8 Bit Weapon
Encyclopedia
8 Bit Weapon is a chiptune music
band created by Seth Sternberger. The instrument set of 8 Bit Weapon consists primarily of old 8-bit
and 16-bit
computer
s (with 8 bit audio output) such as the 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.
8 Bit Weapon started around 1999 by remixing Commodore 64
SID
tunes like Crazy Comets, M.U.L.E.
, and some Nintendo
N.E.S. game music such as Super Mario Bros 2, and Metroid
. Both the SID remixes can be heard on the album titled "Confidential 1.0" and the Nintendo remixes on the official 8 Bit Weapon website. Later on, 8 Bit weapon began writing original music using the C64
, Nintendo
Game Boy
, and N.E.S., as well as other 8 bit consoles and computers.
8 Bit Weapon has become well known recently after favorable coverage in the Los Angeles Times
, A live performance on G4's Attack of the Show, and performances at E3 2004, 2005, and 2006. The project with Nokia
is the soundtrack for Reset Generation
(previously known under the code name
"Project White Rock"), a game by RedLynx
for N-Gage 2.0 and PCs
.
Xbox
’s exclusive Halo 2
E3 2004 preview event had its own soundtrack written and produced by 8 Bit Weapon. The score was 15 minutes long and was played continuously in the gaming area of the party.
8 Bit Weapon has also remixed music for Erasure
, Information Society
, and Kraftwerk
.
In July 2007, 8 Bit Weapon was hired to perform at Commodore
's 25th anniversary party for the Commodore 64
computer.
released "8 Bit Weapon: A Chiptune
Odyssey" loop and sample Library. The library contains music loops and samples made by the band of the following computers and video game consoles: Apple II
, Commodore 64
, NES
, Game Boy
, and the Atari 2600
.
Michelle - Joined the band in October 2006 and writes music for the band as well. She also has her own solo releases under the name ComputeHer. She plays Apple IIe drums, acoustic drums, c64/128 drums, and synths at live events.
Stacey "Superstix" Taylor (2003-2005) - She played live acoustic drums at live events and on the recordings Official Bootleg, The Limited Edition EP, and all versions of Vaporware Soundtracks. She is also credited for Game Boy programming and as co-writer of various songs on Vaporware Soundtracks.
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
band created by Seth Sternberger. The instrument set of 8 Bit Weapon consists primarily of old 8-bit
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
and 16-bit
16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s (with 8 bit audio output) such as the Commodore VIC-20
Commodore VIC-20
The VIC-20 is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Commodore 128
Commodore 128
The Commodore 128 home/personal computer was the last 8-bit machine commercially released by Commodore Business Machines...
, Commodore
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
Amiga 500
Amiga 500
The Amiga 500 - also known as the A500 - was the first “low-end” Commodore Amiga 16/32-bit multimedia home/personal computer. It was announced at the winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1987 - at the same time as the high-end Amiga 2000 - and competed directly against the Atari 520ST...
, and the Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, as well as game consoles
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
such as the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, and an Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
synthesizer.
8 Bit Weapon started around 1999 by remixing Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
SID
MOS Technology SID
The MOS Technology 6581/8580 SID is the built-in Programmable Sound Generator chip of Commodore's CBM-II, Commodore 64, Commodore 128 and Commodore MAX Machine home computers...
tunes like Crazy Comets, M.U.L.E.
M.U.L.E.
M.U.L.E. is a seminal multiplayer video game by Ozark Softscape. It was published in 1983 by Electronic Arts. It was originally written for the Atari 400/800, and was later ported to the Commodore 64, the Nintendo Entertainment System and the IBM PC Jr. Japanese versions also exist for the...
, and some Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
N.E.S. game music such as Super Mario Bros 2, and Metroid
Metroid
is an action-adventure video game, and the first entry in the Metroid series. It was co-developed by Nintendo's Research and Development 1 division and Intelligent Systems, and was released in Japan in August 1986, in North America in August 1987, and in Europe in January 1988...
. Both the SID remixes can be heard on the album titled "Confidential 1.0" and the Nintendo remixes on the official 8 Bit Weapon website. Later on, 8 Bit weapon began writing original music using the C64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, and N.E.S., as well as other 8 bit consoles and computers.
8 Bit Weapon has become well known recently after favorable coverage in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, A live performance on G4's Attack of the Show, and performances at E3 2004, 2005, and 2006. The project with Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
is the soundtrack for Reset Generation
Reset Generation
Reset Generation is a cross-platform action-puzzle video game by RedLynx for Windows and N-Gage 2.0 compatible devices. Soundtrack for the game was composed by 8 Bit Weapon...
(previously known under the code name
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
"Project White Rock"), a game by RedLynx
RedLynx
RedLynx Ltd. is a multi-platform Finnish video game developer and publisher based in Helsinki, Finland and founded in 2000. Since its founding in 2000, it has developed and published more than 100 games on many platforms, including Xbox LIVE Arcade, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP, Apple...
for N-Gage 2.0 and PCs
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
.
Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
’s exclusive Halo 2
Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
E3 2004 preview event had its own soundtrack written and produced by 8 Bit Weapon. The score was 15 minutes long and was played continuously in the gaming area of the party.
