This jam is now over. It ran from 2023-12-17 23:00:00 to 2024-01-25 23:00:00. View 19 entries

The Jam

Calling chiptune music creators for our GB music jam! Make some tracks during the winter break to participate in a free download Bandcamp digital release and limited cassette run. Jump in and craft those chip ninja beats!

This is a non-ranked jam, just make music for fun and show everyone your creativity! Our favorite tracks will be curated by Swedish Columbia, known for the Goofy Foot Power Chiptunes compilation and the soundtrack of the 10th Annual Classic Tetris World Championship Compilation. The release will be free, with a limited run of cassettes available at the lowest possible price to cover costs and distribution, and will include link-backs to all artists.

The only requirement for participation is that the core of the track must come from a Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Analogue Pocket or any GB/GBA compatible system or emulators, including the NDS and 3DS consoles. This is a non-purist jam, you can use effects such as reverb, delay, EQ and compression, but the main chip sound must remain.

There is also no limit on how many Game Boy's you are using. Go bananas!

The Tools

Over the years, various music-making software for the Game Boy consoles has emerged. Those 8-bit sounds, which bring joy to both musicians and gamers, compel us to dance, relax, or to explore! Here are our recommended tools for this jam; take a look and choose the one that suits you best:

LSDJ

Little Sound DJ (LSDJ) is a powerful GB tracker for creating intricate musical compositions. It's somewhat challenging to use, but it allows full utilization of the DMG sound chip. It's free to download and open for donations to support development.

STEPPER

STEPPER is an Elektron-inspired 16-step sequencer for the GBA, focusing on ease of use and live performance. It let's you play it like an instrument, transposing tracks on the fly while keeping everything in the same scale or dynamically sequencing pattern chains. It is free and open-source and accepting donations for development.

Nanoloop

Nanoloop is an esoteric 16-step sequencer geared towards live performance. It comes in several versions; you can buy custom cartridges with extra features (like an analog sync port) or try the demo. Nanoloop 2 is also built into the Analogue Pocket.

The Rules

  • Primarily Game Boy and Game Boy Advance sound sources are allowed, but any compatible system is acceptable, including NDS, 3DS, Analogue Pocket and emulators.
  • Mixers and FX are permitted, as well as compression/equalization or light mastering on the DAW.
  • Any number of consoles or emulator instances can be used, as well as multi-tracking on a DAW if desired.
  • The tracks should have a minimum duration of 1 minute and no greater than 6 minutes long.
  • Our favourite tracks will be selected for a free digital release and a limited cassette release. Any funds raised will only cover the manufacturing and distribution costs of the physical goods.
  • We will inform the selected artist to agree on final release details. We won't publish anything without explicit consent from all involved parties.
  • You are also free to release your track independently and retain 100% of the copyrights, and we will provide link-backs to everyone on Bandcamp, etc.

Have fun, and if you have any questions you can use the discussion forums on this jam or contact Bad Diode or Catbeats on Instagram.

Cheers!

Submissions(16)

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A little song written on a little Game Boy
Submission to the Game Boy Music Winter Jam 2023
Drum & Bass for 9 Gameboys
Track put together with Nanoloop Mono
Game Boy Music Winter Jam 2023
A chiptune track
A catchy little number made for the Game Boy Music Winter Jam 2023.
Game Boy Music Winter Jam 2023 Submission - Made in LSDJ
Game Boy Music Winter Jam 2023 Submission - Made in LSDJ
A song written using Stepper for the GBA.