Artist Of The Day: Virt

Every music fan has a watershed moment or two: for me, my watershed moment was listening to Jake Kaufman’s groundbreaking chiptune release, FX3, all the way back in 2009 (like any superhero worth his salt, though, he goes by his alter ego Virt). Every song was unbelievably moving: he was taking the sounds from our childhoods and pumping out sprawling, emotive pieces of progressive rock music. I was a boy consumed.

Jukebox: Virt - "Staring At My Spaceship"

Jake Kaufman (better known as Virt) just may be my favorite musician in the chiptune community; his work, in all honesty, transcends musical boundaries, in my opinion. No track of his, however, is as dear to my heart as "Staring At My Spaceship," a moving ode to love, wonder, and beauty--at least that's how I see it. Though it was written way back in 2007, it still feels new every time I hear it: the track opens with vaguely cosmic synthesizer melodies that soon make way for a blend of energetic strings, fruity piano asides, and adorable chip melodies. The real showstopper is the climax of the track, which is an absolute blast-off the likes of which you have probably never heard in your life.

Oh, and should I mention that he wrote this song for his then-bride/now-wife Kristi? Swoon.

Stream/download the track here, and please take a moment to check out his awesome site, which features literally hundreds of free downloads.