»CL9: -------------------------------------- »CL8:»BIG: Interview with Michael/Anathema »CL9:»SML: -------------------------------------- »CL4: By Curt Cool »CL0: »CL1:CC:»CL0: Hey Michael - please introduce yourself to our readers - like, where you live, how old you are and so on - because, erm, that's the best way to start a scene interview I think. »CL3:M!:»CL2: Hello Curt Cool! Well my real name is Michael. I live in a large town called Herne Hill, which is basically in the South of London. I work full time for Mercury Communications as a Network Manager. During the weekends I work with my uncle at his Music Studio in Hastings (East Sussex) where he has a contract/ full time business making music and effects for the Cable Television Channel called -The Cartoon Network-. »CL1:CC:»CL0: You have been hanging around on the Amiga scene for a long time, perhaps you could enlighten our readers about your scene career as well? »CL3:M!:»CL2: My computer Career in the scene started in 1988 with the Commodore 64 where I was a Musicican for a team called Sanxion! And then I swiftly move onto the Atari Falcon and Atari St in 1990 where I was in a group called Delta and my main functions there was, Music and Programming (That's Music Programming). During the Mid 1990 I brought myself a Commodore (Tm) Amiga A500 and decided to try my luck with writing modules and designing Demos! What people didn't know is that I still continued my activities on the Atari Falcon Machine up until 1993! My first ever group on the Commodore (Tm) Amiga 500 was End Of Centry 1999 in which famous people like Hollywood/Mono, Subculture was in this team (What a year!). I was then given the task of Managing the Uk division of this team as well as writing Music, And by-God what a task it tuned out to be! With People like Hollywood Subculture, Blade, Stryx, Phantom, Toxic, Bob, Brutus, Optic, Rico, Leaburn, Mr Kipp all joining after I had joined! The group was getting well known in the Uk! I was in Eoc 1999 for at least 2 years and then decided to branch out and I joined Nunace where I respociable for the Music and Effects in the trackdemo called ** Subtle Shades ** After some disagreement with the Germany division, I decided to leave and join a temporary team called delite. I think my biggest mistake was to release Pandemonium 2 under the delite label (What a shite Team it was...) After the release of Pandemonium 2 I decided to join **Anathema**! Now as far as I am concerned about those other stories about me »PIC:Jud1.iff» joining Freezers and Surprise Productions were false and a load of nonsense talk. My article in which I slammed down Shade dealt with that point about both teams. So I am not gonna discuss this matter any further! So from 1993 to now, I am still in Anathema, and I don't think I will leave this team as I like it here! »CL1:CC:»CL0: What gives you the motivation to go on after all this time? »CL3:M!:»CL2: I really don't know! I think it's become a way of life really. I must admit that I do enjoy writing music for the Amiga, even though those software companys out there are a bunch of two-face bastards. My work on the Sony playstation and Nintendo 64 will always be there, But I will never forget the Commodore(Tm), Amiga and the Atari Falcon computers for all the enjoyments I had in making great sounds! My motivation comes from my team as well as other people who ask for my services to write music for them, and without this sort of help, you can never survive. (Long live the Amiga I say!) »CL1:CC:»CL0: Being a musician, do you have any favourite scene musicians? »CL3:M!:»CL2: No not really. Everyone has their taste in soundtracks. But I have to say that only a few Musicians catch my eye at time to time! And they are: Daizl/Mystic, who is is really a classic Musician in my book, and worth a mention in this interview. Hollywood of Mono for making a great soundtrack for the Trackdemo called Tag! KBX 128 or Vim (What ever the the Geezers name is) has tremendos style in rythum too, (especially with chip Modules.) Curt cool for the Original chip Modules. Steven/Rwe has to be mentioned here, because you wait till you see chip Attack 2 with the C64 conversions By myself and Steven, Some of the best ever produced for the 68000 machines! But I have to say my best Amiga Game Musician all round has to be David Whittaker and Tim Follin! David Whittaker works for Electronic Arts alongside the classic C64 Musician called Rob Hubbard! And as for Tim Follin, Well hes in Manchester doing his own thing, And you will here some of his stunning soundtracks in some playstation games soon! Jason Follin is great musician too, me and him have done a Soundtrack together for Chip Attack 2 called Fresh Resided..Check out our chords in that tune, it's a bit like L.E.D storm title Music! I am at this moment trying to get Tim »PIC:Cyt2.iff» and Mike Follin to do the Title (Midi) tune for the Cd version of chip Attack 2! »CL1:CC:»CL0: In your scene career, what is perhaps the biggest thing you have achieved? »CL3:M!:»CL2: Working on Chip Attack 1 and 2. And also getting my Cd Music Tracks released via X-Pele System (Revolution Vol 1...) which was released last year! I know that Chip Attack 2 is long