Bitpop: Difference between revisions

| name = Bitpop

'''Bitpop''' is a type of [[electronic music]] and subgenre of [[chiptune]] music, where at least part of the music is made using the [[sound chip]]s of old [[History of video game consoles (third generation)|8-bit]] (or [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit]]) [[computer]]scomputers and [[video game console]]s.

Among systems used include the [[Atari 8-bit family|Atari 8-bit computer]], [[NEC PC-8801computers]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], and [[Amiga]], .<ref>[[Gamehttps://www.allmusic.com/style/chiptunes-ma0000012235 Boy]],Chiptunes andMusic [[MegaGenre DriveOverview|Mega Drive AllMusic]</ Genesis]]. ref> The sounds produced from these systems can be combined to any degree with traditional [[Musical instrument|instruments]], such as [[guitar]] and [[Drum kit|drums]], modern [[synthesizer]]ssynthesizers and [[drum machine]]s, or vocals and sound effects. Some artists use software-based <ref>[[emulator]]s or [[Software synthesizer|virtual synthesizers]] to recreate the sounds of 8https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/chiptunes-bitma0000012235/artists systems,Chiptunes whileMusic some use hardware synths, which use the actual [[sound chip]]s from those systems, such as the [[Sidstation]], [[Midibox]], and [[Tracker (music software)Artists|trackersAllMusic]].{{citation needed|date=June 2012}}</ref>

Bitpop music began gaining popularity towards the end of the 1990s. The first [[electroclash]] record, [[I-F]]'s "Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass" (1997), has been described as "burbling electro in a vocodered homage to [[Golden age of arcade video games|Atari-era]] hi-jinks,"<ref name=Lynskey2002>{{Citation |last=D. Lynskey |title=Out with the old, in with the older |journal=Guardian.co.uk |date=March 22, 2002 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2002/mar/22/shopping.artsfeatures2?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 |archiveurlarchive-url=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/5wYAn5jqu?url=web/20141015225802/http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2002/mar/22/shopping.artsfeatures2 |archivedatearchive-date=FebruaryOctober 1615, 20112014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> particularly ''[[Space Invaders]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=I-f – Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass|date=September 22, 1998 |url=http://www.discogs.com/I-f-Space-Invaders-Are-Smoking-Grass/release/19460|publisher=[[Discogs]]|accessdateaccess-date=May 25, 2012}}</ref> The [[Beastie Boys]] outer-space sci-fi themed album [[Hello Nasty]] (1998), included, among other potentially influencing tracks, the distinctively video game sound themed original composition track [[Hello Nasty|UNITE]]; garnering mainstream recognition years ahead of the popular video game tune genre and movement. The [[trance music|trance]] song "[[Kernkraft 400]]" (1999), often played at sports events worldwide, was a remix of a [[chiptune]] song written by [[David Whittaker (video game composer)|David Whittaker]] called "Stardust" for the 1984 Commodore 64 [[PC game|computer game]] ''[[Lazy Jones]]''.

In 2003, [[Malcolm McLaren]] wrote an article on bitpop and chip music. It also noted a planned release in that style by McLaren.<ref>{{cite webmagazine|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.11/mclaren.html|title=8-Bit Punk|publishermagazine=Wired}}</ref>

By the mid-2000s, 8-bit chip music began being incorporated in mainstream pop music, used by acts such as [[Beck]] (for example, the 2005 song "[[Girl (Beck song)|Girl]]"), [[The Killers]] (for example, the 2004 song "[[Hot Fuss|On Top]]"), and particularly [[The Postal Service]] in many of their songs. The lowMIDI-qualitystyle digitaland [[MIDIFM synthesis]] styling of early game music composers such as [[Hiroshi MiyauchiKawaguchi (composer)|Hiroshi Kawaguchi]] also began gaining popularity.<ref>{{cite web|last=Shaw |first=Jeff |title=Music of the 8-bit variety makes a comeback |url=http://niagara-gazette.com/music/x681717382/Music-of-the-8-bit-variety-makes-a-comeback |archive-url=https://archive.istoday/20120712032335/http://niagara-gazette.com/music/x681717382/Music-of-the-8-bit-variety-makes-a-comeback |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 12, 2012 |work=[[Niagara Gazette]] |accessdateaccess-date=May 7, 2012 |date=May 25, 2006 }}</ref> In 2003, the [[J-pop]] girl group [[Perfume (Japanese band)|Perfume]],<ref name="nintendo_gamer">{{cite web | url=http://www.nintendo-gamer.net/2012/03/06/japans-chiptune-heroes/3/ | title=Japan’sJapan's chiptune heroes | work=[[Nintendo Gamer]] | date=March 6, 2012 | accessdateaccess-date=June 20, 2012 | author=Daniel Robson}}{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref><ref name="bounce_perfume">{{cite web|url=http://www.bounce.com/article/article.php/4045/ALL/|title=Perfume Interview|publisher=bounce.com|date=February 7, 2008|accessdateaccess-date=June 2, 2009|language = Japaneseja|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209084048/http://www.bounce.com/article/article.php/4045/ALL/|archivedatearchive-date=December 9, 2008}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20081209084048%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.bounce.com%2Farticle%2Farticle.php%2F4045%2FALL%2F English translation])</ref> along with producer [[Yasutaka Nakata]], began producing music combining chiptunes with [[synthpop]] and [[electro house]];<ref name="bounce_perfume"/> their breakthrough came in 2007 with ''[[Game (Perfume album)|Game]]'', which led to other Japanese female artists using a similar electronic style, including [[Aira Mitsuki]], [[immi]], [[Masami Mitsuoka|Mizca]], [[Sawa (singer)|SAWA]], [[Saori at Destiny|Saori@destiny]], and [[Sweet Vacation]].<ref name="allabout">{{cite web | title=Perfume～サマソニの快挙！！ | date=August 20, 2007| url=http://allabout.co.jp/gm/gc/205887/|publisher=All About テクノポップ|language = Japaneseja}}</ref>

