Listen: Chiptune examples
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About Chiptune
Chiptune is a music genre that emerged in Japan in the 1970s. It is usually classed as a form of nerd music and bit music.
Artists closely associated with the genre include Koji Kondo, C418, Bear McCreary and Yoko Shimomura.
From Wikipedia
Chiptune, also called 8-bit music (although not all chiptune is 8-bit), is a style of electronic music and musical subculture made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video game consoles. The term is commonly used to refer to tracker format music using extremely basic and small samples that an old computer or console could produce (this is the original meaning of the term), as well as music that combines PSG sounds with modern musical styles. It has been described as "an interpretation of many genres". Any existing song can be arranged in a chiptune style. It can be defined by choice of instrument, by timbre more than specific style elements.
Genre family tree
Parent genres (↑) and subgenres (↓) of Chiptune.
- ↑ nerd music
- ↑ bit music
Key artists
- Koji Kondo
- C418
- Bear McCreary
- Yoko Shimomura
Questions people ask
Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.
- Native Instruments 8-bit Chiptune · Sound Design SE
Frequently asked questions
What is Chiptune?
Chiptune is a music genre that emerged in Japan in the 1970s. It is usually classed as a form of nerd music and bit music.
Where and when did Chiptune originate?
Chiptune originated in Japan in the 1970s.
Who are famous Chiptune artists?
Koji Kondo, C418, Bear McCreary and Yoko Shimomura.
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q135637 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Chiptune – CC BY-SA 4.0
- MusicBrainz genre – CC0
- Drozerix - 4 RNDD! by Drozerix – CC0 1.0
- Drozerix - Computer Adventures by Drozerix – CC0 1.0