Hey Guys!
If you haven’t been following me on Facebook, you may have missed that I’ve been posting about a TV Show that I’m going to be on! It’s called Beyond Geek! It’s going to be airing on your local PBS Stations. If you don’t see your area listed where it’s showing, please contact your local PBS station and encourage them to add it to your area! We are on the episode called 8-bit of Fun!
Check out the preview of the show here:
Talk to you guys soon!
❤
Michelle :]
7/1/11
ComputeHer and Obsolete Featured in LA Times!
A great read about the LA chiptune scene is over at the LA Times website!
Click Here to Read the Article or read it below:
Obsolete
In today’s world of hi-gloss electro, you’d be hard-pressed to find gritty laser zaps and the sounds of Zelda poking their way into the L.A. club scene. But as they unpack their arsenal of glitchy Game Boy beats on a sweaty, warehouse dance floor surrounded by blinking lights and acid-trip wall projections, the local practitioners in the chiptune scene don’t seem to mind much. Especially now that they have a slice of underground nightlife of to call their own.
In recent months, a pool of innovative L.A.-based artists who create music in an electronic subgenre called chiptune have formed the Obsolete collective, and have commenced throwing shows to celebrate their lo-bit love affair.
This weekend, the consortium offers the second installment of a monthly, downtown party at their designated warehouse space, dubbed Pixel Frequency. Held on the first Saturday of every month, Obsolete’s flagship event is forging a meeting ground for an open-ended chiptune genre with roots that stem back to the ’70s (though it was rarely performed live until the 2000s).
Despite being a worldwide sonic medium, chiptune rarely pokes its head above ground in L.A.’s saturated club scene. The idea, as the name implies, is to highlight artists whose musical ingenuity embraces out-of-date NES cartridges, Commodore 64 computers and any gaming or electronic technology built before the Clinton administration — a niche pedigree to say the least. Cristina Fuentes, an artist performing under the moniker Wet Mango, has helped wrangle some of the scene’s most active artists within L.A.’s micro-sized chiptune community.
“Chiptune is as wide for genres as guitar or any other genre,” said Seth Sternberger, one half of chiptune duo 8 Bit Weapon. Based in the Simi Valley area, he and his wife, Michelle (who also performs solo as ComputeHer), were the driving force behind Club Microwave, a chiptune monthly that traveled between venues such as the Echoplex and Lava Lounge before extinguishing in 2005. (updated note from ComputeHer 2014: We have since restarted Club Microwave!)
“It’s country, it’s bluegrass, it’s blues,” added Sternberger. “It’s such a wide range of performers and artists and I think everyone’s doing their part for their specific genre.”
Started in February by a core of about 20 local members — including musicians, radio DJs, promoters and visual artists — Obsolete offers fans and practitioners in the L.A. chip scene a unified outlet for live performance. In a constellation of underground collectives and labels such as So Simple and Dark Matter Sound System that focus on harsh electro sounds and roaming warehouse parties, Obsolete’s platform connoisseurs of outdated tones is starting its own brand of underground buzz.
For Pablo Bert, a.k.a DJ Mike Haggar, regular events such as the ones on Saturday have been a long time coming.
“It’s really cool that they’re starting a monthly show,” said Bert, who has also played on the L.A. chiptune scene since the Club Microwave days in the early 2000s.
“The chip scene wasn’t really that big back then,” Bert said. “But now that they’re doing this, now there’s a big enough following in L.A. to actually succeed.”
Obsolete occurs on Saturday, July 2 (first Saturday of every month) at Pixel Frequency warehouse, 931 E. Pico Blvd., Suite 202, Los Angeles. 8:30 p.m. All ages. $5 at the door. Obsolete.fm/
I recently did an interview! You can read it here or read it below!
For a long time, I’ve been an avid fan of ComputeHer, the adorable alter-ego of 8-bit musician extraordinaire Michelle Sternberger. Michelle, who is also in the totally awesome chiptune band 8 Bit Weapon with her hubby Seth (pause for audible “awww”), was sweet enough to take the time out from her busy schedule to answer a few questions – well, okay, more than a few – for myself and all you readers. Check out what she had to say about the 8-bit music industry, her band and solo project, and what’s to come!
