Nearly anyone can silence the original NES theme Super Super Bros., but if you asked them what kind of music you fell into, you probably wouldn't know what to say. Of course, one could only describe it as a video game music, but it could also be described as chiptune. The word chiptune is used to describe all the music that is made using old music chips from an old, outdated harp like never before. NES either Game Boy. And if you're familiar with the genre of Chiptune, you may also be familiar with the band that helped pioneer it, Anamanaguchi.
For those in the dark, Anamanaguchi is a four-piece pop rock / electronic piece from New York and Los Angeles that traces its roots to chiptune. They have been releasing music continuously since 2006 and after giving it a few years to cook in the oven, they have just released their latest full-length album, (USA).
We had the privilege of interviewing their members Peter Burkman and Luke Silas about the album's composition, their roots as a band, and, Super Smash Bros. Finally.
Nintendo's life: What made each of them so passionate about making music, and how did they come together as a team?
Peter: Every one of us come from a family that has made music a big part of their lives. My dad taught me to play guitar, and my mom's dad was a pianist and bandleader – I grew up singing every weekend at Church and every week at a well-funded public school. MTV and video games have also played a huge role, personally.
Luke: Both my parents are musicians, pianists, and songwriters who have introduced music to my life from the beginning; I experimented with many instruments and found the joy of playing drums, which led to my love for other ways of understanding, and I ended up going to a music school where I spent 4 years!
I spent a lot of time playing video games, I found a great love for both the sound palette and the design of many games. I learned about chiptune in 2005, started working on lo-bit sounds in 2006 (the same year I discovered Anamanaguchi), sent them a mypace message in late 2007 asking if they needed a new drum, and he joined the club a few months later in early 2008!
Nintendo's Life: Back in the day, you plan to make a name for yourself by creating original guitar and drums that override the digital chiptune melodies produced by Pro Retro systems. We understand P aint Mario
Peter: We used to be the only band with a computer on stage, and now it's the only thing with drums and guitar!
For us lately there are some direct chip sound effects, but they have been incorporated into times that have more purpose. But all digital music & # 39; s real & # 39; and, of course. What makes chiptune so special is that the Hardware in question is a device in which it is made … with a sound chip, there is no "imitation" process; I think that's what people say when they say "real". The song will start on any computer software or guitar, and will be a mix between each section. (USA), most were computer.
Using Hardware can help develop a sense of how far an object can go, and learn how to properly scale a piece of work around a simple idea or focus point.
Luke: I would say at present the most current ideas for writing chip music are more of our style than sound itself; hardware writing fosters a lot of attention to detail, very deliberate planning, lots of action at a very young age, getting special / cool sounds or moments and learning how to do it yourself by controlling your instrument, or Game Boy, or DAW, or guitar, or what you end up making noise about. Using Hardware can help develop a sense of how far something can go, and learn how to properly build a piece of work around a simple idea or focus point. If anything, the deliberate nature of the art in this way has greatly enhanced our process, especially in the making of (USA).
Nintendo's Life: You just released your latest album, (USA), back in October and you're a total treasure from start to finish. You worked on this behind the scenes, so how does it feel to finally get it out of the wild?
Peter: It really feels fun to get it out (USA) out. It's like we spent a little time raising a child and he'll go out on the first day of school, where we will have a little control over how it's done and what it means.
Luke: Thank you very much !! It still feels great to be able to say "it is over now", if it is for the greater part of the time where we are only in our brain, and spread it with a few self-driving cars. It is really fulfilling to know that we made the album we wanted to make and that it was actually exploding lol.
Nintendo's Life: Your song, Sun By Plane, fits the track's mood well. Is there a story behind how he got his name?
Luke: “Sunset By Plane” started as a song I wrote for my partner at the time; I used to make small logs to send while we lived in different parts of the country, and I did one that was last placed in my room for our game Capsule Peace XXIV. I started aggressively with it the other day and started a faster version that felt more impactful to me! The name was originally a "fun day" as a quick title, but when I started working on the margins a bit with the song glass Caroline Lufkin
Nintendo's Life: What inspires you to innovate regularly?
Luke: I never had the intention of “inventing!” To learn more about things that make me happy, and then just try to make art that excites me!
Nintendo's Life: In 2014, Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game has been released on PSN and Xbox Live, leaving the game unavailable for anyone who wants to play it today, (unless you already have a program that hangs with the download.) Your music core is built on the idea of taking expired, body hardware and doing something new with it. So with Scott Pilgrim having never been treated for a physical release, how does it make you feel that what genre, wiped off the face of the earth, is played out for a select few?
Luke: It's very sad.
Nintendo's Life: If you were given the opportunity to work on a video game that sounds great again, but if you had your entire cart, what would you like to write for you?
Peter: I would much rather work with more game music. I would very much like to do something about the subject … nothing comes to mind now. I know Ary really wants to be next GTA!
Luke: I would love to write an RPG with a rich and deep story! That kind of world-building is incredibly fun, and creating spaces through music is so much fun.
Nintendo's life: We heard you (Pete and Luke especially) play Smash a lot. Each of you can pick only one, but what are your battles against Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
Peter: Phoenix Wright.
Luke: Refridgerator EZ clapping hands <3
We would like to thank Peter and Luke for taking the time to answer our questions. Anamanaguchi is currently on the trip promoting their latest album (USA), which you can distribute on almost any platform or you can buy a virtual copy here. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below.
