The Game Dame™

Ever wonder what our beloved childhood video game memories would sound like if you took them to a ren faire and let them play? Wonder no more. You can download Gameboy Madrigals by Animal Style for free and find out first hand. Just go to iimusic.net, a newer net label featuring some of the best in experimental chiptune music and check out 8 tracks of awesome.

Joey Mariano (Animal Style) was inspired to create these tunes by early role playing and puzzle video games, Japanese folk melodies, and masters of the madrigal such as Francesco Landini. Early composers of the madrigal used only 2 to 3 voices to create counterpoint. The gameboy has only 3 melodic monophonic channels with which to create melodies. While Mariano admits that his mardrigals are by no means conventional and even break many of the standard rules, he feels they can be viewed as a modern extension of the medium. Retro video game tonalities are combined with Retro-Reniasance / Medieval mixtures of interlocking melodies on Songs like “Gather ‘Round Retrograde.” The Pentatonic scales and intricate bends of Japanese folk music are integrated into Mariano’s song “Tokyo Cornfeild in Antigravity.”

So… if you want to daydream about Yoshi, Sonic and Mario gettin’ their medieval jam on whilst you gnaweth on yon turkey leg and drink pint after pint of honey mead, go download Gameboy Madrigal, close your eyes and soak in the chiptastic sounds. And if you dig it, make sure you hit the donate button and show him some love.

(GAME DAME TRIVIA: I actually worked as a performer at Scarborough Renaissance Festival for 3 years which means I totally outnerd you.)