Depeche Mode, Erasure, Yazoo, C64, Chip Music, SID, Gameboy, Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, Tim Follin, Matt Gray, Vince Clarke, Imogen Heap, Bjork, Portishead, The Smiths, Morrissey.
Sounds Like
Depeche Mode, Erasure, Yazoo, C64, Chip Music, SID, Gameboy, Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, Tim Follin, Matt Gray, Vince Clarke, Imogen Heap, Bjork.
'Monotron' is a musical collaboration from Gareth Dolloway (Tonka/iRiDiUm) and Elisa Giacomini (Reverse e).
The forthcoming album 'Basic' (to be released early 2009 on the C64 Audio label) will be a collection of original pop songs composed and performed entirely on a Commodore 64 micro computer, accompanied by Giacomini's very unique vocal talent. Aside from the vocals, the entire project will be recorded completely dry and free from any effects such as reverb or chorus - the aim is for the album to be as musically minimal and lo-fi as possible!
All drum and instrument sounds will be made using the internal Commodore 64 SID sound chip (x2 with a DIY upgrade and the 'Prophet 64' software sequencer - this still only equates to 6 mono channels to be shared by the instruments and the drums).
Musical influences from the likes of Depeche Mode, Erasure, Bjork and Imogen Heap will undoubtedly surface throughout the album, but we are hoping that due to the self imposed limitations of the gear we are using (1 x 25 year old computer!) that it will ultimately have a very unique, simplistic and 'under-produced' sound of it's own.
Due to the very positive reaction to the 'Only You' cover version which appeared on the 'Syntax Era' compilation, the band are currently putting the finishing touches to their debut 4 track EP entitled 'Other People - SID's', which is a short but sweet collection of 80's cover versions made entirely on a Commodore 64 (well, what else)?
Rather impressed at the concept of your work and, despite a general (although not complete) aversion to cover versions, of the opinion that your take on 'Only You' is really quite splendid.
Impression is so great that I will not use a similar approach on any of my own work - and that from someone who does use quite antiquated equipment at times too (a Yamaha CS-01 and Casio VL-Tone both appear on TTSW recordings, alongside digital and FM synths.)
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