Battlemode deliver a breakup bop at the basement rave with ‘Game Over’

Boston’s finest chiptune trio soundtrack a soured relationship with a kaleidoscopic electronic-pop jam of a single out Friday, May 16

Performing live at Boston Calling Music Festival on Friday, May 23

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New music comes after the band’s 50-artist, 3-day Boston Bitdown fest in March

Photo Credit: Astro

BOSTON, Mass. [May 16, 2025] – If living well is truly the best revenge, then Battlemode is about to make a certain somebody very uncomfortable.

Just before turning Boston Calling Music Festival into their own 8-bit video game wonderland, the chiptune trio delivers the electronic-pop breakup song of the summer in “Game Over,” set for release on Friday, May 16 – exactly one week before taking the stage at Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston alongside Dave Matthews Band, Luke Combs, Vampire Weekend, Fall Out Boy, and a few dozen others.

Lining up this new single ahead of the Memorial Day weekend music festival is no coincidence. While last summer’s smooth synth-pop jam “Playlist” was all about wallowing after a bad breakup and listening to all the songs two lovers once shared in the good times, the moody pulsation and basement rave kiss-off of “Game Over” slams the controller down on the game of love and quickly unplugs the console.

When the song declares “I’m so done with you” in a high falsetto that arrives with such sass our heads snap back to the dank mental arcade of our youth, it’s clear Battlemode – the tag-team combo of Astrologic (Astro), Bifflecup (Biff), and Sam Mulligan – is moving on and moving out.

Following in the path of “Playlist” and buoyant “Just Pretend,” which got the proper music video treatment this past January, “Game Over” is a polished earworm with a kaleidoscopic euphoria, a glitchy witch house undercurrent, and a hypnotic tumble that demands repeated listens. The infectious track was produced by Curt Martin, and Narvicto DeJesus delivered the bright and animated single artwork.

“Oh, not Battlemode doing another song about a soured relationship,” says Biff with a cocksure wink and a roll of the eye. “Are we petty for writing a song about exes who have wronged us? Our last breakup song ‘Playlist’ came from a place of heartbreak and vulnerability. We’re sad bois, OK?!?! But ‘Game Over’ covers the colder side of breakups. When someone has tried your patience to a point where you’re dead inside.”

So as the great American poet George Clinton once famously said in House Party, Battlemode “might cry two tears in a bucket, fuck it – let’s take it to the stage.”

And that’s exactly what Battlemore is doing. Fresh off launching its own three-day chiptune music festival with geekbeatradio back in March, a wild 50-artist, five-venue throwdown dubbed Boston Bitdown, the Battle-dudes now set their sight on Boston Calling. And the trio is posting up armed with the type of breakup song that, if the person it’s actually about has the courage to turn up in the crowd, they may never show their face around this town ever again.

“‘Game Over’ is a step in the direction of us finally being comfortable with our sound and finding the right sound for us after all these years,” admits Astro. “We wanted to make it fun but serious, and really wanted to bring a modern pop vibe, while also making sure it’s still chiptune and balancing that with modern production.”

While the Battlemode sound is evolving, with new quirks and aches and bleeps and bloops decorating their lively and expanding brand of pop music, the core remains entirely chiptune. And each member is dedicated to the cause.

“We basically doubled down on the attitude that we had with ‘Playlist’ and how we wanna make short, effective pop bangers – but keep them chiptune. Basically the meaning of our entire existence is to evolve chiptune as a genre.” Biff agrees: “‘Game Over’ is a promise to anyone that ever supported us that we’re going to keep grinding and pushing chiptune to higher planes.”

That’s achieved here in spades, with a song that blurs genre lines and dances out of the speakers with reckless day-glow confidence. It’s a two-minute saccharine-sweet pop bop that’s both assertive and playful.

The evolution in Battlemode’s sound is playing out across the screen with every sequel and ache derived from the group’s electronic violin, drum pads, guitars, and a pair of non-traditional instruments – a trusted Game Boy music sequencer Little Sound Dj and Dirtywave portable tracker sequencer and synthesizer M8.

“Battlemode has always tried to be a sonic balance between the electronic and the human sounds,” says Biff. “Right now, we’re putting more weight into the electronic side of the scale. We’re really exploring MIDI-controlled vocal filters. It’s not a groundbreaking concept; we’re probably 10 years late on the idea. We’re following the electronic vocal paths of Porter Robinson, 100 gecs, and Slushii. We always guarantee our Battlemode signature though -- we’ve got some fresh ideas on vocal filters. We’re feeling our inner brat with ‘Game Over’.”

And it should go over quite well at Boston Calling, as the band has been hard at work crafting a visual experience that anyone who has ever played a single video game in their lives needs to come by and check out on May 23.

“We are putting a lot of effort into a really special set that we hope Boston music lovers will remember for a long time to come,” says Astro. “This is the biggest opportunity we’ve ever gotten so we promise a special immersive experience you can possibly even say this is our life’s work. And as an 8 Mile fan the term ‘you only get one shot’ resonates deeply with me.”

