Math You, Ate Bitten and Thundercade

At last, chiptunes have arrived to give even techno snobs something to point at as being "too electronic-sounding." Fashioned out of the raw, bracing sound of ancient game machines and obsolete computer circuits bent into music machines, chiptunes are both nostalgic and forward-looking. They fuse the sound of childhood's sugar-fueled Saturday-morning Nintendo marathons with the exploratory attitude and love of sound for sound's sake that motivates experimental electronic-music producers. Influenced by everything from the relentlessly chipper themes of classic video games to the brutal aggression of digital hardcore, there's plenty of variety to be found in the style. With artists such as Math You (pictured), Ate Bitten and Thundercade, Denver is at the forefront of this burgeoning sound. Visit www.denvertronic.com for samples and more info on these acts, then hear all three artists live in a glorious orgy of 8-bit buzz starting at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at Hooked on Colfax, 3215 East Colfax Avenue.