It was a half-serious (and likely half-sober) conversation between curator Peter Swimm and chiptune artist Josh Davis in 2006 that spawned Pulsewave, New York City’s monthly concert series for the microprocessor-based electronic music known colloquially as ‘chiptune.’ Five years later, the movement, which found its roots in the computer hacker demoscene of the 1980’s, has moved from basements to high-profile music venues, with pockets of hardcore enthusiasts using the template New York provided to establish their own scenes in cities around the globe.This Saturday, the movement hearkens back to its earliest days in the Big Apple as Swimm joins the otherwise-retired chiptune artist Timeheater and 8bitpeoples co-founder Nullsleep for a rollicking lo-fi fête on the eve of spring’s bloom. The disk image flyer above contains all the info you’ll need to partake, and was coded by New Mexico folk singer (and excellent moustache-haver) Bud Melvin using none other than the wonderful Apple II.FUN FACT: The Apple II didn’t actually have its own sound chip — all the beeps and synthesized speech you hear were generated entirely by software, and the only on-board audio capability it had was manipulating a toggle circuit that caused the speaker/line-out to “click” at various intervals.As the New York scene looks back on its own short but eventful history, it’s also looking forward as it prepares for the 5th iteration of its other, larger chiptune baby: the Blip Festival. As per tradition, over 30 musicians and visual artists from across the planet will gather next month for three days of concerts, panels and workshops. Motherboard is going, and you should too.Still confused? Watch Reformat The Planet on Hulu to catch up.
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