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Ambien 
Handle: Ambien
Real Name: Torsten Pattberg
Lived in: Germany
Ex.Handles: Big Louis, UX-S
Was a member of: The Eleminator and Lucifer Software Team (E&L Software Team), TrasH

Modules: 19  online
Interview: Read!
Pictures: n/a

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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    Handle: Ambien

    Group: E&L Software Team

    Date of birth: 17th October 1973


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

  • All my friends had a commodore 64, so I got on my parents nerves until they
    bought me one, too. I think I was 13 or 14, but i can't remember. Of course
    all I wanted to do is playing. But I didn't have a floppy neither a datasette
    during the first two weeks, so I started learning basic. Of course I lost all
    my programs after I turned the computer off in the evening!


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

  • Commodore 64: Coding (Basic, Assembler), Playing (Lucas Games)

    Amiga 500: Coding (C, Assemlber), Grafics (Deluxe Paint), Music, Playing
    (Lucas Games)

    Amiga 1200: Coding (C++), Music, Playing (Lucas Games)

    PC: Internet


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

  • I did grafics and codings as well, but I was the only one who did know how to
    use Soundtracker. As far as I remember I needed two days to get out the first
    sound out of the speakers! I always wanted to learn it after a friend of mine
    played "Crystal Hammer" to me in school.


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

  • I started with a very early version of Karsten Obarski's Soundtracker. I
    ordered it with "these" sample disc (ST-01 and so on) as public domain software
    for a lot of bugs. I also used the various reincarnations, like Noisetracker,
    Protracker (more?). After I got my A1200 I bought Face The Music to use twice
    as much channels. But we never used these songs in demos, I think there was not
    much CPU time left for other things when playing an 8 channel mod. I liked
    browsing through 20 MB of samples on my harddisc instead of being a disc jockey
    with all that floppy discs. I bought a sampler and did some recording with
    Aegis Audiomaster.


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

  • I like my "Space Invaders", which sounds a little bit like The Prodigy, one of
    my favourite bands at that time. I love my early "Wackelpudding II", and I am
    still asking me, if I ever did "Wackelpudding I", too. My most favourite one
    is proably TVBOA, which is just a best of mix of the modules I liked most. We
    used it in the E&L Party Demo. TVBOA means "The Very Best On Amiga" by the way.


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

  • Yep, the module we used in our first demo called "Der Zwerg".


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

  • I don't remember many of the demos or the games. But I still can "sing" along with
    songs like Occ-San-Geen or Commando. I think there is no more to say.


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

  • I don't have time for it, I am interested in trying out Propellerheads Reason.


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

  • Today everybody is able to write music which sounds professional, but the real
    quality of most of the tracks is poor. No ideas, no nice melodies... Because of
    the limits that were set by the ancient computers, composers wrote very nice
    tracks. I listen to them 20 years later and I still like them. Ask for today's
    charts in 20 years, you won't remember most of the songs. But of course it is
    all freak stuff. "Normal" people will not understand the charme of a SID or a
    MOD. This is another world.


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

  • Well, there are a lot of. I wish I knew all the names. Occ-San-Geen, BA1,
    Cream of the Earth, Cybernoid, Commando, Auf Wiedersehen Monty... By the way,
    if you listen to my module TVBOA, it includes a lot of very nice songs. I
    don't know most of their names, can you send them to me? That would be very
    nice...


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

  • Not in the near future.


  • 12-What bands are you currently listenning to?

  • Nothing special. I always loved The Prodigy and The KLF.


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

  • A lot of nice parties, meetings, friends and memories.


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

  • No.


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

  • Greetings to all my friends and other people who share my memories, a lot of
    respect to my idols from that time. Thanks to all the people who keep the
    spirit alive, especially to all the musicians doing SID and MOD remixing.


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