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?

I went thru the usual steps I guess...

ZX81 ... I remember being so frustrated at this machine never loading
properly! I think that sparked a little interst in programming just basic
stuff like 'adventure' games, that were popular at around that time....
Thats adventure as in, "U r in a room. There is a door and a wooden chest.
What now? >"

Speccy ... Games, games, games, games, games, games, games, adventure
programming, games... The tape player was much more reliable...... Actually
I do remember using that 'beep' basic command to compose A-ha's take on me
intro! Yes.... I do believe that was my first 'mod'!!

C64 .... Interest in music exploded after mitering mum 4 this machine. Wow.
Wot is it about 64 music. Its like singing metal...... (Which is good.)
Altho i loved this machine, I cudnt imagine how the music was made, so I
just stayed fascinated..

Amiga .... For the first year, even tho the first thing I saw on this
machine was a demo... (Can u guess which?) ... I basically became a quick
games addict. Afterwards, I decided 2 take the plunge and advertise for
contacts in amiga mags. . . . . . . Then it all began...

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

Well, I seem 2 have jumped a question here. (Please see above) I reckon I
made some spare room!.. Getting cold again init? .... Arent cats comfy! I
mean, u lie on 100 cats... Thats ultimate comfort...
Ill try it 1 day. Brrrrrr..

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

Hmmm... .. Not very good at panning out interviews am I... Oh! Towards the
last few years of scene, I did dabble in code and gfx.. But then a real gfx
artist came along and showed me that there was more 2 gfx than a gradient
fill button, Ohio/Crusaders, top artist was he. I quickly hid from dpaint
after that! Coding wise, I experimented with stuff, just 2 make our first
production. No code in that, just text and music.. (And rsi demomaker
intro!) And then came 2-Cool. He helped the group tirelessly. I probably owe
him quite a few apologies for constantly being on his case! And indeed
every1 else 4 much the same reason.

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

I tried many, but none cud beat noisetracker/protracker.. They were the most
stable, least bugged and most friendly 2 use i think. musicline, thx,
digibooster, music x, Octamed.. They were all just 2 buggy 4 me. I always
came back 2 protracker. And not that crappy updated version... 3 was it? The
hires 1. Nah.

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

I think we all have phases. I possibly went thru 3 or 4. Each 1 emerging
quicker than the last. Theres the learning stage, which should never really
end, but anyway, these r the most embarrasing. Acquiring as many ST-xx discs
as u can... Then u start a more technical phase. More 3 commands! More A
commands! Etc. Then u use more and more of ur own samples, either from hours
of music sifting or keyboard sounds. The last stage I think i reached was
like an optimzing stage. A lot more messing around with technical stuff in
order 2 squeeze each mod as small as possible. Each stage is as enjoyable
tho. I wud highlight these stages in mods like gorilla, mundane masoquist,
strain, story, typeroffworld, qwr2-cia, inertia, enigmatitlemusicv2, enigma
noolevels, scrumpy!

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

the saracens return... Mainly because I completely destroyed wot was
origanlly Deltex's mod, I added bits, but got a little carried away! More
apologies!

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

4 me, even from the spectrum onwards, a magazine that gave a good rating for
music in its game reviews immediately influenced my interest in it. Altho I
played many games, The quality of the music always determined how long Id
play it. And the same went with demos really. I mean, code routines showed
up in most demos with little difference. At first a demo focused on how well
a coder cud push the machine. All about optimizing etc. So demos competed by
how many and how fast and how smooth.. Later on I saw a shift in some
groups, to improve not just the code but more the demo design. We saw this
in melon, silents kefrens. With code, design and music interacting like this
more and more, we saw a boost in demo quality.

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

I tried for a while 2 move in2 game music but cudnt find a way in. I think I
looked in the wrong places and not often enuff. I later bought keyboards and
carried on writing. It all died away slowly but I am working towards getting
back in there.

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

Id always class music now as different. At that time, it was all about wot
we cud do with a limited machine. How efficiently we cud use the tools.
Whereas now.... If a limit is reached, we just add more. We dont make
anything more efficient now, it just gets bigger and more messy.
(AHEMwindowsAHEM)

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

Nah. Head hurts.

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

I got stuff on minidisc, from the keyboard years, but nothing I can say that
was properly finished, Mostly just ideas for a rainy day

12-What bands are you currently listenning to?

Well, thats the question really... Im collecting some old skool stuff
recently. I think this ties in with me finding sites such as this 1. Im on a
nostalgia train at the moment. There must b some psychological wires i left
untied somewhere...

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

A very fulfilling and creative time

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

Nah

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

Id like 2 say: Echo! DmX! Wade! 2-Cool! Ohio! Yaz! Majic Mushroom!
Id like 2 greet: Echo! DmX! Wade! 2-Cool! Ohio! Yaz! Majic Mushroom!

I feel free now.

Thanku ppl!

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please note: this interview is ©opyrighted in 2007 by crown of cryptoburners
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