Rob Kovacs '04 composes and performs the video game soundtracks that create the atmosphere.
Even if you've never known the joy of video gameplay, Baldwin Wallace University graduate, award-winning composer and concert pianist Rob Kovacs '04 wants you to experience the music.
Under the stage name 88bit, Kovacs is introducing classic video game music to new audiences with recordings and live concerts featuring note-for-note classical piano renditions of the synthesized electronic soundtracks you might hear in vintage video game consoles and arcade machines.
In collaboration with producer Save Point, Kovacs released "Video Game LoFi: Super Mario 64," a collection of lo-fi, jazz-inspired arrangements of music from Super Mario 64. Their track "Dire Dire Docks" won the 2023 Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) Award for Best Game Music Cover.
Bringing iconic game music to life
The BW music theory major, who now teaches as adjunct faculty in the Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA), also composed the acclaimed soundtrack for the award-winning virtual reality game STRAYLIGHT, which earned multiple accolades and was nominated for a 2024 G.A.N.G. Award for Best Video Game Soundtrack Album.
Through his 88bit project, Kovacs brings iconic video game music to life with intricate and innovative piano arrangements, often focusing on the 8-bit processor era or third generation of video game consoles that began in the early 1980s.
"Born in the early '80s and growing up with arcade machines in our house, video games and their music have been a constant presence in my life." In high school, Kovacs' rock band even performed a cover of the original Super Mario Bros. theme.
"The 1980s marked not only the birth of video game music but also a unique era in music history. I aim to help preserve these compositions and share them with a wider audience through recordings and live performances."
Making music history
His arrangements include tracks from Marble Madness, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, R.C. Pro-Am, The Adventures of Lolo and more. Kovacs has performed at renowned gaming events such as PAX West, PAX East, GDC, Super MAGFest, TwitchCon and the G.A.N.G. Awards.
He made history as the first to perform a solo version of Steve Reich's "Piano Phase," playing both piano parts simultaneously on two pianos.
As a partnered Twitch streamer, Kovacs entertains and connects with his audience through live performances spanning a wide range of genres, including video game music, pop, rock, jazz, classical, musicals and his own original compositions.
Kovacs used a Burton D. Morgan Foundation Morgan Startup Grant from BW LaunchNET to improve his video and recording quality and efficiency.
Check out the 88bit YouTube channel to hear his work.
