Interviews
Interview with Orc
Published in Domination #16
Performed by Jazzcat
Looking back at the old demos and the former times of glory on this scene I remember fondly Sophisticated III and Dutch Breeze. These two demos were my favourite ones that were released by the famous Dutch demo group Blackmail.
After 12 months an email arrived and I finally had in my grasp an interview with ORC, graphician of quite a few C64 projects, including the aforementioned demos.
J)
Welcome to the magazine; please introduce yourself to the audience...
O)
Hi, my real name is Richard Groenendijk; I'm 29 years old and living together with my girlfriend in Amsterdam.
I work as an interaction designer at BSUR concepting (yep, the long nights behind the 64 finally paid off).
I work there for 2 years now and I have been professionally active on the internet for 6 to 7 years. And we are getting a cat.
J)
Could you tell us a bit about your C64 history and when you first started in the scene? What groups were you in and what were the main events of your scene career?
O)
Well, I was about 10 I think, just laming around in the neighbourhood. I met some people (RAT and JAVE). We got hooked on demos from groups like 1001-Crew, The Judges, MAT and BWB. We started our own group called INORIX 2180 BC. JAVE came up with the name ORC. A few years later I met Erik, ICE-T, Robert and Denk Hacker (bad name, great guy). ICE-T and I went on with INORIX and came in contact with the guyz from Blackmail. We co-oped (released So-phisticated 3) and after, I think, a year we joined them.
After that Skyline, Hitchhiker, Hein and Reyn joined the party.
J)
The days of Blackmail were especially cool. How was it like working with the others in the group? Did you have any favourite production you were involved with in the group?
O)
I have never really thought about it. It just worked, everybody did his thing and it was great.
Blackmail is 100% Dutch, so we saw each other frequently. The demos So-Phisticated III and of course Dutch Breeze are my favourites. The time with di-Art was great too. It was a grafix group within Blackmail Hein and I started.
J)
What is your idea on demo design and style or with the presentation of any project?
O)
Don't code a freaky routine and ask if the graphician, has a nice picture or logo to use afterwards. Come with a great idea and talk about how to use/do it.
During Dutch Breeze we realised that, just coding routines wasn't it. The combination of idea's, coding, graphics and music was the thing to do to make a demo part. I spend a lot of time talking to Hein, Skyline, Alf and Gaap about the idea's I had and so did they. It's a two way thing. After that Reyn, Falco Paul and Jeroen Tel came in, to provide the music that fits to the part.
J)
Recently much discussion about graphics at parties as taken place on the C64 mailing list. It is to do with people converting other people's pictures and touching them up on C64. Also about people that do this if they would be called craftsmen or graphician. What is your opinion on this topic?
O)
I have never been a real, as we say in Dutch, pixelneuker (pixelfucker). After an hour I totally flopped and I never really finished a full screen picture. Hein even "hated" me for not finishing the pictures. I have much respect for the pictures he made and the patience he has. I'm more of a logo and font type of guy.
Anyway - you make things because you like it; its fun and other people will like it too, not because you wanna win or whatever. So what's the fun of converting it if you didn't do it yourself. I mean where is the feeling when you finished it and you showed it for the first time to your friends. It's like 'well I converted this and then I ate a snickers' kinda feeling.
About 7 years ago, I got behind a Mac with Photoshop 2.5 and of course started to zoom-in like hell. Then I noticed the airbrush tool. HELLO WORLD. After that when I think of the good old C64 times I just smile. But I must say that I envy Hein and other graphicians for the discipline he has to create such nice pictures.
J)
Ever had any disagreements with any sceners or C64 related people or groups?
O)
No, not really, the only thing I noticed was that some people say that FLI was invented by I think it was, the dolphins. For as far as I know it's 100% pure Blackmail routine invented by ASP and was used for the first time in So-phisticated II. ASP was no scener and didn't care about what was going on. He just liked hacking his C64 and amazed us with the freaky routines he came up with. Really funny seeing him code behind a 'turbo' monochrome monitor screen.