InSince recentthe years2000s, 8-bit chiptune sounds, or "video game beats", have been used by a number of mainstream pop artists. Examples in the [[Western world]] include artists such as [[Kesha]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Miklewski|first=Michael|title=Music in Video Games: From 8-bit to Symphonies|url=http://www.thebottomlineonline.org/music-in-video-games-1.2660649#.T951YbVYv8l|accessdateaccess-date=June 18, 2012|newspaper=The Bottom Line|date=October 20, 2011|agency=[[Frostburg State University]]|url-status=dead|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214091201/http://www.thebottomlineonline.org/music-in-video-games-1.2660649#.T951YbVYv8l|archivedatearchive-date=December 14, 2013}}</ref> (most notably in "[[Tik Tok (song)|Tik Tok]]",<ref name="nintendo_gamer"/><ref name="Puls"/> the [[List of best-selling singles worldwide|best-selling single]] of 2010),<ref name="ifpi10">{{cite web|url=http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/dmr2011.html|title=IFPI publishes Digital Music Report 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110221105915/http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/dmr2011.html|archive-date=February 21, 2011|date=January 20, 2011|location=London}}</ref>), [[Robyn]], [[Snoop Dogg]],<ref name="nintendo_gamer"/><ref name="Puls">{{cite web|title=Robyn: Body Talk, Pt. 2|publisher=Puls Music|date=September 10, 2010|url=http://www.puls.no/16375.html|accessdateaccess-date=July 21, 2012}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.puls.no%2F16375.html&sl=no&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref> [[Eminem]] (for example, "[[Hellbound (song)|Hellbound]]"), [[Nelly Furtado]], and [[Timbaland]] (see [[Timbaland plagiarism controversy]]). The influence of video game sounds can also be heard in contemporary British [[electronica]] music by artists such as [[Dizzee Rascal]] and [[Kieran Hebden]].<ref name="guardian_ymo">{{cite web|last=Lewis|first=John|title=Back to the future: Yellow Magic Orchestra helped usher in electronica – and they may just have invented hip-hop, too|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jul/04/electronicmusic.filmandmusic11|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdateaccess-date=May 25, 2011|date=July 4, 2008}}</ref> [[Grime (music)|Grime]] music in particular samples [[sawtooth wave]] sounds from video games which were popular in [[East (London sub region)|East London]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Mediapolis: popular culture and the city|year=2006|publisher=010 Publishers|isbn=90-6450-628-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCxd_AC-2-QC&pg=PA106|author=Alex de Jong, Marc Schuilenburg|accessdateaccess-date=July 30, 2011|page=106}}</ref> [[Dubstep]] producers have also been influenced by video game chiptunes, particularly the work of [[Yuzo Koshiro]].<ref>{{cite webnews|last=Lawrence|first=Eddy|title=Ikonika interview: Producer and DJ, Ikonika had an incredible 2010|url=http://www.timeoutdoha.com/nightlife/features/20343-ikonika-interview|work=[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]|accessdateaccess-date=August 5, 2011|date=January 11, 2011}}</ref><ref name="self-titledmag">{{cite web|title=Recording Under the Influence: Ikonika|url=http://www.self-titledmag.com/home/2010/04/21/recording-under-the-influence-ikonika-on-streets-of-rage-dalis-film-buddy-and-why-kode9s-wrong-about-numbers/|work=Self-Titled Magazine|accessdateaccess-date=August 5, 2011|date=April 21, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003194434/http://www.self-titledmag.com/home/2010/04/21/recording-under-the-influence-ikonika-on-streets-of-rage-dalis-film-buddy-and-why-kode9s-wrong-about-numbers/|archive-date=October 3, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="timeout_20425">{{cite webnews|last=Lawrence|first=Eddy|title=Ikonika interview: Dubstep has taken the world by storm over the past 12 months|url=http://www.timeoutdubai.com/nightlife/features/20425-ikonika-interview|work=[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]|accessdateaccess-date=August 6, 2011|date=January 18, 2011}}</ref> In 2010, a [[BBC]] article stated that the "sights and sounds of [[Retrogaming|old-school games]]" (naming ''[[Frogger]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong]]'' as examples) are "now becoming a part of mainstream music and culture."<ref name="bbc_chiptune">{{cite web|last=Knowles|first=Jamillah|title=How computer games are creating new art and music|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10260769|publisher=BBC|accessdateaccess-date=August 27, 2011|date=June 9, 2010}}</ref>

*[[List of electronic music genres]]

*[[8-bitMusic (music)Macro Language]]

*[[Game Boy musicSIDstation]]

[[Category:ElectronicaPop music genres]]