Bitpop
Encyclopedia
Bitpop is a type of electronic music
and also subgenre of Chiptune
, where at least part of the music is made using old 8-bit computers and video game consoles. Among systems used are Commodore 64
, Amiga
, Atari 8-bit Home Computer
, Game Boy
, Atari 2600
and Nintendo Entertainment System
. The sounds produced from these systems can be combined to any degree with traditional instruments such as guitar and drums, modern synthesizers and drum machines or vocals and sounds effects. Some artists use software-based emulators or virtual synthesizers to recreate the sounds of 8-bit systems. While some use hardware synths which use the actual sound chips from those systems, such as the Sidstation and Midibox
.
In 2003 Malcolm McLaren
wrote an article on bitpop and chip music. It also noted a planned release in that style by McLaren. "8-bit trip" by Rymdreglage is an example of the Bitpop music genre.
, as they used more modern production styles and equipment. The name has connotations of a pun on britpop
, using the word bit
.
Bitpop uses a mixture of old and new equipment often resulting a sound which is unlike Chiptune
although containing 8-bit sourced sounds. For example, a bitpop production may be composed almost entirely of 8-bit sounds but with a live vocal, or overlaid live guitars. Conversely, a bitpop production may be composed almost entirely of live vocals and instruments, but feature a bassline or lead melody provided by an 8-bit device.
Related genres are chiptune
, Gamewave (a rarely used alternate term for chiptune and bitpop), Synthpop
, and electropop.
and Relax Beat & Bleepstreet Records. Examples of bands in the genre are Solemn Camel Crew
, Tobiah, Welle: Erdball, Printed Circuit, Anamanaguchi
, Covox, YMCK
, Teamtendo, Receptors, Neotericz, 1986, FirestARTer, The Hardliner, capitalSTEPS (now called Square Wail), Leeni, David Sugar, 8 Bit Weapon
, 8 Bit Betty, Firebrand Boy
, she
, Death By Television, trash80
Mesu Kasumai, Turboknapp, Coleco Music, c64 Messiah, Thermostatic
, Rymdreglage , DJ Lo Rez, ComputeHer, MelBot, Machinae Supremacy
, Twilight Electric, Electric Dragon, Monster & Maskiner, Mr. Pacman
, Pluxus
, Shael Riley, Pontonius, Mikron 64, Puss
, Nintendude, Yuppster, Crystal Castles
, Bondage Fairies, You Love Her Coz She's Dead
, 8 Bit Mayhem
, Sabrepulse, Superpowerless
, Henry Homesweet, Rymdreglage, Slagsmålsklubben
and Detektivbyrån
.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and also subgenre of Chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
, where at least part of the music is made using old 8-bit computers and video game consoles. Among systems used are Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari 8-bit Home Computer
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
, Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
and Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. The sounds produced from these systems can be combined to any degree with traditional instruments such as guitar and drums, modern synthesizers and drum machines or vocals and sounds effects. Some artists use software-based emulators or virtual synthesizers to recreate the sounds of 8-bit systems. While some use hardware synths which use the actual sound chips from those systems, such as the Sidstation and Midibox
MIDIbox
The MIDIbox project is an open source modular DIY framework MIDI platform built around the PIC family of microcontrollers and recently with STM32 32-bit ARM Cortex too...
.
In 2003 Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
wrote an article on bitpop and chip music. It also noted a planned release in that style by McLaren. "8-bit trip" by Rymdreglage is an example of the Bitpop music genre.
Origins
The term bitpop was coined by artists who separated themselves from pure chiptuneChiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
, as they used more modern production styles and equipment. The name has connotations of a pun on britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
, using the word bit
Bit
A bit is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states...
.
Bitpop uses a mixture of old and new equipment often resulting a sound which is unlike Chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
although containing 8-bit sourced sounds. For example, a bitpop production may be composed almost entirely of 8-bit sounds but with a live vocal, or overlaid live guitars. Conversely, a bitpop production may be composed almost entirely of live vocals and instruments, but feature a bassline or lead melody provided by an 8-bit device.
Misconceptions
Due to the use of "pop" in the name, Bitpop is sometimes mistaken for a popular music genre rather than a production style.Related genres are chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
, Gamewave (a rarely used alternate term for chiptune and bitpop), Synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
, and electropop.
Artists
Major publishers of bitpop are 8bitpeoples8bitpeoples
8bitpeoples is a DIY record label/arts collective centered in New York City that focuses around the 8-bit aesthetic, which is heavily influenced by vintage videogames. 8bitpeoples was founded in 1999 by Jeremiah "Nullsleep" Johnson and Mike "Tangible" Hanlon...
and Relax Beat & Bleepstreet Records. Examples of bands in the genre are Solemn Camel Crew
Solemn Camel Crew
Solemn Camel Crew are a British electronic music Bit-Rock band. Their music is influenced by many genres from rock, classical to dance. Incorporating 8-bit synth and sampling the end result is their own unique Bitpop - rock style....
, Tobiah, Welle: Erdball, Printed Circuit, Anamanaguchi
Anamanaguchi
Anamanaguchi is a chiptune indie rock band from New York City that "makes loud, fast music with a hacked NES from 1985." The band has four members: lead songwriter Peter Berkman, bassist James DeVito, guitarist Ary Warnaar and drummer Luke Silas. Akin to other chiptune artists, Anamanaguchi creates...
