Hi Everyone,
The folks at motherboard were kind enough to interview us about our new Class Apples Album!
“Titled Class Apples, the album takes classical tracks from the likes of Bach and Mozart and digitally reimagines them through that 1-bit system, creating a bouncy, synthesized symphony that feels right out of a 80s-era video game.”
J
hon
Hey Everyone – Our new EP “DLC the OST” is a satire on the modern game industry’s release model of putting a game 80% complete out then selling you the remaining 20% as “DLC. IF you are a gamer, you know what we’re talking about. WE couldn’t bring ourselves to actually follow the model and rip off friends/fans, so we did what the industry does last, a bundle.
The main track “DLC the OST (Season Pass edition)” is the entire track with all the corresponding DLC included. However, you can hear the “product” in game industry form on track 4’s “DLC the OST (Standard Release)” as well as the “Drums DLC” content following it. Enjoy!
1. DLC the OST (Season Pass Edition) 04:23
2. Stand Alone Adventure (Bundle Bonus) 02:22
3. Emperor’s New Content (Bundle Bonus) 03:04
4. DLC the OST (Standard Edition) 02:42
5. DLC the OST (Drums DLC) 02:41
6. DLC the OST (Expansion DLC) 01:40
It is available now via Bandcamp here: https://8bitweapon.bandcamp.com/album/d … ndle-v12-2
Enjoy!
Seth & Michelle 
DLC the OST is a concept album and a satire on how the modern gaming industry releases a polished “commercial product” to the public. The idea is WHAT IF the music industry followed this business model? How much of a song would you hear before you purchased the rest of it as DLC? Here is our version to ponder and discuss.
The main track “DLC the OST (Season Pass edition)” is the entire track with all the corresponding DLC included. However, you can hear the “product” in game industry form on track 4’s “DLC the OST (Standard Release)” as well as the “Drums DLC” content following it. Enjoy!
Love,
Seth & Michelle 🙂 🙂
2) Outer Space – Commodore 64, Game Boy, Atari 800 XL, NES, Vintage Drum Machines
3) Software – Commodore 64, Game Boy, Apple II, Vintage Drum Machines
4) Club Microwave – Commodore 64, Game Boy, Quasimidi Sirius, Vintage Drum Machines
5) Bliptastic! – Commodore 64, Game Boy, NES, Vintage Drum Machines
6) Halloween Party – Commodore 64, Game Boy, Vintage Drum Machines
7) Viking – Commodore 64, Game Boy, Vintage Drum Machines
8) Futurism – Game Boy, Vintage Drum Machines
9) Sugar Cube Remix* – Commodore 64, Vintage Drum Machines
The original version of Sugar Cube is available on the “Modemoiselle” album.
ComputeHer is the solo project of Michelle Sternberger. Michelle creates electronic music using retro gaming consoles, 8-bit computers and synthesizers. With hard beats and colorful melodies, ComputeHer’s spirited catalog of music depicts a world of energized lo-fi bliss. In addition to her studio albums, Michelle’s past projects include work for Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, Foundation 9 Entertainment, Sony Creative Software, Smithsonian American Art museum and many others. She divides her time up between two bands and is also a member of 8 Bit Weapon.
“BLIPTASTIC!” was written by ComputeHer
Produced by 8 Bit Weapon
Ancient Legends is a fantasy Role Playing game made for the Apple II series of home computer created by 8 Bit Weapon and friends! The game was created as a DEMO for the Outlaw Editor!
Download your free Ancient Legends copy here:
https://github.com/badvision/lawless-legends/tree/master/Example%20Content/Ancient%20Legends
Download an Apple II emulator for Windows here: http://wsxyz.net/applewin.html
The Story: You are Quinn of Thane, the westernmost island in Merkania. Since the last of great wars your family has lived in peaceful seclusion for generations. Raised on ancient legends, you have often dreamed of exploring what lies beyond the island. You surmise that dark times must have befallen the mainland, as dark creatures now sully the sanctuary of your island home as well.
Now you are the last of your line and have decided to venture to the mainland and seek your fortune! You pack your things, take your family’s heirloom amulet for luck and enter the forest for adventure…
The game is a demo for the powerful Outlaw Editor game development system:
https://www.facebook.com/outlaweditor
Enjoy, adventurer!
