaks Vol 1' cd and through the running of Give Daddy The Knife Records, he takes time out to answer a few questions for us:

Chipset: Ok so how did the whole chip thing come about for you?

Saskrotch: Growing up I spent a lot of time at places that had nintendos but I never owned one. I never really heard much chip shit at all but like once I did that thing with the nintendo remixes (see: nintendo breaks volume 1) all these people kept telling me about other artists.Starting out I guess my influences were mostly venetian snares, doormouse, stunt rock, and bogdan.

Chipset: Let's talk about the new record, 'For Everlasting Peace: Volume 1'

Saskrotch: Well it's part of this series about a dude I made-up called battleman zero. I havent really created him yet but he's basically a combination of characters from the megaman x / zero games. I've been talking to a friend of mine about doing some sort of series of videos for it. sorta wanted to do it gumby style clay mation but i'm pretty lazy.

Chipset: Sounds fun! How would you say the record sounds in comparison with those previously?

Saskrotch: It's a lot cleaner haha! I mean yeah ive been kind of calming down lately, even though it's getting faster. When i was younger the goal kind of felt like making it all loud and noisey but now its about, i dunno letting everything shine through.

Chipset: So have you got any tips for up-and-coming acts in 2007?

Saskrotch: There's this kid no ones really heard of called sabrepulse. He's gettin there, you know? But really all i've been listening to is young jeezy and three 6 mafia.

Chipset: Lastly what're your all time top 3 tracks?

Saskrotch:
1. The Avalanches - Since I Left You
2. Bogdan Raczynski - Sayounara Tsutara
3. R Kelly - Hit It Till The Morning (feat. Twista & Do or Die) - [ed-he's not joking]

Chipset: Thanks and good luck with the new release

Saskrotch: No problem babycakes.

'For Ever Lasting Peace: Volume 1' will be available through GDTK records, or through saskrotch direct on the following links. We should have a review up in the next week.

Saskrotch Myspace
Give Daddy The Knife Records