TIMELINE

This is a list mainly of pioneering chipmusic works. Chipmusic should here be understood as music with sounds generated by soundchips and compositions made with computers or consoles (not keyboards, toys, etc). This is a technological view on chipmusic - media-centered rather than form-centered. I am focusing roughly on the years between 1950 and 2005. Please e-mail corrections and suggestions. More discussion on what’s in/excluded in this list at the bottom.

1951

• LIVE: The CSIR Mk1 (CSIRAC) computer publicly performs real-time generated digital music. By Geoff Hill. reconstruction source

1957

• SOFT: MUSIC I software for IBM 704. By Max Mathews. source

1959

• SOFT: MUSIC III software for IBM 7094. By Max Mathews. source

1962

• REC: V/A - Music From Mathematics (LP @ Decca). Listen here and here. info. source source

1966

• LIVE: IBM 1403 line printer performs “Mungu Ibariki Afrika” for Tanzanian exchange students in Västerås, Sweden. By Roy Brandhill. source

1968

• SOFT: MUSIC V software for IBM 360. By Max Mathews. source

1970

• HARD: GROOVE analogue/digital system for DDP-224 for modular programming and realtime performance. Only analogue sounds? source1 2 3

1971

• HARD: The Muse by Triadex - digital music syntheszier and (deterministic) algorithmic composer. source

1986

• SOFT: Soundmonitor (C64) by Chris Huelsbeck (first tracker ever?)

1987

• SOFT: Soundtracker (Amiga) by Karsten Obarski (standard-setter for trackers)

1993

• REC: Neophyte - Protracker E.P. (12″/CD @ Rotterdam Records) source
• REC: Neophyte - The Three Amiga’s E.P. (12″/CD @ Rotterdam Records) source

1995

• REC: V/A - The Best of the Amiga Scene (CD) source [not sure about this?]
• REC: V/A - The Electric Family - Mariopaint (LP/CD @ Irdial Discs) source

1997

• SOFT: Gameboy sequencer programmed in BASIC by Sebastian Burdach. source

1998

• SOFT: Gameboy Camera with the music program Trippy-H. source

1999

• REC: Bodenständig 2000 - Maxi German Rave Blast Hits 3 (LP/CD @ Rephlex) source
• REC: Nanoloop - 01 (7″ @ XXC3) source
• REC: Nintendo Teenage Robot - We Punk Einheit! (CD/LP @ Digital Hardcore Recordings). source
• REC: Role Model - Wiping Out (CD @ Bleepstreet) source:kotlinski
• SOFT: Nanoloop - Gameboy sequencer by Oliver Wittchow. source

2000

• HARD: Pushpin (Gameboy MIDI-slave) made, but not released. source
• REC: Ewmyren - Saker Som Går Sönder (CD @ Bleepstreet) source:kotlinski
• REC: Klangstabil - Sprite Storage Format (12″ @ Ant-Zen). Nanoloop+misc. source
• REC: Klangstabil - Gioco Bambino (12″ @ Mhz). Nanoloop+misc. source
• REC: Tero - First Blood (12″ @ Rikos). C64. source
• REC: V/A - Micro_Superstarz 2000 (CD @ Domizil) source
• REMIX: Paleface - Back to Square One (Tero C64 remix) (CD @ BMG) source
• REMIX: Dr.Robotnik - Retro Electro (C64 Retroteroremix) (12″ @ Rikos) source
• SOFT: Musicbox (Gameboy tracker by Black Box?) source!?

2001

• REC: 386DX - The Best Of (CD @ Staalplaat) source
• REC: 6955 - 6955 (LP @ 555 Recordings) source
• REC: 8-Bit Construction Set - 8-Bit Construction Set (12″ @ Beige) source
• REC: Goto80 - Papaya EP (7″ @ Bleepstreet)
• REC: Psilodumputer - Full Of Sid EP / Microcompo Remixes (12″ @ Domizil). Remixes by Paza, Sami and Drop Da Bomb. source
• REC: Puss - We Are Puss (CD @ Pusstracks) source
• REC: Tero - Bombs Away (7″ @ Rikos) source
• REC: Virt - FX EP (Monotonik) source
• SOFT: Carillon Player (Gameboy tracker by Aleksi Eeben) source
• SOFT: Little Sound DJ - Gameboy software by Johan Kotlinski. source
• SOFT: Live Loops - Gameboy Advance software by Chris McCormick. source

