For years now there has been an open embracing of music that contains 8-bit sounds once heard in old video games for systems like the original Nintendo Entertainment System.
What began as an underground movement in the electronica world soon found its way into the mainstream hip-hop and pop music, e.g. "Ayo Technology" by 50 Cent, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Local hip-hop artists The Hollowz also released a single for their album "Dreams Of Sex And Flying" earlier this year that showcases the 8-bit beat style.
However, once you dig deeper beyond the mainstream and hip-hop/pop genres, you will quickly find that there is an entire subculture that lives, breathes and dies by the blips, bloops and beeps 8-bit music is based around.
The passion for this music is so strong that there are festivals dedicated to the genre. Artists from all over the world will be populating New York City this Thursday through Sunday for the 2011 Blip Festival to serve up sounds that will surely make the attendees thirst for a good game of Contra or Castlevania.
Milwaukee electronica artist Stagediver, also known as dispyz, will be performing at the festival on Friday, May 20 at 10:40 p.m., bringing his specific flair for loud, energetic, frantic and glitchy music to the event that is celebrating its five-year anniversary.
The Blip Festival has released a promotional video to show exactly what the event is about, and if you aren't familiar with this style of music, it's a must-see.
Stagediver, who also runs his own records label called Radiograffiti, was also recently on 91.7 WMSE with DEMIX to help them raise money during their spring fund drive. You can listen to his entire performance here:
The entire three-day fest will be streamed online by WFMU.
Born in Milwaukee and raised in the Milwaukee suburb of Brown Deer, Concordia University Wisconsin alumnus Poppe has spent the majority of his life in or around the city and county of Milwaukee.
As an advocate of Milwaukee's hip-hop community Poppe began popular local music blog Milwaukee UP in March 2010. Check out the archived entries here.
Though heavy on the hip-hop, Poppe writes about other genres of music and occasionally about food, culture or sports, and is always ready to show his pride in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
