Jump to content

BLUENOISE album by ProtoDome (Free Music!)


PROTO·DOME
 Share

Recommended Posts

Cover.pngCoverBack-1.png

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 :D

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!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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. :D 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...