With his roots based firmly on the underground digital arts scene
known as the Demoscene, Akira has been an hyperactive member of the
electronic culture world for more than a decade, not only in his
hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina, but on a global level.
8GB aims towards creating currently danceable beats with old computer
data and machinery, making a blend that can be enjoyed by anyone
interested in fresh new sounds for the dancefloor, including
bleep-obsessed nuts. Electro, breakbeat and techno usually flirt with
drum&bass and hip-hop, on energetic livesets that include powerful
stage energy and super synchronized live visuals.
From São Paulo to New York, Rotterdam to Stockholm, Montreal to
London, 8GB has performed around half of the planet, “mixing the high
frequency beeps of old computers with a good hip-hop beat, minimal
techno or hard house music that Dave Clarke would probably enjoy, with
demonic beats sometimes almost equal to those of The Prodigy”
(3VOOR12, Holland music press).
Premiering a whole new live audiovisual show in Tokyo in which we will
venture into the story that explains the current state of affairs
within the 8-Bit Secuity Agency and its main agent, this is Akira’s
first appearance in Asia.
K-> is the organizer of “Famicompo mini”, a regular music competition based around using the Nintendo Famicom and extended sound chips. He started to compose music with the Game Boy and Family Computer in 2002. His sounds are catchy and full of melody.
Based in New York City, Bit Shifter explores high-energy,
low-resolution music produced using the primitive synthesis of
repurposed electronics as a deliberate aesthetic choice. In a
distillation of the less-is-more philosophy, Bit Shifter operates with
a standard Nintendo Game Boy to produce hard-hitting, high-impact
music that seeks to explore the aesthetics of economy and to push
minimal hardware to its maximum.
Bit Shifter is the co-administrator of the 8bitpeoples label,
co-curator and co-organizer of the international Blip Festival event
series, has released music on Astralwerks, Hymen, Mirex, and 555
Recordings, and has performed over 150 shows worldwide.
With roots in catchy as well as extreme music, Goto80 continues to
deliver furious-relaxed pop-noise in 8-bits. While low-tech
eclecticism is common-place in music biographies, Goto80 has hundreds
of online songs to prove it. Computer Music Magazine recently called
him “the most prolific chip music artist” and HAIP Festival dubbed him
“the most uncompromising”. Check the ambient release Bortabra and the
Data Garden Rock video to get the idea. He has appeared in children’s
TV-programs dressed as a C64-salad-man singing in falsetto and also
presents theoretical work at the Chipflip blog.
In 2001 Hally founded the near legendary website vorc.com and has been a pillar of the international chip music scene ever since. Be it an underground club in Tokyo or the biggest stages chipmusic has to offer, Hally will dominate your crowd and force you to dance.
“Based in Adelaide, Australia, little-scale has an interest in
building things and making sounds. He has been involved with chipmusic
for a number of years and has developed a wide range of technologies.
Little-scale has performed and presented in Sydney, Melbourne, Mumbai,
Belfast and New York. ”
Born in 1986, M7Kenji started working on Mobile Phone applications. All his work is for Japanese mobile internet and he has made numerous start up animations and graphics. From there he started using flash to make mobile phones games. Rather than moving towards modern graphics he favors a lobit ethic and enjoys working within the constraints of that technology.
Don Miller, under the alias NO CARRIER, performs live visuals in real time. He works with nearly obsolete repurposed electronics to create high energy low resolution abstract video. Part of the 8bitpeoples artist collective, he performs, exhibits, and lectures worldwide. Based in Philadelphia, he organizes and curates 8static, a monthly showcase of low-bit music and visuals.
Nullsleep is the alias of Jeremiah Johnson, an electronic musician whose style could best be described as post-cyberpunk: a combination of distorted synthpop, electro, and industrial produced with repurposed low-bit electronics. His approach embraces the politics of appropriation, leveraged limitations, destructive process and data corruption. The result is a wall of digital noise driven by a heavy beat, expanding and collapsing in a series of glitches and drones emanating from cheap plastic devices.
