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..

dNP `Yb.

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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?

My interest started with computers from a very early age after seeing my mates
48k rubber keyed spectrum playing a jumpy game. I thought this is amazing-
I need one of these, now I would have been about 9 or 10 years old. Shortly
afterward (it may of been a bit longer) My parents bought me a 128k Grey
Spectrum. After some months of fiddling around with the manual I Learned how
to produce music from simple play commands. I had already had a music keyboard
and had begun to put my own musical sketches together and started to move them
onto the speccy. This obviously took quite a while, and kept me happy - as I
was also interested in coding. Then one day, I bought Your Sinclair which had
a copy of Soundtracker on the covertape. My life was changed for ever.

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

Like I said, I started with a 128K Grey Speccy, which I programmed on for many
years. Producing a tapemag (The Lynx) and various useful utilities, which were
never released. I then went on to join the PD demo scene producing small demos,
which featured all my own work. Music, Gfx, and coding. By this time I'd started
to mast the cryptography that was assembler. I was very pleased.

After many years of pushing the Speccy to the limit, I finally moved on to an
Amiga500. I was amazed by the power of the machine. 4 independent sample channels?
Have I died and gone to heaven? Yes I had I had been given a copy of Protracker
3.2b, which I instantly began to learn and love. I was heavily into house music
at this time, which was early 94 and wanted to be producer of quality house
music on the Amiga. There weren't that many decent house musicians Actually
doing anything on the Amiga at this time, so I took the challenge to increase
the quality of mod production.

After a few more years I upgraded to an A1200, and carried on composing house
and jungle tracks. I had just begun a Sound Recording Music technology
course at College which all tied in together. I was still coding on the Amiga
and produced many useful utilities but as my spare time diminished, there was
Only time for my music. The more I music wrote the more time I would spend on
sampling and production skills.

I now own a PC, which is utterly powerful and have become and master at using
the correct util to do the job, I feel very lucky that I have gained the
experience to be able to do what I do. I meet people daily to do with music who
envy my abilities. It's great But I am always willing to pass my knowledge
on to others. It's the best way to carry on.

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

At the beginning I was interested in all aspects, but as time went on I released
that there were already brilliant coders artists, but I always thought I could
make batter music than what I was hearing, as time went I simply didn't have the
spare time to do code anymore, which is a real shame as I really enjoy the
challenge of working on an algorithm or trying to backward engineer something.
It really keeps the mind active and thinking. These days I work as an IT
assistant and so get my thrill of working problems out in the day time and can
go home and work on my music in the evening. Marvelous.

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

I have used mostly everything available on the PC now, if were talking composing
programs then on the PC I started with the legacy that is Fastracker. I become
very comfortable with FT and wrote some great sounding tracks using the
Starbreeze program, but unfortunately FT wasn't kept up to date and began to
lack in features that were becoming standard in other programs, I tried to
get round this for a fair few years - which helped my productions skills even
more, but in the end needed something more powerful - I discovered Madtracker
by Yannick Delwhiche. MT has just been updated to support vst instruments and
effects, so I well under way producing some wicked new material, likening
myself to basement Jaxx. They rock.

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

This will always be an ongoing mission. Seriously I have created some tracks I
utterly love, one of my favorites would be a track all in your arms which is a
Madtracker module available off madtradker.org in the music section, which is
a slow beat break beat tune featuring the vocals from my ex-girlfriend - as
vocals are now a big part of my production. Another fave of mine is a remix
of Angie Stones I wish I didn't miss you, which is also available on the net
called missing you. It will be my goal to always make better and better tracks
I don't think I will ever be able to happily say that my best work ever.

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

Yes, some of my early tracks are like Saturday night hardcore raver mix, it was
great at the time, but now sounds awfully terrible, but some people still love
it. Ah well...

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

For a musician it's very important, I've played games and watched demos with
substandard music and that puts all the pressure on the game/code to perform.
It should be equal balance. I would never give a piece of music if it wasn't
up to the standard I would expect.

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

Well I am still composing for both reasons I like to create music as a nice
mental relief I have tunes rolling round my head all day and if I didn't get
them out of my head I would certainly end up in a padded cell humming away in
the corner. I have to write music for my own sanity I am involved in other
projects which are aimed professionally.

It will always be my personal enjoyment to create and produce music because
I love the way I feel when I have created a great piece. I love it

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

These formats have been around for as long as I can remember now, I am getting
old. When studying at college I was always in contact with these formats and
now due to broadband becoming more and more common people are also seeing
these types of files available. It doesn't change anything really, because the
only thing that matters is the actual song/track that is heard from the file.
It's all about the music kids.

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

Hehe No I could sit here and rack my brains for hours saying how good one
piece is and how great another is. It's not important what I personally like
because two fish don't swim the same way, and all people have different tastes.
I could tell you who I enjoy listening to, which is basement Jaxx, Leftfield the
Chemical Brothers. They are pure inspiration.

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

I have already produced many music cds for various purposes and will do so. I
Haven't yet had a CD properly published, but I am happy because I still don't
think I have reached my ultimate musical goal. When I have I will know.

12-What bands are you currently listening to?

All sorts, as I said before I really enjoy the way Basement Jaxx produce their
sounds. Lots of synth sounds bouncing along and perfectly times beats. The
Chemicals are also brilliant at creating that big dance sound. Fabulous.

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

It gave me a foundation and love of music and the technology behind it. If I
had not got an Amiga I don't think I would have been so interested in the
technical side of things which I feel gives me and edge over other people.
Which is apparent when working in a studio environment.

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

Well, I may be I still release tracks on the net and I also release music on
madtracker. But because production time has now increased the turnover of
music is not as big as when I was creating 250k mods. Now it's more like
45megs per track

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

I'd like to say thanks to Cryptoburners for PT, BZYK for Soundtracker on Speccy,
Starbreeze for creating Fastracker, Yannick for bringing me Madtracker - U4ia,
Basehead, Dr Phuqt, Necros, Audiomonster and all the other producers that gave
me the want to create my own music I thank you all, and without you people
I wouldn't be doing what I do now....Thanks thanks to the scene.

Rock on party people

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