If We All Chip In

I am incredibly lucky in that A) I live in an area well outside that ravaged by the recent earthquake/tsunami activity and B) all of my friends and acquaintances in said area have been accounted for. Unfortunately, a lot of other folks can't say that.

In the wake of a disaster of this scale people often feel a marked urge to pitch in, to help out. Some would argue that this is a hollow, self-serving gesture to make the more fortunate among us feel better about ourselves, but I believe otherwise. Instead I see it as a function of human nature, both in our eternal struggle to try an exercise order in a chaotic world and as a perfect example of our innate goodwill to strangers fallen on the hardest of times.

There are lots of ways to give, and I'm not gonna tell you which one is the best way. But what I will say is that a number of artists from the global chiptune community are offering their support in the best way they know how, through music.

Pixelh8 and True Chip Till Death are presently pulling together a fundraiser album of chip music in the hopes of raising donations and awareness for the people of Japan – it is, after all, the spiritual and technological home of the chiptune. The crew isn’t collecting any money directly, but they are asking that you give generously in exchange for the album.

Let me state explicitly that, though it is shortly forthcoming, the compilation is not yet available, but that doesn't mean you have to wait to donate via your charity of choice (the Red Cross, for example.) Moreover, if you're a chiptuner interested in contributing to the project, you are likewise encouraged to holler at @pixelh8 and @TCTD for more details.

Thanks for you kind attention, and the very best of wishes to all involved.