, Covox, YMCK
YMCK
YMCK is a Japanese Chiptune band. The band members are as follows; Midori , Yokemura , and Nakamura ....
, Teamtendo, Receptors, Neotericz, 1986, FirestARTer, The Hardliner, capitalSTEPS (now called Square Wail), Leeni, David Sugar, 8 Bit Weapon
8 Bit Weapon
8 Bit Weapon is a chiptune music band created by Seth Sternberger. The instrument set of 8 Bit Weapon consists primarily of old 8-bit and 16-bit computers such as the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Commodore Amiga 500, and the Apple II, as well as game consoles such as the Nintendo...
, 8 Bit Betty, Firebrand Boy
Firebrand Boy
Philip Cunningham is a chiptune and electropop producer based in Glasgow, Scotland. He is part of the new wave of chiptune musicians who were born after the rise of the demoscene...
, she
She (band)
she is a band formed in 2003 by the artist Lain Trzaska, sometimes credited as shemusic or Pjat Lain. As its main producer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Lain is the only official member of she but he occasionally brings in vocalists to perform....
, Death By Television, trash80
Trash80
Trash80 is a micromusic/bitpop project from Timothy Lamb , a pioneer of independent Game Boy music. He has published several songs online under the Creative Commons License under the Trash80 and Tresk banners...
Mesu Kasumai, Turboknapp, Coleco Music, c64 Messiah, Thermostatic
Thermostatic
Thermostatic are a Swedish electronic band, formed in Gothenburg in 2003. Their music can be said to fall within the genre categories of bitpop and synthpop, with the band inspired by the "video games and computer era of the eighties."...
, Rymdreglage , DJ Lo Rez, ComputeHer, MelBot, Machinae Supremacy
Machinae Supremacy
Machinae Supremacy is a Swedish band that combines modern heavy metal and alternative rock with chiptunes. Self-defined as "SID metal", many of their songs use a SidStation that features the SID chip of the Commodore 64...
, Twilight Electric, Electric Dragon, Monster & Maskiner, Mr. Pacman
Mr. Pacman
Mr. Pacman is a bitpop/gamewave band from Denver, Colorado. Described as a performance art project as well as a band, Mr. Pacman's live shows include martial arts fighting with monsters, outrageous 1980s-style retro-futuristic outfits, and their signature Commodore 64-inspired electronic music...
, Pluxus
Pluxus
Pluxus is an electronic music group from Stockholm, Sweden. The members are Sebastian Tesch, Adam Kammerland and Anders Ekert. Björn Carlberg was with the band until 2003. They use vintage synthesizers, samples and computers for their songs....
, Shael Riley, Pontonius, Mikron 64, Puss
Puss (Swedish music duo)
Puss are a musical duo formed in Stockholm in 2001. They play live bitpop using two old-school chubby Game Boys and the Little Sound DJ tracker. Their name comes from the Swedish word puss meaning "small kiss". The duo consist of LayDJ and Tobi-Wan . They released their first album, entitled We...
, Nintendude, Yuppster, Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles (band)
Crystal Castles are an experimental electronic band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of producer Ethan Kath and lyricist and vocalist Alice Glass. Crystal Castles are known for their chaotic live shows and their lo-fi home productions. The duo released many limited EPs between 2006 and...
, Bondage Fairies, You Love Her Coz She's Dead
You Love Her Coz She's Dead
You Love Her Coz She's Dead are a British electronic music duo formed in 2007 whose music has been compared to acts such as Digitalism, Crystal Castles, The Prodigy, and occasionally Daft Punk...
, 8 Bit Mayhem
8 Bit Mayhem
8 Bit Mayhem is a chiptune/bitpop artist from Great Britain that parodies both the music and specific cultural aspects of black metal music. 8 Bit Mayhem's music consists entirely of cover versions from famous and prominent black metal bands, including Cradle of Filth, Darkthrone, Mayhem and...
, Sabrepulse, Superpowerless
Superpowerless
Oliver Hindle is an English singer-Songwriter from Leeds, UK, known for his solo project Superpowerless and as a band member of the duo Tetrastar. He has been recording, producing, releasing and performing since he was 16 years old...
, Henry Homesweet, Rymdreglage, Slagsmålsklubben
Slagsmålsklubben
Slagsmålsklubben are a Swedish electronic group from Norrköping, Östergötland. The group's name is a comically literal Swedish translation of the title of the novel and film Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. They have released three studio albums so far...
and Detektivbyrån
Detektivbyrån
Detektivbyrån was a Swedish electronica and folk music trio from Gothenburg. The group consisted of Anders "Flanders" Molin , Martin "MacGyver" Molin and Jon Nils Emanuel Ekström drums, sound box, small bells.The three members grew up in the city of Karlstad, Sweden, located in Värmland...
.
See also
- SIDstation
- Circuit bendingCircuit bendingCircuit bending is the creative customization of the circuits within electronic devices such as low voltage, battery-powered guitar effects, children's toys and small digital synthesizers to create new musical or visual instruments and sound generators....
- List of electronic music genres
- 8-bit (music)
- Game Boy musicGame Boy musicGame Boy music is a type of chip music produced using a portable gaming console of the Game Boy line. To produce music of the genre, one needs a Game Boy and a cartridge containing appropriate tracking software, such as LSDJ.- Software :...