2002

• MP3: Glomag - Naught (Slapart) source
• MP3: Glomag - The Axis and the Alloy (Kikapu) source
• MP3: Nullsleep - Depeche Mode Megamix (8bitpeoples) source
• MP3: Nullsleep - The Gameboy Singles 2002 (8bitpeoples) source
• MP3: Rugar - My Girl, the Princess (8bitpeoples) source
• MP3: Virt - FX 2.0 (Monotonik) source
• REC: Brotha P Touch (V/A) - C64 SID 6581 Massive (CD Tigerbeat6) source
• REC: Cow’p - Africa (CD @ 19-t) source
• REC: Cow’p vs Kema Keur - Cow’p vs Kema Keur (12″ @ ADAADAT) source
• REC: Goto80 - Bushrunner (7″ @ Penpal) source
• REC: gwEm - Cold War Angst EP (12″ @ Preromanbritain) source
• REC: Role Model - En Tyst Minut EP (7″ @ Bleepstreet) source
• REC: V/A - Nanoloop 1.0 (CD @ Disco Bruit)
• REMIX: Little Computer People - Little Computer People (Tero C64 Remix) (CD/12″ @ Psi49net) source
• REMIX: Radio Dept., the - Bad Reputation (Rugar Mix) (CD @ Slottet) source

2003

• MEDIA: Malcolm McLaren hypes “8-bit punk”. source
• MEDIA: Puss nominated in Swedish grammy Awards (club/dance) source
• MP3: V/A - The 8bits of Christmas (8bitpeoples) source
• REC: 6955 - On the 1’s and 0’s (CD @ 555 Recordings) source
• REC: Bit Shifter - Life’s a Bit Shifter (CD @ 555 Recordings) source
• REC: Covox - Final Mission EP (7″ @ Rebel Pet Set) source
• REC: Mmfan316 - Dot Matrix With Pop Music (CD @ 555 Recordings) source
• REC: Puss - Master & Slave (7″ @ Pusstracks) source
• REC: Tero - Cracker’s Revenge (LP @ Rikos) source
• REC: V/A - Boy Playground (CD @ Relax Beat) source
• REC: V/A - Hot Gameboy Music (CD @ Plag Dich Nicht) source
• REC: V/A - VGM Mixtape #8 (CD @ No Sides) source
• REMIX: Koro Osanogo - Mini Klik (Role Model remix) (12″ Relax Beat) - first LSDJ-song on vinyl? source
• REMIX: Tim Koch - Obatem By Night (Goto80+Extraboy Remix) (CD @ Aural Industries) source

2004

• HARD: Midines (NES midi-slave) released?
• MP3: AY Riders - ZX Spectrum is Alive (8bitpeoples) source
• MP3: Paza Rahm - Ninjani Diskus (8bitpeoples) source
• REC: Bodenständig 2000 - Hart Rockende Wissenschaftler (12″ @ Feed the Machine) source
• REC: Firestarter - Wuppertal EP (MCD @ Retinascan) source
• REC: gwEm/Kingkas - Den of Rock EP (7″ @ Preromanbritain) source
• REC: Lo-Bat - Game Boy (MCD @ Retinascan/8bitpeoples) source
• REC: Plemo/Firestarter - Randale/Die Hintergründe (7″ @ Audiolith) source
• REC: Teamtendo - Miss EP (12″ @ Deco) source
• REC: Teamtendo - We EP (12″ @ Institubes) source
• REMIX: Siemers - Inter Pares (remixes by Naughtyboy, Pharmacom, Lo-Bat, Sabastian Boaz, Hyperkut, Firestarter, etc) (Retinascan 2004) source
• REMIX: Sophie Rimheden - Strange (Puss Remix) (CD @ Mitek) source

