tA deep focus on AbysstRokDaZone & Pink/Abysstfps2c01 ABYSS - FIVE YEARS OF DEEPEST EXPERIENCE c03 f1 by c02RokDaZonec03 & c02Pink/Abyssc03 f4"The c04Abyssc03 gaping in front of me, I stand and look down to find a single ray of light being mirrored by the waters, hidden in the depth." f1The group f2Abyssf1 was founded in 1992 by c02Toxic, SMC, Dukec03 andc02 Skindiverc03 in southern Germany, who shortly before decided to leave their group c04ARISEc03 to create a thing of their own. Thus giving an unvoluntary rebirth to a group of the same name being active already a couple of years before. The first year started off a bit unspectacular by some simple quick intros and other minor releases. Still, already then due a quite aggressive way of selfexposism, the group managed to gain some modest fame throughout the Scene. The most active period for Abyss in its short but highly productive history started with the swallowing of the cracking group c04Pyrodexc03 around c02The Party IIIc03. f4"Everyone was hungry after some reputation and so we released in this year more then ten quality releases."f1 c02Pinkc03 of Abyss looks back. Products such as c02Artcore, Warp69c03 and some BBS INtros. c02Dizneelandc03, the quite well know musicpack was also started by c02Mem'o'Reec03 and c02Pinkc03 at that time. After big expectations for their demo c02Dovec03 at c02The Party IVc03 it disappointed with a sixteenth rank. f4"We were very frustated and realized that the good old times of design and fundemos were gone."f1 After this violent draw back in a time when the whole Scene found itself under the shockingly strong impact of c02Andromeda'sc03 overmighty c04Nexus7c03, the group had sever troubles to get itself back on its feet.f4"Although we released two big demos (High Anxiety & Drugstore)," f1Pink underlines, f4"three 40k intros, THX, Pulstar, a slideshow (Pixelstorm), a musicdisk (Think Pink), some crackintros some games, many intros and issues of Dizneeland most of our members got Scene sick. Burn-out syndrome."f1 The end of 1995 therefore also signed the end of Scenish activities for many of their best known members like c02Toxic, Tyshdomos, Poet, Mem´O´Ree, SMC, Skindiverc03 and c02Dukec03. f4"Now we were really in bad need for some new blood in ABYSS. And we had the big luck getting two perfect guys for some deeper experiences."f1 These two were c02Cyclonec03, who just won the c04Symposium'97c03 with his picture and the coder c02Spinc03. Then followed another highly productive year. Throughout 1996 the following releases saw the light of the Scene: c02Vertigoc04 (6th placed demo at Saturne 96) c02Little Floovec04 (1st placed intro at Saturne 96) "A six hours of work joke!" as Pink describes it c02EXTRAc04 (2nd placed intro at Summer Party 96) c02THX 1.27c04 (the famous chipmusic editor) c02DOS4GW.exec04 (3rd placed 4k-intro at Party 6) c02DAMN!c04 (4th placed 40k intro at Party 6) c02DownTownc04 (?? placed PC demo at Party 6) c02KLUB DIZNEE 1c04 (promotion intro for THX musicians)c03 As success is sexy, Abyss got enriched by two new graphicians named c02Newtc03 (who is also a member of c04Crux and Bad Karmac03) and c02JCSc03. With the c04X-filesc03 andc02 Madstop c03plus c02 Big-Ratc03, even the only remaining newsmagazine now belongs to the Abyss label. Latest release were "Diskobox" a 40k-intro and the "Rise of the Rabbits"a 32k game by Cyclone and Pink. f4"Our philosophy was always really easy: Do it! (and after all this years: ´Do it again!´)"f1 c02Pinkc03 lays open. f4"The best way to stay on this fast driven freeway called Scene is to be as active as possible. All of us are in very good personal contact. Almost all productions were did in a team of three or more people. If communication is dead - your group is dead. Never take anything belonging to the scene too serious. No fun, no Scene."f1 c02ABYSS AND ARTWORK AT WARc03 Also in 1996, a scandal with Artwork and Abyss as struggling parties shook the Scene. f4"After Bartman ripped Azures' great C2P and 15 lines of his code some misinformed people claimed that all of our stuff was recycled and based on Artwork's routines."f1 Pink still is upset. Although the article about that matter in c02Generation 21c03 never stated so, the confrontation got out of hand. Selfinventing interpretations and dark sources which no one can remember but quite puts trust in knew to tell the weirdest things and it appeared like the rather small affair could become a real war. A cold war. f4"Caused by this rumours SPIN decided to recycle ARTWORKS complete 4k intro for TP5, just to show how stupid some people could be."f1 Pink nods grinning. In fact c02Damn!c03 the 40k re-remix of c02Dawnc03 was a funny release and the situation was cleared without further unnecessary words. c01THE MEMBERS THEN AND NOWc03 The following ex-members are still not forgotten: - c02MemoReec03 is nowadays producing dancefloor music. He released a couple of CD´s and vinyl records (look out for his group NOVA). - c02Toxicc03 does the same as Mem'o'Ree. ("But not as good!") - c02Poetc03 is coding commercially on PC. (Developing 3D Studio Plug-Ins) - c02Alloyc03 has left Germany for Australia. ("We love you forever.") Here some additional information about the professional whereabouts of some c04Abyssc03 members: c02Bartmanc03 - Bought a PC and sold Amiga. Studying computer science. Develops together with PINK ´THX-MIDI´ for Windows 95/Win NT. c02Dexterc03 - School-life. Melrose Place. Models Inc. Peverly Hills c02Spinc03 - Studies computer science c02Cyclonec03 - Studies (together with Detlef Mutombo) c02Pinkc03 - Works at a Network/Internet Company. Freelance musician c02Moonc03 - Chemical Analyzer c02Newtc03 - Studies business. Skateboarding.