"A delicate balance of 80s and 90s synthpop with a focus on groove spiced with insane melodies." - Elijah Lucian
"Amplitude Problem has released a new album with such fly stylings you might turn into a space invader." - YTCracker
"... wildly impressed with the polish and charm of the album ... Full of catchy synth and that soon to be classic Amplitude Problem sound. From fast paced upbeat songs to some darker stuff this album has some range but flows together so nicely." - Punch Nerds
"... you DO NOT want to miss out on this release!" - Neon Vice
"Amplitude Problem should have been a SEGA composer in the early 90s because damn, this is excellent." - tanner4105
"Juan is one of the brightest minds I have had the pleasure of getting to know during my time on the planet. When I first met him back in the 80s he was a brilliant computer wizard that really stood out. We met several times in the store where I bought computers for my studio and started out what has turned out to be a lifelong friendship.
His deep knowledge in computers and his musical talents were, and still is, a big inspiration to me and there have been many occasions where he has used his wizardry to squeeze out things from my machines that the manufacturer probably never even thought possible.
For me this album is a fascinating journey through the different stages and eras in the evolution of the extraordinary artist he is today.
I hope you will enjoy this musical adventure as much as I have.
Regards,
Anders Ekström (AKA Damokles)
CEO and founder – BASILICON AB
Former CEO and founder of OK Records"
Commissioned pixel-art animation by Valenberg [ Facebook | Tumblr ]
[ view Tire Shine on YouTube ]
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Kickin off with somethin kickin - just rollin, rockin those shiny rims and rubber on a perfect day. Somewhere, tonight, there's a copyparty...
Commissioned pixel-art animation by Valenberg [ Facebook | Tumblr ]
[ view OK Firetown on YouTube ]
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OK, Firetown, I'm going back through time and space, hopefully without getting lost, to deal with you. Anders Ekström, aka Damokles, that means you.
If you were me but you were still you, or if I were you but I was still me, or if, back in the day, I had the skills and could make music like you could but still like I would, or if you, today, made a track from the past future, or if I, today, made the track I wish I could have in 1989, what the hell would it sound like? And why did I just tie my feeble brain into a knot?
This is my humble tribute to you and the incredible, unlikely number of random events that had to happen for this song, and any of my music for that matter, to exist today. Your friendship, mentorship and the studio time you allowed me at OK Records back in Firetown shaped everything, and not "just" music-wise. Reverse-engineering your piano improv MIDI files and electronic music taught me more than my time at Musicians Institute.
Even more incredible, all of this has been transmitted to my unsuspecting son who now plays Pink Panther on the piano like I do, like you do. And the poor kid has more 80s synth influence in his blood than he'll ever admit, because of me, because of you.
Music is the greatest energy in the world.
Thank you, Anders. And thank you, Pia, for putting up with us back in the day.
Turn it up and party like there's no Syndicate...
Commissioned pixel-art animation by Valenberg [ Facebook | Tumblr ]
[ view Echoes from Neals on YouTube ]
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Featuring the voice talent of YTCracker.
If you don't know Neals, allow me to introduce him.
His ideals, code, art and music have spread across the world. The digital echoes of his imprisoned voice resonate in the free corners of cyberspace while he gens a key to unlock his titanium cell.
There is still hope. Don't panic.
Commissioned pixel-art animation by Valenberg [ Facebook | Tumblr ]
[ view Wet Pavement Blues on YouTube ]
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Some days turn out like this. Too soaked to ride, you step into some San Secuestro joint for something smokey and dry, and some suitable soundwaves. Tonight, you ride come hell or high water.
