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Converse 
Handle: Converse
Real Name: Paul Jones
Lived in: United Kingdom
Ex.Handles: n/a
Was a member of: AF, Area 51 (A51), Vortex (VTX)

Modules: 44  online
Interview: Read!
Pictures: n/a

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: Converse

    Group: Area-51

    Date of birth: 15/9/1976


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

  • My dad bought me an Acorn Electron in 1984, just got into them from then
    on really, had a computer ever since.


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

  • I've had an Acorn Electron-for games and codin', then I had an Amiga 500 in
    1989, followed by an A1200 in 1992 (got it in the first batch into the UK
    too, november '92). Then bought a PC in 1997, kept both the a1200 and pc
    together for 2 years, then sold my 1200 in 1999, bought a new PC.
    Recently built my own new PC late 2000, still using that one now. P833 +
    usual crap.

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

  • I've always been an awful artist, so that was out the window straight away.
    I did originally do a bit of programming in the 80's but only basic stuff,
    done a bit of C++ and modula II a few years back, but i've always found coding
    very very boring, u really have to be a bit short of a "life" to sit and write
    programs. Although demo coders have always impressed me lots, just how do they
    do those damn effects :)
    I've always loved music, I started making up tunes in my head when i was very
    little, then in the very early 90's I was at a friends house, he had a copy of
    protracker, but he had no idea how it worked or anything, so I had a go at it.
    It was weird really, I just took one look at the screen and the whole program
    seemed to make immediate sense on how it worked, over the coming months i
    picked up the hex effect code listings, and away I went, been at it since.


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

  • I used Protracker 3.15 for 7 years, it's been my favourite tracker ever,
    still is. Moved up to PT 3.65 later on. Ive used Octamed too, but never really
    liked that program. I then tried impulse tracker on my PC, couldn't get into
    it at all, then discovered Fasttracker 2. I've been using FT2 since late 1999,
    it's not a bad program, but lacks some basic pattern/track editing facilities
    PT had.


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

  • My personal favourite was Love Forever, which I made in 1996, it was (in my
    opinion) my first truly decent module. Since then they've gotten technically
    lots better and more complex. One of my proudest achievements I think has to
    be my 14 minute mega track Inner Circles, which I'm very chuffed with.


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

  • Hmmm, what a great question! I did a remake of a tune by jean michelle jarre
    a while back.
    it was called Kung-FU. They guy who wanted the remake gave me an old chip tune
    of it to work from, as i'd never heard the original, so he wanted it remaking
    as a mod. I was never happy with the result of that, although he seemed to like
    it, but I don't like it much anyway.


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

  • Decent music is essential in my view, something catchy sticks in your memory
    and you always think of the demo itself whenever u here the tune played
    (say as a mod). A demo or game with no music or just crap music is often just
    average or complete pap.


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

  • I am still composing for sure, although only a very few tunes per year at the
    moment, probably about 8 per year at most.


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

  • Some of them are good, but too many mod tunes are using the same samples and
    are getting dull and boring. Midi tunes have always seemed pointless to me,
    they all sound rubbish. I've heard some brilliant mpeg tunes from semi pro
    musicians though, the ocassional decent mod comes every now and then too.


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


  • OOOo, there's been a few brilliant ones. I LOVE TSL Next Decade1990, it's
    quite basic, but very catchy, i never get bored of hearing that. My all time
    favourite is Face a Day and Face a Day II by Jogier Liljedahl. Distant Voyage
    was brilliant, also by Jogier. The ravebusters did some good mixes on the Amiga
    in 1995 too.


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

  • Already have done, I only release my music onto cd's with improved sound
    quality. I only have about 20 copies made each time, don't really spread my
    music far these days. Some tunes go onto the area-51 website.


  • 12-What bands are you currently listenning to?

  • There aren't that many good bands these days, but coldplay, david gray and
    Blur are what goes in my cd player these days.


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

  • Everything. Without the Amiga scene, I probably wouldn't have been encouraged
    to carry on making music, so i doubt i'd still be into music now.


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

  • Sort of low key active, due to time constraints, I'd love to get into
    composing more again and maybe write more for diskmags and stuff.


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

  • Just hi to my girlfriend Loverly Soozan, Hi to Zikes the greasy hermit,
    hi to Skidz, Jogier for making the best mods ever, adok and chris dragan
    from Hugi/royal family. Hi also to long friend Mark MSC,
    Huezo, Jono and lots of other ppl that I just can't think of now.
    Hi also to you, for having the bottle and effort to make a database as
    massive as this will probably be. Nice one.


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