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Balthazar 
Handle: Balthazar
Real Name: Antti Luoma
Lived in: Finland
Ex.Handles: n/a
Was a member of: Damones (DMS), The Mighty Rubber Boots

Modules: 4  online
Interview: Read!
Pictures: 1  online

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: Balthazar

    Group: Damones

    Date of birth: 1970


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

  • In 1982 I evaluated the situation and saw in my infinite wisdom that the
    future of music clearly involved extensive use of computers, and decided to
    take a closer look of the phenomenon. Naah, actually I was just a kid lucky
    to get a computer to play with.


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

  • - Vic20: Played games. Learned BASIC. Drew my first gfx. Composed my first
    tunes (bleep blippety bleep). Wished the damn box had more memory.

    - CBM64: Played games. Drew more gfx. Enjoyed the possibilities presented by
    SID. Built a sampler box and coded assembly programs to record and compress
    the mighty 4 bit samples and play them in unison with regular SID sounds.
    Mucked about with the computer, a cheapo keyboard and a 4 track. Wished the
    damn box had more memory.

    - Amiga500: Played games. Wet myself when I first saw and heard what the box
    could do. Drew some more gfx. Used it as a sequencer for my midi gear.
    Sampled sounds from my synths and used'em in mods. Wished the damn box had
    more memory.

    - 0.033-1.n GHz x86's: Did (still do) composing, sound editing and misc.
    studio stuff, gfx, web authoring, a whole lotta surfing, and wishing the
    damn box had more memory.


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

  • Music has always been close to my heart. I still do gfx, mainly for web
    purposes. I dropped coding after the 6502, since I migrated to Amiga pretty
    late and I felt it was too late. But hey, there are plenty of platform
    independent languages, so who knows...


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

  • C64: Self made stuff, Rockmonitor, Funkydrummer and whatnot.
    Amiga: SoundTracker, ProTracker, KCS and a few shitty sound editors &
    sequencers whose names I've luckily forgotten.
    x86: Misc. audio editing & sequencing proggys and plugins. Mainly softsynths
    nowadays (coz I'm fed up with fscking around with tiny knobs and
    switches on hardware), especially Buzz, which I find an amazing piece
    of sw, tracker based, yet endlessly flexible.


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

  • Erm... none so far. When (if) I reach my goal as a musician, I'll just lie
    down and die.


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

  • A totally crappy remix of Stakker Humanoid, which infrequently ended up in
    guru meditation and a blinking led. Fortunately I believe it never escaped
    the lab. :)


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

  • It definitely builds the atmosphere, although it can't save a lousy demo/game.
    But then again, many demos and games are remembered because of their music.


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

  • Yup. For leisure. I'm afraid that if I start doing it too seriously, it stops
    being fun. And having fun is the most important thing.


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

  • All have their purposes, as means of working with or spreading music.


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

  • Umm... that's a hard one. Old C64 wizards like Hubbard and Galway (Commando,
    Rambo, Monty). From mods, to mention but a few, maybe 'Napalmia Neukuille'
    by Thrashman, 'Wintersweet' by Trash, the tune from Spaceballs' State of the
    Art demo, and 'Wessabeat'. And several others whose names escape me at the
    moment.


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

  • We formed a band 'The Mighty Rubber Boots' in 1991 (several Damones members
    involved) and have already recycled many of the old choons in our later
    productions. Some are commercially licensed. Keep your ears peeled.:)


  • 12-What bands are you currently listening to?

  • That list would be just too long. Mainly all sorts of electronica nowadays.
    I tip my hat to Crystal Method, Hooverphonic, Way Out West, Moby, Underworld,
    Orbit etc. and of course the pioneers, Jarre, Vangelis, Kraftwerk, TD and
    such.


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

  • Friends and fun. Something to waste my youth on. And a fair amount of my
    adulthood too, it seems. Maybe liver problems later in life.


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

  • LOL. I guess as active as the other Damones.


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

  • Ooo! Handle dropping. Greetz to Dr.Awesome, Superted, Merlin/Sonic, The
    Hooligan/DCS, and especially the audience on our first gig @ the first
    Assembly.


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