Commissioned pixel-art animation by Valenberg [ Facebook | Tumblr ]
[ view Blue Bots Dots on YouTube ]
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"Rays hitting the other side
Incandescents have taken over
Hot ICE at 12K doing the ton
Blue dots morph into lines
Bright vector lines
Against black space
Am I leaving a jetwall in my wake
Or is the law spinning blue
Jacked in or not
It doesn't matter
Like water through a sieve
I am the line"
12 by 18 inch poster available from Retro Promenade
Commissioned pixel-art animation by Valenberg [ Facebook | Tumblr ]
[ view Funky Mustache on YouTube ]
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That ride down the slab left you seriously high on adrenaline but something funky and psychedelic is called for. I have absolutely no idea what this song is about other than delivering a weaponized funkgasm when those synths come in around 2:10. \m/, x_x ,\m/
Commissioned pixel-art animation by Valenberg [ Facebook | Tumblr ]
[ view Computer Corner on YouTube ]
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My tribute to the greatest 1980s computer store there ever was, Computer Corner in Malmö, Sweden. The store, Peter Christensen and Johan Fristedt (the owners), and the friends I made through it probably saved my life.
I wrote my very first commercial piece of software for this store at age 12. It was a very simple Computer Corner logo moving up and down the screen while changing colors. It ran on an Atari 130XE hooked up to a tv in a display window. At night, when it was closed, I'd sometimes walk to the store to see my code running in the window. I was amazed that anyone would put something I created on display, and it changed my outlook on life.
This song features verses that sound both sentimental and reflective of my down mood back then when not in the computer store hacking away. The chorus is all about stepping in through the front door of Computer Corner and planting my ass in front of an Atari ST for 48 hours of hacking fueled by Coke and Twix. (Or "a Twix and a toothbrush", as Peter called that combo.) Fun fact: Twix was called "Raider" in Sweden at the time.
Peter went back into the source code of life, as YTCracker would say, way too early and before I had said what needed to be said. He will never hear this song nor read this text, but I forever owe him.
Commissioned pixel-art animation by Valenberg [ Facebook | Tumblr ]
[ view 80 Proof Midnights and 98 Octane Noons on YouTube ]
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Yin. Yang. Gin. 'stang.
Featuring String Operation on guitars and the voice talent of Kaela Caron.
Pick up your TIE fighter and throw your buddy the X-wing. 1v1. May this battle be epic and uninterrupted by things like parents...
Every party, every ride, every battle must end. Time to dial down the photons hitting our retinas and gradually reveal the night's theme. Tomorrow we roll in the sun.
This album was mastered for quality and dynamics, not mere loudness, by Trevor Sadler of Grammy Award winning Mastermind Productions.
Amplitude Problem is Juan Irming
I didn't set out to make an album that dealt with my formative years, but that's largely what it became. About half of the songs concern things from the late 80s and very early 90s, and Plastic Spaceships goes all the way back to first grade! The whole project turned out far more personal than I had ever thought. As a non-vocalist, I depend on telling stories purely through melodies, harmonies, rhythms and soundscapes. It's challenging but very exciting because every listener interprets my work differently.
Neon Vice recently published an interview with me where you can read more about the album and other things Amplitude Problem. You can also listen to my interview on Synthetix Sundays on Radio Pure Gently.
Producing a commercial-grade album with accompanying art and all the other supporting assets takes a ton of time and costs quite a bit of money. This entire project was self-funded. I aimed to deliver a web version of an old-school album experience complete with the visuals that would first grab you in the record store and the liner notes you'd read while listening at home. And, of course, Valenberg's beautiful pixel-art animations. I hope you enjoyed it!
Please consider supporting me by buying the album from Bandcamp for whatever price you choose. (You can also still get it from Retro Promenade's Bandcamp page.) It is also available in all the other usual places like iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, TIDAL, Google Play, Microsoft Store, Spotify and Tradiio, but at Bandcamp you can download much higher quality audio and they keep only 15% of what you pay compared to Apple's 30%.
You can also order a sweet t-shirt, hoodie, sticker and poster; there are several designs available. Thank you!
Here you go, some Blue Bots Dots ringtones for your phone:
[ MP3 format for Android etc ] [ M4R format for iPhone ]
If you like my album, please share it with your friends. You have my permission to legally do so per the Creative Commons license below. You may even use music from this album in your own non-commercial projects provided you follow the instructions in the license.
Blue Bots Dots by Amplitude Problem is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://amplitudeproblem.com/.
Copyright © 2015 Juan Irming
Some Rights Reserved
