Parallel Processing / Parallel Processing / Parallel Processing

Also available on digital formats for $8.


Parallel Processing is a brand new long-awaited joint effort by Danimal Cannon and Zef. Both masters of Gameboy sound, they spent the better part of last year to work on the album and created an unique combination of styles and writing techniques.

"This project began as something of an experiment. I heard a Gameboy track by Zef soon after the completion of 'Roots', and was immediately blown away by the complexity and sound design work. I said to myself: "I want to be able to make those sounds". I had also purposefully limited myself on 'Roots' to using a single Gameboy. I didn't want to stifle my programming potential and creativity by removing the polyphony limitations of a single gameboy.

For this record, I wanted to take the Gameboy sound to the extreme. Link two gameboys together, join forces Justice League style with the best programmer I could find, and mix and master with all 8 channels isolated and separately processed. I didn't want to make a just a chiptune record. It's an electronic music record, it's a prog record, it's... something we're pretty proud of whatever it is. What I do know, is that at the end of this year long creation process, we're better musicians than we were at the start of this project. Getting to work with a contrasting (yet complementary) style has rubbed off on me, and I think it's rubbed off on him.

For this record, we included the save files as we have with all of our previous albums (Go get them). We want to give you the same ability to grow as a musician and programmer as we've been able to. We're fans too, we just want more great music out there"

— Danimal Cannon.

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 made using 2x LSDJ.
Tracks 5 and 6 made using 1x LSDJ.
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8 by Danimal Cannon and Zef.
Track 5 by Zef.
Tracks 4 and 6 by Danimal Cannon.

Mixed and mastered by Danimal Cannon.
Art by Jon Kay.


- Track notes -

Track 01:

This was the first track we completed for the project. After finishing it, we knew that this collaboration was going to be successful.

Track 02:

We got a little crazy programming this one. If you're going to recreate it using the save files, you'll have to use a Gameboy Color on the master gameboy track. The effects we programmed were too intense for an original DMG Gameboy.

Track 03:

This was the final track to be completed for the album. Zef had sent me some demos, and the incredible glitch break about 1/4 of the way through convinced me that this was the track I wanted to work on.

Track 04:

This track was originally going to be a collaborative effort, but I have a bad habit of working on a track until completion and sent him a track that was essentially was done.

I tend to consider the influences as inspiration rock meets Megadeth, meets Nine Inch Nails.

Track 05:

A solo Zef track! This song uses a single gameboy and takes it to its very limit. I believe he maxed out the phrases used, instruments used, and tables used to create this monster.

Track 06:

A solo Danimal Cannon track with one Gameboy. This track might have an easy time fitting in on "Roots". Faux guitar, lots of polyrhythms, solos... your typical Danimal Cannon track.

One section has 4/4 drums, a 6/8 rhythm track, and 5/8 rhythm pattern all over top each other.

Track 07:

This track is our club anthem. Watch out for the goat! DERBSTERP

Track 08:

I'm amazed we wrote a song this long without running out of phrases.