Disquiet Junto Project 0704: Right on Cumulus
Dear Members of the Disquiet Junto,
These Junto projects generally don’t require a specific sort of instrumentation, though that isn’t always the case. This week’s project focuses on 8-bit music. If you’re particularly familiar with making 8-bit music, maybe you can recommend some tools for those less familiar in the discussion thread on Lines (aka llllllll.co).
This week’s project was inspired by some research I was doing into Super Mario Clouds, a 2002 work of media art by Cory Arcangel. You can see a video I recorded of it at youtube.com/disquiet, and read a bit at disquiet.com.
And that about covers it. Nothing big to report. Thanks, as always, for your generosity with your time, creativity, and curiosity.
Best from San Francisco, where my neighborhood didn’t hit 60º Fahrenheit today,
Marc Weidenbaum
marc@disquiet.com
. . .
Disquiet Junto Project 0704: Right on Cumulus
The Assignment: Compose 8-bit music inspired by a Cory Arcangel / Super Mario video.
Step 1: You’re going to record 8-bit music (or something approximately like it). If you’re not familiar with means by which to do so, read up a bit. Also, there may be some discussion on the Lines (llllllll.co) message board for those new to it.
Step 2: In 2002, the media artist Cory Arcangel created a work of art titled Super Mario Clouds, which removed everything from the 1985 Super Mario Bros. video game except the blue sky and passing clouds. This means that Arcangel’s video was silent, because also excluded was Koji Kondo’s classic score. Read up about the work, which is well-documented.
Step 3: Part of the reason that the original Super Mario Bros. music wasn’t included in Super Mario Clouds may have been to do with how it, naturally, wasn’t aligned with how sedate the Arcangel hack turned out to be. Please now record very sedate 8-bit music that does feel aligned with Super Mario Clouds.
Tasks Upon Completion:
Label: Include “disquiet0704” (no spaces/quotes) in the name of your track.
Upload: Post your track to a public account (SoundCloud preferred but by no means required). It’s best to focus on one track, but if you post more than one, clarify which is the “main” rendition.
Share: Post your track and a description/explanation at https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0704-right-on-cumulus/
Discuss: Listen to and comment on the other tracks.
Additional Details:
Length: The length is up to you. Two to four minutes seems about right.
Deadline: Monday, June 30, 2025, 11:59pm (that is: just before midnight) wherever you are.
About: https://disquiet.com/junto/
Newsletter: https://juntoletter.disquiet.com/
License: It’s preferred (but not required) to set your track as downloadable and allowing for attributed remixing (i.e., an attribution Creative Commons license).
Please Include When Posting Your Track:
More on the 704th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Right on Cumulus — The Assignment: Compose 8-bit music inspired by a Cory Arcangel / Super Mario video — at https://disquiet.com/0704/