ABOUT THE OPERATORS
8-Bit Weapon: The brainchild of Seth Sternberger, 8-Bit Weapon has performed across two continents with an arsenal that includes early 8-bit home computers, handheld gaming devices,hybrid lo-fi acoustic-electric drums, and an assortment of other vintage and toy synthesizers.www.8bitweapon.com
Bacalao: From Switzerland, he is one of the remix darlings of the international micromusic and chipmusic scene with releases and collaborations on the likes of Germany's Retinascan label. www.bacalao.ch
Bit Shifter: One of a tight NYC group of handheld game device chippers, having been in the thick of it since the beginning of the scene. Bit Shifter and his releases have been favorably mentioned in the likes of Rolling Stone and Wired magazines. http://bit.shifter.net
Bubblyfish: She is an originator of the NYC 8-bit scene. Bubblyfish is a Korean born, classically trained musician who fell in love with the classic handheld game device sound. Bubblyfish has performed worldwide and released a string of finely constructed chipmusic compositions. www.bubblyfish.com
Covox: With his energetic live set and infectious melodies, Covox is one of the kings of the flourishing Stockholm scene. He debuted with a 7" vinyl EP on the Swedish label Rebel Pet Set and has since played in Belgium, Italy and Switzerland with tours in Japan, Holland, United States and Germany. His vinyl and CD releases are purist chip perfection. www.covox.net
firestARTer: From Wuppertal, Germany. Wonderful classic 8-bit sound composer, and inventor of an array of indespensible midi-controllers for lo-bit handheld, console and home computer music devices. His sounds and arrangements are both innovative and infectious. www.firestarter-music.de
Glomag: One of the original handheld lo-bit artists and well-spoken representative of the NYC and the international scene. He has been featured in 8-bit articles in magazines such as Wired & Art Forum. His music is featured in the award winning internet series This Spartan Life. Glomag hasalso released music under the name Glorified Magnified and has collaborated with Don Was and Tom Morello. www.glomag.com
gwEm and Counter Reset: From London, UK. gwEm is renowned for his great live shows often featuring lo-bit microchip Kraftwerk covers and for helping head up the London Micromusic HQ. gwEm utilizes an array of 8-bit classic home computers, driven by his own music tracking tools and programs. This track also features London’s rapper/drummer extraordinaire Counter Reset. www.preromanbritain.com/gwem, www.micromusic.net
Neotericz: From Buenos Aires, Neotericz embodies the positivity conveyed by game-influenced music. Through experimentation with a sense of humor he creates a scene especially for his 8-bit friends with his GainLad netlabel, and is also a revered presence in the electro dance scene in Buenos Aires. www.neotericz.com, www.gainlad.com
Nullsleep: The NYC chip music innovator who runs the 8-BitPeoples label featuring many of the international scene's microstars. He is also the writer of the useful online LittleSoundDJ music tracking tool walk-thru that has helped many on their way to making beautiful music on their lobit handheld devices. His Depeche Mode megamix is already a classic in the chiptune world.www.8bitpeoples.com
Receptors: Receptors is Jeremy Kolosine, born in London, who currently runs the ReceptorsMusic lo-bit record label from the Blue Ridge mountains of southwestern Virginia. He is an active chip musician, utilizing mostly lo-bit handheld, console and 8-bit home computer sound chips, and has performed mostly in NYC. He founded the early electropunk group Futurisk, and has also released music as Ksine and with the group Shakespace. He has had a string of vinyl and CD releases. www.receptorsmusic.com, www.8bitoperators.com
Role Model: The musical pseudonym of Johan Kotlinski from Stockholm. As the inventor of the LSDJ (LittleSoundDJ) music tracking cartridge for classic handheld gaming devices, he helped create a new genre of music. Role Model has had many groundbreaking releases on innovative labels such as Retinascan and 8-Bit Peoples. www.rebelpetset.com, www.littlesounddj.com
David E. Sugar: From London, David brings a flavor of traditional songmanship to the lo-bit game-pop scene. His instrumentals are intense and bafflingly programmed, while his acoustic guitar/vocal/handheld set is a spirited electro-Elvis hybrid. He can also be found heading the London Micromusic HQ. www.davidsugar.com
Herbert Weixelbaum: One of the originators of the early Vienna 8-bit/ handheld scene, Herbert was originally a guitarist who became interested in drum machines, synths and sequencers. His sounds and melodies often push the game sounds to their limits. He also performs with duo505 and lo-bit group Dot.matrix. www.herbertweixelbaum.com
Oliver Wittchow: Reportedly, while in school in Berlin, Oliver created the Nanoloop cartridge for music creation on classic 4-bit and 8-bit handheld devices. The intuitive interface and new and addictive way of composing and creating synths from scratch in this firmware program created an underground buzz that got musicians from all walks programming on their old handheld game devices. www.nanoloop.com