| Few artists can claim to have affected the scope of contemporary pop music as profoundly as Kraftwerk. From synth-pop, to hip-hop, to the avant –garde, the influence of the German groups’ self-titled “robot pop” is incalculable. Many aspects of the groups’ music have been absorbed by the mainstream, including their techno-centric philosophy, electronic instrumentation, and minimalist song structure. More directly, Kraftwerk has been sampled by a number of artists, many of which, notably Afrika Bambaataa (“Planet Rock”), have found success.
Similarly immeasurable is the influence of the low-bit sound chip. Found in a large portion of consumer electronics, specifically home-computers and video game machines (NES, Gameboy, Commodore 64, etc.), the low fidelity sounds of such chips were ubiquitous in the days of early micro processing. The distinctive sounds of processed waveforms have embedded their way into the heads of gamers on all ends of the globe, leaving a scene of inspired imitators creating new and exciting music from the formerly obsolete sounds.
Known as “Chiptune”, the burgeoning scene is quickly gaining international attention, due in large part to the participants’ enthusiastic application of the internet. To celebrate the budding popularity of the genre and the enduring impact of Kraftwerk, long-time electronic artist and 8-bit composer Receptor has compiled 8-Bit Operators, a collection of Chiptune artists interpreting classic Kraftwerk tracks through classic gaming consoles, creating a revelatory combination of two massively influential cultural phenomenons.
The 15-track compilation focuses mostly on the German groups’ post-Autobahn material, the exceptions being Oliver Wittchow ‘s reworking of “Kristallo” (the most game music-like track on the collection) and Herbert Weixelbaum’s cascading cover of “Tanzmusik”, both originally featured on the Ralf and Florian album. Most of the cuts on compilation are from accessible late period albums such as Computer World and The Man Machine. Seeing as how those albums focus on accessible technology rather than cryptic futurism and vanished pasts, the concentration is appropriate for a compilation that embraces and champions the technology of years gone by.
As one can expect from a band that embraced electronics so wholeheartedly, the original compositions lend themselves well to the 8-bit translation. Possibly due to the exceptionally strong source material, some of the artists have left the originals relatively intact, save for the warm, blippy renovation. On his cover of “Pocket Calculator”, the most pertinent track on the album (“I’m the operator with my pocket calculator”), Glomag faithfully replicates the original, covering it in a crisp, tech sheen. Similarly, Covox’s version of “Computer Love” keeps the ultra catchy melody in front of a buzzing, textured, lower end.
Though the really faithful tracks tend to be a bit predictable, this isn’t much of a problem, seeing as how most of the artists add their own personal touch to the covers. Bacalao’s cover of “The Robots” underlines the vibrantly recreated synths with glitchy breakbeats while Receptors’ adaptation of “Trans-Europe Express” picks up at the hook and intensifies the rough edges, getting thick sounds out of his machines and pushing the threshold of the bottom end. These modified tracks prove to be the most engaging and fully developed covers on the album, merging the Kraftwerk-inspired electronic music innovations of the last few decades with the German bands own songs, creating a cultural and temporal overlap that gives the compilation one of its most intriguing quality.
In integrating a vision of the future with the actual future, 8-Bit Operators : The Music of Kraftwerk creates a fusion of nostalgia and prophecy, one that looks forward while looking back at the same time. While the concept of hearing the all-too-familiar video game sounds of their youth applied to the classic songs of electronic music’s key innovators will initially attract listeners to the compilation, it will be Chiptune’s brightest stars showcasing their masterfully-applied sonic techniques and sounds in the hybrid world of Kraftwerk’s dream and its realization that will keep the disc spinning. Reviewed
by: Eliminator Jr.
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