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Smash 
Handle: Smash
Real Name: Matt James Swoboda
Lived in: United Kingdom
Ex.Handles: Matt J. Swoboda, Matt Swoboda
Was a member of: Beam, Fairlight (FLT), Insanity, Introspective, J'Ecoute, New Objectives In Sound Exploration (NOISE), Nothing, Razor 1911 (Razor - RZR), Shadow pc, Tesko (TSK), Theralite

Modules: 77  online
Interview: Read!
Pictures: 4  online

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____/
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    Handle: Smash

    Group: Razor 1911, Theralite, Jecoute

    Date of birth: 30/08/80


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

  • probably when my dad brought one home about 1988. we got a pc in 1991
    (a 386! wooo), and that was where it started really. my friend had an
    amiga before that though and i played with that a lot.


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

  • a 386 in 1991, then a couple of 486s, a p120 and now a k6/2 400. i never
    had a c64 or amiga or anything like that =) i really wish i hadn't missed
    out on them, especially the amiga.


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

  • when i was about 14 i wanted to try and make games and stuff like that..
    so i tried coding (in basic), i was shit at gfx, tried a few raytracing and
    pixeling things but i didn't have much luck with it, and i wanted to do sound
    too so i tried this thing called whacker tracker, playing with mods by u4ia
    and stuff like that. This was in 1994. The program sucked though =) then
    i got st3 in 95 and started making stuff, spending a lot of time
    tracking. i gave up on coding, gfx etc.. i guess i just liked tracking more.


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

  • after st3 i got ft2 around the end of 95 (because st3 didn't work with my
    new soundcard). and this was much better. i still use it to track everything.
    i also use soundforge and wavelab for sample editing, rebirth for making
    some sounds, and loads of plugins.


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

  • i don't think i have yet =)
    and i don't think i will, it would be very sad to do it.. there would be
    no point carrying on with it then. every time i do a tune, it always ends
    up uncovering things that would be cool to use in the next ones, and i
    always end up thinking that a tune i thought was great has loads of things
    that could be better.


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

  • loads. =)
    probably my ones from 96 that were entered in trackering compos, and the
    ones i uploaded to hornet archive and shit like that, some of them were
    really bad. i think that those tunes meant that some people who remember me
    from back then might have a bad view of my tunes based on those.
    i had no musical skill whatsoever back then. =)


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

  • i think music should be half the demo. if it's done right, it's very
    important.. it's part of the art of the demo. if a demo is often like
    a music video, the music is obviously going to be important.
    in games, it adds to the atmosphere of course.


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

  • still doing it just for fun. i want to go pro one day, but lets wait and see..


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

  • mp3, well, it means you can process/mix the sound and make it sound better,
    and it's good if you do huge tunes. but there's no point just taking a
    1mb xm and mp3ing it. of course you can release mp3s of non-tracked stuff
    too or mix the two, which is cool. midi, i need to learn it. i'm slowly
    getting midi gear - synths, fx etc - and i will have to start using
    cubase or something eventually (when i get a sampler).


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

  • yeh.. alternative samba by dizzy, amazing samba guitar tune
    the guy is just pure talent. i really like a lot of his other tunes,
    especially just for blues, fanatic waltz, the polka ones =) .. coverup
    by spaceman (nuke), cool funky stuff. he's another of my alltime favourite
    musicians, he's done so much brilliant acidjazz. metroplex by necros,
    also orchard street by him too. he's got a lot of musical knowledge, i
    respect that a lot. last train by dune - i always thought dune was better
    before he went all ambient/experimental.. waypoint rules too. i like
    cybelius's assidge disks too. of the newer released stuff, i love radix
    and loonie's chiptunes, and i like krii's house tunes a lot, he has the
    groove worked out great. the guys in tdr are doing great work.


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

  • maybe one day i hope to make a cd but it'll probably be new tunes, maybe
    not tracked stuff. i'm not going to try and sell a cd of my tracked tunes as
    some guys are doing now, there's no point.. the stuff was done to be free,
    it'll stay that way. and i wouldn't buy it, why would anyone else? =)
    when i have loads of gear and shit to make the tunes with, i'll do it.


  • 12-What bands are you currently listenning to?

  • always listening to jamiroquai.
    also getting into house stuff, fatboy slim, basement jaxx, armand van helden.
    i like radiohead a lot too.


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

  • a lot of great musicians and tunes =) i was never really a part of it,
    unfortunately. but the stuff that was produced then, i learnt a lot
    from it and i still do. i guess a lot of others do too.


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

  • yeh, very.. doing stuff for demos for razor1911 now, we won dreamhack 99
    with mindstammer and there'll be a lot more from us this year. i'm tracking
    for theralite musicgroup (although the group looks to not be that healthy),
    and tracking for jecoute, the jazz musicgroup i kindof run. also doing a lot
    of guest tunes for all sorts of groups and productions, so you might
    find me popping up all over.


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

  • check out my webpage. =)
    and download my tunes. cheers.


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