H.I.T.S.

8-Bit Weapon - Vaporware Soundtracks 2.0 :: Music Review

It should be a given that if you've navigated your way to a page about a band called 8 Bit Weapon at a site called NfamousGamers that you probably know what chiptune music is. But, for those who Googled their way here on accident, chiptune music is created largely with old video game and computer sound hardware. Some groups limit themselves to only one particular piece of hardware but 8 Bit Weapon utilizes a huge array of instrumentation from the Commodore Vic-20 and 64 to the Nintendo Game Boy and Atari 2600 as well as vocoded vocals and acoustic drums. This 2006 release, Vaporware Soundtracks 2.0, is a remastering of the acclaimed limited edition original and displays the already impressive breadth of the group's founding members Seth Sternberger and Stacey Taylor in their early days as 8 Bit Weapon.

I have always listened to video game music but admit I've never been too crazed over chiptune bands because most of the full length albums I've heard tend to meld together into one long uninteresting track. Vaporware Soundtracks is a shocking exception in my exposure with nearly every track having a unique feel thanks to the duo's varied styles which are highlighted individually and in unison throughout the album.

Sternberger's solo title track, GameBoy Rocker, starts things off with a wonderful driving melody and instantly familiar 8-bit instrumentation before giving way to the slower sounds of both Sk8 Bit and Arcade, the latter of which features some heavy vocoder vocals. Bombs Away! surges up and down with waves of rolling synth and loads of fittingly incendiary (and crunchy) sounds that make me dream of my days behind the paddle with Kaboom! Panty Raid is by far the most unique track on the album, produced by Taylor herself and sounding reminiscent of the synthpop stylings of Freezepop. It's a fun little track about going panty shopping backed with fast paced 8-bit synth and great drums. Bit "n" Run pops with a decidedly cracktro feel before Samurai Princess offers up an electro-samurai vibe with mellow tunes that rise, fall, and mingle with one another.

Funk Data lays down some punchy beats and drums that match the style of Simon Viklund's Bionic Commando Rearmed soundtrack. Breath Sleep Dream is an eclectic amalgamation of retro sounds carried by a tinny, squeaky melody and Action Kitty in Space is just as odd as you'd expect with interstellar stylings and a great snare drum beat. There are also several slow, moody tracks in Nature Music, One Last Mission, and Satellite that manage to set themselves apart from even one another, further adding complexity to the tracklist.

Vaporware Soundtracks 2.0 is probably the best place to start listening to 8 Bit Weapon. It's 100% original music with no remixes or covers of video game themes and it's as diverse a collection of songs as I've heard from a chiptune band. It should be obvious by this point that if you don't enjoy electronic sounds and vintage video game synth even 8 Bit Weapon's well versed style isn't going to change your mind. For those that do get down with the 8-bit beats, though, I highly recommend giving this one a listen.

Rating: 4/5

Tracklist:

1. GameBoy Rocker
2. Sk8 Bit
3. Arcade
4. Bombs Away!
5. Panty Raid
6. Bit 'n' Run
7. Samurai Princess
8. Breathe Sleep Dream
9. Action Kitty in Space
10. Nature Music
11. Funk Data
12. One Last Mission
13. Satellite
14. *Secret Track*

http://www.8bitweapon.com/