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“Awhile back, someone gave me a CD of 8-bit video game music,” Run Hundred founder Chris Lawhorn says. “I gave the CD a listen in the car, which was surreal–as it made me feel like I was in a driving video game.”
But could this have the same effect for a workout playlist while you’re going for a run, or lifting weights? Yep.
Lawhorn says that the effect is two-fold.
“On one hand, there’s the momentum you expect from music like this. Given that it’s often created for games where characters are racing–in a car or on foot–to beat the clock, this seems natural,” Lawhorn explains. “The part that surprised me, though, was the consistent joy the music produced.”
Lawhorn points out this really should have been obvious.
“The characters in these games are models of fitness–constantly running, jumping, flying and so on. They seem to take such pleasure in moving around–doing it effortlessly and never tiring. To that end, it’s hard to hear these kinds of tunes and not feel some of that buoyant energy.”
So, of course, Lawhorn put together an entire album devoted to 8-bit workout music. It comes in two versions – one featuring 8-bit music and beats exclusively, and another combining 8-bit music with modern beats.
You buy them both for $10, and the profits go to a mix of humanitarian charities, too. Sweet deal, really.
