A Square Meal: ‘City Ep’ by Ca5

Originally posted on the ChipWIN Blog on June 13th, 2019.
Edited by Erin Hood.

I’ve always had a fascination with how sounds are interpreted by other people; is it too rough, too high or too intense? Why do people like it? That’s because, in the end, and as almost everything else, music is communication. Sometimes, even without noticing it, I have ended up with my nose between sounds I didn’t fully comprehend at the first listen. Of course, the wrong context could ruin your enjoyment of some music, but there are some albums that seem to remain unchanged regardless of where you listen. That is the case with Ca5’s music. The urban landscapes with shades of drum and bass stand by its own and go straight to the point; whether you are at a rave, in the waiting room of your dentist, or enjoying the afternoon coffee. So let’s take a look over ‘City EP’ by Ca5 released through Esctrax.

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A Square Meal: ‘Sine Sleep Session’ by Saitone

Originally Posted on the ChipWIN Blog on July 16th, 2019.
Edited by Adam Seats

When a long day finally comes to an end, there are just a few things we can say are ‘universally pleasant’: taking your shoes off, laying on the bed with your face on the pillow, drinking or eating something, playing some music, or taking a shower to name a few. Thinking on those little pleasures sometimes is the reason we hold ourselves together and keep going through a hard day. This time I want to bring to you a tremendous EP that would be useful in a situation like the one I just described – I’m talking about ‘Sine Sleep Session EP’ by Saitone, released through Future Disorder.

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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.

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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!

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