Amiga Music Preservation -

Interview

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TLb. ,dMP' all rite, now you get the chance to read

TML.dMMP some facts about some of the major amiga

,nmm`XXMPX musicians. read about their history in

,#MP'~~XNXYNXTb. the scene and their plans in future.yes,

,d~' dNNP `YNTb. that's meant to be read while listening to

,~ ,NN' `YNb their modules. read 'em over and over and over..

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| _| | | _l_ | | \ / _l_ | ___|

l___/=l___|====l____/===\______|==l______|\ /l___/===\______l____/

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Handle:

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Group:

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Date of birth:

1-How did your interest for computers start? Which year was that?

I bought my first computer, a Spectrum-ZX81 between 1983 and 1985. Someone who
had an Apple 2C sold me his ZX81 with an accompanying book for learning BASIC.
I ploted diagrams and other objects as no game existed (I think) for this
machine at that time and the size of the memory was too small. Anything I
coded was lost once I turned the machine off. My passion for creating things
using computers started there.

2-What machines did you previously have? What did you do with them?

I had respectively the Spectrum-ZX81, an Amstrad-CPC 464, Amstrad-CPC 6128,
Amiga 1000, Amiga 500, an Amiga 1200, then a PC (now). I always have used
computer for programming more or less serious things but I started copying
musics to the Amiga 1000 then I did my first zik with the A500.

3-For what specific reason did you end up making music rather than gfx, coding?

As I wrote before, I was a coder before being musician. I always have coded
quite in isolation. The advantage is that I understood and had a clear
undestanding of any bit of code I did. Unfortunately, as I was spending time
composing musics as well, I was late solving some problems compared to other
coders. Therefore I started putting all my energy to composing modules with
my Amiga.

4-Which composing programs have you been using? Which one in particular?

I would say all but I roughly did half of my ziks on Soundtracker v1.0
(the Karsten Obarsky version ?) and then v3.0, then the other half on
Protracker 3.15.

5-With which module did you feel you had reached your goal?

I am especially proud of a module that entered the first IRIS demo and that I
composed on A500. I composed about sixty modules, however I never have been
very proud of any of them considering those from other composers more demo
oriented. Though I like all the 59 others, only a few entered demos and a game,
Explora III.

6-Is there a tune you would like not to remember? For what reason?

The one I did for a competition in France at St Esteve. I did not win any prize.
This is my worst souvenir as a composer although I like the song, what it
expresses. Oh yes! there is another music that I put in my own demo. The theme
was about Lovecraft. The song is too slow. This demo shows that doing both the
music and the code is not always a success.

7-In your opinion, what's the value of a music in a demo, game?

In a demo, a zik must obviously be demo-oriented in the sense it supports the
graphs and animation and vice verca. Drawers did a hard job in the 80s and
deserved highly supporting songs. I guess it is still true today. I noted that
many of us recorded Amiga songs on tapes, which show that many songs were
intrinsickely good with or without the demo they were made for.

In a game, it is even more true as the music must reflect the atmosphere
wanted by the scenarist. But some times, in movies

8-At present, are you still composing? For professional or leisure purposes?

I am not longer composing. The last peices of musics I did were on my
keyboards in a band.

9-What do you think of today's pieces of music such as mpeg,wave,midi,etc...?

I know the first two extensions, only ...

10-Could you tell us some of your all times favourite tunes?

The tunes of Karsten Obarsky (I am not sure I spell it well). The ziker of
Red Sector was very good. He/She did a song in a demo that started with
a skeleton near a cave. This is the kind of tunes we were all enjoying.
It reflected how strong the Amiga was at that time!

11-Are you planning to make an audio cd with some of your music remastered?

I'd like to. I kept my songs and an A1200 which I plan to use to record
these songs on a tape first or other support. Is this narcissism ?

12-What bands are you currently listenning to?

I recently purchased Chillosophy 3 (2003), a masterpiece compilation at Camden
town in London. It includes songs from Ticon, Son - KitE, Jens - Buchert, etc.
Verve is also a very good label and Verve/Remixed (2002) which is a great
compilation. I often listen to an old compil of The Pixies and loop on 'where
is my mind'. Placebo is also very good, especially 'without you I am nothing'.

13-What does/did the amiga/c64 scene give you?

It undoubtedly developed my creativeness and allowed me to meet very interesting
people (ACE ex-from IRIS) and Chris the ex-leader of IRIS.

14-Are you still active in the scene these days?

Not at all, although I'd like restart doing something, for sure!

15-Anyone to greet? Anything left to say? Feel free...

I'd like to greet Cristophe Hédé (Chris), Alexandre Mutel (ACE), Olivier Ibanez
(Mandrake), Mariane (Lore) and Patrice Hédé (D-Traumer), as well as Zoro,
Jean-Marc CAZALE the coder of Explora with Hervé, and the guy who did the graphs
for the Lovecraft demo. I'd like very much to be involved in a demo again as a
composer. I'd enjoy developing a new style of music.

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please note: this interview is ©opyrighted in 2005 by crown of cryptoburners
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