Since the dawn of man the ever present query “What hath nerd listen to whilst not gaming?” has perplexed bloated brains worldwide. Enter pioneering chiptune artists 8 Bit Weapon to solve that puzzlement with one fell synth swoop. The group, consisting of Seth, ComputeHer, and Melbot, have come to lead the Game Boy genre in retro revivalist rock. Party equipped with vintage gaming gear, the group has consistently provided old school gaming beats to the nerdcore massive. I recently had the chance to ask Seth a few questions about games and music. Be sure to check out 8bitweapon.com and level up your aural sensory receptors with their unique musical outputs.

What came first: The gamer or the musician?

The gamer. I fell in LOVE with my neighbor OB’s C64 and Adventure Construction Set by Stuart Smith. The music for it was what had me fall in love with chiptunes and music in general, the score was by the one and only Dave Warhol.

What are some of your favorite game soundtracks?

ALL SID/C64 tunes by David Warhol - A.C.S. as I mentioned above, Racing Destruction Set, Bards Tale II, Neuromancer, Skate or Die, etc. For NES: Metroid, Kid Icarus, Super Mario Bros. 2, all 3 Castlevanias, and Mega Man 1-3.

Have any in particular greatly influenced you?

Mostly Dave Warhol’s ACS because the title theme is one of the most dynamic chiptunes ever made. I especially love the dirge close to the end…brings a tear to my eye.

How do you feel about modern games using licensed songs?

No sir, I don’t like it.

I mean, why be creative when you can just have an Avril Lavigne song on constant repeat?

bLingo!

What game would you love to have the honor of re-scoring the soundtrack to?

Bard’s Tale 4 or Wasteland 2. Both are very near and dear to my heart, even though Wasteland had no music (unless you count the Air Raid Siren emulation).

What gear/instruments make up your arsenal of adroit audio assault?

Commodore Vic-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Commodore Amiga 500, and the Apple II, as well as game consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Atari 2600, and an Intellivision synthesizer.

Are retro gaming systems reliable in a live setting?

Reliable yes; these machines were built to last! The only problem I have found is that Game Boys need their line levels boosted a great deal, and my Commodore 64’s reset and/or freeze from time to time onstage, mid-tune.

Chip music has seen a significant rise in popularity over the past few years. Do you ever see it breaking out of subculture status and making a crossover to the mainstream?

There is no avoiding it. It’s already mainstream, as Britney spears, Nelly Furtado, 50 Cent, and many others have used Chiptune sounds in their Top 40 music. The question now is only who in the actual chip scene will break through the underground and go topside.

Your phone is ringing. It’s an offer to produce an album in a collaboration of epic wet nerd dream proportion. Who’s on the line?

If Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode or Yazz (Yazoo) of Erasure fame called me up I think I would explode.

Chiptune is totally unique and pure fun. But honestly, if it were the only genre you listened to, you would eventually fashion an outfit from a freshly skinned raccoon and leap off of your roof to certain death in an insane delusion of Tanooki flight. What other styles of music or bands do you listen to take a break from the bleeps and bloops?

I love Geoffrey Oryema, a folk rock artist from Uganda. Best earthy classic style rock there is. Check out Beat the Border and Exile. Jean Michel Jarr is a great Synth composer, look up Equinox and Oxygen! I also love The Misfits’ album, Walk Among Us.

You are surrounded by an Octorok, Mother Brain, Mike Tyson, and, like, 42 ghosts from Gauntlet. What would be your 8-bit weapon of choice to fight your way out of that pixelated predicament?

Either a Proton Ax from the game Wasteland that requires no ammo and does really heavy melee damage (as long as you have your Brawling skill high) or The Death Drums from Bards Tale III. Cast Finger of Death on all enemies, killing them instantly (unless they have high luck! DRAT!).

Do you have anything you’d like to promote?

Why yes, I just released Confidential 2.0! It’s a remastered compilation of my favorite Commodore 64 game SID tunes that I remixed when I first started in the community! The CD also contains the first chiptune I ever composed as well! Check it out on my websites:
www.8bitweapon.com
www.myspace.com/8bitweapon
www.last.fm/music/8+Bit+Weapon