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CHIPTOPIA

The third volume in an on-going Chiptune and Chipmusic mix series, CHIPTOPIA is now available for free download and stream via Soundcloud. Featuring music by some of chiptune’s finest writers and musicians, including Sabrepulse, Electric Children, and FantomenK, Chiptopia is a welcome departure from the harsh and dark nature of today’s dance music.

Started back in the summer of 2011, Chiptopia seeks to represent a time and place where music is flourishing. A variety of sounds, styles and formats, I imagine Chiptopia to be a place that supports music and art to the fullest. This mix takes the listener on a journey through such a place, crafting a feeling of moving from venue to venue, hearing the complimenting elements of each song and artist, ultimately painting a picture of a night out in a musical Utopia.

Chiptopia is influenced heavily by my experiences in Ithaca, New York, the place where I first began studying electronic music production and DJing.

Featuring music by Sabrepulse, Electric Children, Trey Frey, FantomenK, Fighter X, Bitshifter, Coova and little-scale, Ookami, Prom Wolf, Roboctopus, Byzanite, Icarus Kid, Misfit Chris, Doomcloud, Inverse Phase, Teleidofusion, Je M’appelle, and Knife City, with additional samples from Skip Sandwich DX and Anamanaguchi

Cover art by M.L. Hope

A full tracklist is available here

Dj Cutman’s CHIPTOPIA – Coming 2/12/12

2/12/12 will mark the release of the next chapter in the ChipTuneMusic saga, which began almost two years ago. Chiptopia serves to be a new chapter in this musical journey, so let’s take a moment to reflect the past two volumes.

ChipTuneMusic is a free dj mix series by Dj CUTMAN, highlighting some of the best chiptune and chipmusic songs from around the world. The first installment, Sounds From 20XX, served as a primer for the world of fun, upbeat chiptune music. Featuing artists from the funk-oriented Mr Spastic, up through dance music marvels such as FantomenK, Sounds From 20XX was based on the breakthrough live shows of a young Cutman in upstate New York. The mix landed him a spot at Otakon 2010, which at the time was his largest show, with an attendance of almost 3,000.

Second in the series was Dubtropolis, released shortly after the Otakon performance in August 2010. It was the dawn of a new era for electronic dance music, a genre called Dubstep was just starting to crack the surface of America. Skrillex had just released his first EP via MySpace and, to most, the style was still unknown. Dubstep influence had penetrated Chiptune communities, and a wealth of dubby chipmusic fueled the production of a new mix from Cutman. Dubtropolis was a clear juxtaposition from 20XX, defined by syncopated wobbles, harsh bass and dripping atmosphere. With a focus on artists adept at creating space in their songs, tracks like Smiletron‘s Gemini and Superspink‘s Robot City set the tone, while ahead-of-their-game producers like Mizuki’s Last Chance blasted through with cutting edge dubstep and chiptune sounds.

Dubtropolis was a particularly significant mix, as it marked an era of collaboration between Cutman and other DJs. Underground dubstep and tech house DJ Doctor Z brought his unmistakable sound mixing talents in the form of a minimix. Doctor Z drew influence from Cutman’s track selection, and created a gritty and atmospheric interlude for Dubtropolis.

Next tuesday, Chiptopia will be released. As the third Volume in the series, it serves to provide yet another view of the world of ChipTuneMusic. Inspired by the place where Cutman first began producing electronic music; a town of infinite venues, shows, and opportunity known as Ithaca, New York.

“When I first came to Ithaca, it was unlike any place I had ever been before. There was music everywhere, nearly every venue and restaurant had a stage, there were performers on every street corner, in every gazebo. No matter where you went, there was new and different live music to be heard.”

Drawing from life experience and a wealth of Creative Commons music from composers around the world, Chiptopia is shaping up to be a promising new addition to Cutman’s repertoire.

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