BOY PLAYGROUND Zaterdag 6 september 2003 Nebo Boot, Lange Kruisstraat 7, 9000 GENT
Live: Covox (sw), Role Model (sw), Lo-bat (b), Dilemma (b), DJ’s: Hyperkut (b), Trez&Brioche Bijkomende vragen:
[email protected]
(K-RAA-K)3 organizes in september a mini-festival focusing on music made with a ... Gameboy. Indeed, in times of unlimited soft- and hardware possibilities a new fascinating new trend comes up where even Amiga, Atari or Commodore computers tend to be seen as advanced. 4 or 8bit sound are adored. In 2000 the Swedish Rolemodel released a first version of his selfwritten “musicsoftware” for the gameboy. He spent hundreds of hours in his bedroom to break down the code and make his idea running in a program. A strong internet community suddenly was present to support his ideas and people from all over the world started to make music with the gameboy and his illegal (as it’s not recognized by Nintendo) software. In November the French recordlabel Relax Beat will release a first compilation and this festival, is after the first london trial, the presentation of the release. MTV and ARTE thought already this unknown side of the gameboy is extremely interesting, but the artists prefer to keep it underground at this moment. Or as Rolemadel reacted on the sudden attention:”Can’t they leave my hobby in peace?” On saturday 6 september we invite not only the Swedish Software maker Rolemodel but also Covox, brilliant electropop. Both Swedish guys will be supported by the Belgian gameboy-crew: LoBat, Hyperkut, Trez&Brioche and Dilemma.
(K-RAA-K)3 organiseert in september een mini-festival rond muziek gemaakt met een ... gameboy. Jawel, in tijden van ongelimiteerde soften hardwaremogelijkheden is er een boeiende nieuwe stroming gekomen waar zelfs de Amiga, Atari of Commodore computers als geavanceerd worden beschouwd en de 4- of 8bit klanken permanent worden vereerd. In 2000 bracht de zweed Rolemodel een eerste versie van de op zijn slaapkamer geschreven “muzieksoftware” voor de gameboy. Een sterke internet community kwam uit het niets tevoorschijn en over de hele wereld begonnen mensen met de gameboy en zijn illegale (want niet door nintendo erkende) software muziek te maken. In november komt op het Franse Relax Beat de eerste compilatie uit en dit festival is, na een eerste Londense avond, de presentatie voor deze release. MTV en ARTE vonden deze ongekende kant van de gameboy reeds razend interessant, maar de muzikanten houden het (voorlopig) liever ondergronds. Of zoals Rolemodel reageerde op de plotse aandacht: “Can’t they leave my hobby in peace?” Op zaterday 6 september nodigen we niet alleen de zweedse softwaremaker Rolemodel uit, maar ook Covox die knappe elektropop maakt. Beide zweden zullen gesteund worden door de Belgische ook gameboy-freaks: Lo-Bat, Hyperkut, Trez&Brioche en Dilemma
Interview Role Model (November 2001 - www.superlofi.tv/ jiffyloop)nterview with Johan Kotlinski by Jiffy Loop I had the pleasure of interviewing Johan Kotlinski of Sweden, one of the major players behind the handheld music revolution. Creator of Little Sound DJ, a Game Boy music program containing a sequencer enabling waveform editing, synthesizer and more. He’s also head of Bleep Street Records and performs as Role Model. Here is our realtime chat we had on November 22, 2001. Hows germany compared to Sweden?? i don’t know about germany but at least berlin is quite different. it’s gray, dirty, also very cheap to live here... many good clubs... not as stressy stockholm How did you get into this whole gameboy music scene? umm. what scene do you mean? Well let me rephrase that...how did you get into making music on a gameboy? hmm, i began because i made a tool for it that i wanted to try out... :D But how did it all start?? where you making music electronically before? yes, i made music before. i did techno music with my amiga and some other different kinds of music using synthesizers... amiga? i haven’t heard that word in awhile...I used to be a commodore 64 nut when i was younger...I never thought about making music on my C64 though. well well... i was and am still partly involved in the commodore 64 hacking scene. there’s lot of great music made on the C64, and there are also good tools. so that’s part of the inspiration why i did little sound dj - at the time i started, it didn’t exist any good music programs for it. i thought it was a shame since gameboy really is an interesting
