Interviews
Interview with Scroll
Published in Vandalism News #21
Performed by Vengeance
Many of the new sceners probably wouldn't remember this group, but the older sceners can and I think they still stand strong in our head, in standard and tradition alone.... lets start...
V)
Hello, RUBEN its nice to see that you could make it here for an interview with us on such short notice, so lets get right to the point, and introduce yourself to our readers...
S)
I am SCROLL of MEGASTYLE PRODUCTIONS, and my real name is RUBEN SPAANS. I am 21 years old, 1.82M high, 90KG, and live in a small town called Bronnoysund in NORWAY. Currently I am unemployed, so I can use all my spare time on the c64, where I am a coder and a swapper, I own a VIC 20, 2 c64's, c128d, Amiga 1200, CDTV and a PC (Pentium), but you readers shall not fear I'll leave the c64, I'll be the last one to leave.
V)
Good, it seems you are quite devoted to the scene, although having interests in other computers as well, a nice love for the scene I guess..(!) But lets talk about the past, MEGASTYLE was respected as one of the best or if not the BEST demo group for its time with that in mind what do you think of the demos produced today and have they improved?
S)
My opinion is that very few groups make original demos, almost everyone makes trackmos which is hard to distinguish from a standard AMIGA of PC demo. Graphically, the c64 has improved vastly, with new inventions like IFLI which really make c64 graphics kick compared to the Amiga and PC. But when talking about coding I think the quality has decreased, with everyone making the same vector-stuff and other mathematical routines. People are no longer that aware of c64+specific routines using $d011 etc, mathematical formulas can be found in every decent maths book, but routines like border-opening have to be invented by the coder, not a coder who memorizes mathematical formulas. The music are pretty good nowadays, but there are a lot of good composers, you can hardly hear the difference between composers anymore. All in all, people should invent their own ideas instead of taking them from Amiga and PC demos.
V)
Well, you feel quite strongly about this I guess so it is cool to have MEGASTYLE back to set some high standards again, in fact however it was quite a shock for all of us to find out MEGASTYLE returned, what was your reason for returning to the scene what can we expect from you?
S)
Well, it was a simular SHOCK for us to discover that the scene was still very active, FOUR years after our official death. After our death on the c64 we planned to go PC only, but that never worked out. Instead, I and SPACE-ROY started a cracking section called 'LURID and TRICYCLE' just for fun. We cracked our old tape originals just for something to do. One day in January 1995 SPACE-ROY found a contact address in a newspaper, so I contacted that person (hello ZAPOTEK!) in hope of getting old demos, but it was a shocking experience to actually get new demos, I thought the machine died in 1993 or something. Then, the decision of what to do was easy. We dropped all our PC plans and went c64 only... since then I’ve got a lot of contacts, and we even released a comeback demo recently ('THE GREAT KLOAKKMAN'). Sure, you can expect more demos from us in the future, we will also release a lot of utilities and make some games... It was not a hard comeback to do because of good reputation in the past.
V)
Well, we all are extremely glad you guys did come back because I think its brought back spirit that was needed to the scene, at least for me anyhow... Is CYCLEBURNER planning to return as well or will it be you recruiting new members for the group?
S)
CYCLEBURNER told me that more C64 coding was very unlikely, although it is possible that he will do more samples, but I’ll have to do the coding... We have a lot of unused samples, though, which they will be used in the near future. CYCLEBURNER us at the moment lost in the education system, but maybe we can persuade him to code, if the scene wants him back…anyway, we will most certainly take in some more members, and if people draw good graphics for us, we will use it...
V)
Guess that will be encouraging for the newer artists of this day and age, anyhow is there any difference in MEGASTYLE PRODUCTIONS since the return and who actually are members of the core?
S)
Only I and SPACE-ROY are the active members from the core. All the other members (SPARKLER, PRICE, BROOZ, SLEEPWALKER, RAGE, DRUMTEX, CYCLEBURNER, LIZARD AND INZANE) stopped after our death in '91. Some will perhaps return, but most of them (including SPARKLER) will probably never return.
