Like every other trend, chiptune has found a home base in New York City. Artists may perform at cavernous warehouse spaces in the Bowery or at Brooklyn’s Bell House for the annual Blip Festival. For the past two years, West Philadelphia’s “8-Static” has done its part to promote a monthly show for local and national acts. The most anti-social people in the room have banded together, while the rest of the world looks in.
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TREY SHIELDS
he sound of shimmering synths fills the room as the lights cut. Feedback erupts from the speakers, and Jonathan triumphantly begins playing the opening keyboard line of “Intro (The Best Party Ever).” The album has only been out for a week, yet the crowd treats the song like a classic. George controls the visuals projected onto the screen behind him. Pixilated images of teddy bears, balloons, and hot dogs explode in an array of colors. Song titles flash, spin, and shrink, sometimes all at once. Any casual observer would notice that half the time it seems like the duo isn’t playing any instruments. This is true. The one hurdle most traditional chiptune acts must overcome is the fact that most of the music is pre-recorded. Using visuals helps mask this, but barely. Jonathan uses an alternative to distract the crowd from his lack of live instrumentation – air playing. His surrounding space is his playground as he mimes, with an over-the-top flare, guitar, bass and saxophone playing. The sheer tongue in cheek emotion displayed on his face as he “air plays” compares to overtly emotive pop stars. As I begin to dance to the music the eponymous logo of a wagging finger flashes across the screen. This graphic designer’s dream of a finger has become the trademark for George & Jonathan. Fingers rise in the crowd in unison. The ferocious wagging of the crowd compliments the current tune, “No More Lies.” Although instrumental, the song’s voices and melodies tell the story of a wife telling her cheating husband to hit the road. It’s a sassy tune for a sassy move. The chiptune scene hasn’t produced an iconic rock star yet, and maybe it never will. If it is any indication from the reaction of the crowd though, George & Jonathan are a nice substitute in the mean time.
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fter the party has dispersed and only a few attendees linger amidst the many hidden recesses of the kingdom,
(left) Guitarist Ary Warnaar of Anamanaguchi at Kung Fu Necktie (above) James DeVito, Anamanaguchi bassist at KFN.
I join George & Jonathan and the guys from Anamanaguchi on the family room couch. It is around 2:30 a.m. and there’s no sign of the guys slowing down. I place my beer on the nearby coffee table and try to avoid touching the ground, as my shoes seem to be permanently stuck in place. With the show over, Jonathan leaps for his Wii and starts up Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Beers are passed around and the main evening event begins. A postshow session of Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a ritual for the guys in both bands. Each player takes turns in a one-on-one against each other, while others watch in euphoric glee. Classic Nintendo-animated avatars wage war on an assortment of battlefields, to knock out their respective opponent. The guys’ enthusiasm for the game is appropriate as it is a nostalgic return to worlds from the era that inspires their music. Jonathan’s Diddy Kong trades blows with Pete’s Kirby on top of the Mushroom Kingdom. Each powerful hit trig-
gers a high five or a sudden outburst of expletives, sometimes all at once. Finally, with one last strike Kirby is eliminated from the game. Cheers erupt from everyone and a ceremonial handshake commences between the two combatants. Immediately two more players jump in and the cycle continues. Jonathan sits back on the couch content with his performance. He looks around the room, at all the friends and strangers, happy with his surroundings. The kingdom has seen better days, but the trash, dirt, and sleeping homeless man on the nearby couch are all signs of a night to remember. Tomorrow Jonathan will wake up and face another monotonous day of class, where most of his day will be spent thinking about performing with his friends. Trends come and go and chiptune may not be immune to this fact, but at this moment it is not a concern for any of the guys in the room. Because at the end of the day they are all a bunch of nerds. 14 March 2011 / FOURTEENTH STREET / 27