delayed! But due to programming enhancements and the Gfx Artists delaying the title Picture, We had to put this program on hold. So I think what would make an even bigger achievement for me would be for people to see chip Attack 2 as a European production and not just another uk production and say well done to me. As I did Design this production myself! »CL1:CC:»CL0: Where do you see demo music going in the future? »CL3:M!:»CL2: How demo music stands now. It's really at a lost chord, things are becoming very bleak indeed with no official backing to keep the amiga computer on the market, then people will look elsewhere. Software companys has pissed off! Commodore has closed down! Escom has disappeared from the earth it seems, And if not then they are very quite indeed (Especially in the Uk)! What more can happen you may ask yourself? I have to say this, at least with the PC computer there is always competitiion in the market to upgrade the machine. My opinion is this. If any backing was going to help the Amiga out of the hole they're in, they need to do something about the Soundchip and Graphics chip and the crusty 68000. Yes I know there is the PowerPC Processors available but I don't see any changes so far! I spoke to a software company the other day and when I told them I still do Amiga Music the phone went dead for 5 seconds (Obviously it's the Joke of the month to them?) So if anyone thinks the future looks better, then please contact me and give me details about it! »PIC:Cyt1.iff» »CL1:CC:»CL0: And where do you see the scene going in the future? »CL3:M!:»CL2: It would be great if productions can concentrate on the old Skool style of work. I enjoyed those days. But again, I must remind people out there, that the only way the Demo scene would stay alive is by keeping the productions coming! Teams that delay productions is another thing and I don't mind that, But what I don't understand is that, you hear a team is gonna release something, and then a few days later they're dead? Spooky or what! That is why I am concentrating on Chip Attack 2 and Deadlock Magazine. But I must say that Deadlock would be the hardest out of all the rest. With the uk scene virtually dead? Why have such a Uk based Diskmagazine? We will see! So again, the direct answer to your question is? The future looks bleak again! »CL1:CC:»CL0: How do you see the situation of the UK scene at the moment? »CL3:M!:»CL2: Dead! If anyone can tell me different or explain to me different, then my opinion stands what it is! »CL1:CC:»CL0: You are a member of the group Anathema, by many thought to be the UK's no. 2 group (after Nerve Axis) - you haven't released anything for some time now, yet Chip Attack 2 and another issue of the diskmagazine Deadlock has been promised for a long time - when can we expect these, and what can we expect from them? »CL3:M!:»CL2: Uk number 2 group? I would like to know where this source comes from! I can understand the frustration that some people are going through waiting for Chip Attack 2. And I agree with all those people who criticise us for the very long delay! But what I will not accept is people who criticise and don't do anything themselves. Chip Attack 2 is on the verge of being released and will be with us in Late August/Early September 1998. There is nothing really special about Chip Attack 2 except for the Amazing Graphics and brilliant Disk accessing system. This production will use a Cyberload, which uses a new Operating system for the Amiga 1200. Or alternatively, if you have acess to a CD driver you can place your order with me for a CD based version of chip Attack 2 which will consist of 275 Chip Modules! 275 Chip Modules I hear you say?? Well, What we have done for this version is add all of the Atari Falcon Conversion of Chip Attack 2 Chip Musics to this CD based one and given it a larger size. Also the Title, Introduction and Endparts Musics is Midi based track, And I think Tim Follin alongside with myself and Steven/RWE will be Making some stunning Midi Tracks as well. The Disk version will feature some nice and neat designs with a Cool hidden part featuring a raytrace tunnel. There will be over 100 Chip modules to choose from including 40 diffrent C64 Conversions to select from and many more besides. I must stress that if you want the Hard drive version of this Music disk please contact me in Late July! So I can put your name down on Hd mailing list. Chip Attack 2 looks set to come on 3 disks (Sorry!) But again we are after quality productions and not a rush job..... I had asked many people to send in there complaints to me about what people wanted us to change or implement into the second issue (Even 4 USA 2 Canadians dudes sent me a letter of concern as well). Well after reading though all of the letters I have decided to put all those ideas into practise and given the coder the choice to implement them in our second issue. We want the members of public who see this production as a product that Anathema do lisen and implement your ideas too. All I can say is wait and see. But those dudes out there who wish to contribute towards this production.. you still have time to do so..Send in your Chip Music (Max 50k) to Chip Attack 2 Team 35 Poplar