The Attic Bits bring ‘chiptune’ to the seacoast

Advancing technology and musical experimentation has created a broad range of opportunities for musicians to create and alter the music industry, as well as the craft as a whole. New genres are constantly being introduced, expanded upon and re-defined, which opens a series of debates as to the true nature of music and what exactly defines the art form.

The Attic Bits of Epping, N.H. are huge advocates of this progressive approach to music.

The band performs a genre of music called chiptune. The Attic Bats' Facebook page explains the sound as "improvisational, experimental 8-bit ambient dance."

According to Mike D'Errico, a.k.a. Attic Bat, chiptune is broadly defined as "a musical medium which utilizes the sound chips of old video game consoles to create music in a variety of stylistic forms."

What exactly does that entail?

D'Errico said that musicians who work in the chiptune genre typically write original compositions using specific programs that allow them to control sound bits from various game consoles including Nintendo, Atari, Gameboy and Commodore 64.

The biggest difficulty with the genre is that many people don't consider chiptune to be "real music."

"Our biggest accomplishment thus far has been spreading our experience and knowledge of chiptune music to a wider audience through lectures and public workshops," D'Errico said.

"As one can imagine, the sound of chiptune music is hard to immediately access, especially for audiences that have not grown up with those video game sounds throughout their childhood."

D'Errico is only one half of The Attic Bits. Jeremy Murphy (a.k.a. Arkbit), who was unavailable for comment, is his musical companion. According to D'Errico, the two have been playing music in various contexts since middle school, and went on different musical paths when D'Errico went to UNH to study music.

After D'Errico's graduation from UNH, he began studying at Tufts University and returned to Epping, NH, where he and Murphy formed The Attic Bits.

 Their debut album, Dance of the Dragon, was released in September 2010. Prior to the recording process for this album, D'Errico and Murphy had only created "live" music as experimental improvisations. Dance of the Dragon was their first attempt at composing music for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy.

Furthermore, the record introduces a narrative structure which is continued in the band's new release, The Field of Dismay.

"In terms of the narrative story that we have constructed in conjunction with the music, Dance of the Dragon introduces The Attic Bits as the ‘wanderers' who hack into a computer mainframe, allowing them to enter a video game world in which they confront multiple enemies, and befriend allies who help them navigate their way through the virtual world," D'Errico said.

"The Field of Dismay takes on a much darker tone, as the wanderers experience multiple tragedies at the hands of the evil powers," he added.

D'Errico also said that The Field of Dismay delves deeper musically, "creating a fragmented soundscape that reflects the narrative."

For more about The Attic Bits, including tour dates, song streams and videos, check out the band's website at theatticbits.com. The band also has a Facebook page, facebook.com/atticbits.

The Attic Bits are scheduled to perform at The Jam Factory in Manchester, N.H. on March 26 and April 2. They also have a lecture scheduled at the Portsmouth Public Library on April 10. More information can be found online.