J)
Any hints and tips for the learning C64 graphician out there?
O)
The eighties are coming back, so your designs will be the talk of the town again.
J)
How would you describe the differences between scene personalities in the DEMO scene and the CRACKING scene?
O)
The demo scene was more relaxed. The cracking scene was too competitive and some of the sceners could act really bitchy. Especially the one's who couldn't do shit.
After Dutch Breeze, Alf and Gaap did some cracking for Hotline under their aliases Custard and Cesspool. Not many people know that.
J)
Out of the following, which are your favourite on the C64...?
Demo Group: The Judges
Demo: Dutch Breeze
Programmer: ASP, Gaap, ALF, Skyline
Musician: JB and Reyn
Graphician: Hein, Dokk and Bob
Game: Bop and Rumble
Cracker: Custard and Cesspool
Cracker Group: Hotline
Sorry, it's a bit of a Disney Land list (it's a small world after all)
J)
Do you do any art on other platforms? Any other jobs you performed on C64 apart from painting?
O)
I'm an interaction designer for 6 years now, creating mainly scripting stuff for the internet in Flash, Director and DHTML. I did some things for Sony Netherlands, Sony Europe and other Dutch companies. My latest project is: Error! Bookmark not defined. For an upcoming Dutch singer and: Error! Bookmark not defined
I spend a short time on the Amiga, but I already freaked out on the number of pixels on the C64, so.....
After that I laid back for a while, just partying and stuff. I must say my life as a student was quite interesting. Never finished it...
J)
Dutch Breeze is probably one of the most famous demos on the C64 ever, most people have also seen Sophisticated 1+3 of course. But what do you think made DB so remembered? (Was it ahead of it's time when releasing, the design-graphical quality???)
O)
Yeah, I heard that it's even banned from some sites because of the 'soft and wet' part.
What made DB famous? I think, good ideas combined with good coding and consistent design/music. And don't forget 2 years of our lives. We made it with much fun and I think people can see that... Well actually I don't know.
J)
Scene parties in the past sure would have been fun. Which ones did you go to and which is your favourite one?
O)
The Dexion party (1987?) was my first and favourite. I went there with JAVE. Eating the best cheeseburgers I ever tasted for three days (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Oh yeah, the Silicon party (1991), where we released Dutch Breeze and won the demo competition. We are planning to go to the SCS*TRC X2001 party so.... maybe see you there?
J)
I wish I could venture there ?
When and why did you quit C64? Do you regret it now even when I say it has been and still is existing all these years later?
O)
When? 1992
Why? Probably other interests
Regret? No, it's not the same as it used to be. I wanna go further and the internet is my thing for now.
J)
Any unreleased or never completed C64 works from you?
O)
My disks are probably unreadable by now. You could check with Hein.
(ED - actually I did ~ he supplied me with two unreleased music’s composed by him which can be listened to in my old project "Album of the Year")
J)
Anything from the past that was quite funny, shocking or impressive that you would share with the readers?
O)
Well, I can say that we had our share.
Anyway, Ice-T (Rick) managed to set up a BML forum on the internet and to get in contact with most of the old members.
We are thinking of re-uniting and launching a demo kind of website online. The idea is still young and looking back at Dutch Breeze, it will probably take us another 2 years ?
J)
Feel free to say hello to anyone you know out there in C64 land...
O)
Sorry if my greeting list is pulverized of age.
I think I still have some swapping letters.....nope can't find them. Apollyon from Contex, he always had nice and funny letters.
Let me think...
Bod from Talent, Dragon/Censor...nope lost it. But HI to everyone anyway.
J)
Thanks for your time Richard! Any words to leave a final impression on the audience of Domination?
O)
Don't lick your game port you sick fuck!
P.S.
