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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| _| | | _l_ | | \ / _l_ | ___|

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

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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?

Back in about 1983 when my parents bought me a ZX Spectrum 16k for Christmas.

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

I used my Spectrum mainly for games, but also a modest amount of music
programming. I used my ST for games, demos and music. Then in about 1992 I
received an Amiga as part payment for co-writing the Sleepwalker game music
and started using this for writing mods instead of an ST. (Although I'd used an
Amiga for years before that)

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

It's just one of those things you either have an interest and a talent in or
you don't. Having said that I've always had an interest in programming, just
not the aptitude.

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

I started of using the 'beep' command on the Spectrum which wasn't usually
that productive. Then I moved on to TCB Tracker, Megatiser, Noisetracker &
Protracker on the ST, then Protracker on the Amiga. And then in order on the
PC - Zik tracker (a tracker written by GND, the coder in Torment) Fastracker2,
Noisetrekker2, and now finally Psycle. I've also tried out Buzz, Noisetrekker3,
Madtracker, Aodix and Renoise. I could never seem to get to grips with
Screamtracker or Impulse Tracker for some reason.

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

I was and am still fairly proud of Sick. It's probably the tune I've received
the most appreciation for. But 1997 (my first year in uni) was a good year for
me for writing music.

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

I've written some serious cack on the ST & Amiga. Most of which have been
lost in the depths of time and dodgy floppy disks. But I'd happily listen to
them all again.

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

Having written for games in the past I know that the music comes a very poor
second to graphics and code. But sound and music can make a game. It can add
atmosphere beyond imagination. Try playing Alien Breed with the volume down
and you'll know what I mean. As for the value of music in a demo - it's
clearly an integral part of it. Well crafted music, especially if the graphics
are timed to fit the music, adds terrific power to the demo. I also often
fire up a demo just to hear the music.

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

At the moment I compose for myself and also professionally for PS2 & Xbox
magazine covermounted discs among other things.

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

I've got no problems with an mp3 or ogg for commercial music, but when people
insist on releasing an mp3 only of their mod, xm, it etc, where's the fun in
that? I wouldn't have learned half the things I know today if it wasn't for
loading up a Heatbeat tune on Protracker and seeing exactly how he'd done it.

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

There are tonnes of them -
"Enigma" by Tip & Firefox
"Unreal 2" & "The Alchemist" tunes by Skaven
"Unreal 2" & "When the Heavens Fall" by Purple Motion
"Alien Breed" by Alistair Brimble
"Mountain Breeze" by Jeroen Tel
"Turrican 2" & "Jim Power" by Chris Huelsbeck
"Beyond All Cognitive" by KB
"Asimilate Me" by Hunz
"Cream of the Earth" by Romeo Knight
"Digital Expression" by Shorty

I could go on - in fact I will...I'll just name a few artists:
Mad Max/TEX, Radix/Tpolm, Dune/Orange, Jesper Kyd/Silents,
Big Alec/Delta Force, Count Zero/TLB, Xerxes, Uncle Tom, Knighthawk, Heatbeat,
Audiomonster etc. But there are many many more.

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

Not really. I like the old mods the way they sound. I'll just keep on composing
new stuff.

12-What bands are you currently listenning to?

Pink Floyd, Tears for Fears, Zero 7, Talvin Singh to name a few.

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

The Amiga scene, ST scene, PC scene and to a certain extent the Spectrum scene
gave the motivation to be creative. I've never been into the C64 scene. Sad,
but true. (But Spectrum games were always better ;) )

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

Well I still compose. Hopefully me and the other Torment guys will be doing a
couple of ST demos in the coming months. Which means I'll have to get back in
to writing YM2149 chip music.

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

Greets to: The Inner Circle, The Union, ULM, The Pompey Pirates, D-Bug, TCB,
TSL, Phase^D, Orange, Orange Juice, Tpolm, Haujobb, Phenomena, Andromeda,
The Lost Boys, Sync, Alcatraz, Scoopex, Automation, The Medway Boys and
everyone else in the scene of the present and of days gone by.

Nothing else left to say except that the scene's a wonderful evolving community
and deserves to be kept alive. Although unfortunately the golden days of the
nineteen eighties-nineties can never be repeated. Still, they were good though,
weren't they?

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please note: this interview is ©opyrighted in 2003 by crown of cryptoburners
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