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Anamanaguchi: "Our songwriting secret is magic mushrooms. And fire flowers."
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It's been 24 years since the Super Mario Bros game cartridge invaded Nintendo Entertainment Systems all over the world. To say that the game was well received is a dramatic understatement. Since 1985, it has undergone several incarnations, spawning dozens of sequels, and has been ported to every system that Nintendo has to offer, selling a staggering 40.2 million copies. For twenty-four years, it was the highest-selling video game ever, only being outsold in 2009 by Wii Sports (and they had to give that one away). But perhaps the largest impact it has made on the face of the earth is its impact in music. It's pretty much a given that, at some point in your life, you've heard the happy little tune that plays while mario runs for dear life from angry mushrooms and evil turtles, and gamers try vainly to shatter the screen of the TV. That song has become iconic; it is a representation of all that has been, and all that is to come in video game music.
The music of madness.
Since composer Koji Kondo wrote what is arguably the most recognizable song in the world, there have been literally thousands of games, each with their own music. Yet most songs composed for video games do not stand on their own merits. Certainly, none of them are as successful as the Super Mario theme.
Enter Anamanaguchi. They are the face of an extremely small underground musical movement, fueled entirely by the nostalgia of twenty-somethings, known as "chiptunes". Anamanaguchi are a 5-piece band from New York who make it their mission in life to get the highest score.
What Makes Them Different: First, what sets Anamanaguchi apart from other bands: Anamanaguchi are a purely instrumental band, and though by looking at them you'd expect a pop-punk act, their music is also closely connected to electro, with its heavy use of synthesizers. The instruments serve as a backdrop in support of the NES and the Gameboy, which are played by the two guitarists. They write their musical programs and play them back live through the consoles in almost the same way you'd expect a video to work. Yet they differ from traditional electro in that they are not a strictly beat-oriented band. Showing their Beach Boys and Brian May influence, their songs modulate with diverse sounds, sweet complex harmonies, and a good measure of blip-slides.
Second, what sets Anamanaguchi apart from traditional videogame music. Their songs aren't just simple little loops that repeat over and over. They build to moments of dramatic tension, and they change, but they still manage to maintain that old school charm. Their songs are dramatic, fast paced, and high energy, highly reminiscent of Manami Matsumae and Yoshihiro Sakaguchi's work on the Mega Man series of games.
What Makes Them Good: Quite simply, Anamanaguchi make people happy. Their songs are concentrated good moods. The combination of high energy blip slides and a subtle background of a joyful pop-punk band in the background has never failed to put a smile on my face. Furthermore, their songs are all singable, excellent for dancing, and quite possibly the most infectious music that has ever been crafted. Rumors of weaponized Anamanaguchi are circulating around Dutycycle.org, but nothing concrete has been unearthed.
This is the music for you if you were a child of the 80s. Anamanaguchi are an incredible blend of diverse influences that breaks new ground with old technology.
Make sure that you check out Dutycycle.org for more information on this amazing music revolution. They have available for download many free albums, with diverse styles from electro, trance, and hip-hop to classical-sounding tunes composed on a commodore 64. Also, look to 8bitpeoples.com. Anamanaguchi's first album, Power Supply, is available for free download at www.8bitpeoples.com/discography/by/anamanaguchi. Their second album, Dawn Metropolis, is available for purchase on their myspace, and they are in the process of programming their 3rd album.
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