8Bit Heart

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. Curtis originally intended to release a song after ever 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" 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. [1]

There are several references in four songs on the album. In "Diablo" the beginning line mirrors Kelly Clarkson'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 is copied before Curtis realizes "oh wait, this song isn't mine". In "Beat Drop" a clip from Lady Gaga'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. Extracts from an interview with former KGB agent Yuri Bezmenov in 1985 are used as an intro and outro for "Brainwash". "The Dark Crystal 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 and Justin Timberlake. 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".