All photos below were taken by and belong to Rachel McCauley.
So first things first, for those who don’t know, what exactly is chiptune/8-bit music?
Chiptune music is music written using a computer sound chip and/or a video game console sound chip using home-brewed cartridges. I write most of my music using my 1989 Nintendo Game Boy. I use a cartridge called Little Sound DJ which is a home-brewed cartridge created by Johan Kotlinski. Little Sound DJ turns my Game Boy into a sequencer.
The 8-bit music industry doesn’t seem to be too much at the forefront here in the US and Canada, though it is already growing considerably in the UK and Japan. Why do you think this music scene might be so underground still? Do you sense this is changing?
It’s underground because the radio doesn’t play it and many people are too lazy to look for new music it seems. The radio bombards people with “Boom Boom Pow” and that’s what the focus becomes by the public. It’s kinda cool though because I still get people contacting me saying they just heard of chiptunes and are in love with the sounds. I hear some chiptune music sprinkled on some of the modern music that is played on the radio, which is cool to hear, but it’s not in the forefront…YET. 😉
What kind of instruments/gadgets do you personally like to use to create your tunes?
I like to use my Game Boy, NES, Commodore 64, Apple ii and just recently I got an omni-chord which I’ll be using on my next album. I also have a lot of toy keyboards that are fun to play with.
Is it a difficult process to actually create music by using 8-bit computers and “outdated” video game consoles?
The only difficult aspect of creating music with old consoles and computers is finding machines that aren’t faulty. Just recently I got a NES to create music with and it didn’t work and was loading a blank screen and the light kept flashing. I then tried another NES and it gave me the same problem. The Game Boy that I wrote my album Data Bass with just loaded a blank screen and is totally dead. So now I need to find a new Game Boy. It’s rare to find a console or computer that has never been used and most of the time I’m using a computer or game console with some sort of quirk or glitch.
How did you learn or teach yourself how to make this kind of music? I’d imagine a lot of experimenting went into the learning process!
You’re right; a lot of experimenting went into the learning process. All of my songs on Data Bass were an experiment of some sorts. I wasn’t even sure I was going to write an album in the first place when I first began making chiptunes. It was more of a fun side project that I got into and I ended up writing a handful of songs and decided to put out an album. I taught myself how to use LSDJ by using the tutorials on the website http://www.littlesounddj.com and by also learning from others who are in the chiptune world.
Since there are really no lyrics to think about when writing your music, where do you get the inspiration from when making a song or getting the right sound?
I never really start a song with the intention of writing a specific style or getting a specific sound. It is kinda like I think to myself: Maybe I’ll try to write a song and if I create something I like, I’ll keep it. I usually start out with the drums since I’m originally a drummer. Then I’ll work off of the drums by writing a bass line or something. Inspiration is usually when I’m in a good mood or in a good place in my mind. I have never picked up my music when I’m not feeling good. So I guess the inspiration is happiness. 🙂 Perhaps my music would be different if I did it the other way around. I have never tried that.
Though ComputeHer consisted of really no vocals, you seem to do some limited vocals/singing in 8 Bit Weapon. What can you tell us about your choice to sing in 8 Bit Weapon and not for ComputeHer?
I felt like it was time I tried out singing and the opportunity presented itself during the recording of Electric High for 8 Bit Weapon. I was really paranoid at first with the way I sounded, but then I got over it and stopped caring. I am thinking of adding vocals to my next solo album because I realized that I am always singing along to other people’s songs and one of my favorite aspects of music are the lyrics! I have never recorded vocals in my life and it never occurred to me to do that during my experiments with my solo band because my main focus back then was learning how to create chiptunes. On future albums, expect to hear more vocals from me and more dynamic from my music. I hope to continue to grow as an artist in every way possible.
What’s a bigger influence on the music: the future or the past?
I think if I were to write music with more lyrics then the past would be more of an inspiration because I could draw from experience and ideas.
Though your music is made using items such as old Commodore computers, Game Boys, and synthesizers, your music from both ComputeHer and 8 Bit Weapon have a modern, yet nostalgic, electro-pop sound. How do you avoid making tunes that sound like video game soundtracks altogether?
