Disquiet

This past week saw the release of 8-Bit Operators (Astralwerks), on which over a dozen Krafkwerk classics are performed on Gameboys, old Atari setups and other lo-fi, lo-rez and, in general, unintended digital audio production tools. A heap of the assembled’s work is available for download at 8bitoperators.com, one highlight being a track from 2004 inelegantly titled “loBit12tone1-06-04-04NYC-LiveVariation-gameboy” by Jeremy Kolosine, aka Receptors, who curated the Kraftwerk tribute. (As head honcho, he snagged the “Trans-Europe Express” slot.) The piece, recorded at least in part on a Gameboy using the first version of Nanoloop software, favors a minimal techno swagger over the overclocked mayhem that is typical of much 8-bit music, and blips along with an enviably carefree vibe (MP3). More info on Nanoloop at nanoloop.de.

By Marc Weidenbaum