Bit Shifter – Information Chase (2006)

Believe it or not, Chiptune is a genre of music that is very much like the sounds you would get from an old Nintendo Entertainment System that was on sale in the mid to late 1980s, or the original Nintendo Gameboy released shortly afterwards. It is very much a niche genre for sure in its appeal but is an interesting musical idea at heart. It takes the usual creation of melodies and rhythms and puts it through a filter, so to speak. In any case, this is a Chiptune album that only goes for 18 minutes and 34 seconds in length? Surely, it’s more like an EP or a toe in the water musically? In any case, let’s take a listen to this album and see if it makes up the short length of time with good tunes or not.

First off is Chase Init_ which sounds like an Ali G quote for a name of a tune. It begins with some unique cyber melodies that are suspenseful and really quite good. It’s a good start to this album and just sounds refreshingly unique compared to a lot of other music of today. Very nice intro.

Following is Activation Theme which has beats, melodies and computerised sounds galore. It is a really interesting listen and sounds like something not too far from what Japanese video gamers would make. It does sound very computerised, of course, but is wonderful and effortlessly brilliant for what it is. It’s also a little laughable in a good way, as opposed to some statements made by Pop/RnB artists today, which are laughable in a bad way. Great experimental music, very clever and catchy. It’s danceable even, which is odd. Nice tune all the same. It is great to hear.

Hexadecimal Genome follows. It is actually now used as the theme intro tune by a YouTuber named Retro Game Corps. You can hear why, it is an excellent and very melodic sounding piece, with a great mixture of sounds and textures. Yes, it’s very cheesy, but enjoyable nonetheless. A very experimental and different piece of music, it has some semi-normal beats propelling it along, and a midsection that sounds cool. A genuinely good listen if you love silly-sounding Chiptune music, and it is short at three minutes long. Time to dig out those old cartridge games and have a gaming session, perhaps? You would after hearing this tune. Awesome.

Particle Charge is a two-minute-long piece that has more different melodies and has a looser percussion feel to this piece. It does sound very cool indeed, and it is a good listen from time to time, no doubt. This is undeniably clever music and will take your mind to outer space and other interesting places, without those drugs required. A short and unique piece.

Next along is Reformat the Planet which sounds like a more straightforward Electronic music piece and sounds really pounding and cyber melodically, taking you through to different places that no person has gone before. It is a really geeky style of music, but thoroughly enjoyable. Very out there, this is great fun and appropriate to blast at your neighbours to annoy them. In any case, a weird music concoction, but an excellent one at that. Good fun, simply. Nice and short as well, it never wears out its welcome.

After that is The Information Chase which is the longest track here at just over four and a half minutes long. It begins with some cool cut up melodies, more pounding percussion and a great musical progression, all in 8 Bit Chiptune style. It’s hard not to listen to this and smile or occasionally chuckle, but seriously, this is enjoyable enough on its own. It sounds very upbeat and enjoyable, perfect to hide some of these tunes on a Spotify playlist to be heard at random to make you and your friends laugh. It does have a decent musical structure and progression, this is not merely jam band music appropriated through a sonic filter, it is better than that. The midsection is very interesting with a repeated loop that makes you wonder if what you are hearing is stuck in a scratch. It then continues and progresses nicely towards the end of this piece, eventually having some great melodies that should be remixed. This has a long fade out. Awesome listening.

Time Machine Go is the final piece on this album and sounds like the perfect theme music for whenever humanity creates a time machine in the future to use, wherein this track would be played. It finishes off an extremely short and out-there musical album very well. There are some very Nintendo styled melodies on this one, which is entertaining. This isn’t unlike Happy Hardcore which is rather silly as a musical genre as well. It finishes surprisingly quickly.

This obviously is not a classic album from the original concept. It’s niche music. Yet, all the same, this is something cool that you can throw on for a laugh with your friends, loved ones or family to entertain them. Just keep a straight face and say it is your favourite album. In any case, the music here despite being very minimal sonically is nicely constructed. Good to revisit now and again for much enjoyment.

Wacky and bizarre.

8/10