8 Bit Weapon has also remixed music for Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, Information Society
Information society
The aim of the information society is to gain competitive advantage internationally through using IT in a creative and productive way. An information society is a society in which the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic,...
, and Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
.
In July 2007, 8 Bit Weapon was hired to perform at Commodore
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
's 25th anniversary party for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
computer.
Apple II Digital Music Synthesizer
February 9, 2010 8 Bit Weapon released the Apple II Digital Music Synthesizer (or D.M.S.). Together Michael J. Mahon and 8 Bit Weapon created the 1st wavetable synthesizer for the Apple //e, IIc, IIc+ and IIGS computers. The software is designed for live performance and it does not require a monitor to work. It supports up to 8 voices, which can be selected from the 10 on disk, and played (monophonically) from the Apple II keyboard. It can be used to “record” a performance for later playback as well.Sony Loop Library
In April 2009, Sony Creative SoftwareSony Creative Software
Sony Creative Software is a subsidiary of Sony, focused primarily on their line of media production software...
released "8 Bit Weapon: A Chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
Odyssey" loop and sample Library. The library contains music loops and samples made by the band of the following computers and video game consoles: Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, NES
Nes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
, Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, and the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
.
Band members
Seth - Founded band around 2000 and is the primary song writer. He plays Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Game Boys, and lead vocals (via vocoder) at live events.Michelle - Joined the band in October 2006 and writes music for the band as well. She also has her own solo releases under the name ComputeHer. She plays Apple IIe drums, acoustic drums, c64/128 drums, and synths at live events.
Former members
MelBot (2006-2008) - Played keyboards at live events. Is now pursuing her solo career.Stacey "Superstix" Taylor (2003-2005) - She played live acoustic drums at live events and on the recordings Official Bootleg, The Limited Edition EP, and all versions of Vaporware Soundtracks. She is also credited for Game Boy programming and as co-writer of various songs on Vaporware Soundtracks.
Discography
- Confidential 1.0 (2003)
- MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Halo 2Halo 2Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
Celebrity Pre-Release Party Soundtrack (2004) - Official Bootleg: Live from Robotopia (2004)
- The EP (Limited Edition) (2005)
- Vaporware Soundtracks: (Limited Edition) (2005)
- "Breathe - Vacuum Mix" for ErasureErasureErasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
(2005) - "Don't Say You Love Me - 8 Bit Weapon Remix" for ErasureErasureErasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
(2005) - Vaporware Soundtracks 2.0: (Standard Edition) (2006)
- High Score Movie Soundtrack: "Gameboy Rocker" (2006)
- "I Like the Way You Werk It - 8 Bit Weapon Remix" for Information Society (band)Information Society (band)Information Society is an American band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, primarily consisting of Kurt Larson , Paul Robb, and James Cassidy; the latter two reconvened the band in 2006, initially with Christopher Anton as lead vocalist, then with Harland rejoining them as lead vocalist by...
(2007) - "Space Lab" off "8 Bit Operators", by KraftwerkKraftwerkKraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
(AstralwerksAstralwerksAstralwerks is a New York-based record label that releases primarily electronic music. It is owned by Virgin Records/EMI and distributed by Caroline Distribution in the United States....
) (2007) - "MeanTime EP: An Adventure Through Time!" Limited Edition (2007)
- "Shark Attack - 8 Bit Weapon Remix" for FreezepopFreezepop (band)Freezepop is an American electronic band from Boston, Massachusetts. They formed in 1999 with Liz Enthusiasm, Sean T. Drinkwater, and The Duke of Pannekoeken, an alias for composer Kasson Crooker. As of December 2009, the current lineup includes Enthusiasm, Drinkwater, Robert John "Bananas" Foster...
(2007) - Confidential 2.0 (2008)
- Reset GenerationReset GenerationReset Generation is a cross-platform action-puzzle video game by RedLynx for Windows and N-Gage 2.0 compatible devices. Soundtrack for the game was composed by 8 Bit Weapon...
Soundtrack (2008) - Electric High EP (Limited Edition) (2009)
- TronTron-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
Tribute EP (2010) - Silo 64 Soundtrack (2010)
Tours
- 2002: "The 8 Bit Bonanza Tour!" (Europe), billed as SETH/8 Bit Weapon http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:zDz7bjmT_owJ:micromusic.net/microeventz/seths_bonanza_tour/index.html+%228+bit+bonanza+tour%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1
- 2003: "The Micro Invasion Tour!" (North America), billed as Naughtyboy/8 Bit Weapon http://www.micromusic.net/micromusic_tools/microeventz/200309micromusic_invasion/micromusic_invasion.html
- 2004: "1up Tour" (Europe), billed as Naughtyboy/8 Bit Weapon
- 2007: "Nerdcore International Tour" (USA & Europe)http://www.8bitweapon.com/events.htm
- 2010: "The Disko Apocalypse Tour" (North America)
External links
- Official website
- 8 Bit Weapon on myspace.com
- ComputeHer's Site
- Melbot's website
- ChatterBox Video Game Radio interviews 8 Bit Weapon
- IGN interviews 8 Bit Weapon
- IGN review of Vaporware Soundtracks 2.0
- Remix64 reviews 8 Bit Weapon
- Digital Monkey Box interviews 8 Bit Weapon
- The first CD available for free download (dead link)
- Reset Generation soundtrack available for download