Tag Archives: chiptunes

GameChops: A GameMusic / Chiptune Netlabel

April 3rd, 2012 marks a momentous day for me. It’s the launch of my not-for-profit internet record label GameChops. Over the last few years of DJing VGM and making beats I’ve met a lot of great people and learned a tremendous amount about production, performance, and making music a greater part of my life. With GameChops, I hope to give back to this vibrant, supportive scene.

I love hearing bits of original game music in new productions. Chiptune samples are my favorites, I don’t care if it’s a funk tune or a rap track, you throw a Nintendo or a raw sawtooth wave in there and I am hooked. It was this irrational love of game sounds that got me started as Dj CUTMAN; I was working as a hiphop engineer and I made my first video game beats while hanging out in the studio after recording sessions.

The debut release for GameChops is none other than Benjamin Briggs, veteran OCRemixer and budding digital DJ. The release is an EP inspired by Diddy Kong Racing aptly titled Bootleg Circuit. Thsip reductions cleverly utilize in-game samples to create a five track electro-house marathon worthy of any street race or game party. Grab the release on GameChops.

Head over to GameChops.com to check out all the releases. Please support this project by adding GameChops on Facebook. Here’s to much more music.

-C

Voltage – Dj CUTMAN’s Nice Sprite Chiptune Remix

Hai friends. Following up with the three Chiptune covers I posted earlier today is something I spent my whole weekend on: A chiptune remix of Skrillex’s new song, Voltage. Using production techniques similar to my hit Daft Punk – Something About Us remix, including a heavily filtered vocal sample for the original song. I spent a lot of time EQing to get the chiptune sounds to feel “full”, without combatting the vocals or bass instrument I created. As an homage to Skrillex, I have one instance of the synth Massive running in this remix. See if you can pick it out!

I feel like I summed up my feelings pretty well in the Soundcloud description, so here’s a little copy/pasta:

A lot of people rag on Skrillex now that he’s super popular grammy award winning gothic looking twenty something, but something always stuck with me about his songs. Even after the initial “wow-factor” of his trademark dubstep monster sounds wore off, I found myself remembering his melodies. Could it be that they’re actually well-written pieces of music? I took the Skrillex song Voltage and re-created it with Magic 8bit, basic processing in ableton, and a heavy dose of EQ, to create this piece. The harsh and crazy nature of the original dubstep tune is replaced with the light-hearted, optimistic chiptune arpeggios and square lead. An intensely sculpted vocal sample gives the piece context, although I feel it works without.

And the original piece by Sonny Moore, aka Skrillex:

And finally, the piano arrangement I used as a basis for my Chiptune remix was composed by Evan Duffy. Here he is playing his arrangement, which is beautiful.

Finally, the MIDI from Evan Duffy’s cover was programmed by someone who goes by “Tilt”. If you have a passion for rock solid MIDI arrangements ( I mean, who doesn’t?! right guyyz? ; ) check out Tilt’s website.

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Some New Chiptunes from Dj CUTMAN

I found some awesome MIDI arrangements last night and decided to stay up and make them into chiptune using YMCK’s Magic 8BIT plug-in, some EQ, lfo and delay. I really held back with these, no samples, just keeping the chiptunes as clean as I can get them. Enjoy,