A completely different animal from 2003’s Confidential, Vaporware Soundtracks is the sound of a whole new, completely reloaded 8-Bit Weapon. Rather than remixing classic Commodore 64 game music, 8-Bit Weapon – now consisting of Seth Sternberger and drummer Stacey Superstix – is doing some infectiously catchy original numbers. The odd pairing of “micromusic,” using Commodore computers and a Game Boy Color, with live drumming gives some of this CD’s tracks a fresh surge of power – in fact, I found that on some of the tracks where there were no live drums, the pace almost seems to sag.
Unusual instrumental pairings alone don’t make a good album, though – a bunch of good songress do, and this album definitely has ’em. Seth does vocoder-processed vocals on “Arcade” and “One Last Mission”, the latter being the jewel of the whole collection. Played frequently on stage at Classic Gaming Expo 2005, “One Last Mission” is a masterful throwback to the sort of dirge-like electro-pop that nobody’s done this well since Gary Numan was still on the map. Its lyrics are also a perfect calling card for 8-Bit Weapon, a story of losing (and trying to redeem) love, described in terms of an epic gaming session. Stacey gets a moment in the spotlight as well, delivering breathless vocals with just a hint of Lene Lovich on the twitchy “Panty Raid”.
The rest of the album is largely instrumental, though again the percussion gives it a certain “oomph” – when it’s there. Some of the instrumentals come entirely out of the computer with no acoustic backup, and while many of them are lively and fast-paced, they just seem to lack the impact of those tracks with real stick work.
The new lineup of 8-Bit Weapon has a lot going for it – a great sound that’s not like anything else I’ve heard recently, and some great songs to go with it. If anything, they might want to concentrate on songs that utilize both of their talents, and, it must be said, they’re at their best when playing live. The moment they can capture that same energy in the studio, 8-Bit Weapon will officially be locked, loaded, and maybe just dangerous enough to take on the mainstream.
- GameBoy Rocker (2:53)
- Sk8 Bit (4:03)
- Arcade (4:13)
- Bombs Away! (3:26)
- Panty Raid (3:54)
- Bit ‘n Run (3:49)
- Samurai Princess (3:48)
- Breathe Sleep Dream (3:58)
- Action Kitty In Space (4:32)
- Nature Music (2:54)
- Funk Data (5:41)
- One Last Mission (6:59)
- Satellite (2:20)
- Bit Breaks (demo) (4:21)
- Sk8 Bit (demo) (3:59)
- Hidden Track (4:55)
Released by: 8-Bit Weapon
Release date: 2005
Total running time: 65:45
