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Nintendocore

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For the hip hop subgenre, see Nerdcore.
Nintendocore
Other names
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsEarly 2000s, United States
Typical instruments
Other topics

Nintendocore[note 1] is a broadly defined style of music that most commonly fuses chiptune and video game music with hardcore punk and/or heavy metal. The genre is sometimes considered a direct subgenre of post-hardcore[10] and a fusion genre between metalcore and chiptune.[11] The genre originated in the early 2000s and peaked around the late 2000s[12] with bands like Horse the Band, I Fight Dragons, Math the Band, An Albatross, The NESkimos and Minibosses pioneering the genre.

Characteristics[edit]

Nintendocore frequently features the use of electric guitars, drum kits, and typical rock instrumentation alongside synthesizers,[13] chiptune, 8-bit sounds, and electronically produced beats.[1][3][14] It originated primarily from various subgenres of hardcore punk[3][13][15] and/or heavy metal,[16] (such as post-hardcore,[14][17] metalcore,[13][17] deathcore, cybergrind,[18] and screamo)[3][19] but artists in the genre have also incorporated elements of electro,[3] noise rock,[1][20] hardcore techno, ambient, glitch, breakcore,[21] and post-rock, among others.[17][22] Nintendocore groups vary stylistically and come from a wide array of influences. Horse the Band combines metalcore, heavy metal, thrash metal, and post-hardcore with post-rock passages.[3][17][19] "The Black Hole" from Horse the Band's third album, The Mechanical Hand, is an example of Nintendocore, featuring screamed vocals, heavy "Nintendo riffs," and "sound effects from numerous games."[23] Math the Band includes electro and dance-punk styles.[24] Minibosses use Kyuss-inspired heavy metal riffing,[25] and The Advantage is associated with styles such as noise rock and post-rock.[26] The Depreciation Guild was an indie band that incorporated 8-bit sounds, video game music, and elements of shoegaze.[27]

Some bands feature singing, such as The Depreciation Guild, whose frontman Kurt Feldman provides "ethereal" and "tender vocals,"[27] and The Megas, who write lyrics that mirror video game storylines.[28] Others, such as Horse the Band and Math the Band, add screamed vocals into the mix.[3][4][17][19][29] But yet other groups are strictly instrumental, such as Minibosses,[25] and The Advantage.[1][22] While otherwise diverse, all Nintendocore groups "use specific instruments to mimic the sounds of Nintendo games."[14]

Etymology[edit]

The term "Nintendocore" is a portmanteau of Nintendo, the popular gaming company from which many of the genre's influences and samples originate and the "core" suffix, which is often used to denote the various subgenres of hardcore punk.[30] The term was first used in 2001,[31] when Horse the Band frontman, Nathan Winneke,[13] originally coined the term "Nintendocore" as a joke and the term appeared on the band's I Am a Small Wooden Statue on a Patch of Crabgrass Next to a Dried Up Riverbed demo.[32][33] However, several members of the group have since attempted to distance themselves from the descriptor, such as former bassist Dashiel Arkenstone, who stated: "I reject it [Nintendocore] because it cheapens our music."[34] Winneke later explained: "It sucks when everybody is just like 'Oh this song about your mom getting beat, what game is this about?' we're very serious most of the time about our music and art, it's only a reference to the idea of blending the digital music of the games and things we grew up on with all the other music we love. It was just a fun idea at the time but everyone took it a hundred yards too far."[35]

History[edit]

Precursors (late 1970s-2000)[edit]

See also: Category:Band-centric video games, Category:Music about video games, and Electronicore

The earliest precursors to Nintendocore can be found with the relationship between video games and chiptune with rock music. After the success of video games and eventual entering of popular culture in the late 1970s during the golden age, many music artists began capitalizing on video games, often using samples of games or having songs lyrically about a specific game, as well as appearing in them.

One of the first artists to do this was synth-pop pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra.[36] Emerging in the late 70's,[37] the group would sample Space Invaders sounds in their influential 1978 debut album, particularly the hit song "Computer Game". In turn, the band would have a major influence on much of the video game music produced after. Former Yellow Magic Orchestra member Haruomi Hosono would go on to release a 1984 album produced entirely from Namco arcade game music entitled simply Video Game Music, one of the first chiptune albums and the first video game music album.[38]

Other songs based on or sampling video games soon followed, including "Disco Space Invaders" (1979) by Funny Stuff,[39] "Space Invader" (1980) by The Pretenders,[39] "Space Invaders" (1980) by Uncle Vic,[40] and "Pac-Man" (1981) by "Weird Al" Yankovic.[41] Similar sounds used in other songs include the "tackled" sound from a Mattel electronic football game used in "The Logical Song" (1979) by Supertramp and a version of the song "Dixie" generated by the alarm of a digital wrist watch owned by Mick Jones used in Rock the Casbah (1982) by The Clash.

