Pixelh8
Encyclopedia
Pixelh8 is the stage name for Matthew Applegate, a British chiptune
composer.
to avoid either copyright infringement or plagiarism to form original compositions, usually children's toys like Speak & Spells
and Game Boy
s. Pixelh8 started off relatively unknown on Myspace
and was widely discovered after winning a competition to open for Imogen Heap
on her UK tour in 2006 and performing at Apple's iTunes Office in California.
Pixelh8 also won Sound On Sound
. Playback Album of the month in March 2008 with his second album "The Boy With The Digital Heart". Pixelh8 continues to release music on the record label Hidden Youth Records.
Pixelh8 has also designed music software such as Music Tech for the Nintendo Game Boy and the Pro Performer for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS
which turn both machines into real time synthesizers and is currently developing software for other machines. Pixelh8 Music Tech software has been mentioned several times by Imogen Heap
and is said to be used in an upcoming track called Tidal.
Pixelh8 was the first headliner to the Nerdapalooza
2007 festival in California, other notable performances include performing for Huw Stephens
on the BBC
Introducing show December 2007 as well as Assembly 2008 in Helsinki, Finland.
December 10, 2008 saw Pixelh8 perform at Maida Vale Studios
for the BBC
the session was aired on BBC Radio 1
on December 18, 2008 in which he dedicated part of his performance to the Radiophonic Workshop and cited them as an influence on his work.
January 23, 2009 The National Museum of Computing
released a press statement saying that Pixelh8 would be composing and performing an entirely new piece of music for the museum, using some of the "earliest and rarest" machines such as Colossus computer
and the Elliott 803
entitled "Obsolete?".
April 15, 2009 Pixelh8 released Pixelh8 Music Tech V2.0, Pro Performer, Drum Tech and Death Ray software free for download from his official website.
May 25, 2009 Pixelh8 provided BBC Radio 1
and Radio 1Xtra with some of the backing tracks for their Big Gaming Weekend.
May 26, 2009 Pixelh8 re-wrote the theme tune for BBC World Service
's Digital Planet
the special version of the theme tune was made available from The Open University website for free.
Pixelh8's music has also been featured on and done interviews with BBC Radio 1
Rob Da Bank
, Zane Lowe
and Huw Stephens
' shows, BBC Radio 6 Tom Robinson
s, Nemone
s and Music Week
s shows, BBC Radio 4
, BBC Radio 1 Wales, BBC Radio Foyle, BBC Radio Suffolk
, BBC Radio Three Counties, BBC Radio Norfolk
, and on BBC News 24
E24, Ipswich Community Radio's Martin & Lewis Show, BBC Look East and BBC South Today.
His second album, 'The Boy With The Digital Heart,' is currently playing on loop in the under-construction 'History of Computing' room at The National Museum of Computing
at Bletchley Park
.
In 2011, Pixelh8 retired from writing chip music.
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
composer.
Biography
Pixelh8 combines the sounds of video games and electronic toys, often those that have been reverse enginereedReverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...
to avoid either copyright infringement or plagiarism to form original compositions, usually children's toys like Speak & Spells
Speak & Spell (toy)
The Speak & Spell line is a series of electronic handheld educational toys created by Texas Instruments that consist of a speech synthesizer, a keyboard, and a receptor slot to receive one of a collection of ROM game library modules...
and Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
s. Pixelh8 started off relatively unknown on Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and was widely discovered after winning a competition to open for Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
on her UK tour in 2006 and performing at Apple's iTunes Office in California.
Pixelh8 also won Sound On Sound
Sound on Sound
Sound on Sound is an independently-owned monthly music technology magazine published by SOS Publications Group, based in Cambridge, UK. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, and interviews with industry professionals...
. Playback Album of the month in March 2008 with his second album "The Boy With The Digital Heart". Pixelh8 continues to release music on the record label Hidden Youth Records.
Pixelh8 has also designed music software such as Music Tech for the Nintendo Game Boy and the Pro Performer for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
which turn both machines into real time synthesizers and is currently developing software for other machines. Pixelh8 Music Tech software has been mentioned several times by Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
and is said to be used in an upcoming track called Tidal.
Pixelh8 was the first headliner to the Nerdapalooza
Nerdapalooza
Nerdapalooza is an annual music festival, the first of its kind to invite all genres of the nerd music movement under one roof, including nerd rock, nerdcore hip hop, chiptunes, and video game music. The idea for Nerdapalooza was conceived by John "hex" Carter, who hosted a nerdy music themed radio...
2007 festival in California, other notable performances include performing for Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Introducing show December 2007 as well as Assembly 2008 in Helsinki, Finland.
December 10, 2008 saw Pixelh8 perform at Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
the session was aired on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on December 18, 2008 in which he dedicated part of his performance to the Radiophonic Workshop and cited them as an influence on his work.