In 1999 Nullsleep co-founded 8bitpeoples, a collective of artists interested in the audio-visual aesthetics of early home computers and video game consoles. He has since released a number of recordings through 8bitpeoples, Astralwerks, Aniplex and others. Based in New York City, Nullsleep has performed over 150 shows throughout North America, Europe and Asia, including successful world tours in 2006 and 2009.
Fuckin Portalenz are made up with USK who was in the most fuckin
hardcore pop insane hospital and Maru who care him with fuckin drunk.
They run away from the fuckin hospital without anywhere to go, but
bought 2 fuckin Gameboys with $10 which they only have at the fuckin
time and then they started LIVE PA on the fuckin fuckin fuckin fuckin
fuckin fuckin fuckin street where SUCKS. yes,, this is the fuckin
beginning of the fuckin success story of TSUJI TECHNO which is fuckin
world recognition for the noise pollution fuckin… and sorry for
everyone, I won’t listen anything about this fuckin Engrish!
HARDCORERIZE YOU!! TAKE OFF!!!
Curator of the famous Tokyo chiptune event ‘Lo-bit Playground’, quarta330 is most famous for his grime, dub, and dubstep creations on his trusty Gameboy. Although he is most recognized for his Gameboy-based beats, he has pushed the concept of what is considered ‘chipmusic’ into a whole new realm receiving notable attention from the most prolific UK dubstep label: Hyperdub. In addition, he has recently been approached by the world famous Warp Records with a Flying Lotus remix offer. In his homeland of Japan, quarta330 has also released a free EP on the netlabel ‘Maltine Records’, staying true to his humble roots, performing both on the international and national stage.
“Tokyo’s Quarta330 is a real sub-bass master!” – Music Forest (http://blog.goo.ne.jp/warp50cd).
Raquel Meyers (1977) is a Spanish videoartist who often makes use of low-res graphics or pixelart to create surrealistic images in a dark atmosphere. She created viedeo-clips, and veejay sets for prominent chipmusicians, including Glomag en Bubblyfish. She also collaborated with electro/noise acts Rubeck and Tubular Bells. Her work is also characterised as densely layered, cute-brut. Currently she brings her audience confusion and pleasure with het work with very different artforms.
Sabrepulse is the alias of 25 year old Ashley Charles – a london-based musician who uses gameboys and modern hardware to create passionate, energetic dance music. A global performer, he previously appeared at Blip Festival 2007 and toured japan during 2009.
One of the first Japanese artists to create a gameboy chiptune release.
Influenced by but not constrained by the 8 bit vibe, Saitone created a new sound. Saitone’s tunes have been release on many compilations and remixes. Building on the awesome debut album “Overlapping Spiral” he continues to forge awesome new sounds.
starPause of sanFrancisco makes electro/chip/idm. it’s good music for
moving your head up and down or your pelvis back and forth. his
favorite software is littlegptracker. starPause DJs with iPhone,
writes code for cash, and rides keirin bikes on city streets.
STU (Switzerland) 8bitpeoples / Bleepstreet / Retinascan
Stu has earned his name “Don Atari Electro” by years of creating crunchy beats for dance floors and low-tech music lovers worldwide. He became known as a chiptune maniac due to his ways of tweaking the very limited soundchip of the Atari ST to a completely different level. Stu’s complex sound programmings shuffled into groovy rhythms, can arrange soundscapes that are more digitally harsh than any other electro available. Steadily exercising to find new ways and techniques, rather than trying to sound traditional, he stayed at the forefront of contemporary music made with vintage computers during the last decade.
Stu’s need for evolution and movement is restless and so his productions are often packed with an energy that seems to make the world revolve faster. The now Berlin based Atari underground chiptune veteran appeared in many big clubs and festivals during the last few years, where he shared stages with names like Patric Catani, Otto von Schirach or Ceephax Acid Crew.