2005

• MP3: Divag - Gameboy Tunes (8bitpeoples) source
• MP3: Goto80 - Bravo (Candymind) source
• MP3: Goto80 - Contech (8bitpeoples) source
• MP3: Random - Happy Ending After All (8bitpeoples) source
• MP3: Rushjet1 - Sounds of the 2A03 (8bitpeoples) source
• MP3: x|k - Nestek (8bitpeoples) source
• REC: 8 Bit Weapon - The EP (CD @ Intellivision Music) source
• REC: Covox - Delete the Elite (CD @ Socom/Shanshui) source
• REC: DJ Scotch Egg - KFC Core (CD/10″ @ ADAADAT) source
• REC: Goto80 - Commodore Grooves (CD @ Rebel Pet Set) source
• REC: Role Model - A New Fragrance (CD @ Retinascan/8bitpeoples) source
• REC: V/A - Schubfladen #1 (7″ @ Musikfladen/Pingipung) source
• REMIX: Bodies Without Organs - Open Door (Covox Correction) (CD @ Capitol Records) source
• REMIX: Beck - Hell Yes (Remix EP) - remixes by Paza and 8-Bit (Interscope Records) source
• REMIX: Beck - Girl (Remixed by Paza) source

2006

• REC: Bodenständig 2000 - Hart Rockende Wissenschaftler (12″ @ Feed the Machine) source
• REC: Bubblyfish - Peripheral v.1.2.2 (CD @ Retinascan) source
• REC: V/A - 8BP050 (2CD @ 8bitpeoples) source
• REC: V/A - GB (CD @ Intikrec) source

2007

• REC: Alex Mauer - Vegavox (NES-cartridge) First time?
• REC: Bodenständig 2000 - Uber Album (LP @ Storage) source
• REC: DJ Scotch Egg - Encyclopedia of Hardcore Chiptune (CD @ De-Fragment) source
• REC: DJ Scotch Egg - Scotch Hausen (CD/12″ @ ADAADAT/Wrong Music/Very Friendly) source
• REC: Goto80 - Made On Internet (CD @ Pingipung) source
• REC: Sulumi/USK - As Vivid as Your Lips (CD @ Bedzoo) source
• REC: V/A - 8-Bit Operators (CD @ Astralwerks) source

About the list

In order to keep this list reasonably clean and still list relevant events, I had to figure out what to include and exlude. The purpose is to document the pioneers in different areas, in different times. It would not make sense to document every cassette, mp3 and CDr with bleppy sounds. There is no solid system to include “all chipmusic releases” but up until 2003 I think I can get most of it in here. But to be clear: this is my selection. Please contact me if you miss anything in here!

1. Disregard of anything not released physically on record labels. Then I wanted to include CDr-releases on very small indie labels because some of them are pioneering work. (Besides, who cares if it’s CD or CDr?) Then I wanted to also include netlabel releases but since there are so many, I decided to only do it if they were release before 2006. Remixes are also included, especially if a chipmusician remixed a “big” artist. Videogame music releases are not included. Compilations with the odd chiptune on it, are also not included.

2. Exclude music that (as far as I can tell) is not at all made with old soundchips. Then I wanted to include some releases that I knew were made with pianoroll-sequencers and VSTs: if I thought they were important to mention. I have not included chipmusic not made with computers or consoles: music made with toys, keyboards and other gadgets.

3. Odd occurences such as performing music with mainframe printers, releasing music on cartridges (not counting all the demoscene releases) are included although they don’t fit into a specific category.

4. Pioneering, important or odd software is listed.

Look into:

• Artists: Pippilina, mikron 64, Blasterhead (recordlabel?), Quarta330, digital hardcore recordings (patric catani, etc), a boy and his sid, bud melvin, räuberhöhle, Pharmacom, Receptors, Paza, sputnik booster
• dropdabomb: 3chnls4bit @ retinascan (list as stu…?)
• logic bomb: house of zombie ninja @ retinascan (chip?)
• mommy was an asteroid - jumpin jack… @ retinascan (gameboy!)
• labels: Micromusic, Relax Beat
• golden shower in brazil? (mtv awards?)
• desert planet (cultural prize lappland)
• sulumi: what releases are chip?
• dj scotch egg: which releases?
• david sugar - any chipmusic releases?
• 8bitpeoples - which releases to include?

• Gottfried Michael Koenig: Which were computer performed? Terminus 1, 2, X and Funktion [color]?

• neophyte: what was amiga?
• osdorp posse: what was amiga?
• nasenbluten, xylocaine, patric catani, eq8or, christoph de babalon: amiga?
• 16-bit, nation 12, aphrodite,

• REC: V/A - Input 64 (2xLP @ Enduro/L’Age D’Or) source,
  
• 8bit Rockers@Bunker, welle erdball, YMCK, Lektrogirl,
• REC: Lektrogirl - I Love My Computer (LP @ Rephlex) source ?