V)
Damn that is a shame, we will surely miss the likes of those guys, but anyway tell us your favourite...
S)
GROUP: CREST
DISKMAG: SEX'N'CRIME (we were #1 in issue 13 (hehe))
BEER: GINGER ALE (not actually a kind of beer)
FRIEND: SPACE-ROY/MEGASTYLE!
CONTACT: DERBYSHIRE RAM
DEMO: CREST / AVANTGARDE
GAME: ALTER EGO (C64)
V)
If you could make MEGASTYLE like it was in the old days how would you do it?
S)
Making MEGASTYLE the same as it was would be an impossible task, as all our members have split up, moved to different places in Norway and developed tastes/imagination/style in different ways. The question is if we want Megastyle to be what it was. I mean, the pressure from some of our members was so extreme that making demos was not fun at all. Nowadays with only me and SPACE-ROY left, it is just as fun as it was in the real beginning When we had the possibility to make whatever we wanted, not struggling to be the best and on top in every mag.
V)
What is the biggest difference to you in the legal scene since your return?
S)
It seems that most of the lamer groups are gone. The average demo keeps a much higher standard as most coders nowadays are able to code properly. And there are much more active groups that I thought it would be. The amount of groups and sceners in the charts are actually larger than 1990/91. What I really think is absurd is that every bloody group has to do a disk mag. Groups should concentrate more on demos than using resources to get mag editors and journalists. Only talented persons with experience should start a mag...
V)
Well, I think some people might disagree with that as mags have become a much more important part of the scene since you left, but hey everyone is entitled to his/her opinions, and also agree with your in a way... but not in another, Now tell us about your scene history and how you originally started way back, before this comeback?
S)
It all started when SPACE-ROY (formally known as MAO, CROCKETT) and SLEEPWALKER (formally NAPOLEON) left their old group to build up a new one (MEGASTYLE INCORPORATED) together with BROOZE former COBRA) the 8 September 1988. The next few months they recruited some more members, I joined in December '88 and our reputation grew as we made out famous Brainstorm- and Piece of Cake-demos. After a while we were perfecting the demos so much that there was no fun at all to code. After releasing 'KALLE KLOAKK' in December 1990, we didn't manage to finish another demo, no matter how hard we tried, so we died (it rhymed!). But anyhow, by mystery, we managed to struggle out a demo in 1993, which was a real pain to code, but at that time we had no contacts, so it was almost not spread at all.
V)
Well, hopefully the same thing won't happen again with coding not being fun, well what groups have you been in and how did the group changes occur?
S)
I and my brother SPARKLER formed a group called 'RSW' even before we got our c64. At that time (in
summer '86), I wrote basic-programs in my schoolbooks. We changed the group name several times from RSW to PYTON, NRK, WIZWARE and into RSW again etc. I stayed in that group for two years, until I joined 'NEW HELLMATES' in September 1988(at the same time as MEGASTYLE was founded). I made a lot of demos which were never spread. Another member of 'NEW HELLMATES' showed those demos to the members in MEGASTYLE, and the demos were so good that the entire NEW HELLMATES joined MEGASTYLE in December 1988. Since then I have stayed in this group. In 1991 we changed our name from MEGASTYLE INC to MEGASTYLE PRODUCTIONS.
V)
Well we can see your a loyal and devoted group member, but why wouldn't you be? anyhow has the cracker scene dropped do you think? if so why?
S)
I don't think that the cracker scene has dropped, it is the commercial software industry which has dropped, with all the leading companies as OCEAN, US GOLD, ACTIVISION etc, gone.
V)
Too, true RUBEN I’ll agree with that totally, well think back, is there any groups or MAGAZINES still alive since your return, that are still at a respected standard?
S)
There are surprisingly many groups who are still active. Those who weren't very good in 1990/91, has improved quite much (especially OXYRON, just look at COMA LIGHT 1!), but not a single disk mag I have heard about has survived since 1991.
V)
Well, I’m sure your a busy man, so I’ll let you go, thank you for the interview... good luck with the rebuild!