Trash80, or as some call him just plain trash, initiated his addiction to computer music in the summer of 1990 – about the same time his interest was sparked for the opposite sex. Coincidence? Probably not. The beauty of it was that he recognized this obvious connection early on and decided to use his love of composition to gain the interest of an unsuspecting female audience. In response to someone who once brought up this connection, Trash80 replied, “Its not about getting girls man, its about my love of music and getting dumped for it.”
Somewhere in between now and the old bbs days, Trash80′s failure to acquire companionship led him to work with such fellows as Native Instruments, releasing oki computer and interface designs for theirreaktor 4 library, as well as other popular reaktor ensembles such ascaterpillar and the gameboy sound emulator, play my gameboy. And while on the topic of gameboys, it should be noted that some people in the gameboy music community feel he should be held responsible for masterminding the deaths of numerous gameboy colors with his hardware hack for it, the prosound mod.
From Amigas to Latinas, to Native Instruments and naked … ahem, sounds. His passion for one can sometimes be confused for another. But make no mistake, he loves you baby … you and his machine.
Artists
Musicians and VJs performing at Blip Festival Tokyo
8GB
With his roots based firmly on the underground digital arts scene
known as the Demoscene, Akira has been an hyperactive member of the
electronic culture world for more than a decade, not only in his
hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina, but on a global level.
8GB aims towards creating currently danceable beats with old computer
data and machinery, making a blend that can be enjoyed by anyone
interested in fresh new sounds for the dancefloor, including
bleep-obsessed nuts. Electro, breakbeat and techno usually flirt with
drum&bass and hip-hop, on energetic livesets that include powerful
stage energy and super synchronized live visuals.
From São Paulo to New York, Rotterdam to Stockholm, Montreal to
London, 8GB has performed around half of the planet, “mixing the high
frequency beeps of old computers with a good hip-hop beat, minimal
techno or hard house music that Dave Clarke would probably enjoy, with
demonic beats sometimes almost equal to those of The Prodigy”
(3VOOR12, Holland music press).
Premiering a whole new live audiovisual show in Tokyo in which we will
venture into the story that explains the current state of affairs
within the 8-Bit Secuity Agency and its main agent, this is Akira’s
first appearance in Asia.
Website • http://8gb.kikencorp.com
Photo by Branimir Vasilic
K->
K-> is the organizer of “Famicompo mini”, a regular music competition based around using the Nintendo Famicom and extended sound chips. He started to compose music with the Game Boy and Family Computer in 2002. His sounds are catchy and full of melody.
Website • http://midr2.under.jp
Photo by magma890: many thanks!
BIT SHIFTER
Based in New York City, Bit Shifter explores high-energy,
low-resolution music produced using the primitive synthesis of
repurposed electronics as a deliberate aesthetic choice. In a
distillation of the less-is-more philosophy, Bit Shifter operates with
a standard Nintendo Game Boy to produce hard-hitting, high-impact
music that seeks to explore the aesthetics of economy and to push
minimal hardware to its maximum.
Bit Shifter is the co-administrator of the 8bitpeoples label,
co-curator and co-organizer of the international Blip Festival event
series, has released music on Astralwerks, Hymen, Mirex, and 555
Recordings, and has performed over 150 shows worldwide.
Website • http://bit.shifter.net
Photo by Leah Goldstein
GOTO80
With roots in catchy as well as extreme music, Goto80 continues to
deliver furious-relaxed pop-noise in 8-bits. While low-tech
eclecticism is common-place in music biographies, Goto80 has hundreds
of online songs to prove it. Computer Music Magazine recently called
him “the most prolific chip music artist” and HAIP Festival dubbed him
“the most uncompromising”. Check the ambient release Bortabra and the
Data Garden Rock video to get the idea. He has appeared in children’s
TV-programs dressed as a C64-salad-man singing in falsetto and also
presents theoretical work at the Chipflip blog.
Website • http://www.goto80.com
Photo by – Jonas Lund
HALLY
In 2001 Hally founded the near legendary website vorc.com and has been a pillar of the international chip music scene ever since. Be it an underground club in Tokyo or the biggest stages chipmusic has to offer, Hally will dominate your crowd and force you to dance.
