Emo math-rock band Daydream Plus have released an 8-bit chiptune remix version of their debut album Second Last Day of Summer that’s only available as a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) cartridge.
That means the only way to listen to the reworked album in its entirety is via a vintage games console launched in 1986. This comes after the original album was released in physical formats only, with fans of the group able to grab CD and vinyl copies of the project via music distribution platform Bandcamp.
The NES launch, titled Extended Forecast, is part of the band's wider push against less intentional modern forms of music consumption.
"I love owning physical media," Daydream Plus guitarist Payson Power told NME. "It's a sign of respect to the artist, especially in an age where things are so disposable. Nowadays, people consume at this voracious speed. I miss the days of building your collection bit-by-bit."
There's also a desire to counteract the growing trend of video games being released in download-only format, exemplified by PlayStation's recent decision to abandon physical releases completely.
"Digital means you only ever own a license to play and with Day One updates [that fix overlooked bugs] becoming more frequent, we all get an inferior product," Power said. "It just rewards greed and corporate bullshit."
Still, translating the album into NES format wasn't easy. Power spent countless hours watching YouTube tutorials on how to reprogram music for the NES' five available audio channels using 8-bit music tracker FamiTracker, and reached out to experts on vintage electronics for advice on how to make it work.
"It was a brutal experience," he said. "The NES is basically held together with chewing gum and paperclips. I've told my wife, when they put me in the crematorium oven, to make sure I'm clutching a copy of 'Extended Forecast'. It's my life's work."
Check out Daydream Plus on Bandcamp.
