Rob Kovacs, widely recognized by his stage name 88bit, is a virtuoso pianist and accomplished composer who captivates audiences with his intricate and innovative piano arrangements of iconic video game soundtracks, most notably from the 8-bit era.
Soundtracks he’s arranged include Marble Madness, Final Fantasy, R.C. Pro-am, The Adventures of Lolo, Arkista’s Ring, and more. He has performed for legendary video game composers including David Wise (Donkey Kong Country) and Takashi Tateishi (Mega Man 2).
88bit collaborated with producer, Save Point, to release Video Game LoFi: Super Mario 64 featuring a lo-fi, jazz-adjacent arrangement of “Dire Dire Docks” which won a 2023 Game Audio Network Guild award for “Best Game Music Cover.”
Kovacs has performed at major music and gaming events including PAX West, Super MAGFest, GDC, The Game Audio Network Guild Awards, the Mensa National Gathering, NeoSonic Fest, Classic Game Fest, VGM CON and many others. He has collaborated with many other artists including Mega Ran, Insaneintherainmusic, Videri String Quartet, 8-Bit Music Theory, EyeQ, The Icarus Kid, and has performed with the Distant Worlds Final Fantasy orchestra. Additionally, he is internationally recognized as the first person to perform a solo version of Steve Reich’s Piano Phase by playing both piano parts on two pianos simultaneously.
Beyond his prowess as a performer, Kovacs has established himself as a skilled composer, crafting original compositions that echo the influence of both classical and gaming realms, including a critically acclaimed score for the award-winning virtual reality game STRAYLIGHT.
Kovacs is a partnered streamer on Twitch where he interacts with viewers, playing not only video game music but a wide variety of genres including his original music.
88bit is supported by members of his Patreon. Learn more at www.88bitmusic.com.