The original Saturday night cyber punk.
Photo by – Marjorie Becker
HIP TANAKA. EX
Worked as a sound engineer, programmer and composer for Nintendo from 1980 – 1999.
Website • http://www.hirokazutanaka.com/
LITTLE-SCALE
“Based in Adelaide, Australia, little-scale has an interest in
building things and making sounds. He has been involved with chipmusic
for a number of years and has developed a wide range of technologies.
Little-scale has performed and presented in Sydney, Melbourne, Mumbai,
Belfast and New York. ”
Website • http://little-scale.blogspot.com
M7KENJI
Born in 1986, M7Kenji started working on Mobile Phone applications. All his work is for Japanese mobile internet and he has made numerous start up animations and graphics. From there he started using flash to make mobile phones games. Rather than moving towards modern graphics he favors a lobit ethic and enjoys working within the constraints of that technology.
Website • http://m07.xxxxxxxx.jp/mb/top.html
NO CARRIER
Don Miller, under the alias NO CARRIER, performs live visuals in real time. He works with nearly obsolete repurposed electronics to create high energy low resolution abstract video. Part of the 8bitpeoples artist collective, he performs, exhibits, and lectures worldwide. Based in Philadelphia, he organizes and curates 8static, a monthly showcase of low-bit music and visuals.
Website • http://www.no-carrier.com
NULLSLEEP
Nullsleep is the alias of Jeremiah Johnson, an electronic musician whose style could best be described as post-cyberpunk: a combination of distorted synthpop, electro, and industrial produced with repurposed low-bit electronics. His approach embraces the politics of appropriation, leveraged limitations, destructive process and data corruption. The result is a wall of digital noise driven by a heavy beat, expanding and collapsing in a series of glitches and drones emanating from cheap plastic devices.
In 1999 Nullsleep co-founded 8bitpeoples, a collective of artists interested in the audio-visual aesthetics of early home computers and video game consoles. He has since released a number of recordings through 8bitpeoples, Astralwerks, Aniplex and others. Based in New York City, Nullsleep has performed over 150 shows throughout North America, Europe and Asia, including successful world tours in 2006 and 2009.
Website • http://www.nullsleep.com
Twitter • @Nullsleep
Photo by – Simon Wedege Petersen
PORTALENZ
Fuckin Portalenz are made up with USK who was in the most fuckin
hardcore pop insane hospital and Maru who care him with fuckin drunk.
They run away from the fuckin hospital without anywhere to go, but
bought 2 fuckin Gameboys with $10 which they only have at the fuckin
time and then they started LIVE PA on the fuckin fuckin fuckin fuckin
fuckin fuckin fuckin street where SUCKS. yes,, this is the fuckin
beginning of the fuckin success story of TSUJI TECHNO which is fuckin
world recognition for the noise pollution fuckin… and sorry for
everyone, I won’t listen anything about this fuckin Engrish!
HARDCORERIZE YOU!! TAKE OFF!!!
Website • http://soundcloud.com/maru_fuckoka/
Website • http://usk.cc
QUARTA330
Curator of the famous Tokyo chiptune event ‘Lo-bit Playground’, quarta330 is most famous for his grime, dub, and dubstep creations on his trusty Gameboy. Although he is most recognized for his Gameboy-based beats, he has pushed the concept of what is considered ‘chipmusic’ into a whole new realm receiving notable attention from the most prolific UK dubstep label: Hyperdub. In addition, he has recently been approached by the world famous Warp Records with a Flying Lotus remix offer. In his homeland of Japan, quarta330 has also released a free EP on the netlabel ‘Maltine Records’, staying true to his humble roots, performing both on the international and national stage.
“Tokyo’s Quarta330 is a real sub-bass master!” – Music Forest (http://blog.goo.ne.jp/warp50cd).
