BlipFest, an epic 3-day long chiptune concert event, was recently had in NYC this past weekend, and while we here at Retro Game Network were unfortunately unable to attend, we were able to not miss a single solitary second of the show’s dozens of chiptune acts from around the world. How is this possible? You can thank Emfedex, the curator of chip music chronicle, for her unwavering and utterly amazing dedication towards the scene. If you’re reading this and thinking, “what in the world is chiptune?”, I think I’m about to introduce you to a form of music that, if you like retro gaming, you are going to absolutely love.

Take it away, Wikipedia:

“A chiptune is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became less expensive and more accessible than they had previously been. This led to a proliferation of outdated personal computers and game consoles that had been abandoned by consumers as they upgraded to newer machines. They were in low demand by consumers as a whole, and not difficult to find, making them a highly accessible and affordable method of creating sound or art. During the late 2000s, a new wave of chiptune culture took place, boosted by the release of software such as LittleSoundDJ for the Game Boy. This new culture has much more emphasis on live performances and record releases than the demoscene and tracker culture, of which the new artists are often only distantly aware.”

A Sample Of What the LSDJ Software Looks Like





Now that everyone is on the same page, let me show a sample of why what Emfedex does is a true gift to all of us out there who appreciate this epic kind of music:

This is just a small part of the show Radlib, one of the 30 artists present at BlipFest’s weekend long chiptune fiesta put on, and Em didn’t miss a beat, a blip, a beep, or a boop from him, or one of the 30 artists who appeared at BlipFest, featuring:

You can view the setlists of all 30 of the artists on Chip Music Chronicle’s BlipFest 2012 playlist on Youtube. Whether chiptune is something you’ve been familiar with, or this is your first exposure to it, all I can say is, is that I really hope you enjoyed it! There is SO much amazing chip music out there being produced on a daily basis, and from the beginning, we here at RGN really wanted to do what we can to help bring to light some of these talented artists who create such amazing music. Thanks again Emfedex! Keep up the amazing work you do!

To see what our chiptune creating affiliate Dj CUTMAN thought about Blipfest, check out his site over at Video Game DJ!