Pixelh8 - "Greatest Hits"

He's been making simplistic, catchy chip music for years as Pixelh8, with three full albums and another in the works, and now Matthew Applegate has finally released a Greatest Hits album. It's about time, I'd say. I've been a Pixelh8 fan for years, and "The Boy with the Digital Heart", while not perfect, is still one of my favorite chiptune albums. Cleverly titled "The Best 8 Bits", this new collection takes some of Pixelh8's best for an eight-track highlight of the past six years or so. Narrowing things down to eight might be a bit sparse, however, and I would have included "A Party without You" and "Read Only Memories" instead of "IED" and "Kilobyte Rider", which weren't too remarkable.

Even so, this release has some of Pixelh8's best work, including the lovely "Super Fantastic Turbo Magical" and tender closing track "You Were Born to Save the World". Do yourself a favor and give it a spin.

Applegate has also been working on a new LP called "Hard Reset" which is due later this year, so keep an eye out.

You can stream or download the album here: http://pixelh8.bandcamp.com/album/greatest-hits-the-best-8-bits

Review - "The World's Smallest Violin" (J. Arthur Keenes)

J. Arthur Keenes is something else. Setting himself apart from many other chiptune artists with his well-produced, stylish, and uncommonly cool offerings, his latest EP makes for another highly enjoyable listen. "The World's Smallest Violin" marks a definite maturity and progression in songwriting for Keenes, who delivers a dose of brilliant bedroom-produced tunes in five tracks.

Interestingly, the classic GameBoy which was so prominent in Keenes' earlier work takes more of a backseat role here, but the additional and varied instrumentation, including a classy use of electric guitar, does not disappoint. The opening track "Monsters" includes a lovely chorus, which is further complimented by calm, unique vocals. The lyrics are fairly vague and hard to decipher, but the atmosphere conveyed here is consistently excellent. "Southern Accent" ratchets things up with an impressive, extended instrumental section led by a rocking guitar and carefully-calculated percussion. The short, sweet theme of "Trying Not to Hide", on the other hand, brings the EP to a close quite well.

With an appeal not limited to his clear 8-bit influence, J. Arthur Keenes has crafted an awesome set of songs with "The World's Smallest Violin". Although starkly different from past releases, the new style sounds great and is totally worth your time. And oh, that cover art!

SCORE: 8.6 out of 10 - "Great"

[You can stream or download the EP here:     http://thejarthurkeenesband.bandcamp.com/album/the-worlds-smallest-violin]

Bubu - "The Daydream Elevator"

Armed with a Nintendo GameBoy and a sweet talent for making lovely music, nineteen-year-old Barnabas Fekete has now unveiled his first proper album under the moniker Bubu. Entitled "The Daydream Elevator", the new release is a beautifully happy collection of well-written chiptunes. Whether it's the hopeful melodies of "Happiness Like This" or the thumping vibes from "Lemonade", Barnabas must love what he does. Clocking in at eight solid tracks, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up, especially if you're feeling a bit depressed. With a spirit such as Bubu's cheery, trusting outlook, why should a little sorrow get you down?

You can stream or download the release here: http://bubu.bandcamp.com/album/the-daydream-elevator

Review - "Of Atoms and Stardust" (Auxcide)

I'm a little late in getting around to posting about this one, but better late than never. Sacramento-based artist Auxcide has finally unveiled his debut LP, entitled "Of Atoms and Stardust". Set up as a sort of concept album about the cosmos, the eight tracks included here are suitably epic, utilizing the combined sounds of two GameBoy Advance SPs.

Beginning with the quick one-two punch of "New Cosmos" and "Aphelion", the album skyrockets into a great start, boasting grand melodies and an almost orchestral flair. "Aphelion" in particular is my favorite tune from the record, based around a soaring, catchy theme that makes a great impression. Another high point comes in the form of the bass- and buildup-heavy "Selene".

Although there are some weak spots, and the final mixing job leaves a lot to be desired, "Of Atoms and Stardust" makes for an enjoyable and unique listen. Props to Auxcide for an impressive, solid debut.

SCORE: 7.5 out of 10 - "Good"

[You can stream or download the album here: http://auxcide.bandcamp.com/album/of-atoms-and-stardust]

Xyce - "Mosaik"

Roel Heerspink and Tom Offringa, known respectively as Cerror and Xylo, seem to work quite well together. Their latest chiptune album, released under the collaborative name of "Xyce", serves up another helping of happy tunes written on the Amiga 500, Atari ST, and PC. Although I didn't find most of the new songs to be nearly as memorable as past offerings, "Mosaik" does include a wonderful collaboration with none other than Radix (Jakob Svanholm) himself. The title track has a beautiful melody, bass line, and sense of progression that Radix and Xyce should be proud of. Other highlights include the lovely opener "Petite Amie Rouge", along with the amusing "Every Day I'm Hustlin", which made me smile with its titular speech sample.

You can stream or download the album here: http://xyce.bandcamp.com/album/mosaik

4mat - "Rips"

Just a little over a month after releasing his latest album "Origins", UK-based chiptune legend Matthew Simmonds (4mat) is back with a brand new EP. "Rips" is a lovely collection of new tunes that continue pushing the genre to exciting new heights. With 7 tracks, 4mat provides a solid and very cool release that is definitely worth your time. The first few songs shine the brightest, and "Atomic Sons" in particular is quite an awesome, soaring track. Kudos to Matt for pulling no punches with his unique and well-made music.

Stream or download the EP here: http://4mat.bandcamp.com/album/rips

Kurt James Werner - "Schism Method"

Every once and a while, an electronic artist will come along and introduce a weird, unique, and cool new approach to writing music. Kurt James Werner, a graduate student at Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, has done just that with his release entitled "Schism Method". Through 11 tracks, he showcases an interesting and well-produced exercise in genre-bending, complete with glitch and breakbeat elements playing along with 8-bit tunes.

The first track "Twitch Constuctor" opens with ambiance and develops with some driving, whacked-out drum programming that reappears for the other tunes. But the songs aren't just glitches and circuit-bending--Kurt also keeps things appealing with melodic, retro themes in tracks like "Into the Ocean" and "Apocalypse Eagle".

If you think you'd enjoy something different or distinctive, then Mr. Werner's "Schism Method" might just fit the bill. While it's probably not for everyone, his music is quite thoughtful and worth checking out.

You can stream or download the album here: http://kurtjameswerner.bandcamp.com/