8bitSF Presents POW: Indie Music and Developers Collide

In commemoration of the Game Developer’s Conference occurring in San Francisco this week, 8bitSF decided to hold a chiptune show. Gathering artists such as minusbaby, Freaky DNA, A_Rival, Disasterpeace, and virt, the show featured a variety of chiptune styles.

Louis Gorenfield kicked the night off immediately, playing some of his own original creations. Next up was The Glowing Stars, whose traditional rock style mixed with chip really kicked off the show. Their setlist included some tracks from their collaborative Horchata album, except with just them instead of Awkward Terrible as well as it was on the album. They were followed by Zen Albatross, whose tracks flowed into each other into one cohesive groove.

After him, virt came on stage, playing a couple tracks off his recent FX4 album and another from the Mighty Switch Force soundtrack. The crowd went wild just as he did on stage, and it was a rather crazy experience.  Following virt wascrashfaster; their fusion of chip and synthesized vocals proved to be a unique and enjoyable set.  After a short break,minusbaby took the stage. Just as with Zen’s set earlier in the night, it was one cohesive experience.

Disasterpeace took the stage next, and proceeded to rock out like there was no tomorrow. He also played a mix of recent stuff and a fan favorite. We were treated to Freaky DNA next, and he played a mix of tracks. Dancing like mad on stage, he controlled the playlist via a usb controller and really got everyone moving. A_Rival ended the night, and a fitting finale it was. He played several tracks, including his remix of the classic Ninja Turtles theme song, and ended it with a song from his album 8-Bit Pimp. He also handed out free copies of said CD after the show.

It was a rather successful night; people had predicted upwards of 100 people to show up, and judging by how packed it was that mark was probably exceeded. Great times were had by all, some of the times drunken, but all in all a great show.

Sound Bytes: Indie Mashup EP: Sharing is Caring

Can we just say two words? Mashup. Galore. Mixed by the amazing Chris Geehan, Indie Mashup EP: Sharing is Caring attempts to take a rather ‘modern’ take on classic indie music from such games as Aquaria, Sword and Sworcery, To the Moon, Jamestown, Shatter, Tower of Heaven, and more. With solid remixes from reputed artists within the community like A_Rival, Module, & Disasterpeace, we’d say that this 11-track EP succeeds at showcasing the vast reach of creativity within the VGM scene. Francisco Cerda’s “DARK STAR” provides a particularly haunting, yet amazing orchestral rendition Jim Guthrie’s original “Lone Star” while Module’s “Mutant Jazz Space Babies Remix” proves to be the ultimate groovy, chill-out session of a Sword and Sorcery original.

While we’ve embedded the album above to give you a quick preview, Indie Mashup EP: Sharing is Caring is available exclusively on Game Music Bundle in a Pay-What-You-Want format.

A_Rival’s Newest EP TMNT 2012 Does Not Disappoint


Okay, so maybe we’re not as on top of it as we’d like to believe. How we could miss hip-hop/electonic producer A_Rival‘s newest EP is beyond us. Just like channeling his magical Bay area powers by garnering an entire room full of people at three in the morning (in an unannounced performance, by the way) at MAGFest X, A_Rival really knows how to get the crowd pumped up. And pumped up we were when we gave TMNT 2012 a listen. The  remixed “TMNT 2012” really highlights an eargasmic drum n’ bass take on the original theme, while A_Rival’s sassy rhymes in “I Wanna Be a Ninja Turtle” make us reminisce about the times we really just wanted to tout purple eye bands and brazen weaponry.

We should probably be apologizing to A_Rival, since we didn’t know how awesome TMNT 2012 would really be. But we’d like to think we’re making up for it by telling you that you can download his latest EP on Bandcamp by naming your price. We’ve also included “I Wanna Be a Ninja Turtle” from the TMNT 2012 EP below.