Music

From age 14 to 21 music was a huge part of Arcade Link’s life. They would write songs every day. However, in 2009 Arcade had a traumatic experience that made them stop listening to music for a year, and they could barely touch their guitar for 9 years. In 2018 the music finally returned.

The Video Game Crash | Facebook | Spotify | Bandcamp | Apple Music
The Unicorn Hunters | Facebook | (In progress Queer/Polyam/Comedy music project)

Phone, Weed, Food, Band Merch – The Video Game Crash
2018 found Arcade writing a handful of new songs, quite inspired by Frank Turner’s acoustic led Folk-Punk stylings, among other emo and pop punk influences – and they added in their own chiptune flavour and they called the project The Video Game Crash. So, Arcade took those songs, as well as a handful of songs from over a decade earlier, and recorded, mixed, and mastered them all themself, (except for 2 wonderful piano parts by their friend Chelsea who makes amazing stuffies: By The Sea Arts | Facebook | Etsy). This album was called “Phone, Weed, Food, Band Merch.” (More obscure details about this album at the bottom of the page, see “Proto-Releases“.)
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | (Also available many other places)

Player 1 Unplugged – The Video Game Crash
Arcade quickly followed that album up with an acoustic EP featuring some songs from “Phone, Weed, Food, Band Merch” some songs that would show up on the next full length album, and one song that is exclusive to the EP. This was called “Player 1 Unplugged.”
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | (Also available many other places)

if (!bin) u = “Valid”; – The Video Game Crash
The following year Arcade dropped the acoustic and decided to get more emo/pop-punk and they wrote, recorded, mixed, mastered, and released their second album on their own. They call the album “Valid” but the official name is:
if (!bin) u = “Valid”;
This is code that basically can be translated to “if you are non-binary, you are valid.” This album was their first album released after coming out as non-binary.
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | (Also available many other places)

Proto-Releases

The Video Game Crash’s first album “Phone, Weed, Food, Band Merch” was actually originally released over 4 weeks as 4 separate EPs on Bandcamp. When Arcade decided to distribute the music to all platforms, they found it was more economical to compile it as one album. They took this opprtunity to remove a handful of songs that they ultimately felt weren’t up to par. They may eventually show up on a B-Sides album.

The Phone EP was all new songs written in May and June of 2018. Tracks 5 and 6 didn’t make it on to the compiled album.
Tracklisting:
1. Write Some Fuckin’ Songs
2. The Lonely Metro
3. Punk Rock and Video Games
4. Casper
5. The Only Reason*
6. Give Me 10*

The Weed EP was also all new songs written in May and June of 2018, but these are all about one person. Tracks 5 and 6 didn’t make it onto the compiled album. Track 5, Chemical Charm was the song that Arcade woke up with in their head on the day that music returned to them after 9 years.
Tracklisting:
1. King
2. Giant Ribbons
3. Deep Gratitude
4. Be Who You Really Are
5. Chemical Charm*
6. Nothing I Can Do*

The Food EP was made up of songs written a decade prior, but recorded in 2018. Track 6 didn’t make it onto the compiled album, and “Heart’s Winter” is substantially different in feel from the way it was originally written on acoustic.
Tracklisting:
1. Heart’s Winter
2. Skin Like Yesterday
3. You Are Always
4. We Are
5. Most of All
6. A Shadow Left Behind*

The Band Merch EP was intended as a B-Sides sort of EP with alternate versions of songs found on the other EPs. Track 1 was the one song that was not available on any other release, it didn’t make it onto the compiled album, nor did any of the alternates.
Tracklisting:
1. For Eternal Love You Sacrifice Everything
2. Punk Rock and Video Games (Alternate)
3. You Are Always (Live Alternate)
4. Most of All (2009 Original Recording)
5. Heart’s Winter (Live original 2006 slow acoustic version)
6. Deep Gratitude (Acoustic)