FX4 - Weapon
June 18, 2012 7:05 PM
I haven't posted any chip music here in a while, and I've run my fool mouth in several recent chiptune-related posts. So I figured it was time to demonstrate that I still have NO clue what I'm talking about! Here, this is what I am doing with the Nintendo Entertainment System lately. It's a song from a concept album about a gay time-travelling vampire.
From my recent album, FX4 (free / donate-if-you-really-feel-like-it-but-you-don't-have-to-seriously-just-put-0-in-the-thingy-and-enjoy-the-album-dude-or-dudette).
Unlike my previous NES work, such as FX3, this is not merely an approximation of the NES hardware made with sampled sounds; it's written entirely in FamiTracker and compiled to actual NES machine code (specifically, .NSF format files, which can be downloaded separately), which you can burn to a cartridge and run on the real console. So everything you hear is 100% within the limitations of the raw, original NES hardware, with no extra expansion chips or clever workarounds, just a really solid sequencing tool with great developer support.
FX4 itself is 10 tracks and roughly an hour long, and takes the form of a schlocky sci-fi concept album, with whose fairly ridiculous story you can follow along at the above Bandcamp link.
From my recent album, FX4 (free / donate-if-you-really-feel-like-it-but-you-don't-have-to-seriously-just-put-0-in-the-thingy-and-enjoy-the-album-dude-or-dudette).
Unlike my previous NES work, such as FX3, this is not merely an approximation of the NES hardware made with sampled sounds; it's written entirely in FamiTracker and compiled to actual NES machine code (specifically, .NSF format files, which can be downloaded separately), which you can burn to a cartridge and run on the real console. So everything you hear is 100% within the limitations of the raw, original NES hardware, with no extra expansion chips or clever workarounds, just a really solid sequencing tool with great developer support.
FX4 itself is 10 tracks and roughly an hour long, and takes the form of a schlocky sci-fi concept album, with whose fairly ridiculous story you can follow along at the above Bandcamp link.
posted by jake (4 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
I was listening to this album in my car today. I effing love it--it's like Blind Guardian and Umphrey's McGee had a baby together on an NES cartridge. I WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME.
In other news...
THIS NEEDS TO BE A GAME.
Also, I love the HBO Feature Presentation intro.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 5:03 PM on June 19, 2012
In other news...
THIS NEEDS TO BE A GAME.
Also, I love the HBO Feature Presentation intro.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 5:03 PM on June 19, 2012
I forgot to mention, the spare usage of the sample channel really sold it for me. It's nice to have for that extra wow factor, but if you use it to much, it takes away a lot of the challenge.
Sooooo well done.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 5:10 PM on June 19, 2012
Sooooo well done.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 5:10 PM on June 19, 2012
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I'm digging the track, and the album...tell me, are you going to actually burn the album to a NES cartridge? How does one even do that? I tell you what I would totally blow $20 on a NES music album. That would be pretty neat.
I love the aesthetic of "chiptunes", specifically the limitations and how they force you to think within those restrictions and be more creative, inventive.
posted by Doleful Creature at 7:42 AM on June 19, 2012