chiptune

Meanings

1. A piece of computer music in which the sounds are generated and mixed in realtime, common before the advent of mass storage for prerecorded sound.
2. A style of music that samples or emulates the audio capabilities of older sound chips, but ignores certain hardware or software limitations inherent to them; especially (demoscene) a tracker module simulating the sound of early 8-bit computers.

Etymology

From chip + tune, referring to a computer's sound chip; see chip (“electronic circuit”). Initially in the meaning of modules, as an antonym to 'real' chip music, then generalized/recontextualized.