PROTO·DOME Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 http://protodome.bandcamp.com/album/bluenoise So! As some of you may know, over the last few months I've been working on an album for a university project. I was going to leave it as that, just a project, but I figured why waste a perfectly good album rotting on my HDD? So here we are. BLUENOISE is essentially a collection of seven original tracks all in my typical chiptune-inspired jazz style - a little chipmusic for each day of the week, not that I'd realised that until now. Again, another Bandcamp release, so remember to punch in 0.00 to get it no-strings-attached-it-can't-be-true-life free. Although, any donations to my poor student music fund are very welcome and much appreciated! Would love to hear what you thought of the album/artwork, whatever! Hope you enjoy the listen! If you dig it, tweet, like, post - spread it! Proto’s debut, bleep-bloop, stupidly cute, saccharine-sweet, jazzy chiptune album. Seven tracks to make even the most hardened chiptune fans *ahem* ‘squee’ . Seriously, it's pretty cool stuff. (The Japanese text (ブルーノイズ) simply reads "Blue Noise". Unfortunately, Band Camp had a HUGE problem with Japanese, so I had to cut it from the title. Feel free to re-tag it yourself.) A quick shout out: Thanks to everyone who helped out in the latter stages of the project, you guys really did me a favour there. <3 <3 <3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halc Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 so good. it brings a tear to the eye. also quit making me look bad you lovely, talented jerk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arek the Absolute Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 yaaaaaaaay Good stuff you got here, my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emunator Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Congratulations on the successful album artwork release, Proto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjjD Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Definitely some good stuff here, good work man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 The japanophile album artwork makes me want to vomit but the music is quite enjoyable with the exception of "Heat Death" which is tedious. I don't check out much of the original music on OCR but I'm glad I gave this a try. cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Power Smoothie Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 So damn good! Hope your uni likes it as much as I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Awesome! I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Briggs Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 with the exception of track #5 which is tedious analoq what happen to you you used to be cool all jokes aside, track 5 is my absolute favorite on the album! I actually have a full review of the album that I can post up... hope that's ok with mr. dome Track 1 - Hello World. Opens with some very pleasing arpeggios and various effects/delay, all very light and enjoyable, but crisp and clear. This track works perfectly as a short but super-sweet introduction to Blake and his style. The production is very solid, and (unsurprisingly) his note choices are just stellar. Nothing clashes or stands out as uncomfortable. Track 2 - 9am Skies. Opening is totally deceiving. The lead instrument catches me off guard every time, and I'm going to chalk that up as intentional. Very sugary, almost childishly playful stuff here. However, one melody strikes a tone of pop-maturity... the melody I'm referring to plays at 0:36 and later at 1:14, and it really rings clear with the listener. Very memorable writing there, and I daresay it's the only "mainstream" thread in a song that might not be Blake's MOST accessible work. That being said, the soloing that comes later is by far the highlight of the mix, musically. Very creative! It really saves this one from being something your average listener wouldn't "get". Draws them back in. Track 3 - Blueberry Jam! Very happy, chiptuney, and upbeat from the very start. I believe Blake has redefined "cute music" with this track. The lead synth talks and wanders however it pleases, and the melodies it plays sit perfectly atop the chiptuney soundscape. The percussion in this track is pretty standard, a combination of traditional electronica, chiptune, and rock/jazz percussion... it sits very well in the background without distracting from the great writing. Clocking in at 2:17, this short track doesn't leave much to be desired, although I thought the soloing towards the end (right before the fadeout begins) was a bit less inspired than some of the stuff already heard on the album. Track 4 - Bitmap_Blues. Noticing a pattern in the titles, too! Punctuation in every single one! Clever. Concerning this song, it's just your basic 12-bar blues jam played on all chiptune instruments... or so you think. A fake ending leads into some GREAT transitional chords, with tons of soloing coming after to boot. At 1:32 we reach the last bit of the track, and I must say I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear more on what I thought was the highlight of the song, but I'm not the artist here. Still very solid work. Not much to say about the production other than it is chiptunes and it is not clipping! Track 5 - Heat Death. In my opinion, this is the poster child for this album. Very chippy, trippy, glitchy, experimental electronica. The "voice" sample is haunting and inviting simultaneously, and adds a HUGE new layer of creativity to the music. Subtle synths floating in and out of a harsh beeping groundwork makes for some very expressive chipmusic, and I find myself revisiting this track again and again. All note choices are wonderful, and the effects and production are both top-notch. Percussion takes the back seat once again to wonderful writing; I think it is safe to say that Blake is aware of his strengths! Track 6 - Her #0000ff Eyes... This track is back to the upbeat, playful style of Tracks 2 and 3... the lead sounds dangerously similar to the lead from Track 2, but this is a very short album and I think it helps remind the listener of the "big picture". My one and only gripe with this song is Blake's choice of bass instrument. I would have rather something a bit more synth-driven, but at least we can rest assured he chose all the