During today’s episode of “Headphones Are Stethoscopes”, my weekly radio show at the College of William & Mary, I posted a quick plug on Twitter to let my listeners know we were featuring music from bands showcased at SXSW.
I was pleasantly surprised when I got a reply from Peter Berkman, a member of Anamanaguchi, who apologetically self-promoted by requesting one of his own songs since they had just returned from playing SXSW. I promised him we’d play one of his songs if he let me interview him on the show. Deal!
Anamanaguchi is one of the biggest groups in the “bitpop” or “chiptune” movement— a musical genre that appropriates the synthesizers from video game technology. Essentially, they’re creating symphonies from the soundscape of my childhood.
In the interview, I mention to Peter that I once used his music as an example in one of my Intellectual Property law classes during a discussion of Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc. In that case, the district court wrote:
“Having paid Nintendo a fair return, the consumer may experiment with the product and create new variations of play, for personal enjoyment, without creating a derivative work.”
I really enjoyed discussing the issue with Peter and hearing about Anamanaguchi’s enthusiasm for making new things out of old things. Listen to the interview, and then check out their new album— which is best enjoyed as a visual experience.
the Mark Pike