platform i mean... it didn’t exist any good music programs for the gameboy. i first discovered music on the gameboy when my son was visiting this summer. He wanted me to buy him a gameboy camera and printer. We were playing the game and I discovered the DJ program...I WAS HOOKED!! yeah, the dj program is really cool! great design and interface I started doing research for gameboy music and low and behold...I came across The Little Sound DJ...I was amazed by what it could do...unfortunately...I had to wait a lifetime for my LSDJ...but well worth the wait. hm, glad you liked it (?) `..so you figured it out at last? not yet...I’m the type of person who likes to hook something up and start fiddling...but with the LSDJ, it has a slight learning curve to it. I haven’t fully figured it out yet..I play live and I haven’t had the time to learn it, so I just use the gameboy camera. yep, ease of learning wasn’t a design goal.. but I’m destined to master it...Its such a great tool!! I’ve heard what others are doing with it. So how is LSDJ scene progressing...a lot of people I don’t seem to know much about gameboy music i don’t know... according to the numbers of messages on the LSDj mailing list, it’s getting a bit stale... a lot of people are doing great stuff. but i think that the initial surprise effect of using gameboys for music is cooling down. so now gameboy musicians will once again have to make music that’s actually good to impress the crowd ;) yeah I think so people will see it as a novelty...a passing fad. I like to mix it up with other instruments and use it to add some background ambience. Who are some of people to lookout for using the LSDJ?
hmm... i like my friends, Puss. they really rock it. otherwise i don’t have any special favorites. although i heard that mark 4 are good too... yeez, i’m sneezing, i caught a stupid cold bless you!! so whats next for the LSDJ? What does the future hold for gameboy music?? i plan adding a ghettotech-sample kit, with samples like “bitch”, “ass”, “hoe” and “fuck” oh yeahh...for that gangsta flava... i read a post about Nintendo making a music program for the Gameboy Advance...was that a rumour?? not at all... it will be released as “gameboy music” really..how do you feel about that? I’ve heard the gameboy Advance doesn’t produce as good a sound as the Color or Grey model could be fun... i’m sure it won’t be the same kind of product as little sound dj.. yeah they probably have to make the interface very user friendly for the masses. it could of course be good. but i don’t know. after all their products are aimed for kids very true...they’ll probably have monkeys and Mario on the screen dancing to the music no, i have seen screenshots for it and it actually looked cool. so i think it will be a cool product which allows you to produce good sounds. but you will never be able to get it exactly the way you want it. that’s my guess speaking of other music programs for Gameboy, what are your thoughts on Nanoloop?? it looks nice, cool design and good mindjob, but it’s just not for me and my music...i’m interested in making detailed and making harmonies with notes and everything, nanoloop just won’t deliver that. how did you get started creating this program?? Did you go to school for it or was it just a hobby?? it was for fun
you have no formal training?? just a passion for electronics?? yes, i do, sort of... i took a c++ class in secondary school. but that was maybe 3 years ago. but i do study computer science yeah I went the computer science route in college, but when it came to the Calculus part, I gave up...I’m more right brained, thats why i stuck with the art side of computers - multimedia design. actually i’m studying media technology... :) but taking lots of CS courses did you leave school already? yeah i graduated in 94...I graduated in Theatre Arts under Costume Design. I bought a Mac soon after and began my multimedia quest wow, costume design! that’s cool! cooler than cs well i wanted to do fashion design and stuff...bought the computer to design t-shirts, then i discovered all the wonderful things computers can do with art i love designing t-shirts for fun! but it’s a step from doing for fun than to be professional yeah i found that out too...Designing is one thing, promoting and marketing is another...I don’t have much business sense. not me either. good thing LSDj promoted itself :) yeah..you must be well known in the gameboy music community hmm... yep. but it’s not like real fame... it’s only a bunch of geeks ;) still, when people talk about gameboy music.. they know Johan and LSDJ yeah it’s really humbling.. hmm... but if you back out a step and look as music as a whole, i’m back to square one coltrane, not nintendo :) hmm.. but it’s of course very good to get attention for what i am doing, it’s a great gift, most creative people don’t get attention at all or have to fight for it very hard