Ian MacKaye, a key figure in the development of hardcore punk has mentioned his relationship with video games and how he enjoyed video games as a kid.[42][better source needed]

In 1981, Buckner and Garcia, fans of Pac-Man, released novelty song Pac-Man Fever. Originally having little local radio success, CBS Records took notice and the single hit #9 on the Billboard charts in 1982. Later that same year, an album of the same name released on CBS Records quickly followed composed entirely of video game themed songs. Songs on the album featured audio samples of gameplay for each game, this in turn would be a precursor to the fusion of chiptune and rock used in Nintendocore.

Rock music has also influenced video game composers such as Koji Kondo, composer for Nintendo, often cited as being influenced by hard rock bands such as Deep Purple, Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Nobuo Uematsu who was influenced by Elton John and progressive rock.[43][44]

In 1982, Journey's seventh album Escape would influence the release of Atari 2600 video game Journey Escape, making it one of the first video games to be based on a rock band.[45] Other rock band-centric video games soon followed.[46]

Starting in the late 1980s, heavy metal and punk rock became increasingly popular, due to this, its music started appearing in or influencing more video games. Video games featuring or inspired by heavy metal and/or punk rock music included Doom (1993), Quake (1996), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (1999) and Crazy Taxi (2000).[47][48] Around this time, post-hardcore, a more creatively experimental form of hardcore punk, and metalcore, a fusion of heavy metal and hardcore punk began to emerge as well as one of the first fusions of electronic music and hardcore punk, digital hardcore.[citation needed]

The first known rock band to cover a video game song from an actual game however, was all-female indie rock group Autoclave with their cover of the theme song from popular video game Paperboy which was recorded in 1990.[citation needed] Other early rock groups known to cover video game songs were alternative rock band Pixies, who released a cover version of the main theme from the arcade game Narc as a B-side to the single "Planet of Sound" in 1991,[49] and avant-garde metal band Mr. Bungle, with their live cover of the Super Mario Bros. theme song, which was a regular staple throughout their 1990s concert setlist.[50] Mr. Bungle would also sample sounds from video games on their debut album from 1991, specifically the endings of "Carousel" and "Egg".[citation needed]

In 1998, Swedish hardcore punk band Refused would release their third album The Shape of Punk to Come which has elements of techno and electronica, which would later influence electronicore, an electronic and metalcore/post-hardcore fusion genre that originated around the same time as Nintendocore.[51] Also in 1998, Horse the Band would form with a more traditional hardcore punk sound and would release the Scabies, the Kangarooster, and You EP in 1999.[citation needed] The next year in 2000, self-defined "SID Metal" band Machinae Supremacy would form. The band combines power metal and alternative metal with the SID chip from the Commodore 64.[citation needed]

Origins and recent developments (2000s-present)[edit]

Horse the Band,[13] the group who originally coined the term[32] have released five studio albums in the Nintendocore style, starting with 2000's Secret Rhythm of the Universe.[13][28]

Nintendocore pioneers The Advantage performing in Japan in 2010.

Another Nintendocore pioneer is The Advantage,[52] whom The New York Times praises as one of the groups who brought video game music into the mainstream modern music spotlight.[2] The Advantage is an instrumental rock band formed by two students attending Nevada Union High School.[2][53] Spencer Seim first heard the original two band members play at a 1999 Nevada Union High School talent show, beginning his musical career, and continued to lead the group forward after high school.[54] The group "plays nothing but music from the original Nintendo console games."[2] By creating rock cover versions of video game sound tracks, they have "brought legitimacy to a style of music dubbed Nintendocore."[1]

The Minibosses at Penny Arcade Expo 2005 (now PAX).

