For many kids–we imagine this applies to our readers especially–their first real exposure to music comes from their parents’ collection and from video games. ’80s music and video game music actually have a lot in common: both genres experiment with electronic sounds in an attempt to create something new with staying power, whether that would last for years to come or just long enough to prevent the current level from becoming annoying.
Indie electro pop group Stepdad is a product of that philosophy, and it shows on their new song “Marquis Marq,” which is premiering today, exclusively on Nerdist. That’s not to say Stepdad makes chiptune music, because they don’t by any means. Rather, they just know how pop music works, and how computerized sounds can really enhance it.
“NES games sparked my love for computer music production as a child,”S tepdad frontman Mark “ultramark” Tafel told us. “The further I dug into the pop music of the era as I got older, the deeper my appreciation for the craft of catchiness became.”
The song comes from the band’s upcoming 4-song EP Masterbeast Theatre, which will be released on March 18 via Quite Scientific Records. The EP is a follow-up to the band’s 2014 EP Strange Tonight and their 2012 debut album Wildlife Pop (which has been a personal favorite and a go-to of mine for years now).
Masterbeast Theatre is available for pre-order on iTunes here. Once you’re done giving that a click, listen to “Marquis Marq” below.
—
IMAGE: Courtesy photo, by Ryan Pavlovich