I think by adding drums that aren’t built of off sound-FX makes my music sound more modern. I find when I listen to chiptune artists who don’t use drums, it’s as though I am listening to a video game soundtrack. We also use synthesizers that aren’t chiptune-related.
Speaking of video games, what do you like to play? I have a hunch you’re an old school gamer, but maybe I’m wrong!
Well, I grew up with the Commodore 64 so I loved to play Little Computer People and Ughlympics. When the NES came out I played Maniac Mansion a lot and of course Mario Brothers. I also play theXxbox 360. I like Burnout, Fable II and Peggle.
Okay, let’s talk about the music now! You started out as a solo 8-bit artist under the name ComputeHer – brilliant, by the way – creating sweet, melodic bit-pop tunes sans vocals or lyrics. When and why did you decide to start this project and are you currently still involved with it?
I was given LSDJ and a Game Boy as a gift in 2005 and that’s when I started experimenting with different sounds and began learning the process of making chiptunes. After I had a handful of songs, I posted my songs on MySpace to show my friends and family what I was doing. I was soon approached by someone who was making a game with Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO, who needed sound FX!
Needless to say, I was in shock and ecstatic about the opportunity. Being a big fan of Devo, I couldn’t let the opportunity slip out of my hands and I decided to get really serious about my music and my band ComputeHer was created with a future in mind. Then in 2006, I released my album Data Bass with the money I made from the sound FX I created for Mark Mothersbaugh. The game unfortunately was never released, but it was a launch pad for my band. I am currently involved with ComputeHer and am working on a new album as we speak!
In 2006, you joined Seth Sternberger in his 8-bit electro-pop project, 8 Bit Weapon. When did you and Seth meet and what initially drew you into joining?
Seth and I met in 2004 when I heard there was a band playing in Hollywood using Commodore 64s. Being a big C64 gamer growing up, I had to see his band. We soon started hanging out after that and realized we had a lot in common and began dating. I’ve been in and out of garage bands during high school so it only seemed natural that we’d eventually start making our own music.
What can you tell me about Seth’s and your role in the band? Ex: How do you two work together? What’s the dynamic like? Who does what?
We are married now so whenever we feel like making music we head into the studio and start laying down our ideas. We have a few unreleased songs that we have both written which will be on the next album. At first I mostly did a lot of technical things for 8 Bit Weapon. I’d do visuals for live sets on the Apple ii and I’d played electronic drums when we toured in Europe. I’d play Game Boy on a few songs too. My focus was mostly ComputeHer until we decided it made sense to put both of us in 8 Bit Weapon to see how far we could take the band. On our first song that we worked together, “Closer,” we decided to round out the song by adding vocals which I helped write the lyrics for.
How would you describe 8 Bit Weapon’s music?
It’s modern pop rock with a nostalgic twist.
You guys have recently in the past few years become very well-known in the gaming circuit (oh, gee, excuse the pun!) what with your various performances at E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo) and other activities within the industry. Has this kind of exposure had any impact on you as an artist? I’d imagine it’s really propelled the band’s career!
It’s definitely helped propel the band which otherwise would have been harder to do without that kind of exposure and opportunity. It seems whenever we get a gig like that, another door will open for us of opportunities. We always have a project going on. As soon as a project ends, another project pops up. It’s been a lot of fun working with so many different people. Currently we are working on a project for Electric Arts.
I heard you guys were asked to perform at the Commodore 64 25th Anniversary in 2007… That must have been a really cool and proud moment! What was that like for you?
It was a real honor, and to be there with the people from the original Commodore Company was a once in a lifetime experience. Bill “the Animal” Herd, the Father of the Commodore 128, even signed our c128!
What is in store right now for the future of 8 Bit Weapon? What can fans expect from you guys within the next year?
My solo album will be out this year and we’re working on a Holiday album for December. Also, we’ll be releasing a game called Silo 64 and the soundtrack to that game in 2010. We have a lot that our fans can expect. Seth and I will also be writing new music for the next 8 Bit Weapon album.
Is there anything else at all you’d like to say or address to your fans?
