Review: 8-Bit Operators, The Music of Kraftwerk

Get your geek on.  The Music of Kraftwerk is a various artists collection of Kraftwerk tunes performed “primarily on lo-bit handheld gaming devices, vintage video game consoles and obsolete 8 bit home computers.”  At first I thought this was going to be a singing-dog CD; the interest was not in whether it was done well but whether it could be done at all.   Turns out it can not only be done but done pretty damn well indeed.  The range of sounds that can be drawn from these relatively unsophisticated microchips is remarkable.  You will forget you’re listening to video game music until an unmistakable old-school “game” sound turns up.  Rather than being disconcerting, it’s pretty cool when this happens.

Kraftwerk made a point of making music using the computer sounds of the ’70s and early ’80s when they produced their most influential albums.  As a result, the 8-Bit Operators’ covers fit perfectly with the sound style of the originals.  The artists couldn’t have chosen a better band than Kraftwerk to cover for a project like this.  Each Track on The Music of Kraftwerk is done by a different artist and it’s likely that listeners will enjoy the approach taken by some more than others.  However if you like classic Kraftwerk, have an interest in chiptune, bitpop, or 8-bit music, or like to support musicians who are working outside the box, this is a CD that’s very much worth a listen.