I completed Synthlove (an EP of 80s covers sequenced on my Nintendo DSi) last summer. I spent many long hours on public transportation coaxing something that sounded good from the minimal capabilities of the Korg DS-10+ cart. Alas, another method was unknown to me at the time. Would I have know about this time saving measure, I wouldn’t have needed to think about how to arrange the song, voice the instrumentation or even manually input the notes! All that time … wasted on what … creation and exploration? I shoulda’ known.

Nowadays, it seems anyone can make 8-Bit “covers” with virtually no experience or effort. This is how you do it:

1) download, unzip and open gxscc (you google it)

2) download a MIDI file of any song you can find

3) drop the MIDI file into the gxscc and press play

You are now a hipster, retro musician and a genius*.

I don’t wish to sound too snarky about gxscc. I think it rules to be able to hear bad MIDI arrangements voiced through basic sine/saw/square waves. I’m not so excited about people calling this process “covering a song”. C’mon people!

ALSO: My previous 8-Bit Rebecca Black cover was done by hand the “old fashioned way” as well.

* I do not condone selling your work of genius unless you obtain the appropriate licenses from the current publisher of the music of which you are derezzing.

Oh and …

HEY KID GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!