If somebody has a working version of So-phisticated III in .d64 format, please send it to: orc.blackmail@nospam.xs4all.nl
Published in Domination #16
Performed by Jazzcat
Looking back at the old demos and the former times of glory on this scene I remember fondly Sophisticated III and Dutch Breeze. These two demos were my favourite ones that were released by the famous Dutch demo group Blackmail.
After 12 months an email arrived and I finally had in my grasp an interview with ORC, graphician of quite a few C64 projects, including the aforementioned demos.
J)
Welcome to the magazine; please introduce yourself to the audience...
O)
Hi, my real name is Richard Groenendijk; I'm 29 years old and living together with my girlfriend in Amsterdam.
I work as an interaction designer at BSUR concepting (yep, the long nights behind the 64 finally paid off).
I work there for 2 years now and I have been professionally active on the internet for 6 to 7 years. And we are getting a cat.
J)
Could you tell us a bit about your C64 history and when you first started in the scene? What groups were you in and what were the main events of your scene career?
O)
Well, I was about 10 I think, just laming around in the neighbourhood. I met some people (RAT and JAVE). We got hooked on demos from groups like 1001-Crew, The Judges, MAT and BWB. We started our own group called INORIX 2180 BC. JAVE came up with the name ORC. A few years later I met Erik, ICE-T, Robert and Denk Hacker (bad name, great guy). ICE-T and I went on with INORIX and came in contact with the guyz from Blackmail. We co-oped (released So-phisticated 3) and after, I think, a year we joined them.
After that Skyline, Hitchhiker, Hein and Reyn joined the party.
J)
The days of Blackmail were especially cool. How was it like working with the others in the group? Did you have any favourite production you were involved with in the group?
O)
I have never really thought about it. It just worked, everybody did his thing and it was great.
Blackmail is 100% Dutch, so we saw each other frequently. The demos So-Phisticated III and of course Dutch Breeze are my favourites. The time with di-Art was great too. It was a grafix group within Blackmail Hein and I started.
J)
What is your idea on demo design and style or with the presentation of any project?
O)
Don't code a freaky routine and ask if the graphician, has a nice picture or logo to use afterwards. Come with a great idea and talk about how to use/do it.
During Dutch Breeze we realised that, just coding routines wasn't it. The combination of idea's, coding, graphics and music was the thing to do to make a demo part. I spend a lot of time talking to Hein, Skyline, Alf and Gaap about the idea's I had and so did they. It's a two way thing. After that Reyn, Falco Paul and Jeroen Tel came in, to provide the music that fits to the part.
J)
Recently much discussion about graphics at parties as taken place on the C64 mailing list. It is to do with people converting other people's pictures and touching them up on C64. Also about people that do this if they would be called craftsmen or graphician. What is your opinion on this topic?
O)
I have never been a real, as we say in Dutch, pixelneuker (pixelfucker). After an hour I totally flopped and I never really finished a full screen picture. Hein even "hated" me for not finishing the pictures. I have much respect for the pictures he made and the patience he has. I'm more of a logo and font type of guy.
Anyway - you make things because you like it; its fun and other people will like it too, not because you wanna win or whatever. So what's the fun of converting it if you didn't do it yourself. I mean where is the feeling when you finished it and you showed it for the first time to your friends. It's like 'well I converted this and then I ate a snickers' kinda feeling.
About 7 years ago, I got behind a Mac with Photoshop 2.5 and of course started to zoom-in like hell. Then I noticed the airbrush tool. HELLO WORLD. After that when I think of the good old C64 times I just smile. But I must say that I envy Hein and other graphicians for the discipline he has to create such nice pictures.
J)
Ever had any disagreements with any sceners or C64 related people or groups?
O)
No, not really, the only thing I noticed was that some people say that FLI was invented by I think it was, the dolphins. For as far as I know it's 100% pure Blackmail routine invented by ASP and was used for the first time in So-phisticated II. ASP was no scener and didn't care about what was going on. He just liked hacking his C64 and amazed us with the freaky routines he came up with. Really funny seeing him code behind a 'turbo' monochrome monitor screen.
