Chromelodeon
Encyclopedia
Chromelodeon are an 8-piece indie rock
band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. They are known for their live shows (which have been described as "visceral") as well as their unique instrumental sound. Their music is achieved by utilizing a combination of synthesizers and traditional instruments from guitars to accordions. Additionally, the band's body of work consists both of original songs and instrumental rock
covers
of video game music
.
game Mega Man 3
, and is followed by 3 originals; the last track, "Eloquence is Dead," spans 13+ minutes.
Two other albums came out in 2005. The band's second release was a made up solely from covers of the background music themes from the video game Ninja Gaiden II
. This was followed by the completely original Heart of Sawdust album which consisted of six untitled tracks.
in Philadelphia PA, with other Philadelphia bands Hail Social and The Private Sea. At the show, they released a limited run of 100 copies of their final album, which consisted of all the previously unreleased original material that Chromelodeon performed live since the summer of 2005. The album has since been made available to download for free.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. They are known for their live shows (which have been described as "visceral") as well as their unique instrumental sound. Their music is achieved by utilizing a combination of synthesizers and traditional instruments from guitars to accordions. Additionally, the band's body of work consists both of original songs and instrumental rock
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of video game music
Video game music culture
Video game music, with the help of the internet, has developed into its own culture with many extensions beyond existence as a body of musical work....
.
History
The band was formed by eight friends from high school in 2000. The following year, their first full length album was released, In the Year 20XX, which opens with a cover of "Wily's Castle" from the NintendoNintendo 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 Mega Man 3
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 3, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third game of the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on September 28, 1990. The game localized in North America later in 1990 and in European...
, and is followed by 3 originals; the last track, "Eloquence is Dead," spans 13+ minutes.
Two other albums came out in 2005. The band's second release was a made up solely from covers of the background music themes from the video game Ninja Gaiden II
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, known in Japan as and as Shadow Warriors 2 in Europe, is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was released in Japan on , in North America in May 1990, and in Europe on...
. This was followed by the completely original Heart of Sawdust album which consisted of six untitled tracks.
Sprite Slowdown
Sprite Slowdown was established in 2005 as a side project to allow Chromelodeon to differentiate between their original work and their video game covers. It is a band consisting of the same members as Chromelodeon, but whose repertoire consists only of video game covers. Sprite Slowdown released a full length in 2005, and a 5 song EP in 2007.The end of Chromelodeon
The band held their final performance on April 27, 2007, at the The ChurchFirst Unitarian Church of Philadelphia
The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia is a Unitarian Universalist congregation located at 2125 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
in Philadelphia PA, with other Philadelphia bands Hail Social and The Private Sea. At the show, they released a limited run of 100 copies of their final album, which consisted of all the previously unreleased original material that Chromelodeon performed live since the summer of 2005. The album has since been made available to download for free.
As Chromelodeon
- Adventures in a Haunted House EP (2001)
- In the Year 20XX (2003)
- Ninja Gaiden 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos (Bloodlink Records, 2005)
- Heart of Sawdust (Bloodlink Records, 2005)
- The Final Recordings (2007)