UBER ALBUM, after the BLiP festival

Bodenständig 2000's long awaited ---> UBER ALBUM is finally available online. This 12" vinyl record full of great home computer folk tunes is limited to 256 pieces, so be quick!

Next, i would like to share impressions of the BLIP festival in New York where i performed with Bodenständig 2000:

The festival was the biggest chip music event so far, uniting the scenes from Western Europe, the United States and Japan. I would also have liked to see some performers from Eastern Europe, but for them traveling to the United States is still a huge hassle -- so maybe next time.

There was a lot of energy in the place, so much that some people already thought that it is too much. However, i like mosh pits and crowd surfing very much, and every step chip music is making towards a more tangible and bodily experience is welcome.

While i think that the festival was really well programmed, there were still some acts that stood out for me personally:

• Of course everybody knows that Nullsleep and Bitshifter not only pulled off the whole festival but also totally developed from shy geek boys that would play some nice bleepy tunes into stage animals that bring on one hit after another. They skipped all the gimmicks, all the hardware add-ons, all the novelty effects of chip tunes and went for pure, raving, catchy Gameboy sound.
• Gijs Gieskes played a very arty and tasteful set with beautiful visuals created by his self made light sequencer. This machine consists of rotating tin cans or cut PET bottles, shiny balls and smiley buttons, etc ... startling!
• Hally, the Famicom master, was never too shy to mix the cheesiest and greatest G33KC0RE and Nintendo Jazz arrangements, plus he repeated the best parts after the frequent power outages during his performance. Teh Awesomes!
• The Italian boys NrGiGa and postal_m@rket, before completely unknown to me, delivered uplifting disco beats that were just big fun to listen to. It was so easy, non-elitist, dancable and communicative. Ragazzi!
• Markus Schrodt proved to be a very sensitive musician with a lot of feeling for harmony and arrangement. Such a pleasant, rich and tender sound is rarely heard in sound chip music. I will watch this guy.
• Treewave, aka Paul Slocum, again managed to amaze me with his VCS 2600 generated visuals. I feel very connected to his folky motives. If the animation of the white horse in the prairie did not bring a tear to your eye, you are just an insensitive clod.
• virt is an insanely talented composer. I have been listening to him since his Impulse Tracker MODs back in the day. He plays with game music traditions as if he invented them all by himself.
• The duo Yes, Robot was a perfect team on stage, playing effect devices, Casio organs and Gameboys like in a four handed piano piece. Their set was colorful and never shallow, with more than one touching moment. Real 8 Bit Love.
• gwËm and Counter Reset has always been one of my favorite acts. Great in music and fashion style, they brought it on with hardcore attitude and humour. During "Forever Autumn" i thought i would die.

Due to my own commitments and a serious jet lag i missed several performers. I especially hope to see 6955 one day.