The past week I’ve become immersed in a whole new world of exciting sounds – that of the chiptune. You’ve probably heard about people making music with gameboys and old computers.. It’s something that I’d dabbled in years ago, but never quite had the creative energy or enthusiasm to carry through to any worthwhile end.

However, unexpected bowtie is the perfect place to experiment and see just what a Commodore 64 sounds like when played alongside a musical saw. I’m pretty sure that can’t be a combination that’s been brought together that often before, surely? It’s actually pretty wonderful to see how things can interact. A tune that I’d just written up today electronically came out of something originally composed on the accordion, which I then ported over for quite a different feel, and even having the accordion playing the bassier notes in the background. Quite a shift about from what it was in the first place.

I had been concerned that it had all gotten a bit guitar-led and folky round here with the last release, so this new venture just proves (even if just to one’s self) that it’s really all about experimentation in all its kinds, rather than being stuck to any set of defined limits. Like has been said elsewhere – I keep forgetting that there’s no rules.

Either way, the dizzying amount of cables and different technical things that are required even to just hook up something like an Amiga 600 to a modern LCD screen is pretty daunting, but I’m managing to get my head round it all (well, maybe). Despite the minor hiccup of having err.. ‘misplaced’ my old C-64, it should mean that within the next few weeks I’ll be fully kitted out to record directly from the old sound-chips and see just what can be done.

In the meantime (and before I possibly electrocute myself in the noble pursuit of sound), you can listen to a track that lasts a whole sixty seconds – composed on the Gameboy, and filled with guitar and musical saw. Nice.

bees are prisoners