The Demo Site

People who play video games and people who produce electronic music have a lot in common. Both spend ridiculous amounts of time in front of their computers, both fiddle endlessly with customisations and upgrades, and both have an unfortunate appetite for coffee, energy drinks and illicit substances... largely so they can stay awake all night and make their eyes bleed.

The only real difference between the two is that electronic music artists tend to pick-up more girls and know slightly less about the magic powers of dark elves.

With so many similarities though it should come as little surprise to learn that many of the world's best electronic music artists are also keen game players. Some of them take this hobby one step further, and even incorporate game noises into their music.

It’s a musical influence that’s slowly growing within certain parts of the electronic scene. And it’s also something that hasn’t received much attention. So Killscreen Poetry decided to compile a list of the top 10 electronic music artists who feature gaming sounds in their beats.

As with any "top 10", it's a subjective exercise and probably misses out on some talented musicians... but what the hell.


#10: Clouds

Dubstep / IDM
Finland
MySpace Page


Clouds is a duo of electronic producers from Finland. Their music is an ambient mixture of dub and slow-paced electronica, with lots of video game ‘beeps’ and ‘bleeps’ thrown in for good measure. In particular, check out their track Mighty Eyeball Rays - it reminds me a little of the theme song on the Super Mario Bros desert level.


#9: DJ Trip

Breaks / IDM
Australia
MySpace Page


Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, DJ Trip samples old-school videogame noises in many of his tracks. He was also involved in remixing the Ghouls n' Ghosts theme song a few years ago as part of a two-piece act, The New Pollutants. You can listen to it here.


#8: Quarta 330

Dubstep
Japan
MySpace Page


Now, this is some legit videogame music! Quarta 330 isn't so much influenced by videogame sounds - he makes videogame sounds. The Tokyo-based artist recently turned heads on the dubstep scene when he released a remix of Kode9's "11 Samurai" - except the whole track sounded like it had been filtered through a Commodore64 sound card. Only check him out if you seriously dig old-school videogame noise - his stuff sounds like the MIDI tracks of dial-up days.


#7: Venetian Snares

Jungle / Breakcore
Canada
MySpace Page



Venetian Snares is renowned for creating some seriously messed up beats. He also takes influences from everywhere – hip hop, dancehall, and of course, video games. Listen to tracks like “Kyokushin” or “Bebikukorica Nigiri” to hear some fast-paced gaming breakcore. It would provide the perfect backing track to a particularly intense session of Counterstrike... while also tripping out on acid.


#6: Boy 8-Bit

Techno
UK
MySpace Page


Boy 8-Bit is a London-based techno producer who's just starting to get noticed on the world stage. As his name suggests, he uses samples and takes musical influences from the glorious 8-bit era of video games. NES fans should get right into him - there's some familiar riffs in there. And because it's all clubby techno stuff, it's pretty accessible and not too nerdy either.


#5: Goth-Trad

Dubstep
Japan
MySpace Page


Another Tokyo-based dubstep producer, Goth-Trad uses videogame-influenced treble riffs over his intense, stomach-pounding bass lines. Definitely easier to listen to than his fellow Japanese brethren, Quarta 330. Check out the track “LAW” for a good example of what he can do.


#4: Squarepusher

IDM / Experimental
UK
MySpace Page



Seminal English producer Squarepusher has been cranking out creative beats for years. He’s not just influenced by videogames, but by jazz, breakcore, and drum and bass. He also probably incorporates the bleeps and dings of videogames more seamlessly into his music than anyone else. Check out the opening track of his latest album, Hello Everything, for a good example. If only real videogame music sounded this great!


#3: Del the Funky Homosapian

Hip Hop
US
MySpace Page



Del isn't exactly an electronic music artist. Rather, he's a hip-hop artist. But he deserves a special mention in this list because his songs include some inventive back-beats, and he raps a tune entirely about 32-bit gaming. Ever thought you'd hear references to Ninja Gaiden or Tenchu or Bushido Blade in a song? Neither did I until I heard "Proto Culture”. His music has also appeared in the soundtracks of countless games, including Tony Hawk and NBA 2K.


#2: Hot Chip

Indie
UK
MySpace Page


Hot Chip are renowned for their geeky brand of electro-rock. Their rise to fame is legendary: from a bunch of guys making nerdy beats in their basement, to a professional outfit travelling the world and regularly breaking into the UK top 50. Thank god, despite the fame, they haven’t forgotten their roots: one of which has got to be playing video games. Indeed, each new album by Hot Chip seems to incorporate ever more game synth and sound effects. Check out “Shake a Fist” for an example.


#1: Aphex Twin

IDM / Experimental
UK
MySpace Page


The master of creative, groundbreaking electronic music also happens to be the master of incorporating video game sounds into his beats. Much of Aphex Twin’s tracks feature gaming samples, but he’s particularly famous in the gaming community for releasing three high-quality remixes of classic 1980’s themes: Tetris, Super Mario Bros and PacMan. Check them all out!


Finally, I should also make special mention of a producer by the name of DJ Scotch Egg. While definitely not for everyone, his music combines video game noises with the most headache-causing of all electronic genres: happy hardcore. He doesn’t make my top 10 list because, well frankly, his music sounds like a NES-fuelled nightmare, where Kirby is screaming at you and Donkey Kong is eating you. But you might want to check him out... even if only to see how crazy gaming music can become.