Credits:
Outlaw Editor Demo Credits:
Produced & Directed by Seth Sternberger of 8 Bit Weapon
Coding – Martin Haye, Brendan Robert, and Dave Schmenk
Font Code – Andrew Hogan
Graphics – Seth Sternberger
Scenario – Seth Sternberger
Playtesting & Quality Assurance – Andrew Schultz
To make your own games get your free copy of Outlaw Editor here:
https://github.com/badvision/lawless-legends/tree/master/OutlawEditor
Enjoy!
Seth & Michelle 🙂 🙂
“Chipmusic, chiptune, whatever you want to call it, is a big draw for us retrogamers and I’m pleased to say that I caught up with my favourite chiptune band of the moment – 8 Bit Weapon! Seth & Michelle are based in LA (we’re already jealous! – Ed) and their ambient tracks have us smitten as well as their earlier more poppy stuff. Don’t let my lack of chiptune knowledge spoil your enjoyment of this great interview…”
You can read the rest of the great article here: http://www.arcadeattack.co.uk/8-bit-weapon/
Check out this fantastic interview without new friend Bob from ChaosControl.com:
“In an email interview, Seth and Michelle discussed the new album and their work in general.”-Bob @ Chaoscontrol.com
http://www.chaoscontrol.com/8-bit-weapon/
Cheers,
Seth & Michelle 🙂 🙂
Friend and mentor David Warhol has been kind enough to share his thoughts on our new album:
Many might think ambient music is simple to write because it can sound simple. The truth is that successful ambient music occupies large spaces with structures, patterns, and devices that span far in time beyond a simple song structure. In Disassembly Language: Ambient Music for Deprogramming Vol. 1, 8 Bit Weapon has dialed in on exactly that. These spans of time are mesmerizing irregular patterns that somehow come together to make perfect aesthetic and harmonic sense. They tell a story; they have a contour.
That the tones come entirely from Commodore 64’s SID chip is hardly consequential. By having created many prior albums, 8 Bit Weapon has mastered the simplicity and subtlety of the SID and puts that experience to work wonderfully here. That the tones have been mixed and mastered is entirely fair game; the pieces stand out not just under the moniker “chip tunes” but rather as a robust piece in general.
Ultimately one of the most impressive traits of Disassembly Language is in the diversity of artistry and style shown by 8 Bit Weapon in its very creation. 8BW started performing and recording years ago with video game covers and originals inspired by classic chip tunes. Disassembly Language expresses a maturity of styles, a respect for different genres as broad as some of its very influencers (Brian Eno as he gravitated from traditional songwriting to ambient music, to be sure).
8 Bit Weapon has shown great musical proficiency in this work. One might wonder where on their artistic trajectory they will choose to land next. One thing is for sure, I will want to be there when they do.
David Warhol
Chip Composer (Commodore 64, Amiga, NES, and more)
GANG Lifetime Achievement Award 2014
Commodore 64 Music/Audio credits and more:
Neuromancer (1988) (Music & Sound Effects)
Pool of Radiance (1988) (Music & Sound Effects)
Sentinel Worlds I: Future Magic (1988) (Music & Sound)
Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (1988) (Sound Effects by )
Maniac Mansion (1987) (Atari ST Sound Effects by)
Skyfox II: The Cygnus Conflict (1987) (Music & Sound Effects)
The Bard’s Tale II: The Destiny Knight (1986) (Music & Sound Effects)
Robot Rascals (1986) (Music & Sound Effects)
Tass Times in Tonetown (1986) (Music & Sound Effects)
Heart of Africa (1985) (Music & Sound Effects)
Racing Destruction Set (1985) (Music, Sound Effects, & Coding)
Stuart Smith’s Adventure Construction Set (1984) (Music & Sound Effects)
Realms of Impossiblility (1983) (Music & Sound Effects)
Greetings Programs!
We have created a playable music video for you to enjoy! We made a space travel game for the Commodore 64 computer (or emulator of one) that we will release soon!!
Enjoy,
Seth & Michelle 🙂 🙂
8 Bit Weapon 