Welcome to the second round of track reviews for Volume 6! I’ll be taking you through some of the best that this Volume has to offer. I didn’t know that by choosing this review date I’d get to talk about YZYX, Kubbi, Vince Kaichan, Starving GOGO (whom I’ve previously reviewed), and my good friend and collaborator Auxcide, but I’ll just consider myself lucky. I’m glad I sat this year out to witness the awesome that is Volume 6. This should be fun. ;3
Bonus ‘Volume 6’ album art by Adhy Saka Juhansyah aka Shakaboyd, twitter.com/adhysaka
]̶̨͖̰̎̄̆̒[̸͖̮̱̍ͅ=̶̥̲̜̉̑=̴̲͌̓͂]̵̜̪̻͕̃[̵͖͙͐̅͒-̶̙̎̈́̒͋=̴̧̺̗̺̚͝͝[̴̡̧̗̤͠≠̧̿̎͑͝-̵͕̩̍[̷̤̉-̵͈͍̂̅]̸̧̘̠͉̀̍͠[̴̤͔̾̊͂͝-̵̗̥̺̄̓͒=̵̥̩͎̄̈́̄]̸͔̖͗͛̈́[̶̩͇̮̂̊͜͝=̴̜͒̇̂̕]̴͓̫͉̈́̑̃̓=̷̳̯̣͑̏͐̚]̴̢̟͇̽̑̄͌-̴̮̓̅̉]̸͉͓̮͗̄͘=̷̝̝͕̓̐̊̈́[̵̈́̋͛ͅ]̴̙̞̩̒̍͗̓=̶̧̜͕̗͛͊̃̕-̷̨͙̔-̶̢̯̞̻̈͊=̷͕̓̋̂̑]̴̟̫̺͝]̴̞͗[̷̗͔̥͒̇=̷̝͚̦̊́̚-̷̼̣͇̜̅̿̈́̽-̵̤̱̰̥̌̅͘͝≠̧͎̑̈̉͝]̷͔̖̥̌̚͘=̷̿̔̄̾ͅ-̷̛͙̂̌[̷̹́̔]̵̮͍̐̋≠̹͕̮̼͝͠-̵̭̎͝[̵̰̝͓͕̐]̶̫̑[̴͔̯͂̇]̸̬͊̽̉̕[̵͖͛͝≠̯̤̟̀̈́̈≠͊̈́̒̑͜[̷̻̝̈≠̧̹̭̯́͑̄]̸͚̜̈́̓̍͠[̷͎̱͉̂͋≠͔̦̊[̶̮͙͆̍̆=̵͖̜̣̀̈́͠͠[̵̢͈͋̓̚`̶̺͌͋̈≠͓͕̞̅̊]̸̨̞̓̈́[̸̡͇̭͌͐͠
First off, we have Kubbi’s ‘dolphin af’. I should just end it at that, because that’s all that really needs to be said, but I can’t not talk about this track. Kubbi usually judges tracks and sets the track order, but this year took a break from judging so that he could submit this masterpiece. It’s got everything you’d want in a Kubbi song: optimistic, cathartic melodies, amazing production, and a sick Anamanaguchi-style drop near the end of the song. I’m hearing a new Trainer Tips intro theme with this one.
Next up, L1nd0’s ‘Skyward’ follows up his funky submission to Volume 5 this year with a supremely echoic, spacey jam. His use of subtle changes in atmosphere via noise, percussion and heavy reverb creates an incredibly relaxing soundscape. This is the perfect follow up to Kubbi’s energetic track. I can just see Hoodie flying through ‘No Man’s Sky’, sipping a beer, and listening to this track with a smile on his face.
And now for something a little different. ‘Reborn sounds of childhood dreams ~ Go(GO)liath and the Electric Tiger’ by Starving GOGO. Surprise motherfucker, I love this track. Starving GOGO starts out with a recording of the Tiger Electronics game “Gargoyles – Le creature notturne” and then smashes into a hectic jam with noise and pulse details skittering all over this track. His use and manipulation of memes and MLG samples in this track is also quite 
. The structure of this song is a vast improvement from his latest release which is saying a lot, given that release only came out a few months ago.
YZYX serves up a truly smooth jam in ‘DREAMS~1.MID’ which is a mix between an overworld theme and a stage select screen’s background music. Its upbeat melodies hover over catchy, liquid rhythms. What’s impressive is that this track is made entirely using only the “Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth” made by Roland which comes bundled in every Windows release. You’ve probably heard it in Protodome’s work, and here YZYX challenges the limits of the medium in the coolest way possible: jazz.
