"Part of The Crew, Part of The Chip" marks 5 years into the BITVORTEX project, and also 15 years since I made my first-ever tune on a Game Boy! The name is taken from a quote from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ("part of the crew, part of the ship"), meaning once you're part of the crew (or community), you can never leave. That seems to be the case with me and chiptune...
BITVORTEX was supposed to be a bitpop project, mixing analog gear, drum machines, and 'real' instruments with software synths and Game Boys. But it turns out I can't really keep myself from sticking to only using the (single) Game Boy. It's too much fun! I just love finding ways to work around the limitations and the simplicity of the raw sound, and the challenge of making it sound much bigger and more advanced than it really is.
So here's to another 15 years of chiptunes!
Like (almost) always, all effects, track pans, fades, and delays are handled by the Game Boy itself.
I also tried to mix up the "groove" setting a bit in LSDJ to get a little more swing/shuffle into some of the tracks, instead of sticking to the 4/4-to-the-floor beats. Here's how, if you want to try it out yourself:
- Strutting Around : [08,04,04,02]
- Gränges på tapp, en till tack! : [08,02,04,02]
- Weekday Grind Cycle : [06,06,04,04]
I recommend listening with headphones or stereo speakers for the best experience!
I hope you enjoy it!
-- Extra production information --
LSDJ Version: 9.3.9 DMG Mods: ProSound (Bypassed internal amp, original 3.5mm jack) + CleanPower2 DC-converter (affects the sound, making it brighter and clearer).
LSDJ programming / recording layout:
- Channel 1 (Pulse): Main melody, solos.
- Channel 2 (Pulse): Rhythm, backing melody.
- Channel 3 (Wave): Kick drum, bass.
- Channel 4 (Noise): Snare drum, hi-hats, cymbals, sweeps.
