Apr 15, 1:00 pm
As video games have gained steam in our society over time, their influence on us has also blossomed. Music inspired by geek culture and games is on the rise. Lyrics laced with sci-fi references and 8-bit-meets-rift isn’t for everyone though. These nerd-crafty musicians were once mostly limited to the wee handful of fans that could watch and support their unique sound locally. Thanks to a more widespread internet savvyness and their websites, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and musical interest forums, the artists can now reach a much larger audience and gain cult-like followings quickly. Now an easy link to a listen of a song or the spread of news about an upcoming show can flame like wildfire.
Trying to narrow down every scope of genre and sub-genre that have spawned from the phenomena of game and geek music is impossible. I’m going to break this down with three categories - chiptune, nerdcore, and video game cover bands.
Chiptune music is made from waveforms synthesized by a modified game console or a computer. This is usually combined with vast variations of instruments and tweaks. For those who want to know the intricacies of how the sound is formed; it’s ‘by combining the basic waveforms: sine, square, sawtooth, and triangle waves for their melodies and bass. Percussion is typically generated using white noise going through an ADSR (Attack time, Decay time, Sustain level, Release time) envelope or PCM samples, which is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. Simple instruments, white noise, and low-quality samples used for percussion and heavy use of ultra-fast arpeggios to emulate chords of three or four notes on a single channel showcase the basic and loose guidelines of chiptune music that allow for easy recognition of the genre.’ Now I’m going to introduce you to a lil band you may already know- Anamanaguchi!
Anamanaguchi is a chiptune punk band from New York that makes fun & fast 8-bit delicious music. The band is comprised of lead songwriter Peter Berkman (who I got to friggin meet AND he signed my copy of Scott Pilgrim book one! /brag) bassist James DeVito, guitarist Ary Warnaar and drummer Luke Silas. Now let me introduce you to the genre of nerdcore!
Nerdcore hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop that’s characterized by nerdy lyrical material. This geeky genre has a very small but hardcore audience. Their lyrics aren’t limited to making nerdy references, but it’s safe to say that is certainly the interwoven heart of the music.
My favorite nerdcore artist is MC 900 Ft. Jesus, a classically-trained musician turned rapper/ experimental musician from Dallas, Texas. When I was 15, I was introduced to his music. I fell in love with his The City Sleeps, a song more gritty than nerdy; it’s serenade of an arsonist.
Time to delve into the next genre! Video game cover bands fill a vital role in my musical needs. These bands are the holy grail combo for anyone who wants to get a nostalgic musical experience, a masterful mix of diehard gamers being musical geniuses.
My favorite video game cover band, Powerglove, came from Massachusetts and uses a sick metal tone with their favorite game music. They’re famous for their great costumes and epic stage setups.
The Black Mages are the most recognizable video game cover band. Having Nobuo Uematsu backing his own rock band aimed at recreating the musical magic from Final Fantasy.
One last band that cannot go without mention is Minibosses. These guys have one of the biggest success stories in video game music. The Minibosses play cover songs of original NES games. They’ve gained a substantial following and have toured around the country.
Well that sums up the last genre of geek music for today folks!
Now gaze upon my mixed-media piece, still dripping with the influence of musical inspiration.
-14” x 20"x Canvas
-Colored pencils
-Sharpies & paint pens
-Watercolor
-Acrylic
Geek out on music! =D
<3 ~ Glitch out!