After the festival gig, Battlemode will keep on hustling, playing as many live shows as possible, including June’s Friendship Quest Fest in New York City with Ultra Deluxe, Ogbert The Nerd, Crash Fund, and more. And as Biff and Astro are proud Somerville residents, they’re using the band to support City Councilor At Large Willie Burnley Jr.’s campaign to become the next mayor of the embattled city.

“In the spirit of Bernie Sander’s rockstar concert campaigns (i.e. Bernie and The Strokes), Battlemode is organizing a series of art-related events for Councilor Burnley to create awareness around his campaign, and offer constituents opportunities to engage with him!” says Biff. “We appreciate the artist's climb to the top as much as any other narcissistic brand: Chasing Instagram followers, Spotify listeners, and other metadata that determines one’s social position. But existing in this country over the president’s first 100 days, the popularity contest seems less important right now.”

New ultra-certified jams as singles, live appearances at major music festivals, and a dip into the always contentious political waters – it’s Battlemode’s 2025, and we’re all just trying to keep up. With “Game Over,” things have clearly just begun.

Media Contact: Please direct press inquiries to Michael Marotta at michael@knyvet.com,
and reach Battlemode directly at battlemodemusic@gmail.com.

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Battlemode is:

Biff: Vocals, Violin, keyboard, aerophone

Astro: Vocals, Game Boy

Sam Mulligan: Vocals, guitar

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‘Game Over’ production credits:

Track written, composed, and performed by Battlemode

Produced by Curt Martin

Single art by Narvicto DeJesus

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Battlemode short bio:

Battlemode is the vibrant and irrepressibly energetic work of mismatched but inseparable friends Astro, Biff, and Sam. Together they create dynamic electro-pop that embraces sounds of the past in order to look forward; incorporating the glitchy 8-bit chiptune sounds that accompanied adolescent days spent playing Game Boys, and reinvigorating them amongst contemporary synth.

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‘Game Over’ single artwork:

Art Credit: Narvicto DeJesus

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Recent media praise for Battlemode:

“Love is a losing game for Boston trio Battlemode, who power down an old romance on their newest single [‘Playlist’]. With every loop of an ex’s playlist, the electro-pop group treads a rut of abandoned love, tweaking the sound of defeat into an aching chiptune lament.” _The Boston Globe

“‘Playlist’ is a tune about broken relationships, you can actually dance, swirl, and sway to. It’s poppy, zippy and features a surprising rap moment, somewhere in the middle, that gives the song a cool twist. Dancefloor knockout.” _Turn Up The Volume

“Battlemode’s new single to launch this new era is ‘Playlist’. The band describe it as Yacht Rock swagger meets synth-pop seduction. I am instantly reminded of Royksopp in their ‘Junior’ and ‘Senior’ phases. It’s got groove, vocoder, catchy melodies and even some sax. The song is about reminiscing over a lost love through the music that remains after they’ve gone. This is why couple playlists should never replace personal ones!” _Higher Plain Music

“It’s easy to get hung up trying to describe Battlemode’s sound, but that’s hardly the point. Battlemode’s songs are sure to appeal to anyone who likes music, especially if you enjoy pop, electronic, or any related style, but not necessarily just that group of music fans. The songs are well-written, engaging, and hooky, suggesting the potential for massive crossover appeal, too.” _Geoff Wilbur’s Music Blog

“This track sounds like Ibiza in August. And Sheffield in 1980. And a classic Casey Kasem countdown jam. And the Pill at Great Scott, yacht rock, pop hip hop, NKOTB, Super Mario Brothers, and the St. Elmo’s Fire soundtrack. And it sounds like these all at once. But that’s not what’s so impressive about ‘Playlist’. Somehow this local trio crammed all this into a power packed Top 40 groove that’s actually effortlessly fun.” _The Boston Herald’s Song of the Summer roundup

“No pun intended, this slick single could sneak its way onto the playlists of people who, for better or worse, don’t own Yoshi-themed underpants. It’s a new dawn and a new day. That little green dino’s gonna get along just fine.” _Hump Day News

“The summer time is the perfect time to discover a group like Battlemode because, with a smoking hot song like ‘Playlist’ we have a feeling [they’re] going to be the talk of the town.” _The Whole Kameese

“This synth-laden banger [‘Playlist’] is officially out with an upbeat structure counteracting the heartbroken lyrics. For those not familiar with the chiptune genre, it’s a type of electronic music that features the use of a Game Boy as an instrument. As Battlemode, Astro Logique handles that role while Sam Mulligan shreds on guitar and Biff LeCup plays the violin, keyboard and aerophone. The band’s collective vocal delivery embraces harmony in excellent fashion with each member either alternating or uniting in that aspect.” _Culture Beat

“...the Boston trio have something that works on their chiptune single. Maybe it’s just that the song is saturated with 90's nostalgia, and even music I hated from TRL is now kind of fun. It could also just be the killer synths that propel the track to unexpected heights. Or, it could simply be that at this point in our lives, we could all just use some fun... especially when it involves music that combines 90's pop, hip hop, and video game sounds. Oh, and saxophone.” _If It’s Too Loud

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Press Contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Band Contact: Biff at battlemodemusic@gmail.com

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