Music
Press
Jeremiah Johnson, 27, is a chiptune composer: His instrument is not the guitar or the piano or even the latest music software, but old-school video hardware like the Nintendo GameBoy. Working with screwdrivers and soldering irons, he painstakingly reprograms the rudimentary sound chips in the game machines to create songs that play right from the console. The sound is less Super Mario Brothers and more post-punk, New Wave electronica (albeit with that familiar, bleepy timbre). - New York Times
The New York-based Nullsleep took the stage next, three Game Boys spliced to a keyboard that was slung over one shoulder like an electric guitar. He played it low, catching tinny riffs and twisting them together like an intergalactic Jimmy Page. - Village Voice
Co-founder of “8bitpeoples,” a collective of artists influenced by the sights and sounds of classic video games, Jeremiah Johnson — aka Nullsleep — composes music on the Nintendo Game Boy and the 17-year-old Nintendo NES. His recent works include Game Boy remakes of songs by the 1980s synth band Depeche Mode. Note for note the compositions follow the original tunes, but with a distinct Game Boy sound. The end result are works that are electronic, yet suprisingly warm. - MSNBC.com
Using repurposed Game Boys and NES consoles, New York's Jeremiah Johnson (aka Nullsleep) writes powerful pop chiptunes by hacking old NES cartridges. Though Johnson is at home tinkering with hardware he loves performing live. "Live performance is an important aspect of my music," says Johnson. "It's fun to strap on a QWERTY keyboard like a guitar, hook it up to a Game Boy, and shred away..." - Alternative Press
Discography
Nullsleep: Electric Heart Strike (EP 8bitpeoples)
Nullsleep: The Gameboy Singles 2002 (EP 8bitpeoples)
Nullsleep: Hello World (EP 8bitpeoples)
Nullsleep: Click Bleep Click (EP 8bitpeoples)
Nullsleep: Wooden Polyurethane Papers (EP 8bitpeoples)
V/A: Getsumen To Heiki Mina Character Collection 4 (CD Aniplex)
V/A: 8-Bit Operators (CD Astralwerks)
V/A: Pocket Calculator (12" Astralwerks)
V/A: 8BP050 (2xCD 8bitpeoples)
V/A: GB/V.A. (CD Intikrec)
V/A: Microdisko Vol.01 (CD Microdisko)
V/A: Sonic Rec Room (CD Codek Records)
V/A: The 8bits of Christmas (EP 8bitpeoples)
V/A: VGM Mixtape #8 (CD NoSides Records)
V/A: Retork (CD Enough Records)
Photos
Bio
Nullsleep creates powerful romantic pop using repurposed low-bit electronics in a relentless search for new ways to circumvent their limitations. Bittersweet melodies and driving, rhythmic pulses are coaxed out of small plastic devices to produce a surprisingly intense sound. In 1999 Nullsleep cofounded 8bitpeoples, a collective of artists interested in the audio-visual aesthetics of early home computers and video game consoles. He has since released a number of recordings through 8bitpeoples, Astralwerks, Aniplex and others. Based in New York City, Nullsleep has performed extensively throughout North America, Europe and Asia, including the 20-date International Chiptune Resistance world tour in 2006.
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