Still...you’re an innovator...you created something that people use and love...any geek would be proud yes, i’m very lucky, it’s also a gift to have done something that’s used by so many creative & bright people. so what are your hobbies?? what are you spending most of your time doing?? right now i am reading a lot of german literature... i want to improve my german... i also listen to music a lot, and try to play keyboard once in a while. i would love to be a jazz pianist :) also, i run this record company bleep street... http:// come.to/bleepstreet also, little sound dj is a hobby who’s on your label? How is the music scene in Sweden? What made you move to Berlin? me, and my friends anders (goto80) and michael ewmyren. i am also hoping to release something by lektrogirl of rephlex fame... music scene in sweden is ok i think... at least in stockholm. it’s hardly great, but it’s not impossible to get gigs. but i went to berlin because stockholm is very stressy and focused on career and success. it’s like sweden’s new york in which city do you live? I live in Mission Viejo which is in Orange County. Its about 30 or so minutes from LA. The music scene is really bad...mostly punk and ska comes out of here. The electronic scene is small, but we’re trying to bring it up . ohh :) i never listened to punk but it sounds fun. yeah, I don’t mind punk music, but out here it all sounds the same..you know, no innovation. berlin is great, i think there’s a place for about everything here. it’s a world city. i come from a small city from the start... a suburb on an island in the baltic sea so quality music is pretty scarce out there it’s a good planthouse for music, because there’s no activities there besides soccer, skating and
making music. also there was a communal house where the youths could put together bands and practice. plus, many people also did music at home with synthesizers... i think a boring suburb is the best possible planthouse for music true...since there isn’t a scene, you can create one. do you celebrate Thanksgiving out there?: no happy thanksgiving :) thanks...i’ve got family here right now and I’m trying to cook and chat at the same time. wow, i have to admit i’m a little bit jealous. but it’s christmas soon so i think we should conclude this interview before they kill me. I just want to thank you for taking the time out to do this interview. thanks! happy cooking! have a good night bye!
Detailed info (K-RAA-K)3 (K-RAA-K)3 is a Belgian organization that is working in the margin of popmusic. Our activities are divided in several branches: an independent recordlabel, an information, advice- and promotionfunction, a booking office and…indeed the organization of concerts in Belgium. Besides the yearly festival (K-RAA-K)3 programs also smaller, unconstrained evenings where everybody is welcome to make knownledge of what is happening in new popmusic. The evenings are very diverse: the Verzuz-sequence chooses resolute for experiment while other bands are easy to play on Stu Bru. The full spectrum is served. Not for nothing our music likes to be described with combinations of avantrock, electronica, improrock or clicks’n’cuts. One certainty: the music will move you! You will also notice that our evenings aren’t always on the same place. We want to let everybody taste and explore. You’re welcome!
(K-RAA-K)3 is een Belgische organisatie die in de marge van de popmuziek werkt. Deze werking uit zich in verschillende takken: een onafhankelijk platenlabel, een informatie, advies- en promotiefunctie, een geëngageerd boekingkantoor en... jawel, de organisatie van concerten in België. Naast het jaarlijks festival programmeert (K-RAAK)3 ook kleinere, ongedwongen avonden waar iedereen kennis kan maken met wat reilt en zeilt in de nieuwe popmuziek. De avonden zijn erg divers: de Verzuz-reeks kiest resoluut voor experiment maar andere groepen kunnen makkelijk op StuBru gedraaid worden. Het volledige spectrum wordt dan ook voorgeschoteld. Niet voor niks wordt onze muziek het liefst omschreven met combinaties van avant-rock, electronica, improrock of clicks’n’cuts. Eén zekerheid: muziek die voor de hand ligt is het in geen geval.