Next we have KRVKT’s ‘Nihilanth’, and this song is pure LSDJ hardstep. It’s angry and bassy, raw and glitchy. Anyone that can still pull off the ASS and CHK DIS OUT samples in 2017 is alright in my book. The sample abuse alone is enough to recommend this song, but the production quality is what truly makes this song shine. KRVKT mixes light melodies and harsh percussion to create a deeper sense of dissonance. He uses this contrast throughout the track to really pull the most out of this pulsing, writhing mass of void.
Speaking of production quality, Shakaboyd (the artist responsible for that wonderful pixely goodness at the top of this article), sets the standard for quality of LSDJ tracks in this Volume with ‘We’re At War!’. Using only LSDJ and judicious layering of a super saw in one section, he creates a sense of tension and desperation. The WAV work in this track is truly jaw-dropping. From the rave anthem intro pad to the harsh basses in the choruses, the mastery of his tracker of choice is evident throughout.
Not much can be said about Auxcide that hasn’t already been said, but hot damn does this man know how to make you cry through music alone. And of course, ‘Lunar Maria’ is a drum and bass track (thanks Bryan ;3) with all the typical Auxcide fixings: LSDJ, reverb, and catharsis. One of the shorter tracks he has submitted to a ChipWIN compilation, this track is by no means a short song. Still, though, as only Bryan can do, he manages to squeeze out every single mutation and modulation of the main melody he can so as to keep the listener captivated until the very end. As one of the last LSDJ tracks he’ll be putting out before he transitions to using almost solely modular synths, this song is a wonderful farewell to the old with a view to the future of his work.
Starting out with a windswept, marimba led intro and building from there, Vince Kaichan returns to Chiptunes = WIN with grace and deft execution in ‘Mistral’. As he left LSDJ behind and moved on to OpenMPT, Sunvox, and myriad other mediums, his style and composition grew more mature and complex. In ‘Mistral’ he uses the fidelity of these more powerful trackers to his advantage creating a sense of wonderment and adventure. He leaves you where he found you at the end of this track, on a windswept plain looking toward the horizon.
