“Epigram” by Bear & Walrus. Keeping with our music-themed posts today, here’s one of 10 tracks from the chiptune/baroquetronica group’s new Image Poems album inspired by “early 20th century poetry focused around ideas about the precision of imagery and the simplicity of nature.”

I wanted to feature this stuff, too, but my huge backlog of work stole all my time today (Tumblr’s one-song-a-day audio uploading limit didn’t help):

• Dance Machine, Christian Montoya’s free album full of “all-original dirty bassy dance music made entirely with the KORG DS-10/DS-10 Plus”
• Cover of America’s “Ventura Highway” created in KORG M01 by UncleBibby

Hear also: More chiptunes

tags / epigram / bear and walrus / chiptunes / christian montoya / unclebibby / ec

“Hazelwood” by Bear & Walrus, the chiptune crew made up of Chad Clikeman and Tiny Cartridge reader Zachary Reese. This is the marvelous first track from the duo’s newly released album The Strength Of Summer — yes, it’s a couple seasons late, but as Common Sense once rapped, “It’s a cold world and niggaz need summer.”

You can stream The Strength of Summer for free or buy the album for $4 at Bear & Walrus’ Bandcamp site. Make sure to also check out this Uncharted 3/Naughty Dog studio video, which features songs from the band and was shot by our talented friends at 2 Player Productions.

And before I forget, it’s also required that you lend your ears to 30s30d: A Month’s Worth of Composing, a release from Grant “mathgrant” Fikes offering 19 NES songs, 10 WarioWare DIY tracks, and an ImpulseTracker tune. Again, you can stream the album for free or pay what you want to download it at Bandcamp.

Hear also: “Regardless” by Dise-a.g.m, “What’s Green Is Brown” by Nestrogen, Mega Micromusic

[Via Dual Mode Records]

tags / hazelwood / bear and walrus / the strength of summer / chiptunes / 30s30d / grant fikes / mathgrant / ec

“Through Fields of Mercury” by Greenleaf. This haunting, heavy-hearted track comes from Greenberry Hill, the latest release out of Hemlock Records, which you might recognize as the label that put out the excellent Seasonal Affective compilation.

You can (and should) stream Greenberry Hilly in its entirety for free from Greenleaf’s Bandcamp page. There’s also an option to download a low-quality version of the album for free or a high-quality version for $5.

While you’re pulling out your credit card, you should also give Lake Poems, another new chip music release, a spin. Tiny Cartridge reader Zachary Reese and his band Bear and Walrus laid down the album using LSDJ, LittlePiggy tracker, and instruments like accordions, glockenspiels (?!), and pianos. I’m listening to as I type this post, and though I’m only three tracks in, I’ve heard enough to know the CD is magnificent.

Hear also: “The Rad Truths About Hockey Fights” by Starscream

[Via TCTD]

tags / chiptunes / ec / greenberry hill / greenleaf / hemlock records / through fields of mercury / bear and walrus / lake poems