The coming compilation & Relax Beat The BOY PLAYGROUND Compilation is a world wide selection of original Chiptune tracks produced on gameboy. This electro-pop tinted selection is representative of the international Chipstyle scene. The idea of this compilation was born through the relation established with Rolemodel. Getting deeper and deeper into the innovative universe of the 8-bit music and its amazing internet communaity, a wide range of artists with various as strong personalities was discovered, so that was naturally started the project of building an international selection of gameboy music. The
De BOY PLAYGROUND compilatie is a wereldwijde selectie van orginele Chiptune nummers gemaakt op Gameboy. De electro-pop achtige selectie is representatief voor de internationale Chip-Tune scene.Het idee van deze compilatie werd geboren dankzij de vriendschap relatie tussen Rolemodel en Relax Beat. Rolemodel staat centraal in de internet community en het was op deze manier dat het label zich verdiepte in de nieuwe wereld van 8bit-gameboymuziek. Een hele reeks interessante persoonlijkheden werden ontdekt en op een natuurlijke manier begonnen mensen van over de hele wereld nummers in te zenden. De ambitie van het project werd uiteindelijk om
ambition of the project was to go further than the trash or gadget aspect and focus on the best musical qualities. Numerous tracks were sent from the whole world with a great enthousiasm! This compilation should present the special character and sound of this chip music to a larger audience. Relax Beat is a label created in 2001 by Jacques Fantino & Thierry Criscione. Our ambition is to produce, to develop and promote music in the currents of or influenced by electro, house and pop, but giving a special attention to the frontiers between styles. We think that great futuristic movements are born within the margins of culture. So far we have been publishing discosoul, house and chiptune as retro-futurist tracks. The motto of the label is “From Disco to Electro, synthetic ghosts and plastic soul”. Our desire is to introduce a new question about future music directions after releasing enough records.
het sterkste uit de muziek te halen en het trash en gadget aspect te ovgertreffen. Relax Beat is een label, gecreærd in 2001 door Jacques Fantino & Thierry Criscione, hun ambitie is om muziek te producen, ontwikkelen en promoten in het verlengde van of beinvloed door electro, house en pop, maar met speciale aandacht voor de grenzen tussen de verschillende stijlen. We denken dat goeie futuristische bewegingen geboren worden in de marge van de cultuur. Tot nu hebben we disco-soul, house, chiptunes en retro-futuristische tracks gepubliceerd. Het motto van het label is “From Disco to Electro, synthetic ghosts and plastic soul”. Ons verlangen is een nieuwe vraagstelling over toekomstige muzikale richtingen op gang te brengen na genoeg albums uitgebracht te hebben.
Role Model
Born 1974 in southern Sweden, Johan Kotlinski a.k.a. Role Model grew up on a semi-deserted island in the Baltic Sea. He started producing music on his Amiga in 1993. After some rough years putting out demotapes, he founded the Bleepstreet label, where the CDR album ‘Wiping Out’ was released 1998. Later on promoting his tracks on MP3.com or the Micromusic netlabel, his tracks began to be known worldwide... Besides from his music, Johan is also known for programming the Little Sound Dj music editor for the Gameboy. This software was first released in 2000, and soon grew to be the program of choice for a big number of underground 4-bit musicians over the world.
RELEASES Discography: En Tyst Minut (Bleepstreet 7”) A Song for Emma (Bleepstreet CD) Wiping Out (Bleepstreet CD) Collectanea - First Course (Escapi DVD) Mini Klik (Relax Beat 12”) Mp3’s www.rebelpetset.com www.micromusic.net
Geboren in 1974 in Zuid-Zweden, groeide Johan Kotlinski a.k.a. Role Model op in een half-verlaten eiland in de Baltische zee. Hij begon muziek te producen op zijn Amiga in 1993. Na enkele ruige jaren waarin hij voornamelijk demotapes uitbracht, richtte hij Bleepstreet op waar hij CDR album ‘Wiping out’ op uitbracht in 1998. Later, voornamelijk door zichzelf te promoten op MP3.com en Micromusic, geraakten zijn tracks wereldwijd bekend… Naast zijn muziek is Johan ook bekend als programmeur van de ‘Little Sound Dj music editor’ voor de Game Boy. Deze software werd voor het eerst uitgebracht in 2000 en groeide al snel uit tot het favoriete programma voor een groot aantal ondergrondse 4-bit muzikanten inclusief diegenen die verbonden zijn aan dit festival.
