PBS arts series Off Book investigates the phenomenon of 8-bit art and music, tracing it from its roots in the video games of the 1970s:
The idea of 8-bit now stands for a refreshing level of simplicity and minimalism, is capable of sonic and visual beauty, and points to the layer of technology that suffuses our modern lives. No longer just nostalgia art, contemporary 8-bit artists and chiptunes musicians have elevated the form to new levels of creativity and cultural reflection.
[pbs]