Road Herne Hill London SE24 OBN As for Deadlock, I cannot comment on that for the moment because Outspan/Anathema is re-programming this Diskmagazine as we speak. A headline intro will be release in due course about deadlock! But lets get through one thing at a time and get Chip Attack 2 out! Let Me leave you with The credits for Amiga version (Disks, Compact Disc and Hardrive version) All Designs And Concept By Michael/Anathema Programming System By Simon/Anathema Graphics By Boo, Wade, Geist, Lenaum, Bridgeclaw, Zaac, Dark Loading Musics By Steven/Rwe And Michael/Anathema Introduction-Sequence Music By Michael/Anathema Title Picture Music By Michael/Anathema Endpart (Star-Chaser 2) Music By Michael/Anathema All Amiga Chip Modules By Various European People C64 Conversion (Teletracker) Music By Michael/Anathema & Steven/RWE Atari Falcon Conversion Created and produced By Telewest (Canada) Team for Anathema Uk! »CL1:CC:»CL0: As well as being a scene musician, you have also achieved what is perhaps the dream of many a scene musician, namely making music for games - perhaps you'd give us a full round-up on the games that feature and will feature your music? »CL3:M!:»CL2: On the Playstation Music front you will be hearing my Music on Mortal Kombat 4 I am working on that as we speak. I did 2 Soundtrack to Mk Trilogy (The Subway & Streets Stage) and Xenocide! I also work with my Uncle friend (David Logan) on the Pitfall 3d Tunes! and besides that I have signed a contract alongside my uncle with X-Trax Development which will secure my future with playstation Musics. On the Snes and Nintendo64 side, well Double Dragon on the Snes featured some of my Dat Musics. As for future games, well as know, if your under a contract, that makes you not to publish, discuss or transmit any thing which is in development! Sorry the only reason why I spoke to you about MK4 is because I know the team quite well! Hello Barny! Hah, Hah »CL1:CC:»CL0: I have heard you are using a new Amiga tracker called TeleTracker which should be rather cool - so perhaps you could explain a bit about that? »CL3:M!:»CL2: Teletracker is developed by Telewest Canada! These dudes are doing the Atari Falcon conversion of Chip Attack 2 for Anathema Uk. This production is C64 Emulator Music Tracker...It features 4 track sequences (just like the rest...) I was using the Beta-Version of this tracker to do my C64 conversion. And what a remarkable Tracker it is...You can develop your own waveform and whats good about it is that you can play each voice independantly. Not like in protracker! it's is Portracker supportive, So you can load your chip modules into it, but you have to select it in a menu selector in the program....It also supports big modules too, So not only it's a C64 Emulator, but a Multi-Program which features protracker stuff. You can load in a loop sample of 155k which is better than the protracker version which is 64k...The Teletracker program takes 150k only, but put some of the program in Fast Memory, So you have more chip Memory to work with ...All replayers that work with Protracker will not work unless you resave it out as a PT tune and have the standard M.K to the label of your tune! A Nice program it is and I am not gonna compare it with any other trackers because this is where people starts to critise each other program and I am not into that. The Amiga version will be ready in 2/3 months time a beta test version is now out! So check it out dudes! This Teletracker will not be Shareware! All prgramming for this Program is Written By TZA (The Sucker who coded it! Hello Tony!!!!) »CL1:CC:»CL0: In 1997 you were involved in some kind of slagging-off match with Alive/ Nah-Kolor - perhaps you would like to explain the situation from the more relaxed point of view you probably have now, a year later? »CL3:M!:»CL2: Alive of Nah-Color (Real Name: Marcel »PIC:Cyt4.iff» Bramothe) was acting like a Gay Folly really, And I just had to put him in his place really! (Hello Alive how are you?? Hah, Hah) But I must admit that I did go a bit to far with my actions. But hey? It was fun though! To explain this in details to you would take time, And to be quite honest with you I have better things to do than to reap up old stories like this ...Let look to the future and forget the past! Most of the things I did say was well out of order! but 80 percent of it was true. But again he had said what he had to say, and to be quite honest with you I did not care really (obviously the section about his trousers must've pissed him off to write an article back). That was really funny (Hah, Hah) Did I tell you that Alive wants to become an member of the Uk Government! Nice eh? we can all see it now Marcel Bramothe - MP for Lewisham East! (Ha, Ha) only Joking! »CL1:CC:»CL0: Any other things you would like to mention here - greetings, ... anything really...? »CL3:M!:»CL2: A big hi To Daizl/Mystic, Geist and Germ/Balance, Steven/Rwe, Telewest Team, Hollywood/Mono, Sculptured Software, Jason Follin, Matt Gray, David Whittaker, Zaac, Dark/Ex Dcs and to Curt Cool of Depth for using my musics in Eurocharts..Thanks for the help! And to all who enjoy my work on the Playstation keep it real! And winners don't use drugs!?!