Thanks to everyone for their support. We really appreciate it! If anyone is interested in making their own chiptune music they can purchase a loop library that we made for Sony athttp://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/8bitweapon. With the library, we’ve done all the gritty work for you by recording the sounds from our very own consoles and computers. There are many explosions, blips and bleeps to choose from. All you’ll have to do is arrange them to your liking. The loops can be used in Acid, Garageband, Ableton, Beatmaker for iPhone and many other programs. With purchase of the downloadable version of the loop library you will also get a copy of our album Electric High!
You can find more information about us on our websites www.computeher.netand www.8bitweapon.com. We are also on the social networks Facebook, MySpaceand Twitter.
Well, there you have it! Visit one of the sites there to find out more, listen, and download some sweet 8-bit tracks. Thank you so much, Michelle!
~Michelle :]
04 / 01 / 2009
My other band, 8 Bit Weapon was featured in the British Newspaper, The Guardian! Check it Out or you can read it below.
A couple of weeks ago, the Guardian Guide featured a tongue-in-cheek lexicon of pop culture slang, which covered everything from mumblecore to dubstep. Right up there on the first page was the music genre “wonky”, a fusion of hip-hop, crunk and electro, defined by the enthusiastic use of glitchy synth noises. What the article didn’t mention was the huge debt this sound owes to the chiptune scene, an international underclass of musicians who create incredible tracks by electronically torturing the sound chips found in vintage videogame hardware.
It sounds sort of geeky, and in some ways it is – a lot of chiptune artists specialise in creating cover versions which sound as if they’re playing on, say, an old Super Nintendo Entertainment system. Clever, but of limited appeal. What we’re seeing now, though, are the first signs of a mainstream breakthrough. The UK chip music artists Pixelh8 and Unicorn Kid have done sessions for Radio 1, while You Love Her Coz She’s Dead made it on to the soundtrack of teen drama Skins. Superpowerless recently won an MTV/Vodafone new music competition with his song Wasted My Time, which the artist described as: “Game Boy-fueled adventure-core.”
Purveyors of mainstream electronica are also taking an interest. Last year, the moody dance act Crystal Castles were accused of heavily sampling the chiptune artists Lo-bat. and Covox, without permission or recognition. More legitimately, several chiptune veterans have created software to allow non-techie musicians to use classic game noises. Pixelh8’s Music Tech Pro Performer Synthesizer can control the on-board sound on a Nintendo DS or GBA, and has been used by Damon Albarn. The duo 8 Bit Weapon have teamed up with Sony Creative Software to create a loop and sound effects library covering various old-skool computers.
So what’s the appeal of the genre? Part of it is the general musical obsession with retro hardware, about digital kids falling for the authenticity of analogue sounds. “We think that now people are starting to realise that these low-fi sound chips are a viable source of inspiration as well as a new soundscape to play with all together,” say Seth and Michelle of 8 Bit Weapon. “You can’t get the gritty synthetic sound of a Commodore 64 anywhere else in the electronic world. You can’t get the phat haunting bass of a Nintendo Famicom triangle wave anywhere else either. Each machine has its own distinct sound and personality.”
But there’s still a stigma attached, an unwillingness to recognise videogame music as a source or inspiration. Josh Davis, aka Bitshifter, a New York chip music pioneer who co-organises the excellent Blip Festival , says artists are scared of attaining a condescending “Mario-at-a-rave” label.
It’s the same as Hollywood and modern TV shows stealing ideas and conventions from games without acknowledging their sources. In the cultural space, videogames have to jostle for every teeny step forward. Sometimes you wonder if it’ll ever change.
~Michelle :]
05 / 20 / 2008
New ComputeHer interview from NintendoAGE
I recently did a new interview at NintendoAGE.com.
Check it out here.
~Michelle :]
08 / 01 / 2006
I recently did an interview for the critically acclaimed Webzine that is called, “Way of the Rodent.” You can check it out here or read it below.
Clicking on the thumbnail with justified fear, I prepared myself to be hit with the usual ear splitting maelstrom that is experimental electronica. However, after listening through the songs a couple of times I found out that not only did I not feel like a Robot had been humping me in the ear for half an hour, but I was actually enjoying the playful and melodic beeps and whistles.
Nice Gnome.
