Amiga Music Preservation -

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_ | ___|

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

\/

•

Handle:

•

Group:

•

Date of birth:

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

My interest started sometime back in the early 80s, with my brothers getting a
Speccy. I got the natural competitor being the C64 which I mainly used for gaming.
That was up until about 1991 when I first got an Amiga A500. Then I started digging
deeper, with programming and music.

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

Spectrum, C64, Amiga, PC. What did I do with them? Most are still in my parents attic!!
I occasionally traded them in for whatever I was next getting but Id soon buy another
one from a car boot sale.

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

It was easier! Well thats not completely true, but Ive been heavily into music since
a very early age and although Ive never classed myself as a natural at it, Ive always
managed to bang out half decent tunes that people like. Coding never really got past the
various basic languages. I can code in certain basics but not to a very high level at all.
Ill leave that for all the techy geeky sorts out there while I fiddle with knobs on synths!

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

During my Amiga days, was the early Soundtrackers, Protrackers and ending up being a MED and
OctMED user. Just found it easy to use and reasonably user friendly. Not to mention the echo
facility that rocked my world but most people probably turned their nose up at!!

Nowadays I use a combination of Propellerheads Reason and Ableton Live. Reason for the ease
of use. Ableton is a lovely simple package that you can get great results from and really
twist sounds and compositions. Check the myspace page listed above/below for examples of
what Im doing these days.

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

God knows! Sadly many sat unreleased on discs. Personal pleasure had to be one an IRC compo
on the amigascne channel. I come second out of however many entries and I remember a few of
my so called heros taking part and coming lower. Plus that tune only took me an hour to produce.

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

No chance! However bad they might be, they still hold many great memories for me. So theres
none of mine that I still have that Id be embarrassed to play to someone simply because of
the memories they hold for me and the time of my life they remind me of.

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

It can do so much, like create an atmosphere, a mood, a feeling. If a tune doesnt do any of
that then it still can be a cracking tune in its own right which can link your thoughts to
that production. Music or even just sounds on their own are a strong sense of "nostalgia" so
listening back on those tunes and sounds can create such a feeling inside you, much like smells do.

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

Both. I produce drum and bass (as I always have), breaks, weird electronica kind of stuff.
Whatever I feel like making really. Although Ive not made any money per se from my music as yet,
its only a matter of time as I feel Im making some of the best music I ever have now and the
feedback from DJs and 2 record label signings (so far!!) backs that up. Dont keep your eyes on
the charts or tv for me though!

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

I've fallen out of touch with the demo scene and games music isnt what it used to be. So cant
really comment on that. Bring back proper sound chips and limit the memory a composer has to
work with. Only then will we see genuises like Hubbard, Jeroen Tel, etc etc again.

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

Ah jeez, where do I start. Been so long since I listened to many old ones I've forgotten their
names. I'll try!

Games :

Where Time Stood Still (Speccy 128k)
Robocop (C64)
Rambo (C64)
Parallax (C64)
Cybernoid 2 (C64)
Way of the Exploding Fist (C64)
Turbo Outrun (C64)
Onslaught (Amiga)
No Second Prize (Amiga)
Uridium 2 (Amiga)
Speedball 2 (Amiga)
Corruption (Amiga)

Demos :

Deus Ex Machina (C64)
Bass - Megademo 1 (Amiga)
Team Hoi - Mindwarp (Amiga)
Fairlight / Virtual Dreams - Love (Amiga)
Complex - Real (Amiga)
Grasshopper Developments - Magical Box (Amiga) was by a guy called Wilsh ;)
Fairlight - Virtual Dreams - Full Moon End Tune (Amiga)
Spaceballs - State of the Art (Amiga)
Polka Brothers - Prey (Amiga)
Sanity - Arte (Amiga)

This is just off the top of my head. I could never pinpoint just a few. Don't even get me
started on non-scene music as well!! We could be here all day.

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

No. Really haven't got the time. I definately plan on remixing a couple but hey I was
never a big name in the scene so I doubt they're missed. Sympathy someone please!!

12-What bands are you currently listenning to?

Too many to mention! Anything from 4-Hero, Kraftwerk, 808 State to Radiohead, The Smiths
Trentmoller, Fink, Blu Mar Ten, Carl Craig. The list could go on as I try and listen to
different genres all the time.

Of course not forgetting drum and bass through the ages. Being a DJ I have to keep up with
the current releases in drum and bass.

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

Nostalgia. Simple as that, memories of years gone by. Each game or demo from the past holds
a different memory from a different time in my life. It's always nice to relate a game,
demo etc back to my "good old days".

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

Sadly no. Lack of time and going off being creative on computers bar running digital audio
workstations (Reason, Ableton Live) along with being a home owner means I can't dedicate
time elsewhere. I still check the odd new demo out from time to time but they don't hold
any special value for me now.

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

So much to say! I'm very happy to have found the scene in my early days of computer geek-dom.
Such people as Zone and Crash from Nerve Axis (back then) and also Wade from then Eltech, most
recently Haujobb, gave me breaks into the demoscene, not treating me like a complete n00b ;)
Shame there were others that didn't give me that chance *ahem* Mic Flair... hehe. Not forgetting
the Grasshopper Development chaps, namely Kaneda, for all the kind words and usage of my tunes.

Finally for the other personal greets, Dooba, Bliss, Kaneda, Chris of Gods, Devistator
(where are you man?!), all the Meridian mail peeps, and so so many I met along the way.
If you're not mentioned here, that's because I never liked you. But thanks anyway!! Hehe.
Only joking.

I don't think I'd be making music and generally stressing myself out about music today if it
wasn't for the demoscene. So much talent and so many influences shaped my sound, maybe through
totally ripping off peoples sound and learning new techniques myself.

I think the internet has spoiled the 'mystique' that surrounds demoscenes now, although has
done wonders for communication. But I'm glad to have been a part of the demoscene in some
small way before the internet and during the good times of it all.

If you remember me, get in touch. Always nice to hear from old contacts.

Contact me through my myspace page - www.myspace.com/wilshy

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
please note: this interview is ©opyrighted in 2008 by crown of cryptoburners

Quick Search

Random link

Database Stats

Interview