![]() ![]() Taylor, 1993: 27 Théberge, 1997: 160 Katz, 2004), in favour of a softer approach in which the relationship is more of a negotiation. Critiques of "hard" technological determinism as it relates to musical technologies have dominated the discussion (e.g. Mark Katz discusses how the 78 RPM record led to a standard time limit for pop songs, and how Stravinsky famously tailor-made Sérénade en LA for the length of an LP although he points out, however, that Stravinsky may have been shaped by "his penchant for self-imposed limitations" (Katz, 2004: 3-5). Technological constraints are nothing new to musical composition, although most discussions arising about the subject have centered on twentieth century concerns. "Micromusicians" still use the Commodore to compose on, and relish - rather than regret - the technological constraints it imposed on its composers. There are vast archives of Commodore games music available on the web - notably sites like HVSC, the "High Voltage SID Collection" - and fans debate endlessly the best composers and games music on message boards. With screaming guitar-like square wave solos, full-length songs, attempts to re-create traditional "rock band" line-ups in its use of tone channels, and its increased use of percussion, Commodore music was like rock to Nintendo's heavily looped disco aesthetic. There were approximately ten thousand games released for the C64 over its decade-long reign, and many still remain popular with "retro gamers." One of the attractions to Commodore's games over those of its competitors was their unique musical aesthetic. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Commodore 64 was the best-selling home computer system of all time, selling over thirty million units in its production years from 1982 to 1993. After comparing the C64 with its contemporaries, she concludes that the Commodore's music was a combination of both technological constraint and musical aesthetics.Ĭonstraints on compositions. Discussing the technical constraints of C64's SID soundchip, Karen Collins shows the conventional ways in which the chip was used, compares some well-known, pre-composed songs which were covered on the C64 in various games and then explores approaches to interactivity and looping in Commodore games music. This article is designed to introduce readers to the music of the C64. Despite its popularity, the music of C64 games has never before been analysed in any academic articles. The Commodore 64 was the greatest-selling home computer system of all time, and still draws a large crowd of retro-gamers. ![]()
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