Scottish chiptune icon Sabrepulse onstage (photo by manu_el_o_matic via Flickr)

The graphics may have been horrible and it may have been a hassle to blow on the cartridges when they froze, but the nostalgia of old-school video games will never die. And neither will their epic soundtracks. For chiptune producers, these soundtracks aren’t just fun memories; they’re inspiration.

The tiny but emerging genre of chiptune music uses classic consoles like Atari, NES, and Game Boy to create low-tech 8-bit electronica tunes. Seattle chiptune artists include leeni, whose more melodic pop sound incorporates vocals almost like a female hellogoodbye set to Game Boys, and Fighter X, with a techno feel incorporating breakbeats and some house-style rhythms. Read more…