Taking a more classical path down the well-trodden breakbeat trails in ‘Through the Ages’, Jacob Greenmount welcomes you to the holidays season in August with bells and breaks. His cheerful amen breaks and counter-melodies will have you bouncing around waiting for the end of the year to roll around. The pacing of this song is immaculate. Short and sweet, it makes its mark in the cutesy fills and the subtle ways it moves you through each section.
And now we come to the final track in my lot. I must say, I’m really coming around to Gnarcade’s pop punk sound that has slowly been infecting the chipscene for the past several years. This smooth and yet energetic sound found in so many other artists’ music is exemplified so well in ‘A Year’s Time’. As with many other artists of it’s style, Gnarcade’s production is flawless and balanced. Pop punk’s not going anywhere, and I’m excited to hear what else comes out of this corner of the scene.
‘̸͙̽̾͂;̸̻͙̮̹̿͌̔̓’̷̧̡͍͐;̸̡͇̪̩̿́’̷̨̯̍͝’̷͍̙̏̈́;̴̢̭͉̇̈́͑’̵̧̭̘̜͗’̶̻̦̝̹̆́̃;̸̝͈̎̓̂̚’̸͓̓͋̌̕;̶̫̳̟͓͗̿́;̵̫̙̋̏’̷̻͔̂͑̆́’̴͈͍̠͆’̴͍̻̌̅;̴̬̇̂;̷͒̈̌ͅ’̵̨͖̱̭̃;̸͓̊̉̏̕’̴͍̍̍;̴̖̭͙̥̿͑̈́’̵̩̩̺̏͜;̶̘̦̤͙͌̓͒̏’̵̥̳̈́̎͝;̴͈̜͕͍͆͌͗͊’̶͎̲̄̾́̒’̸̧̞̹̾͐̀;̶̨̺͋̄̅;̷̫̟̖̈́̿ͅ’̸̡̞̹͈̇̃;̶̡͚̦̈́̀ͅ;̵͉͕͙̺́’̵͇͗̏̀;̵͚̙͈̦̉̌͆͠;̶̨̢̡͚̔͂͂;̶̛͈̰͍̓̅’̸̠̙̘̘̓͝’̸̺̏̀͗̚’̸͉͛́̇͆;̷̫̜͈͆͗;̷̢̒͊̄͌’̸̝̯̟̾̈́̄;̸̡̣̖̏̀̂;̴̳̝̏̏̀̚’̶̳͕̜̥̋͆̈̈́’̶̰̝̻̝̉;̶̡̳̳̄̊̚͜’̴͈͉̒̒̾;̵̖͇͎͒̕;̴͓̗̈́͋;̴͓̓̈́̔͘’̷͚̄͂̀’̶̗̓̏̚;̵͍̹̹̽͌́͑;̶̡̜̔;̷̼̚’̵̦̎̈̈́̈’̴͖̥͚̀̚’̵̰͋̾̊͠’̴̡̠̬̲̕;̷̩̐̀͆’̶͉̝̈̆̀͐;̶̰̤̓̈́̈̔;̸̠̬̑͗;̷̼̮̙͙̄’̴̡̻͈̙̈̑;̸͚̪̈;̷͎̬͖́͋’̴̧͔̣͒̽̀̉;̸̨̘̠͙̔̉’̴̢̪͖̳̍̏;̸͙̐’̴͚͍̌̅̆̈́;̵̳͚̎’̴͇̜̯̏͑͘͝;̸͍̹̋́’̵̟̪̜̍̅̅̆;̷̧̨̟́́̾ͅ’̶̛̯͔̽̎̌;̶̱̆̇̈́͜͝’̸͙̽̾͂;̸̻͙̮̹̿͌̔̓’̷̧̡͍͐;̸̡͇̪̩̿́’̷̨̯̍͝’̷͍̙̏̈́;̴̢̭͉̇̈́͑’̵̧̭̘̜͗’̶̻̦̝̹̆́̃;̸̝͈̎̓̂̚’̸͓̓͋̌̕;̶̫̳̟͓͗̿́;̵̫̙̋̏’̷̻͔̂͑̆́’̴͈͍̠͆’̴͍̻̌̅;̴̬̇̂;̷͒̈̌ͅ’̵̨͖̱̭̃;̸͓̊̉̏̕’̴͍̍̍;̴̖̭͙̥̿͑̈́’̵̩̩̺̏͜;̶̘̦̤͙͌̓͒̏’̵̥̳̈́̎͝;̴͈̜͕͍͆͌͗͊’̶͎̲̄̾́̒’̸̧̞̹̾͐̀;̶̨̺͋̄̅;̷̫̟̖̈́̿ͅ’̸̡̞̹͈̇̃;̶̡͚̦̈́̀ͅ;̵͉͕͙̺́’̵͇͗̏̀;̵͚̙͈̦̉̌͆͠;̶̨̢̡͚̔͂͂;̶̛͈̰͍̓̅’̸̠̙̘̘̓͝’̸̺̏̀͗̚’̸͉͛́̇͆;̷̫̜͈͆͗;̷̢̒͊̄͌’̸̝̯̟̾̈́̄;̸̡̣̖̏̀̂;̴̳̝̏̏̀̚’̶̳͕̜̥̋͆̈̈́’̶̰̝̻̝̉;̶̡̳̳̄̊̚͜’̴͈͉̒̒̾;̵̖͇͎͒̕;̴͓̗̈́͋;̴͓̓̈́̔͘’̷͚̄͂̀’̶̗̓̏̚;̵͍̹̹̽͌́͑;̶̡̜̔;̷̼̚’̵̦̎̈̈́̈’̴͖̥͚̀̚’̵̰͋̾̊͠’̴̡̠̬̲̕;̷̩̐̀͆’̶͉̝̈̆̀͐;̶̰̤̓̈́̈̔;̸̠̬̑͗;̷̼̮̙͙̄’̴̡̻͈̙̈̑;̸͚̪̈;̷͎̬͖́͋’̴̧͔̣͒̽̀̉;̸̨̘̠͙̔̉’̴̢̪͖̳̍̏;̸͙̐’̴͚͍̌̅̆̈́;̵̳͚̎’̴͇̜̯̏͑͘͝;̸͍̹̋́’̵̟̪̜̍̅̅̆;̷̧̨̟́́̾ͅ’̶̛̯͔̽̎̌;̶̱̆̇̈́͜͝
Well, that’s it for me! I’m sure everyone’s sick of hearing this, but Volume 6 is definitely the best release this scene has put together, and I’m excited to hear what this and next year bring us ChipWINNERS. ;3 Look forward to Friday’s article wherein Adam reviews tracks by some of my favorite artists like Bitonal Landscape, Petriform, and CarboHydroM. I look forward to seeing what he has to say and to listening through those amazing tracks again!