I was so compelled that I decided that at the very least I should spread the word to regular Rodent readers in the form of an interview with ComputeHer (aka Michelle). Tracking her down through the intraweb was easy, as was digitally overpowering the poor lass into answering a few questions. Huzzah!
Right, now I’ve got you pinned down – imagine, if you will, that I had just been let out of Guantanamo Bay and the only thing approaching music that I had heard for the last five years was dogs barking at my naked genitalia. How would you describe your music to me?
It’s modern music made on a Game Boy.
Interesting…what Earth Based Bands would you say have influenced your music?
I grew up listening to The Cars, Devo, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Thompson Twins, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode and so on. I can’t help but be influenced by those bands. I still listen to the same bands to this day. Growing up, my entire family played Atari, Intellivision and the Commodore 64. All of the sounds are pretty much engrained in my brain. I couldn’t help but be influenced by the games and music that I played and listened to as a kid.
Hmm, I sense the joy of games flowing through – which games have influenced your music? ANSWER THRONGOR NOW!!
Well somebody needs his Ritalin! There are a ton of games that influence my music. Maniac Mansion for the NES is definitely a game that I was mostly drawn to for its music. Each character had its own soundtrack! How could you not love that? I also love the songs and sounds from Little Computer People on the Commodore 64. The sound effects for LCP are pretty cool and inspiring.
Little Computer People are no threat to the Mighty Throngor! What bands are you currently listening too?
The only threat to LCP are humans, so I wouldn’t worry about that…Lately I have been listening to Telex, Ratatat, 8 Bit Weapon, Melbot, Mutoid, Fischerspooner, Kraftwerk, The Cars, Devo, The Rapture, Yeah Yeah Yeahs… and I’m always on a lookout for new music.
Tron Live.
Intense! How long have you been making electronic music and how did you come up with the idea of sampling a Gameboy and a C64?
I’ve been making music almost my whole life, however, I just started creating electronic music for about a year or so. I discovered the Micro Music scene a little over 2 years ago when I was on a mission to find new music. I was getting very tired of the modern music I kept hear looping on the radio and really wanted to discover something I have never heard before. So I stumbled upon a local band called, 8 Bit Weapon and decided to check out his show. His live set was awesome and I knew right away that I found a gem! He uses all kinds of consoles as instruments such as the Commodore 64, Game Boy and NES. It was my calling. Soon, I was given “Little Sound Dj” or “LSDJ” for gift and I taught myself how to compose music using a Game Boy. I do not sample any of my music. LSDJ allows me to transform my Game Boy into a music sequencer. I can create and alter all of the sounds to whatever I find fit. The Game Boy chip offers four channels with 8-bit sound and 4-bit sound for the drums and I can control the waveforms for each instrument I create.
So a bit like the Synthesiser from Masters of the Universe? Are you ever worried Nintendo may hit you with some kind of copyright order?
Haha, I guess you could say that! I’m not worried Nintendo is going to pin me down for answers regarding my music because all of my music is original. The Game Boy is my instrument. I do not sample games. It would be like Gibson getting upset that a guitarist was making original songs on a Gibson guitar.
True, very true. I sense a change of questioning is in order, what is your top five video games and why?
BurgerTime – The concept of this game is funny to me because all you do is eat and eat and eat. Kind of like what we American’s love to do anyway! Plus this music is funny and gets stuck in your head after you play it! I love playing that game on the Intellivision until my thumb is about to fall off due to cramping haha!
Little Computer People – I’d say this game was before it’s time. I love this game. This is like the original Sims! I still play this on the Commodore 64! The whole concept of watching a computer person walk around and do nothing for entertainment is so hilarious to me! We’re all Little Computer People, but we’d rather watch someone else do it!
Space Taxi – I love this game because I love the way the guy says, “Hey Taxi!” It’s also a lot of fun and passes the time.
Animal Crossing – I think this game is cute. I like how you can play it with your friends and leave each other messages. It’s a lot of fun when you have roommates that all like to play.
Test Drive – I loved this game growing up. I played this on the Amiga and I really got a kick out of the details like the flies dying on the windshield.
Games are good! What is your first gaming memory?
