Archive for the ‘Album Reviews’ Category

Aydan Appreciates: ‘Klingsardry’ by Kplecraft

Posted by Aydan Scott

Long ago, deep in the archives of the 8bp community, there was an experimental, Japanese chiptune duo by the name of Kplecraft. Utilizing a wide variety of percussive instruments and a saxophone to name just a few, Kplecraft’s sound is complex in theoretical scope and instrumental diversity. After an eight-year hiatus, they’ve released a new album titled ‘Klingsardry’. Having been released through the Cheapbeats label and recommended to me by Brandon himself – not to mention, its teaser being a fully animated video set to a portion of each track – it’s safe to say that this album was destined to blow my mind.

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A Square Meal: ‘Sine Sleep Session EP’ by Saitone

Posted by Pixel_Guy

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.

Cover art by nu11.b0t
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Clover’s Comp Corral: Chiptunes4Autism Volume 4

Posted by Clover

Chiptunes4Autism has been going for 4 years strong now, and another spring season brought us what may be their most exciting compilation yet! 28 tracks showcase a varied, fun, and hard-working collective that will take anyone who wants to help. All proceeds go to charities proud of neurodiversity, supporting autistic self-advocacy, mental health resources, and networks for marginalized groups. It’s really great. Also, the music kicks ass, and the people involved will steal your hearts.

By ‘steal your hearts’, of course, I mean I’m going to try and cast them in a heist movie.

Art by Viridian Kurisu
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Rhyphte Reviews: ‘color wheel’ by business pastel

Posted by rhyphte

Happy Pride Month, everybody! To fit the theme, I’d like to cover a very special release from Business Pastel that is quite literally a rainbow of expression.

Album art for ‘color wheel’ by Beatrix Urkowitz

With a vast array of technical styles and moods, this album is just jam-packed with content. All of the tracks flow into one another seamlessly, and serve as little windows into the depth of the character of Billy Murphy, better known as business pastel.

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A Square Meal: ‘City EP’ by Ca5

Posted by Pixel_Guy

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.

Cover art by Ca5.
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Glenntai Got: ‘Am Happy’ by Pulsing

Posted by Glenntai

With two releases in the same month you would expect this to be the latter of a two-part series. Even so, ‘Am Happy’ is Pulsing’s debut on Japan-based international net label Cheapbeats. Pulsing, a trio based out of Illinois, brings live guitar and drums into their pieces to create a raw energy that feels like a mix between harder grunge and the early works of fellow chip band from France, Please Lose Battle. What we get as a result is an upbeat album full of heavy guitar, melodic exposition and accompanying arp blips; one of the first ways I could describe it was as ‘a manic pixie dream-rock concert’. If that sounds like a fun time to you, keep reading after the jump for some examples.

Cover art by Stefanie Cook
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