I'm still not sure where chiptune music fits in the scope of popular music, but in my humble opinion, it seems to be becoming more and more relevant. I'm not saying Anamanaguchi is going to dethrone Skrillex or Mumford & Sons from the top of the charts (although that would be pretty cool, right?), but whether we are talking about electronica fans or just dudes who grew up playing Super Nintendo (Yo.), there is at least some sort of niche for chiptune to exist and thrive.
SBThree's Weird EP is our latest entry for Album of the Week, and unless I'm mistaken, it's also buffaBLOG's first chiptune selection for that designation. I have reviewed instrumental albums before (see here), and it's not always the easiest to know exactly what the artist was going for, at least without the guidance of actual words. That's not to say I am implying that instrumental bands lack emotion or that instrumental songs can't be about anything in particular. What I am trying to say is that 8-bit video games helped define a certain period in my life, and it is near impossible for me to disassociate chiptune music with the joy that video games brought a young Nick Sessanna. Chiptune's "niche" may or may not involve a pretense of video games, but that's at least the vehicle in which I have to describe most songs in that genre. At any rate, this is my take on this particular five-song EP, and luckily, Steven Boyar, the man behind SB3, was nice enough to tell us where he drew inspiration for every song.
The first song on the EP is literally a cover of Alan Project's "Sirius." We're introduced to the instruments in Boyar's arsenal - a Game Boy running a bunch of Star Trek sound effects and a tenor saxophone. The tenor saxophone is kind of sprinkled in, and I have to hand it to Boyar, he can shred pretty hard on it. But the real beauty of music like this is how it can remind you of a particular time in your life or a specific scenario. Without even knowing that these are Star Trek sound effects, this track could be the soundtrack for a mission through space or some sort of stealth operation on a covert moon base. Honestly, it reminds me of this sick game called Math Blaster that taught me my multiplication tables. Be forewarned, Nick's inner seven-year-old may or may not continue to make appearances throughout this review.
Track two is "Pizza Headache," inspired by that "Oh my God, I just ate so much pizza, what is wrong with me?" feeling. I agree that the first 30 seconds sound like "Game Over" music, but afterwards, the song kicks into something a little more groovy with a pretty sick walking bass line. That sort of reminds me of the, "Five minutes ago I was feeling horrible about myself, but now that I am fueled by pizza, I can do anything!" sort of feeling. Just do yourself and any other gamers you may know a favor, and wash your hands before you start playing your Sega Genesis again, because nobody likes a greasy controller.
"Just Under the Speed Limit" is Boyar's attempt at creating something energetic and in a major key. Up until now, the stuff on Weird could have been boss music or something a little more menacing. I want to say this one belongs in a racing game - the peppy intro kind of sounds like a revving motor or something. If "Sirius Degradation" wasn't such a classic opener, I'd say this one comes as close to theme song music as Weird gets. Also worth noting is that Boyar's saxophone doesn't make an appearance in this one. Although most of the time I think the sax is a neat addition, this is the one song on Weird that it didn't belong in. Good call Boyar.
"The Perceivers" might be the strongest track on Weird, with it's 8-bit twelve-bar-blues-esque bass riff allowing Boyar to rip little sax riffs alongside the squiggly synth leads he programmed into the track. This particular track is based on the lives of two Star Trek characters, Data and Geordi La Forge. I'm not going to claim to be a Star Trek expert, but I sort of wish I was because I think it would provide some insight on what this track actually means. I'd like to think that La Forge is represented by the organic saxophone and Data is represented by the robotic synth leads. Beyond my metaphors that may or may not have any hint of truth behind them whatsoever, "The Perceivers" could also pass for some pretty epic character select music, at least for something a little less brutal than Mortal Kombat.
The EP is rounded out with "Victory to the Monkey Beast," a track inspired by the television show "Kenny vs. Spenny." Again, like Star Trek, I'm no "Kenny vs. Spenny" expert, but I'm pretty sure in the show, two dudes try to beat each other in ridiculous competitions. To me, "Monkey Beast" kicks off with music that indicates some hurt feelings or the beginnings of some seething rage. About fifty seconds in, the song kicks in to something a bit more "determined," which probably signifies the moment in the episode where one of the guys starts trying to make a comeback or seek some sort of revenge. Either way, after some sax additions and some intense programmed drums, Boyar closes Weird on a high note.
Well there you have it, buffaBLOG's first chiptune Album of the Week. SBthree/Boyar has managed to create something new that at the same time, has the capability of inspiring nostalgia in its listeners. Now if only my dad hadn't donated my Super Nintendo...
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