The Phoenix-based rock group, Minibosses,[55] "[is] one of the most well-established bands in the Nintendocore genre, with an impressive roster of covers including Contra, Double Dragon, Excitebike," and covers of other video game themes.[28] Minibosses is known as one of the primary representatives of Nintendo rock,[56] performing at various video game expositions.[28] In addition to covers, the band has also produced original work.[28] The Harvard Crimson refers to Minibosses as "sworn rivals" of The NESkimos,[1] another Nintendocore practitioner.[28] The 2007 debut album by The Depreciation Guild,[57] In Her Gentle Jaws has been referred to as Nintendocore by Pitchfork Media. The website wrote that "In Her Gentle Jaws sticks its neck out further than Nintendocore staples like The Advantage or Minibosses", and that the album's instrumental title track "could plausibly come from an NES cartridge."[27]

Math the Band formed in 2002 and made use of "analog synthesizers, vintage drum machines, old video game systems and shitty guitars" which helped define the sound that is commonly associated with Nintendocore.[58] Having played shows in the U.K., Mexico, and Canada with a variety of artists and rappers, they have helped spread the genre to venues outside of the United States.[58] Math the Band is one of the bands with the Nintendocore sound still active today, performing at MAGFest 2020[58][59] and their latest album Flange Factory Five releasing in October 2020.[60]

