A high school student named Erik Mott has programmed just about every one of the eleventy-seven zillion notes of “Asphalt Cocktail” into Mario Paint Composer. I am honored that somebody thought the piece was worthy of this 8-bit glory.

I really, truly love this, because it takes me back to what ALL of my music sounded like when I was writing it on a Commodore 64 back in junior high (and I kept writing on that computer into my freshman year of college).  It’s like going back in time and meeting my 1984 self and telling him to write Asphalt Cocktail.

And it’s not just that Mr. Mott took the time to program this, which took him months. It’s the fact that he made it sound good. Really, really good. There’s attention to voicing, dynamics (probably the most impressive element of his interpretation), and the percussion writing. He even made the clarinet solo sound cool, going as far as to program in all of the pitch “falls” that are in the part. Erik Mott: you are my new favorite person * .

* You may or not actually my favorite person, but I’m definitely a big fan.