Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
While out at the convention in Dallas/Fort Worth, I had the absolute pleasure of catching up with Joel, better known as Downpoly. What he has going on is absolutely crazy—he is bridging the gap between retro computing and modern electronic music using vintage TRS-80 microcomputers.
Joel walks us through his incredible setup, utilizing Michael Wessel's MIDI-80 interface and George Phillips' Orchestra 90 organ software to push these classic machines to their absolute limits. We dive into the production of his albums, how he uses a Tandy 2000 running Windows 1.0 to generate his album artwork, and his complex pedal and synthesizer chain.
As a massive advocate for physical media, I was especially thrilled to see his custom colored vinyl pressings and CD releases for his albums. It is an amazing mixture of digital and physical art that lines up perfectly with what we do here on the channel.
Be sure to check out his music and support his physical media releases using the links below!
Support Downpoly:
Website & Merch: downpoly.com
Listen At:
open.spotify.com/artist/7oj8N7mM6rrZCQnkTO5Ndb
music.apple.com/au/artist/downpoly/1798649826
tidal.com/artist/54891851
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 - Music Sample
00:14 - Introduction to Downpoly
00:50 - The Heart of the Hardware
02:14 - The TRS-80 Angle
02:55 - The Physical Media of Downpoly
04:01 - Expanding the Sound: First vs. Second Album
04:42 - Custom Colored Vinyl and Physical Media
05:45 - Creating Album Art on a Tandy 2000
08:28 - Where to Listen and Buy Downpoly's Music
09:53 - Behind the Scenes: TRS-80 Live Rig Tour
Join Our Discord
discord.monroeworld.com
While out at the convention in Dallas/Fort Worth, I had the absolute pleasure of catching up with Joel, better known as Downpoly. What he has going on is absolutely crazy—he is bridging the gap between retro computing and modern electronic music using vintage TRS-80 microcomputers.
Joel walks us through his incredible setup, utilizing Michael Wessel's MIDI-80 interface and George Phillips' Orchestra 90 organ software to push these classic machines to their absolute limits. We dive into the production of his albums, how he uses a Tandy 2000 running Windows 1.0 to generate his album artwork, and his complex pedal and synthesizer chain.
As a massive advocate for physical media, I was especially thrilled to see his custom colored vinyl pressings and CD releases for his albums. It is an amazing mixture of digital and physical art that lines up perfectly with what we do here on the channel.
Be sure to check out his music and support his physical media releases using the links below!
Support Downpoly:
Website & Merch: downpoly.com
Listen At:
open.spotify.com/artist/7oj8N7mM6rrZCQnkTO5Ndb
music.apple.com/au/artist/downpoly/1798649826
tidal.com/artist/54891851
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 - Music Sample
00:14 - Introduction to Downpoly
00:50 - The Heart of the Hardware
02:14 - The TRS-80 Angle
02:55 - The Physical Media of Downpoly
04:01 - Expanding the Sound: First vs. Second Album
04:42 - Custom Colored Vinyl and Physical Media
05:45 - Creating Album Art on a Tandy 2000
08:28 - Where to Listen and Buy Downpoly's Music
09:53 - Behind the Scenes: TRS-80 Live Rig Tour
Join Our Discord
discord.monroeworld.com
