Jeroen Tel
The Dutch master of SID
Jeroen Tel brought demoscene energy to game soundtracks, founding Maniacs of Noise and pushing the SID chip to its limits.
Overview
Jeroen Tel emerged from the Dutch demoscene as a teenager and quickly became one of the most technically accomplished SID composers. Through his group Maniacs of Noise, he scored dozens of games while pushing the chip into territory other composers hadn’t explored—complex waveforms, sample playback, and driving electronic rhythms.
Fast facts
- Started young: began composing on the C64 at age 14.
- Maniacs of Noise: founded the music group that became a major force in C64 game audio, alongside Charles Deenen.
- Demoscene roots: brought demo techniques—sample playback, digi-drums, aggressive modulation—into commercial games.
- International reach: worked with publishers across Europe, composing for UK, Dutch, and German releases.
- Continued activity: still performs and composes, active in the retro and chiptune communities.
Notable soundtracks
- Cybernoid (1988): aggressive, pulsing soundtrack that matched Raffaele Cecco’s brutal shooter.
- Turbo Outrun (1989): arcade conversion with a driving electronic score.
- Supremacy (1990): strategic depth matched with atmospheric music.
- Rubicon (1991): late-era C64 title showcasing Tel’s evolved style.
Technical innovation
Tel’s demoscene background informed his approach:
- Sample playback: used the SID’s volume register to play digitised sounds—drums, vocals, effects.
- Aggressive timbres: harder-edged sounds than the British composers, influenced by electronic and techno music.
- Complex routines: custom drivers that squeezed every cycle from the hardware.
Maniacs of Noise
The group Tel co-founded became a professional operation:
- Composed for dozens of games across multiple platforms.
- Bridged the demoscene and commercial game development.
- Influenced the next generation of chiptune artists.