In 2016 a small group of modern Nintendocore artists including Unicorn Hole,[61] Polygon Horizon,[62] and Got Item![63] released a compilation album themed after the original Super Smash Bros. game. This album was released by the net label "Nintendocore Lives",[64] in an attempt to revitalize the genre.[65]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Always intentionally spelled capitalized.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Payne, Will B. (2006-02-14). "Nintendo Rock: Nostalgia or Sound of the Future". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  2. ^ a b c d Weingarten, Marc (29 April 2004). "Resurrecting the Riffs, A Nintendo Rock Band". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Wright (2010-12-09). "Subgenre(s) of the Week: Nintendocore (feat. Holiday Pop)". The Quest. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  4. ^ a b Yun, Elizabeth (4 January 2011). "Math the Band Strive to 'Take Fun Seriously' Exclusive Video". Spinner.com. AOL. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  5. ^ Raj, Josh (28 April 2012). "Nerdcore: I Fight Dragons". nerdsontherocks.com. Retrieved December 18, 2020. The type of music is called "Nerdcore" sometimes "Nintendocore." Basically, this is a genre of music that takes today's rock music and adding in chiptune, the few note songs from classic video games, and creating a very unique style.
  6. ^ "11 of the weirdest metal subgenres". 30 March 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021 – via Louder.
  7. ^ Moses, Jeff (2015-06-16). "Minibosses Celebrate 15 Years of Gaming-Centric Music". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
  8. ^ "The Most Intolerable Fan Bases in Music | Dallas Observer". Retrieved January 5, 2021 – via Dallas Observer.
  9. ^ "New 8-bit metalcore album revives nintendocore with brutal N64 theme—listen". July 17, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2021 – via Alternative Press.
  10. ^ "HORSE the Band Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
  11. ^ "New 8-bit metalcore album revives nintendocore with brutal N64 theme—listen". Alternative Press. 17 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Google Trends". Google Trends. Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Greer, Nick (2005-01-24). "HORSE the band R. Borlax". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  14. ^ a b c Loftus, Johnny. "HORSE the Band". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  15. ^ Sutherland, Sam (December 2006). "Horse the Band - Pizza EP". Exclaim!. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  16. ^ Turull, Alisha (6 October 2009). "New Releases: Lita Ford, the Fall of Troy, Horse the band, Immortal, Inhale Exhale". Noisecreep. AOL. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Horse The Band, Super 8 Bit Brothers, Endless Hallway ,and Oceana". The A.V. Club. The Onion. 8 November 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "NINTENDOCORE, a metal music subgenre".
  19. ^ a b c Loftus, Johnny. "R. Borlax [Bonus Tracks]". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  20. ^ Leahey, Andrew. "A Natural Death". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  21. ^ "What is Nintendocore?". 2 February 2021.
  22. ^ a b Loftus, Johnny. "The Mechanical Hand". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  23. ^ Weber, Scott (Site moderator). "Horse the Band - The Mechanical Hand". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 2011-05-07. {{cite web}}: External link in |first= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ Trivett, Ben (21 October 2010). "Math the Band Play Blistering Set at CMJ -- Exclusive Photos". Spinner.com. AOL. Archived from the original on 1 January 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  25. ^ a b Borges, Mario Mesquita. "Minibosses". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  26. ^ Trivett, Ben (21 October 2010). "Math the Band Play Blistering Set at CMJ -- Exclusive Photos". Spinner.com. AOL. Archived from the original on 1 January 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  27. ^ a b c Moerder, Adam (Staff member). "The Depreciation Guild - In Her Gentle Jaws". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011-05-09. {{cite web}}: External link in |first= (help)
  28. ^ a b c d e f Bayer, Jonah (2009-03-05). "Like Video Games? You'll Love Nintendocore". Gibson Guitar Corporation. Archived from the original on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  29. ^ Synyard, Dave (September 2007). "Horse the Band - A Natural Death". Exclaim!. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  30. ^ ""-core" Is the Suffix of Our Time | Washingtonian (DC)". Washingtonian. 2015-04-07. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  31. ^ "Strange Music Genres You Need to Know". Beat. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  32. ^ a b Willschick, Aaron (2007-06-03). "Interview with HORSE The Band bassist Dash Arkenstone". PureGrainAudio. ProtogenLabs. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  33. ^ "Entrevista a HORSE the band: «Somos más que nintendocore»". portalternativo.com (in Spanish). 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2004.
  34. ^ "The Death of Nintendocore". Kotaku Australia. 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  35. ^ "Horse the Band (Last.fm Live)". YouTube. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  36. ^ "John Lewis meets the trio that is Yellow Magic Orchestra". TheGuardian.com. July 3, 2008.
  37. ^ "ymo.org". ymo.org. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  38. ^ "Haruomi Hosono". redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  39. ^ a b "The Wire, Issues 221–226", The Wire, p. 44, 2002, retrieved 2011-05-25
  40. ^ Lovelace, Craven (August 27, 2010). "Take a waka-waka-waka on the wild side". Grand Junction Free Press. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  41. ^ Barsanti, Sam (16 February 2017). ""Weird Al" Yankovic shares his unreleased Beatles parody about Pac-Man". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  42. ^ "As in the Sky — Interview from 2005". dayafterdc.wordpress.com. November 17, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  43. ^ "Weirdness: Legendary Composer Koji Kondo Drew Inspiration From '70s Rock Bands". Nintendo Life. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  44. ^ Kondo, Koji (March 11, 2007). "VGL: Koji Kondo". Wired (Interview). Interviewed by Chris Kohler. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  45. ^ Wawzenek, Bryan (December 15, 2018). "Rock Stars in Video Games: A Complete History". Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  46. ^ Diver, Mike (December 16, 2020). "A short history of heavy metal in video games". Kerrang!. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  47. ^ "10 Video Games With Awesome Punk Rock Soundtracks". screenrant.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  48. ^ Winkie, Luke (April 22, 2019). "10 Heaviest Video Game Soundtracks". revolvermag.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  49. ^ "Theme from Narc". Archived from the original on 2015-05-20. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  50. ^ "Mr. Bungle Frequently Asked Questions". bunglefever.com. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  51. ^ Lyons, Patrick (26 October 2018). "Was Refused's 'The Shape Of Punk To Come' Actually The Shape Of Punk To Come?". Stereogum. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  52. ^ Hughes, Josiah (August 2008). "Hella guitarist Spencer Seim releases solo album as sBACH". Exclaim!. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  53. ^ "Nevada Union High School - Home". nevadaunion.njuhsd.com. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  54. ^ Weingarten, Marc (2004-04-29). "Resurrecting the Riffs, A Nintendo Rock Band". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  55. ^ "Minibosses". Minibosses. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  56. ^ Rene Gutel (August 26, 2004). "The Rise of Nintendo Rock". Tempe, Arizona. NPR. KJZZ 91.5. Archived from the original on September 3, 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2011. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  57. ^ "Kanine Records - The Depreciation Guild". kaninerecords.com. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  58. ^ a b c "Math the Band". Super Magfest. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  59. ^ "MAGFest 2020: Math the Band". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  60. ^ "Math the Band on Twitter:Album premier tonight!! Streaming live at 9est , and sticking around to answer any questions". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  61. ^ "Unicorn Hole". Unicorn Hole. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  62. ^ "Polygon Horizon". Polygon Horizon. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  63. ^ "Porcine Menace, by Got Item!". Got Item!. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  64. ^ "Music | Nintendocore Lives". Nintendocorelives.bandcamp.com. 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  65. ^ "New 8-bit metalcore album revives nintendocore with brutal N64 theme—listen - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. 2016-07-17. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
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