J)
Any hints and tips for the learning C64 graphician out there?
O)
The eighties are coming back, so your designs will be the talk of the town again.
J)
How would you describe the differences between scene personalities in the DEMO scene and the CRACKING scene?
O)
The demo scene was more relaxed. The cracking scene was too competitive and some of the sceners could act really bitchy. Especially the one's who couldn't do shit.
After Dutch Breeze, Alf and Gaap did some cracking for Hotline under their aliases Custard and Cesspool. Not many people know that.
J)
Out of the following, which are your favourite on the C64...?
Demo Group: The Judges
Demo: Dutch Breeze
Programmer: ASP, Gaap, ALF, Skyline
Musician: JB and Reyn
Graphician: Hein, Dokk and Bob
Game: Bop and Rumble
Cracker: Custard and Cesspool
Cracker Group: Hotline
Sorry, it's a bit of a Disney Land list (it's a small world after all)
J)
Do you do any art on other platforms? Any other jobs you performed on C64 apart from painting?
O)
I'm an interaction designer for 6 years now, creating mainly scripting stuff for the internet in Flash, Director and DHTML. I did some things for Sony Netherlands, Sony Europe and other Dutch companies. My latest project is: Error! Bookmark not defined. For an upcoming Dutch singer and: Error! Bookmark not defined
I spend a short time on the Amiga, but I already freaked out on the number of pixels on the C64, so.....
After that I laid back for a while, just partying and stuff. I must say my life as a student was quite interesting. Never finished it...
J)
Dutch Breeze is probably one of the most famous demos on the C64 ever, most people have also seen Sophisticated 1+3 of course. But what do you think made DB so remembered? (Was it ahead of it's time when releasing, the design-graphical quality???)
O)
Yeah, I heard that it's even banned from some sites because of the 'soft and wet' part.
What made DB famous? I think, good ideas combined with good coding and consistent design/music. And don't forget 2 years of our lives. We made it with much fun and I think people can see that... Well actually I don't know.
J)
Scene parties in the past sure would have been fun. Which ones did you go to and which is your favourite one?
O)
The Dexion party (1987?) was my first and favourite. I went there with JAVE. Eating the best cheeseburgers I ever tasted for three days (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Oh yeah, the Silicon party (1991), where we released Dutch Breeze and won the demo competition. We are planning to go to the SCS*TRC X2001 party so.... maybe see you there?
J)
I wish I could venture there ?
When and why did you quit C64? Do you regret it now even when I say it has been and still is existing all these years later?
O)
When? 1992
Why? Probably other interests
Regret? No, it's not the same as it used to be. I wanna go further and the internet is my thing for now.
J)
Any unreleased or never completed C64 works from you?
O)
My disks are probably unreadable by now. You could check with Hein.
(ED - actually I did ~ he supplied me with two unreleased music’s composed by him which can be listened to in my old project "Album of the Year")
J)
Anything from the past that was quite funny, shocking or impressive that you would share with the readers?
O)
Well, I can say that we had our share.
Anyway, Ice-T (Rick) managed to set up a BML forum on the internet and to get in contact with most of the old members.
We are thinking of re-uniting and launching a demo kind of website online. The idea is still young and looking back at Dutch Breeze, it will probably take us another 2 years ?
J)
Feel free to say hello to anyone you know out there in C64 land...
O)
Sorry if my greeting list is pulverized of age.
I think I still have some swapping letters.....nope can't find them. Apollyon from Contex, he always had nice and funny letters.
Let me think...
Bod from Talent, Dragon/Censor...nope lost it. But HI to everyone anyway.
J)
Thanks for your time Richard! Any words to leave a final impression on the audience of Domination?
O)
Don't lick your game port you sick fuck!
P.S.
If somebody has a working version of So-phisticated III in .d64 format, please send it to: orc.blackmail@nospam.xs4all.nl