16bit – Page 4 – A Square Meal

A Square Meal: ‘Formula Maintaied’ by Robyn A1200

Originally Posted on the ChipWIN Blog on April 16th, 2020.
Edited by Aydan Scott.

One of the greatest qualities that a musician can have is simply the ability to produce a cohesive, memorable piece. In our particular field, being able to express oneself through ‘simple’ sounds without losing a single scrap of eloquence is not only admirable but also an irrefutable sign of capability. However, since the concept of quality is not quite universal, and complexity and capability are not always in a linear relationship, there’s not an exact way to measure the first. Each person has their own formula, which is fantastic, but I think that there are some cases in which we all can agree on the value of a work. Today, I want to share one of those albums. In her latest work, Robyn A1200 offers us a huge variety of styles, mixing chiptune, house, VGM, and synthpop to the delight of her listeners. The result is astonishing, to say the least. So let’s take a look at ‘Formula Maintained’ by Robyn A1200.

A Square Meal: ‘B (Albert Comes Over to Me)’ by tobokegao

Originally Posted on the ChipWIN Blog on May 14th, 2020.
Edited by Aydan Scott.

During my short time listening to chiptune, I’ve found a handful of iconic artists. However, today I’d like to call attention to an artist who is of particular importance to my personal chiptune journey. Responsible for one of the most iconic albums of the past decade, an avid enthusiast of chipmusic and accessories, tireless supporter of chipmusicians from all around the globe, advocate for chipmusic education, and notable Meme Master tobokegao has released a new album! Without any further ado, let’s take a look at ‘B (Albert comes over to me)’!

A Square Meal: ‘あじたま見聞録’ (Ajitama Kenmon Roku) by 梅干茶漬け (Umeboshi Chazuke)

Originally posted on the ChipWIN Blog on January 10th, 2019.
Edited by Joseph Eidson.

Greetings! I’m Pixel Guy. When I was beginning my way on the fantastic world of chipmusic a few years ago, everything seemed to be so surreal. The ambience, the people, the hardware and techniques; it was like an anachronistic dream.

It was back then when I first knew about Chiptunes = WIN and listened to Volume 4 for the very first time. I can say that my life changed after those 3+ hours of music and that was, to a greater extent, thanks to all the marvelous artists on that compilation. One of them, 梅干茶漬け (Umeboshi Chazuke), made a really stunning creation and got my attention from the first second. When the track, and with it the compilation, was over; I was truly amazed with all the music I’d just heard. I wanted more, so I searched and listened to more content from a huge majority of all the artists that were on that Volume, and I kept an eye on Soundcloud to catch up new releases, especially from 梅干茶漬け. That’s how I began my musical adventure.
Today, I’m writing my first album review ever, and it’s something really special for me. That’s why I want to write about one of the artists who inspired me to take the musical way; so let’s take a look over ‘あじたま見聞録’ (Ajitama Kenmon Roku) by 梅干茶漬け (Umeboshi Chazuke)!

A Square Meal: The SOUNDSHOCK Series

Originally Posted on the ChipWIN Blog on November 12th, 2019.
Edited by Wayne Manselle.

Beyond all the glamour and pageantry of the blips & blops, a misunderstood way of making chip music has grown and bloomed away from the spotlight of the scene – yes I’m talking about FM Synthesis. Of course, this is not a complaint, as we say in Spanish: “para gustos los colores”. The point is that, most of the time, a lot of cool things happen under the surface, things that are worth talking about and, from time to time, seem to be buried in the huge mass of crunchy sounds. The album series I’m covering today is not that. I can even say that it’s well known by everyone nowadays, precisely because the intention was –and still is– to direct your attention to the music and techniques used by those incredible musicians. Today I want to go back to one of the greatest compilation series centered on the FM side of the Micro Music, Demoscene, and Chiptune. Apt for newcomers and veterans, it will make you move and ignite the fires of love and interest in this particular approach to chip musicin your soul – hoping the inferno grows so big that it encourages you to search for new music or even make your own. So let’s take a look over the ‘SOUNDSHOCK’ Series by Ubiktune.

Tres álbumes para iniciarse en el chiptune

Si bien es cierto que el chiptune puede ser considerado más una herramienta que un género musical por sí mismo, en ocasiones, la línea que separa dicho instrumento de su pasado en las consolas de juego parece imborrable; casi un estigma. No me malentiendan, es preciso saber de donde vienes para saber a donde vas; pero, con frecuencia, esto hace que se nos encasille en un cliché muy fácil y rápidamente. Por supuesto, un divorcio absoluto tampoco parece ser una respuesta adecuada. Por suerte, en este vasto mundo hay un poco de todo para todos. Es por eso que hoy quisiera compartir tres álbumes que podrían ayudarte a tener una visión más amplia del espectro que puedes encontrar en este emocionante medio. ¡Vamos a ello!