Preview| V/A - µCollective, Vol. 1

Following the dramatic closure of 8bitcollective, Sam Wray, 8bc’s then last hope, created a site to fill the hole the collective’s ruin would leave. µCollective was the end result, launching in October of 2012. In a bid to expand, µCollective is putting out their first compilation, a physical-only collection of sixteen tracks to debut at SuperByte. Featuring hugely revered acts (cTrix, Paza, nordloef), lesser known artists (Balloonbear, Skin Walker, <3an) and those somewhere in between (Auxcide, Holy Konni, Decktonic), ‘Vol. 1’ hosts a hugely varied selection of talent.

Getting the negative out of the way: the album’s introduction is weak. Beginning with Byzanite’s inessential take on EDM, ‘Cakebomber’, most listeners are going to quickly see through the thinly veiled lack of substance. ‘Cakebomber’ is followed by the underwhelming ‘Mysterio Guitar Sloth’ by Holy Konni, a track that’s nice enough, but doesn’t even touch the quality of his recent output (though the guitar sampling is a nice touch). Elsewhere, Paza throws up the compilation’s most disappointing moment. ‘Damn Lokki’ constantly builds to absolutely nothing, all grating ‘melodies’ and tiresome percussion in a faux-gabber abomination. 

Elsewhere though, the quality is incredibly high. PANDAstar‘s ‘Delirium’ features the album’s most euphoric melody, unforgettable and beautifully sweet, whilst <3an’s ‘Mariana Trench’ seeps watery, lucid delivery, a blend of slow-moving bass and deep ambient undercurrents. Kubbi manages to meld progressive electro with pop melodies and danceable beats on ‘Void Pt 2 (Renovation Mix), and Auxcide supplies those trademark, epic space melodies, slathered over thick layers of gorgeous harmony.

The best tracks on ‘Vol. 1’ are those where the artists outdo themselves. Decktonic’s ‘Dancing Is Permitted’ is a vigorous froth of summer melodies and strong kicks that are irresistible. ‘Czar’, Cheapshot’s contribution, is swagger at its most effective, conveying groove through enormous beats, making it the most exciting Cheapshot track in some time. nordloef’s outstanding ‘Mark II’, repeats this excitement, showing the veteran’s ability to remain as fresh and melodically robust as ever. The album’s crowning glory, however, is the final track, Vince Kaichan’s ‘Sailboat’. Full of striking motifs, harmonies, and layers of delicate nuance, ‘Sailboat’ is a testament to Vince’s growing prowess. It not only sounds strong beside the likes of cTrix and xyce, but it towers above them, sounding like an off-cut from Roboctopus' recent and fantastic 'Disco.txt'.

Minus problems with the track sequencing, some of the thematic jumps are too violent to create a cohesive listening experience; µCollective’s debut compilation is fantastic. Sam Wray’s curation deserves special praise, his fusing of the old established and the new revolutionaries works perfectly, and almost every track brims with quality. With all proceeds going to support µCollective plus mastering by DJ Cutman and art by Love Through Cannibalism, this is one package you owe yourself to get if you’re attending SuperByte this year.

PS: If you are attending Superbyte this year, come and say hi! I'll be on the dancefloor or at the bar wearing a bison t-shirt and a ponytail xo 

Tracklist:
01. Byzanite- Cakebomber
02. Holy Konni- Mysterio Guitar Sloth
03. PANDAstar- Delirium
04. xyce- Arbre De Viw
05. Paza- Damn Lokki
06. <3an- Mariana Trench
07. Cheapshot- Czar
08. Decktonic- Dancing Is Permitted 
09. Balloonbear- HAVOK
10. Skin Walker- Shanghai At Night
11. nordloef- Mark II
12. Auxcide- Threads
13. gwEm- High Gain
14. cTrix- Ion Cruising 
15. Kubbi- Void Pt 2 (Renovation Mix)
16. Vince Kaichan- Sailboat

WeeklyTreats Q1 Catch-Up Zip [Jan-March]

Four months already! As promised, we finally bring you the first three months of WeeklyTreats in an easily digestible zip! But that's not all! We've also been scrapping up all manner of goodies from our first 13 WeeklyTreaters, and as such we're happy to present to you a boatload of bonuses! 
What you get in the Q1 Catch-Up:
- Tracks 1 through 13 of WeeklyTreats
- All poster art for the first 13 WeeklyTreats
- All Bonus art from the first three monthly zips, including wallpapers and sticker art
- 4 brand new tracks to WeeklyTreats!:
--- 001 Kubbi- Up In My Jam
--- 002 DKSTR- wailinggoose
--- 003 Starpilot- Wonderflea
--- 004 Starpilot- Wide Awake [Demo]
- Bonus artwork from WeeklyTreater Starpilot
- Bonus artwork and assorted photography from WeeklyTreater Holy Konni
- Mikee Teevee's Modification Gallery
- Steve's Super Famicom DJ Chart 2013
- LGPT song and sample files for Cheapshot's track 'I Do'
- WeeklyTreats: The Game, an art NES rom by our very own Love Through Cannibalism! 

What are you waiting for? Get it here!

WeeklyTreats #01| Cheapshot- I Do

WeeklyTreats is Go! 

After about half a year of polish, sheen and organizing, we are happy to present to you the first Weekly Treats project! If you're new to the idea, let me break down what we've got planned:

Every Friday throughout 2013 we'll be showcasing a different chiptune-related artist with a brand new, original, unreleased and exclusive track, all alongside an interview and some individual artwork by Love Through Cannibalism! 

So without further ado, we'd like to bring you our first artist of the new year>>> Cheapshot

WT: What originally got you into chiptune, where did you start and what program was the first you used?

Cheapshot: I used to make techno and house under the guise "Yorkii" but then a friend of mine introduced me to chip and 8bit music. It amazed me what people were doing with old technology and thought about putting some chip elements into the tracks I was making. Then I discovered Quarta330. That shit blew me away. THEN, I met him in Tokyo (along with Lazerbeat, too) and I was smitten, so I HAD to get a gameboy and have a go at it!

The first program I used then was LSDJ.

WT: Have you always had a dub-inspired style or did that take shape naturally following a particular incident?

C: The dub-inspired style was definitely an afterthought. I just wanted to get away from the chip tune soaring melodies, mad fast arps and unce as much as possible. bass-heavy music has definitely always been my thing though ;)

WT: Could you please tell us a bit more about Square Sounds Festival and your involvement in it?

C: Square Sounds was originally thought up by Eugene (celsius) and Kristy (dosPrompt), the guys behind Soundbytes in Melbourne and Blip Australia. We all know each other from IRC and meeting up at various events. They knew that we (me and Lazerbeat) run cheapbeats in Tokyo and that we were planning on expanding into a festival after Blip and so they asked us if we wanted to join up with them as "Square Sounds" together. We have BIG ambitions with the festival, so keep your eyes peeled. The first one will be in Melbourne in February, followed up with Tokyo in September. Dates for a US and EU Square Sounds are yet to be confirmed, but watch this space!!

WT: With you taking over live shows, starting a new label and forming this exciting new series of festivals, are we seeing you move away from a music creator to a music curator?

C: Definitely not. repeat: DEFINITELY not. I will always be primarily a music creator. :)

WT: In that case, can you give us a sneak preview or clue about what is next for ‘Cheapshot’?

C: Sneak peak of 2013-- lots of collabs. New LSDJ EP from me, and maybe some new piggy stuff too :)

For more Cheapshot tracks head over here! Join us again next week for your second helping of Weekly Treats!