January 23, 2009 The National Museum of Computing
The National Museum of Computing
The National Museum of Computing is a museum in the United Kingdom dedicated to collecting and restoring historic computer systems. The museum is based at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, England, and opened in 2007...
released a press statement saying that Pixelh8 would be composing and performing an entirely new piece of music for the museum, using some of the "earliest and rarest" machines such as Colossus computer
Colossus computer
Not to be confused with the fictional computer of the same name in the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project.Colossus was the world's first electronic, digital, programmable computer. Colossus and its successors were used by British codebreakers to help read encrypted German messages during World War II...
and the Elliott 803
Elliott 803
The Elliott 803 was a small, medium speed digital computer manufactured by the British company Elliott Brothers in the 1960s. About 250 were built and most British universities and colleges bought one.-History:...
entitled "Obsolete?".
April 15, 2009 Pixelh8 released Pixelh8 Music Tech V2.0, Pro Performer, Drum Tech and Death Ray software free for download from his official website.
May 25, 2009 Pixelh8 provided BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and Radio 1Xtra with some of the backing tracks for their Big Gaming Weekend.
May 26, 2009 Pixelh8 re-wrote the theme tune for BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
's Digital Planet
Digital Planet
Click is a BBC radio programme broadcast on the BBC World Service and sister radio show to BBC News' Click TV....
the special version of the theme tune was made available from The Open University website for free.
Pixelh8's music has also been featured on and done interviews with BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Rob Da Bank
Rob da Bank
Robert John Gorham, known by the pseudonym Rob da Bank, is a British disc jockey. He presents a Friday-night/Saturday-morning show, Rob da Bank, on BBC Radio 1 from 5am-7am, focused on promoting new left field music...
, Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
and Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
' shows, BBC Radio 6 Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson is an English singer-songwriter, bassist and radio presenter, better known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band...
s, Nemone
Nemone
Nemone Metaxas is a British DJ, Radio Presenter, Television Presenter/Producer and former athlete of Greek descent.Her family's Greek ancestral village is in Sekhia and the family name is `Anastasakis'....
s and Music Week
Music Week
Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry.Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Music Week . On 17 January 1981 the title was again changed, owing to the increasing importance of sell-through videos, to Music & Video Week...
s shows, BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, BBC Radio 1 Wales, BBC Radio Foyle, BBC Radio Suffolk
BBC Radio Suffolk
BBC Radio Suffolk is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Suffolk, commencing broadcasts on 12 April 1990. Its studios are at Broadcasting House in St Matthews Street, Ipswich on 95.5 , 95.9 , 103.9 and 104.6 FM...
, BBC Radio Three Counties, BBC Radio Norfolk
BBC Radio Norfolk
BBC Radio Norfolk is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Norfolk, broadcasting since 11 September 1980. It broadcasts from the studios of BBC East in The Forum, Norwich on 95.1 FM , 104.4 FM , 95.6 FM , 855 kHz AM/MW , 873 kHz AM/MW BBC Radio Norfolk is the BBC Local...
, and on BBC News 24
BBC News 24
BBC News is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989...
E24, Ipswich Community Radio's Martin & Lewis Show, BBC Look East and BBC South Today.
His second album, 'The Boy With The Digital Heart,' is currently playing on loop in the under-construction 'History of Computing' room at The National Museum of Computing
The National Museum of Computing
The National Museum of Computing is a museum in the United Kingdom dedicated to collecting and restoring historic computer systems. The museum is based at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, England, and opened in 2007...
at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
.
In 2011, Pixelh8 retired from writing chip music.
Discography
- Handheld EP (2006)
- Fish & Chips EP (2006)
- Video Games Ruined My Life (2006)
- The Boy With The Digital Heart (2007)
- Obsolete? (2009)
- And The Revolution (2009)
Commissions
- A Day At The Seaside (2010) Aldeburgh Music funded by Esmee Fairbain
- Childhood Remixed (2010) Town Hall Galleries funded by Turnstone
- Observations (2010) The Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge funded by PRS For Music Foundation
- Obsolete? (2009) The National Museum of Computing funded by PRS For Music Foundation
- BBC World Service Digital Planet Theme Tune (2009) BBC World Service funded by BBC
Software
- Music Tech V1.0 (2007)
- Music Tech Pro Performer (2008)
- Music Tech V2.0 (2008)
- Music Tech Master Stroke (2009)
- Sonus (One) for Apple iPhone (2010)
External links
- Official Pixelh8 Website
- Pixelh8 Myspace page
- Playback: Pixelh8 - The Boy With The Digital Heart, Sound on SoundSound on SoundSound on Sound is an independently-owned monthly music technology magazine published by SOS Publications Group, based in Cambridge, UK. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, and interviews with industry professionals...
, March 2008
See also
- Chip Tune