8-bit renaissance in art, music

By Wang Yu

New trends are often found buried in the past. It’s because of this that vintage clothing has long been the darling of fashion mavens.

But the past has more to offer than just new trends in fashion.

A new group of retro fans are giving high technology a resounding rebuke by turning to old tech for expression. Whether it is by electronic music made on a Nintendo Game Boy or pixel art, many young artists are discovering they had something very special in their youth.

Justin Liang, a 28-year-old graphic designer, just moved into a new apartment.

The wall behind his desk is decorated with pictures of blocky people, cars and animals set against solid-color backgrounds. The style is reminiscent of the computer graphics seen 20 years ago on early Nintendo and Sega video game consoles.

“I downloaded these from the Internet. The figures are abstract and use simple colors, but they look cool. Sitting in front of them reminds me of when I used to play Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Famicom (Entertainment System) in primary school,” Liang says.