#ChristmasFlipChallenge
A quick breakdown of a special Micro-Chop challenge for the holiday season.
The meticulously crafted songs for the #SwinginFlipChallenge, #RunToFlipChallenge, and #YouWereMineFlipChallenge were unbelievable. During each sample challenge I was constantly in awe of talent and creativity displayed by producers from all over the world.


I was inspired to try something a little bit different for the newest challenge after recent repeat listens to DJ Harrison’s A DJHarrison Xmas (remastered), one of my favorite Christmas albums and the best $2 you’ll ever spend on Bandcamp. To me this album demonstrates the pinnacle of what a talented artist/musician/producer can create with Christmas music.
I want to give producers a bit more space to play with their craft for the #ChristmasFlipChallenge instead of rigidly focusing on one particular song as a sample source.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a “cover” of a Christmas song. There are no strict parameters. You can definitely sample Christmas music for your cover, but sampling isn’t required. Your song can be a cover of a well-known classic or something much more obscure.
The cover can also wander far from the original—think of Four Tet’s cover of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.” I want you to create something that speaks to you and your experiences with Christmas music.
BRKLS and STLNDRMS have generously offered to partner with me to sweeten the deal. Both are giving gifts this holiday season to show the beatmaker community love, so please return the good vibes to both of them.
I will randomly select three lucky producers from all of the #ChristmasFlipChallenge submissions as winners. Each randomly selected producer will receive $100 from BRKLS and a copy of STLNDRMS’ brand new drum kit Slappy Drums 3.
To enter the #ChristmasFlipChallenge follow these easy steps.
1) Make a Christmas cover/flip. Share it on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #ChristmasFlipChallenge. Make sure to @ Micro-Chop and include the name of the song you covered in your post. (You can also share sample information if you want to.)
2) Follow BRKLS (IG / Twitter), STLNDRMS (IG / Twitter) and Micro-Chop (IG / Twitter) on social media. If you have both IG and Twitter, please follow us on both. It’s fine if you only use one.
3) Sign up for a free Micro-Chop newsletter subscription. I email articles directly to your inbox and promise not to spam you.
The challenge starts now and ends at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on December 23rd. I will announce the randomly selected winners later that day. You’ll need PayPal or Venmo to received your $100 if you win.
Once again, ultimate love and respect goes to Dibiase and Nelac the Beat Ninja for inspiring me to try out sample challenges on social media. I also want to shout out Street Corner Music founder House Shoes for inspiring me over the years with his Flip Sessions series. Without their collective influence I wouldn’t be doing this.
Have fun cooking up. I can’t wait to hear what you create for your Christmas cover.
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