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Melomaniac 
Handle: Melomaniac
Real Name: Simon Ravn
Lived in: Denmark
Ex.Handles: Trazzel
Was a member of: Kangooroo (KNG), Loonies (LNS), Plaztique D-Zign, Puzzle (PZL), The Black Lotus (TBL), Thirteenth Night, Twilight (TWL), Vanity (VTY - VNT)

Modules: 87  online
Interview: Read!
Pictures: 1  online

Interview


                           .                  
          `n.          .rP'
           `qb       ,dP'
            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..
             dNP        `Yb.  
            ,NN'          `b.      · i  n  t  e  r  v  i  e  w  ·      ___________            
      ______dP                                _____________            \         /              
      \    ,N'\____   _____________.  _____   \            \_____.  ____\       /
       \___P___/  .\--\__    __/__ |--\____)---\        _____/__ |--\_   \    _/
        |     |   | \  |      | \__|   |  _     \      /    | \__|   |   /\   |
        |    _|   |    |     _l_       |  |      \    /    _l_       |     ___|
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    Handle: Melomaniac

    Group: None

    Date of birth: 25-01-74


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

  • I think around the release of the movie WarGames actually. Must've
    been the beginning of the 80's.


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

  • I started with an impressive 2k memory Marathon (the same as ZX81).
    Then in '84 or something I got enough money for a C64. The C64 I used,
    of course, for gaming, but I got interested in demos (crack-intros,
    more likely) then, and did my own at some point using a combination
    of Basic and ASM, mostly with ripped routines etc. Rob Hubbard and
    other game musicians really was what attracted me most to the C64,
    always looking forward to hearing the music when I got a new batch
    of games. In '87 I got the amazing Amiga 500, then later the A1200
    and the A4030. Now I am unfortunately using PC's mainly, but I
    still have my A4030.


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

  • I've been interested in music, going to a heavily musical school,
    singing in Copenhagen Boys Choir there etc., from the age of 8 or
    something. Then I got interested in gamemusic/computermusic,
    then films and filmmusic. I guess it was pretty natural that I didn't
    end up doing gfx - I'd suck at it. Just take a look at my homepage for proof.


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

  • In '87 I started off with DeluxeMusic on Amiga, then Aegis Sonix.
    The first trackers arrived around that time I guess, but they were
    very bad in the beginning. It was not until MED and OctaMED came out
    that I started doing tracked music myself. That was in '92 or so.


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

  • A did a module called "Resolution" for a Danish computer party in 95 I
    think. That was the first time a mod of mine was played for a crowd.
    Since I'd always been interested in filmmusic, doing the module
    "Twisted Cinema" a year later was probably more fulfilling in many
    ways since it was in that genre I loved from the 'real world' of
    music, orchestral, symphonic music.


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

  • Yes, I did a tune which I ended up calling 'Unimportant". It was a
    bad module, and I named it accordingly. I did most of it at a
    partyplace, and I knew it wasn't very good but decided to release
    it there anyway.


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

  • In demos it's not as important as gfx and code. But it can still
    add a lot of atmosphere and enhance the experience through timing
    events nicely. In games I think music is very important. Just as
    important as music is in many movies. Unfortunately gamedevelopers
    don't always agree it seems.


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

  • Yes I am composing, solely using MIDI equipment nowadays. I am doing
    some music for Amiga-games and may want to try a PC game one day if
    anyone allows me to. The best experience I've had composing was working
    on the music for an intro animation to the Amiga game "Genetic Species".
    I think I prefer composing for pictures - music that has to follow
    what goes on on the screen. So I'd really like to do that again.


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

  • Mp3 is a nice format - that way I can send ideas to people without having
    to snail-mail a CD or send them a huuuuge file. I have no particular
    preference for other formats - when I mix my music all files are
    in .WAV, but that's just the standard on PC. MIDI files are pretty
    bad because they are generally limited by a soundcards MIDI synth or
    other standards for instruments.


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

  • I have been a huge fan of Jogeir Liljedahl since I accidentally got
    his musicdisk "Dizzy Tunes 2". Everything Jogeir is good, although not
    always original. Also his XM's, from the musicdisk "Ambrozia" are very
    impressive. Apart from that I'd say the most impressive music is games
    music on C64 and Amiga mainly by Maniacs of Noise and Rob Hubbard.


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

  • Not really - if I do a CD it'll probably be with all new material, but
    I don't know.... Most of my 'professional' (MIDI) music can be found
    remastered on PC on my homepage.


  • 12-What bands are you currently listenning to?

  • I have a very limited taste - at least as to what I BUY. Generally I
    buy stuff like Enigma, Enya, Mike Oldfield, Air and everything by
    movie composer John Williams. I listen to other things too of course,
    and I also like some types of techno etc.


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

  • It gave me some people to share my work with. It gave me a chance to
    get recognised for what I do. I guess it's the same as a professional
    career: you want to have fun doing what you enjoy, and get happy when
    people recognize you for your work. At least that is how I am.


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

  • Not really. I am supposed to do a couple of more MOD's early in 1999,
    and I am anxious as to how that will turn out since I haven't been
    tracking for more than a year.


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

  • Cryptoburners! I loved the music by Rhesus Minus, namely Daisy Chain 2.


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    please note: this interview is ©opyrighted in 2001 by crown of cryptoburners
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