From OSV:

Of all the performers in the worldwide chipmusic scene, very few can match the flair and spectacle of San Francisco’s chip-hop king, A_Rival (aka Wave Theory, AE, Planet Skill, etc). In his latest album,�8-Bit Pimp, Rival stages a 2A03-powered assault on your ear drums, spitting rapid-fire rhymes with impeccable cadence atop some of the dopest 8-bit beats you’ve ever heard.

And while I’ve never been a huge fan of chipmusic that defaults to videogames as a unifying theme, jams like ‘Cybernetic Mariachi’ and ‘Show Me Girl’ tell entertaining and humorous stories while showcasing a masterful mix of chip sounds, guitars, synth and vocals. The production quality is top-notch and so are the rhymes; an exceptional release that West Coast chip fans can take pride in.

If you’re just hearing Rival’s stuff for the first time and you’re not going to be at�PAX Eastlater this month, you’re missing out, as this fella puts on one heck of live show. Fortunately,�8-Bit Pimp�should give you a pretty solid idea of the fresh sound A_Rival brings to the stage. And if you were at�MAGFest�this year, you can join me in interjecting with that bad-ass Colossus roar during the title track’s chorus. I’m telling you, that meme never gets old.

Available at:�A_Rival’s Bandcamp page