ComputeHer "Modemoiselle" Review

Chiptunes musician ComputeHer has just released her new album, entitled “Modemoiselle”. Now the cleverness of the name alone is worth high praise, but The Feed would rather have you join us for a listen and decide for yourselves, since this is more than just music inspired by and played on videogame systems. Hit the link below for some samples and even a free download.

Self-described as “an aural world of pure lo-fi sensuality and mischief” this latest release from Michelle “ComputeHer” Mitchell is more than a level up from you might expect. Even if you’ve heard a million chiptunes tracks before, this is not the sound of someone playing with a downloaded emulator, but an evolution of the genre.

Starting off with the sounds of a dial-up modem “handshake”, the album launches into the up-tempo jam of “SysOp”. Immediately you can tell that there is more going on here than you might have imagined. What is even better is the album features a demo version of this same track in a delightfully stripped down 8-bit demo version. Listening to the two side by side clearly reveals the growth from the initial idea to the final piece.

Next up is “Naughty Bits”, which fits in beautifully with the vintage naughty theme that extends from the album title to its brilliant cover art. On first listen (while driving and at bass throbbing volume) the song immediately created images of pixilated pole dancers with limited animation, dancing in a club where you might bump into Duke Nukem, Conker or Leisure Suit Larry. Its sultry melody and beat are accentuated perfectly with just the right amount of chiptuned tonal-coloring.

This one is a very different from the previous numbers. The opening bass lines are steeped in Nine Inch Nails grit, which are quickly accentuated by an OMD-inspired synth melody. As the song progresses, random sound drops which would make Devo proud in their sonic placement and use, take over the forefront of the piece.

“Modemoiselle” is an extremely fun listen from start to finish. The two demo tracks that end the album are interesting to listen to next to their completed counterparts, but in the end, Mitchell’s lovingly handcrafted sound across the rest of the album plays even better when compared to the demos. You can pick up “Modemoiselle” in its 5 ¼” diskette sleeve from ComputeHer’s website, which even offers a pair of songs from the album to download for free.

If you are into the chiptunes scene or have a band you think The Feed should consider checking out, you can let me know here.