Review - "Spectra" (Chipzel)

Hot off the success of the Super Hexagon soundtrack, the intense Irish lass known as Chipzel is back with "Spectra," a new album with definite highs and lows. I'm a huge fan of her 2010 release "Disconnected," which was a pretty fantastic explosion of emotional GameBoy tunes. Like "Disconnected," the new album has ten tracks; but unlike her previous effort, "Spectra" is a bit of a mixed bag.

Chipzel wastes no time with the opening songs--the title track and "Tokyo Skies" bang along with sweet bass and harmony work. "Forged in the Stars" keeps things moving until the nicely atmospheric interlude, "Formed in the Clouds," takes over. Track number five "Only Human" is probably one of the best things Chipzel has ever written, chock-full of hard-hitting emotional melodies and tight song structure.

Unfortunately, the second half of the record isn't quite as inspired. The five-minute-plus "Evolution" doesn't really do much to justify its running time, and the repetitive "Veteran" is a bit of a missed opportunity. Chipzel also decided to mix and master the entire album herself this time, and although it's not terrible, the slightly-off mix could use some fine-tuning.

I have one more gripe: the ridiculously good bonus track "Sunday" isn't part of the main tracklisting. If you only listen to one song from this artist, make sure it's that first bonus track. Light and well-composed, "Sunday" is a definite high point in Chipzel's career.

Overall, "Spectra" is a pretty solid album with some of this girl's best work to date; but a few missed opportunities hold it back from earning all the hype it received.

SCORE: 7.5 out of 10 - "Good"

Check out the album here: http://chipzelmusic.bandcamp.com/album/spectra

Zabutom - "New Beginnings"

Swedish demoscene legend Zabutom is back with new material. The aptly-named "New Beginnings" is a pretty nice EP full of unique GameBoy-based tunes. The title track is especially sweet, with a nice sense of melody and progression. Longtime fans might notice a departure from the classic Zabutom style, but you might also recognize "Trisynaptic Loop" from the old 8 Bit Collective days. Fellow demoscener Dubmood also steps in with a massive remix of the third song, "GBminimal."

http://dataairlines.bandcamp.com/album/new-beginnings-data028

An0va - "Ego Depletion"

This one's been a long time coming. Philly-based GameBoy math-rocker An0va has finally released his latest work: "Ego Depletion." Boasting six tunes, it's a solid and thoughtful effort, with a couple of standout tracks. I remember the happy, energetic "Flow" from years ago, and thankfully, it's included here in a newly-mastered form. The title track, which closes off the record, is a nice enough melody to wrap things up with, but it's unfortunately drenched in a huge amount of reverb. Regardless, An0va has done a pretty good job overall with what he calls "8-bit for your soul."

You can check it out here: http://an0va.bandcamp.com/album/ego-depletion

Review - "Mighty Social Lion" (J. Arthur Keenes)

As the one-man J. Arthur Keenes Band, Dan McLay has been a consistently unique voice in the chip music scene for a pretty good while now. He has a knack for writing extremely polished and thoughtful bedroom-pop, and the production quality is up there with the best. With ten tracks, "Mighty Social Lion" could be called his first proper LP, and it's certainly his longest release to date. Loyal fans shouldn't hold their breath either--his latest album is another solid effort.

All tongue-in-cheek Bieber comparisons aside, the swoon-worthy McLay is a master of multi-instrument GameBoy pop. Electric guitar and real drums are worked nicely into the mix. Pretty much any of these songs could fit comfortably on the soundtrack of an indie film. Opener "Plea Bargain" does come across as a bit of a shaky start with its glitched-out, hard-to-decipher vocal gimmick, but the music itself isn't bad. One of my biggest gripes with this record is the mixing on certain songs, which occasionally heads for overkill. Dan really likes to fill out both speakers, but sometimes there's just way too much busy panning going on. The first two tracks are especially full.

Regardless, the soaring melodic perfection of "Congratulations" still comes through very well. Dan puts his vocal talent to good use, even if he doesn't quite reach the sweet pacing and songwriting of his last two releases. Quirky, vague lyrics also make a welcome return. The calm "Worth Keeping" has nicely melodic guitar work, while "Under Construction" is a fun tune that even throws in some ooh-and-aah backup for good measure.

Six-minute closer "The Doors" wraps things up without being excessive, as Dan sings, "If I waste my life, can I have yours? / I'll sweep the deck and mend the sores / When the lights go out, I'll lock the doors on my own". Keenes may be a one-man band, but his quirky brand of alt-pop is definitely worth checking out.

SCORE: 7.6 out of 10 - "Good"

Stream/download here: http://music.thejarthurkeenesband.com/album/mighty-social-lion

Chip + Charity 3 Bundle, with Free Codes

Starting today, Groupees is hosting a brand new Chip + Charity bundle. For a little money going to a big cause, you'll get access to some great tunes from the likes of Chipzel and An0va, and you'll also be treated to the brand new album from Xyce (Xylo and Cerror). But wait--there's more.

http://groupees.com/chip3

Surprise: I've been given ten download codes to give out to whoever would like one! If you want a code, just send me an email using the address at the top of the blog, and put "Chip + Charity" in the subject line. It's first come, first served, so be sure to act fast. Last but not least, here's a big shout-out and thank-you to everyone at Groupees!

Brother Android - Black Gate EP

The talented Brother Android has returned with a brand new EP. "Black Gate" is an 11-minute continuous mix of moody, atmospheric chip music. While the melodies and songwriting aren't quite as excellent as last year's "In Death a Dream of Color", this short burst of creative energy is still worth checking out. Brother Android is one of all-time favorite chip artists, and his wintry 2010 album "October November December" was an impressive display of a thoughtful tone and mood. The new EP sounds kind of like a B-side from "In Death", and the bass-heavy middle song is a particular high point.

You can grab a free copy of "Black Gate" from BA's SoundCloud, and those who'd like to pay a little something for a higher bitrate should head on over to his BandCamp page.

https://soundcloud.com/brother-android/black-gate

http://brotherandroid.bandcamp.com/album/black-gate-ep

Xyce - Papillons

The very successful co-op between Cerror and Xylo, otherwise known as Roel Heerspink and Tom Offringa, continues with their latest album "Papillons". Besides boasting 16 tunes with the kind of happy, well-crafted pop that the duo is known for, the record also features two collaborations with Radix and Malmen. And if that wasn't enough, it's also available as a physical CD. I especially enjoyed the lovely first track, which, titled in French, translates to "Garden Fence". You can check out the album at the link below.

http://cheapbeatsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/papillons