right notes! Again, the soloing is all fun and impressive. It's very hard to predict what is going to happen next, let alone what it's going to sound like! A pattern is beginning to develop here with the reappearance of simple and subtle percussion. Track 7 - Zero-G Lemonade. Alas, we are nearing the end of this wonderful little release. Amazing Rhodes piano intro, with chords that won't even allow you to be sad, leading into... well, it kind of sounds like track 2 again, doesn't it? Not necessarily a negative thing, especially considering the length of the album, but I have to say honestly that I was a bit disappointed the lead synth was so similar to those previously heard. Again, no qualms with production or note choices. I can definitely hear that Blake KNEW what he wanted to do with this, and did it just the way he thought was best. Good stuff. OVERALL EFFECT: I must say, this is a bite-sized album with a BIG mouth! Very addicting stuff, especially Heat Death and Bitmap Blues! While the average listener may not be able to hear the appeal here, I know for a fact that any lover of chiptunes will be rotating this on playlists for quite some time. I know I'm supposed to be critical, but other that what I've already mentioned, I have no complaints. I'm just really enjoying myself listening again and again! Excellent work, and smartly designed artwork to boot! I predict that people are going to notice this release whether they want to or not that was one cheesy review! I hope your professors or whatever the fuck you anglo-types call them at "university" like it! seriously though man, wonderful work, wonderful artwork... it isn't surprising considering you're a wonderful piece of work yourself ;D edit: I had an older version of the tracklist... rectified! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Wow, chthonic wrote a review? And it's huge.. this.. is.... o_o BLUENOIZ will earn a spot on my phone, good sir. My only gripe is that the songs are too long. GREAT WORK BRO <3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 analoq what happen to youyou used to be cool all jokes aside, track 5 is my absolute favorite on the album! Hmm, the filenames are wrong in the one I downloaded (AAC version). Track #5 for me is 'Heat Death' which you also like so no consolation there, but worth mentioning. cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonectric Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 This album is too good for its own good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenon Odyssey Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I couldn't get the conversion right so you get £4.25! GOOD SHTUFF, MAKE THEM LONGER NEXT TIME kthnx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambinate Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 really digging this. it's a lot of fun to listen to and the production is great. nice work, dude! gonna be chilling out to this for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Briggs Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hmm, the filenames are wrong in the one I downloaded (AAC version). Track #5 for me is 'Heat Death' which you also like so no consolation there, but worth mentioning.cheers. ah actually I had the wrong track order for clarity Heat Death is my favorite track and analoq is a bad person Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 ah actually I had the wrong track orderfor clarity Heat Death is my favorite track and analoq is a bad person I listened to see what the big deal is and why it's so terrible. I like it. But I dig abstract chiptune muzak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexstyle Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Listening to the album preview on Bandcamp (and I'll prolly download it, maybe donate if my bank account isn't sitting too low) right now, and I digs this album of chippy goodness quite a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 ah actually I had the wrong track order Either the album art or the filenames are wrong -- because they don't match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I listened to see what the big deal is and why it's so terrible. No one said it was terrible. No one made a big deal about it. I wish you better literacy in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Power Smoothie Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Either the album art or the filenames are wrong -- because they don't match. Ah, I was going to point that out. I'm kind of anal about tags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROTO·DOME Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Thanks so much to everyone who's commented and double x10^999999 to those who have donated. Seriously, thanks. Didn't expect to get this much response. Extremely glad you're enjoying the release! And please, if you didn't like it, tell me why! Perhaps next time 'round I'll do a better job! ------- To all those who are worried about the incorrect tracklisting - I accidentally uploaded the old back cover art. Chthonic had an older version of the album which was ordered slightly differently, hence old back cover. The current tracklisting in the download is the 100% official final. EDIT - fix'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Yes, I thought I made it clear I was referring to the ordering. I see the updated album art, all is well now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillRock Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 dude this shit is awesome. the whole album was worth buying for Blueberry Jam alone, fucking AMAZING song. Constantly good stuff and dude when did your production get so good. Make us all look bad why don't you. I dig, but JESUS I WANT MORE NOW. YOU TEASE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamphibious Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Just listened to a little sample of the tracks here, and I instantly clicked that download button. I'm a sucker for smooth/groovin' jazzy tunes, and I've been getting into chiptunes lately, so this is a real treat. Looking forward to fitting this into my regular music rotation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfire Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 this is complete awesomeness many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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