''8Bit Heart'' is the debut album by American singer-songwriter and record producer Simon Curtis. It was released March 23, 2010 for free download via Curtis' official website.Simon Curtis , 8-bit Heart
''simon-curtis.com'' – Retrieved March 26, 2010 Curtis co-produced the album with Jeff "Jadion" Wells. The album was downloaded 80 thousand times in its first week of being released.

Background

Curtis announced in 2009 that he would release his debut album, ''8Bit Heart'', for free on his official website as soon as he reaches eight thousand followers on his Twitter page.Shine On Media , Simon Curtis Announces Album: ‘8Bit Heart’
''shineon-media.com'' – November 5, 2009 – Retrieved on March 30, 2010. Curtis originally intended to release a song after every eight hundred follows but only released "Delusional" on October 29, 2009, and "Diablo" on December 2, 2009. The album was recorded in a "tiny basement in the hills of

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

" with Jeff Wells. An album with a similar logo titled '8 Bit Heart' with a track 'Animatronic Boy' was released prior under chip-tune artist Leeni with a registered copyright in 2008 with later reviews in June 2009

There are several references in four songs on the album. In "Diablo" the beginning line mirrors

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...

's " Since U Been Gone" but followed by "but this is not a Kelly Clarkson song and not how it ends". In the same song, a line from " If U Seek Amy" by

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

is copied before Curtis realizes "oh wait, this song isn't mine". In "Beat Drop" a clip from

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

's " Bad Romance" is used as backing vocals on the last line of the second verse. The operatic singing comes from the second aria of the Der Hölle Rache from the

Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...

. Extracts from an interview with former

KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...

agent

Yuri Bezmenov Yuri Alexandrovich Bezmenov (; December 11, 1939 – January 5, 1993; alias: Tomas David Schuman) was a Soviet journalist for Novosti Press Agency (APN). In 1970, as a member of the Soviet mission in New Delhi, India, Bezmenov defected to t ...

in 1985 are used as an intro and outro for "Brainwash". "

The Dark Crystal ''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy, dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell (actress), Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was prod ...

Overture" is also heavily sampled on the track "The Dark".

Critical response

''8Bit Heart'' has received mostly positive reviews. Bradley Stern from ''MuuMuse'' gave the album four out of five commenting that it "is a hard-hitting collection of cutting-edge pop hooks, catchy electronic noises and storming, dancefloor-ready synthesized beats that come together to celebrate the very essence of modern pop". He also compared Curtis' vocals to that of

Darren Hayes Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is an Australian singer, songwriter, music producer and composer. He was the singer of the pop duo Savage Garden from their 1993 establishment until their disbandment in 2001. Their 1997 album '' Savage Ga ...

and

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

. A journalist from ''Music Fascination'' says the album "uses unique production combined with sounds and beats that develop the music into strong cohesive pop" and that it is "filled with pure danceable energy, but enough heart to keep you listening". They also praised Curtis' "distinct sound and production skill". ''ALi's Blog'' praised Curtis' independent work, wondering "what he can accomplish with a big label behind him". Paul Reynolds from ''FizzyPop!!'' says the album "not only delivers musically, but creates a themed album that is a real delight from start to finish".FizzyPop!!: Album Assessment: Simon Curtis ~ 8 Bit Heart
''myfizzypop.com'' – March 23, 2010 – Retrieved on March 30, 2010.

Track list

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 2010 debut albums Self-released albums