Covox
Covox is Thomas Söderlund, handheld electro pop from Stockholm, Sweden. His songs excel in their romantic and melancholic melodies which are guaranteed to be stuck in your brain for at least a few weeks. This kind of powerful electro pop is without a doubt unique in the GameBoyscene.
Covox is Thomas Söderlund, handheld electropop uit Stockholm. Zijn songs blinken uit door hun romantische en melancholische melodiën die zich maar al te graag in de hoofden van zijn publiek vast bijten. Deze van krachtige kaken voorziene electropop is zonder twijfel uniek in de gameboyscene.
Lo-bat: Last December, he proved to a Belgium audience that his music is most enjoyable when joining the madly enthusiastic buttocks swirling mob that tends to appear every time he does a gig. He made a cold December night as hot as a late august afternoon, let’s see what he can do with a hot September night.
In december deed hij ons land al eens aan en bewees dat zijn muziek nog het beste kan beleefd worden tussen een meute enthousiastelingen die zich het zweet tussen de billen dansen. Zeer binnenkort komt zijn eerste 7” op bleepstreet uit met 4 van z’n aanstekelijkste songs, voor wie zich ervan wil vergewissen dat het de moeite zal zijn hebben we hem naar hier gehaald.
Four of his most exciting tracks will be released by bleepstreet on a 7” in september let’s hope he has some records with him. RELEASES upcoming (september): final mission (bleepstreet 7”) Mp3’s www.micromusic.net www.covox.net
Dilemma
Dilemma is the moniker for Ken Dutrieue, living in at the Beglian coast in Ostend. The young Dutrieue was already heavily influenced by early electronica bands as Kraftwerk, YMO and Devo. The now 29year old Dutrieu released, next to two records on Trim and some newbeathits, also a few records on the ultra-hip Irdial label. That way he received a lot of respect in his 8bit-subculture. Dutrieue runs crazy when he hears about old (analoge) synths and mainly used this in combination with a commodore computer. Dilemma uses the gameboy in different ways with Midi and a harddiscrecorder. Dilemma played recently on Sonic Square (Kaaitheather), the (K-RAA-K)3festival (KC Belgie) and small Micromusic events.
RELEASES
Kern: buoyant 12” (Trim) Kern: RSD_Duty Cycling lp (trim) Dilemma : Chip Tunes cd/lp (Irdial)
Dilemma is het alter ego van de Oostenaar Ken Dutrieue. Dutrieue is sinds jongsaf sterk bevinvloed door electronische groepen als Kraftwerk, YMO en Devo. De 29jarige Dilemma bracht naast een album en maxi op Trim, enkele newbeathits, ook enkele platen uit gevuld met swingende chip-tunemelodieën, op het ultra-hippe Irdial label. Hierdoor krijg hij een hoog aanzien in de 8bit-subcultuur. De oostendenaar is verzot op oude (analaloge) klanken en gebruikte voordien reeds altijd afvallige synths met een commodore computer. Dilemma gebruikt de gameboy op verschillende uiteenlopende manieren en bestuurt deze via midi. Dilemma speelde reeds op Sonic Square (Kaaitheater), het (K-RAA-K)3 festival (KC Belgie) en op kleinschalige Micromusic events.
Lo-bat
Who is Lo-bat? With only two game boys synchronized to each other and a bunch of guitar effects, a remain of his past as a guitar player, he tries to make intruding and wild electronic music. He considers Sensitive melodies mixed with rough waves and pounding rhythms as his main territory. He started using the game boy out of curiosity and fell in love with it’s brutal and very pure sound. His interest in electronic music came together with the game boy. Therefore he only listened a lot of Jazz and Jimy Hendrix, and still sees this period as his main influence. From them, he received his feeling for unexpected twists and the need to constantly search new sounds, not to mention the urge to burn his equipment on stage. Within the micromusic community he found himself an audience spreading his name and music by doing live shows for them and releasing some tracks on micromusic.net.