Labels: Hyperdub, Lo-bit Playground
Website • http://www.myspace.com/q330/
RAQUEL MEYERS
Raquel Meyers (1977) is a Spanish videoartist who often makes use of low-res graphics or pixelart to create surrealistic images in a dark atmosphere. She created viedeo-clips, and veejay sets for prominent chipmusicians, including Glomag en Bubblyfish. She also collaborated with electro/noise acts Rubeck and Tubular Bells. Her work is also characterised as densely layered, cute-brut. Currently she brings her audience confusion and pleasure with het work with very different artforms.
Website • http://www.raquelmeyers.com
SABREPULSE
Sabrepulse is the alias of 25 year old Ashley Charles – a london-based musician who uses gameboys and modern hardware to create passionate, energetic dance music. A global performer, he previously appeared at Blip Festival 2007 and toured japan during 2009.
Website • http://sabrepulse.blogspot.com
SAITONE
One of the first Japanese artists to create a gameboy chiptune release.
Influenced by but not constrained by the 8 bit vibe, Saitone created a new sound. Saitone’s tunes have been release on many compilations and remixes. Building on the awesome debut album “Overlapping Spiral” he continues to forge awesome new sounds.
Website • http://www.saitone.com/en/
STARPAUSE
starPause of sanFrancisco makes electro/chip/idm. it’s good music for
moving your head up and down or your pelvis back and forth. his
favorite software is littlegptracker. starPause DJs with iPhone,
writes code for cash, and rides keirin bikes on city streets.
Website • http://www.starpause.com
STU
STU (Switzerland) 8bitpeoples / Bleepstreet / Retinascan
Stu has earned his name “Don Atari Electro” by years of creating crunchy beats for dance floors and low-tech music lovers worldwide. He became known as a chiptune maniac due to his ways of tweaking the very limited soundchip of the Atari ST to a completely different level. Stu’s complex sound programmings shuffled into groovy rhythms, can arrange soundscapes that are more digitally harsh than any other electro available. Steadily exercising to find new ways and techniques, rather than trying to sound traditional, he stayed at the forefront of contemporary music made with vintage computers during the last decade.
Stu’s need for evolution and movement is restless and so his productions are often packed with an energy that seems to make the world revolve faster. The now Berlin based Atari underground chiptune veteran appeared in many big clubs and festivals during the last few years, where he shared stages with names like Patric Catani, Otto von Schirach or Ceephax Acid Crew.
Website • http://stu.atari.org/
Photo by – Fabio Dondero
TRASH80
Trash80, or as some call him just plain trash, initiated his addiction to computer music in the summer of 1990 – about the same time his interest was sparked for the opposite sex. Coincidence? Probably not. The beauty of it was that he recognized this obvious connection early on and decided to use his love of composition to gain the interest of an unsuspecting female audience. In response to someone who once brought up this connection, Trash80 replied, “Its not about getting girls man, its about my love of music and getting dumped for it.”
Somewhere in between now and the old bbs days, Trash80′s failure to acquire companionship led him to work with such fellows as Native Instruments, releasing oki computer and interface designs for theirreaktor 4 library, as well as other popular reaktor ensembles such ascaterpillar and the gameboy sound emulator, play my gameboy. And while on the topic of gameboys, it should be noted that some people in the gameboy music community feel he should be held responsible for masterminding the deaths of numerous gameboy colors with his hardware hack for it, the prosound mod.
From Amigas to Latinas, to Native Instruments and naked … ahem, sounds. His passion for one can sometimes be confused for another. But make no mistake, he loves you baby … you and his machine.
Website • http://www.trash80.net
YMCK
Their first album “Family Music” was released in 2004 and was a huge success for the group as they recieved support from a wide range of fans of their unique “retro 8-bit” sound.
They are not only a well known comodity in Japan, but have also gained respect on the international stage, being invited to appear at various festivals and events in over eight different countries such as France, Sweden, Holland, America, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea.
As well as their CD releases, they are also active in various other music-related fields including: offering music to various projects, creating visual effects to support their own live appearances and music videos, remixes, DJ performances, video game creation and sound design, and of course their famous multi-OS compatible VST instrument: Magical 8-it Plug.
Website • http://www.ymck.net