Chicago happenings

don't have time for a full post, but here's a cool event for anyone in the chicago area this weekend. I might go, it's 50-50 right now......thanks Serg!!

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs presents the Summer 2007 line-up for the Ohm Multimedia Series, which incorporates new media in electronic music, performance and visual art. Ohm invites professionals from the art and music scenes, including live DJs and visual artists, to create multimedia artworks in front of an audience.

This summer, Ohm will a four-part series focusing on music and visuals influenced by video games. The events will feature live performances on 8-bit computer programs, hacked Gameboys and added gear, laptop music battles, DJs playing original, remixed or music influenced by video games. Visuals will be provided by guest video jockeys or VJs. "Video games have influenced popular culture since they were introduced to the masses in the early 1980s," said Ohm curator Brian Keigher. "Everything from TV commercials, graphic design, films, to cell phones have been influenced by video games. An entire generation has now grown up with the likes of Atari, Nintendo, Sega and many other console systems, not to mention the classic home computers of the 1980s. Throughout these last 25 years, the unmistakable sound of 8-bit chips have pervaded their ears and become a background soundtrack to their lives."

Saturday, June 30, 1:30 pm
"The Video Game Soundtrack of Our Lives" featuring Super 8-Bit Brothers, Bit Shifter, Nullsleep, and MFchicago
Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center
Visitors will experience three live video game-influenced performances by the Chicago based duo, Super 8-Bit Brothers, who create songs to listen to while rocking out, riding in the car, or playing video games. They will be playing songs off of their full-length CD, “Melee.” Special guest ‘chip-tune’ innovators Nullsleep and Bit Shifter, both from NYC, will use Game Boys and NES consoles to create conceptually unique music that blends subversive hardware hacking with powerful melodic pop and electronic music. The two recently circumnavigated the planet in a 20-date world tour and are featured artists on Astralwerks Records current release 8-Bit Operators: The Music of Kraftwerk Performed on Vintage 8-Bit Video Game Systems. Guest artists, MFchicago, a group of creative Chicago based video artists who collaborate on various video and art performance projects, will provide full-screen images and visual references to game culture. This performance is part of Art of Play, the citywide summer celebration of toys, games and the spirit of play from June 1 through September 30, 2007.

Super 8-bit Brothers look with reverence to their forefathers – Atari 2600, The Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Sony Playstation. They, quite literally, sing their praises. Using a myriad of digital and electronic sounds along with traditional instruments, Super 8-bit Brothers transport listeners to a place where digital heroes protect the world and danger only equals excitement.

Nullsleep is a NYC chip music innovator who uses Game Boys and NES consoles to create conceptually unique music that blends subversive hardware hacking with powerful melodic pop. In 1999, he co-founded the 8bitpeoples: a collective of artists interested in the audio/video aesthetics of early computers and videogames. Nullsleep has released a number of recordings through 8bitpeoples, his most recent work focusing on music created with the Nintendo Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System platforms.

Bit Shifter explores high-energy, low-bit music composed and performed on a Nintendo Game Boy. The result is an unapologetically fun foray into an evocative and distinctive sound set traditionally reserved for video game sound effects and background music, all done on a console generally misperceived as being technically limited.

MFchicago is an ‘open source brand’ used by a group of musicians, DJs, music producers and video artists who collaborate in an organic fashion on various projects, including live music, video and art performances.