RELEASES upcoming: August 2003 musicsystem compilation ‘Ronald Reagan’ September 2003 Retinascan minicd November 2003 Relaxbeat compilation ‘Boy playground’ Mp3’s www.micromusic.net www.lo-bat.be
Wie is Lo-bat? Met enkel twee gesynchroniseerde game boys en een hoop gitaar effecten, een overblijfsel uit zijn verleden als guitarist, probeert hij indringende en wilde electronische muziek te maken. Hij beschouwd gevoelige melodieën gemengd met ruige waves en pompende ritmes als zijn voornaamste territorium. Hij begon de game boy te gebruiken uit nieuwschierigheid en werd meteen verliefd op de erg brutale en pure klank. Zijn interesse in electronische muziek kwam samen met de game boy. Daarvoor luisterde hij voornamelijk naar hopen Jazz en jimy Hendrix, en ziet deze periode nog steeds als zijn belangrijkste voedingsbron. Het is van hen dat hij zijn gevoel voor onverwachte wendingen en de behoefte steeds op zoek te gaan naar nieuwe klanken heeft geërfd, om het nog niet eens te hebben over de neiging zijn materiaal op het podium te verbranden… Binnen de Micromusic community vond hij een publiek en verspreid zijn naam door regelmatig op te treden en enkele tracks op micromusic.net uit te brengen. Te beginnen met augustus zijn er enkele releases gepland, zowel bijdragen aan verzamelaars als eigen mini-album.
Hyperkut
Hyperkut, formerly known as DJ noxious, rediscoveres with Micromusic the world of elektronic music. After the release of two maxis and one album in 1997 under the name “Mutliplex”, and after the organisation of some “elektro” gigs, in and around Brussels, he finds again, during these last months, his first steps and adventure in the world of the electronic music. Taking an active part in the Christmas party the last 14th December as a member of the Micromusic Brussels HQ, he’s got the chance to meet a lot of people. Some of these people became friends, with whom he would like to organize events with a concern of a good atmosphere and establish a connection with the audience. For this new beginning, hyperkut, revalorised his old love, an amiga computer (painted in a “grey disco shiny”) and other types of old machines, to present new lives performances more crazy then ever before. To be continued... RELEASES 1997 - 1998 KK records - belgian techno label Tracks released with a friend under the name “MULTIPLEX” KK169 Mutlitpex feat Noxious & Tarmak - 12’’ KKT001 Machine Hunter - double 12’’ + CD mp3’s www.hyperkut .com www.micromusic.net
Hyperkut, hiervoor bekend als DJ noxious, herontdekt met micromusic de wereld van de electronische muziek. Na de release van twee maxi Lp’s en één album in 1997 onder de naam “Multiplex”, en na het organiseren van enkele electro-avonden in en rond Brussel, vind hij in deze laatste maanden zijn eerste stappen en avonturen terug in de wereld van de electronische muziek. Door een actieve rol te splelen in de organisatie van de micromusic Christmas party (14 dec 2002) als lid van de micromusic-Brussel hoofdkwartieren heeft hij de kans nieuwe gelijkgezinden te ontmoeten. Sommigen onder hen werden vrienden, met wie hij in de toekomst nog meer evenementen wil organiseren die focussen op een goede atmosfeer en contact met het publiek. Voor dit nieuw begin revalideerde Hyperkut zijn oude liefde, de Amiga (geschilderd in “glanzend disco grijs”) en andere oude machines. Dit alles om nieuwe live performances op potent te zetten die gekker zijn dan ooit tevoren. Wordt vervolgd …
Trez & Brioche
Based in Brussels, Trez & Brioche is a bicephalus chiptune DJ unit mixing a refreshing combination of arcade electro, chip hop, 8-bit rock, joystick pop, hit parade covers and cracktro hardcore. www.redofromstart.com
(K-RAA-K)3 vzw Snoekstraat 62, 9000 Gent, Belgium www.kraak.net - www.tsjok.com
Trez & Brioche zijn twee dj’s gespecialiseerd in chiptune muziek, ze mixen een verfrissende combinatie van lectro, chip hop, 8-bit rock, joystick pop, hit parade covers en cracktro hardcore.