My earliest memory of a game is Mission Impossible for the Commodore 64. I remember my brother playing it all of the time and the guy saying “Stay a while, stay forever!”
Correct! What are you playing at the moment?
I’ve been playing Burnout Revenge for the Xbox 360.
“Mum! Can I have some Fruit Shoot?”
Also correct! Throngor may let you live…for now. More questions! What is your most treasured gaming item?
I’m so glad I’m passing this test! I hope this answer lets me live too! My favourite item I’d have to say is my original Game Boy from my childhood that my parents got me for Christmas back in the 80s.
Aces, If you could be any games character, who would you be? I imagine you’re a bit of a Mappy girl aren’t you?
I have never played Mappy so I couldn’t say that I was a Mappy girl. I’d have to choose to be a Little Computer Person because my only worry would be to be fed and properly cared for.
Bless! Time to return to change questioning thread! Have you ever been tempted to use other gaming machines? Maybe branching out into the heady world of the 16 bit? I reckon you could make a right heavy hit out of the Super Nes back catalogue alone, maybe even hit the top 10!
I use the NES, C64, Atari 2600, etc. I never sample any one else’s music. That is a common assumption people make. All of the music I make is 100% original music! I use custom software so that each console/computer can be played like a musical instrument. The consoles are more of a tool than an entertainment device when I compose my songs.
Our readers are quite geeky (speak for yourself son – Ed) could you go into further how you actually create the music? Like all the techy stuff, it sounds really interesting!
The majority of my songs are made on the original Game Boy using a cartridge called, Little Sound DJ or “LSDJ” for short. LSDJ is a sequencer and a synthesizer. It gives me 4 channels to create the sounds using the sound chip in the Game Boy. So I have 2 channels for the melodies, 1 channel for drums and 1 channel for the noise. With the noise channel I can shape the sounds into explosions or any other effect I want, which is a lot of fun. I also have a midi controllable Commodore 64 module called the Sid Station. I also have a cart for the NES that allows me to control all the sounds in the same manner via midi. For the Atari 2600, I have a synth-cart that allows me to use the two voices of the 2600 as a drum machine/bass line.
I’ve seen a clip of your live show, visually it looks pretty intense, a real epileptic’s nightmare. Is that the usual set up for your live gigs, or just a one off?
I hope nobody has an epileptic seizure at my show because I might mistake that for dancing and that wouldn’t be so good! That setup is typically my usual setup. During my next show, in a few weeks, I am going to incorporate a digital drum kit. I try to mix up my live show here and there to keep it interesting for me and everyone else. It just depends on where I am playing.
Also, are you afraid someone could trip over a cable and send a Dry Martini flying in your direction, resulting in possible electrocution?
As long as I don’t get electrocuted and hopefully it’ll fly into my direction so that I can take a sip!
Have you ever considered dressing up as an Android for one of your shows?
If someone wants to make me a costume, sure!
If you were an Android, would you consider sleeping with another android for extra credits?
I’m not the droid you’re looking for…
Give it up Throngor.
Throngor’s heart doth bleed! I hear that you have an album on the way, how’s that turning out and when do you reckon it will be available?
The album is almost finished and I’m very excited to finally release it to the public in August. It’ll be available through my website at, http://www.computeher.net You can hear preview clips now on my website!
Any chance of a free signed copy? I wouldn’t just eBay it I promise, well, at least not straight away.
Should I sign it, “To eBay, Thanks for your support? Love, Michelle”
How did you know my secret name? Yes, I’ll be expecting it in the post as soon as possible. Is there any possibility we could get you to tour the UK? That would rock! I could show you my robot dance moves and hypnotise you with my bionic hips.
Cool! Maybe I will do a cover of the Styx song, “Mr. Roboto” and we can all robot dance together! I’ve been invited to perform in London, June of 2007 – so we’ll see. That would be awesome!
Finally, where do you hope to see yourself in five years time?
I’ll be living on the moon in my futuristic outfit tuning into satellite radios. Since I’ve been pinned down this whole time answering your questions, can you get off of me now?
Hmm, alright then, but only because it’s you.
You can listen to the music and find out more about the wonderful world of ComputeHer at these following links :-
August 2006
~Michelle :]
computeher.com 