S)
Thank you very much, and I hope this text fits in the memory of your mag... however if you want to know more about the history of MEGASTYLE, read our long scroller in 'THE GREAT KLOAKKMAN'.
V)
Well, there’s not a problem with the memory in this mag in fact I haven't had to bother about that so far, but hey any last words?
S)
Long live the c64, and may the EVIL KLOAKKMAN strike hard on everyone who dares to leave the c64!!
Well that brings us to end for this issue I hope you enjoyed reading this as I did conducting it. Until next time...
+++
VENGEANCE/ONSLAUGHT.
Published in Vandalism News #21
Performed by Vengeance
Many of the new sceners probably wouldn't remember this group, but the older sceners can and I think they still stand strong in our head, in standard and tradition alone.... lets start...
V)
Hello, RUBEN its nice to see that you could make it here for an interview with us on such short notice, so lets get right to the point, and introduce yourself to our readers...
S)
I am SCROLL of MEGASTYLE PRODUCTIONS, and my real name is RUBEN SPAANS. I am 21 years old, 1.82M high, 90KG, and live in a small town called Bronnoysund in NORWAY. Currently I am unemployed, so I can use all my spare time on the c64, where I am a coder and a swapper, I own a VIC 20, 2 c64's, c128d, Amiga 1200, CDTV and a PC (Pentium), but you readers shall not fear I'll leave the c64, I'll be the last one to leave.
V)
Good, it seems you are quite devoted to the scene, although having interests in other computers as well, a nice love for the scene I guess..(!) But lets talk about the past, MEGASTYLE was respected as one of the best or if not the BEST demo group for its time with that in mind what do you think of the demos produced today and have they improved?
S)
My opinion is that very few groups make original demos, almost everyone makes trackmos which is hard to distinguish from a standard AMIGA of PC demo. Graphically, the c64 has improved vastly, with new inventions like IFLI which really make c64 graphics kick compared to the Amiga and PC. But when talking about coding I think the quality has decreased, with everyone making the same vector-stuff and other mathematical routines. People are no longer that aware of c64+specific routines using $d011 etc, mathematical formulas can be found in every decent maths book, but routines like border-opening have to be invented by the coder, not a coder who memorizes mathematical formulas. The music are pretty good nowadays, but there are a lot of good composers, you can hardly hear the difference between composers anymore. All in all, people should invent their own ideas instead of taking them from Amiga and PC demos.
V)
Well, you feel quite strongly about this I guess so it is cool to have MEGASTYLE back to set some high standards again, in fact however it was quite a shock for all of us to find out MEGASTYLE returned, what was your reason for returning to the scene what can we expect from you?
S)
Well, it was a simular SHOCK for us to discover that the scene was still very active, FOUR years after our official death. After our death on the c64 we planned to go PC only, but that never worked out. Instead, I and SPACE-ROY started a cracking section called 'LURID and TRICYCLE' just for fun. We cracked our old tape originals just for something to do. One day in January 1995 SPACE-ROY found a contact address in a newspaper, so I contacted that person (hello ZAPOTEK!) in hope of getting old demos, but it was a shocking experience to actually get new demos, I thought the machine died in 1993 or something. Then, the decision of what to do was easy. We dropped all our PC plans and went c64 only... since then I’ve got a lot of contacts, and we even released a comeback demo recently ('THE GREAT KLOAKKMAN'). Sure, you can expect more demos from us in the future, we will also release a lot of utilities and make some games... It was not a hard comeback to do because of good reputation in the past.
V)
Well, we all are extremely glad you guys did come back because I think its brought back spirit that was needed to the scene, at least for me anyhow... Is CYCLEBURNER planning to return as well or will it be you recruiting new members for the group?
S)
CYCLEBURNER told me that more C64 coding was very unlikely, although it is possible that he will do more samples, but I’ll have to do the coding... We have a lot of unused samples, though, which they will be used in the near future. CYCLEBURNER us at the moment lost in the education system, but maybe we can persuade him to code, if the scene wants him back…anyway, we will most certainly take in some more members, and if people draw good graphics for us, we will use it...
V)
Guess that will be encouraging for the newer artists of this day and age, anyhow is there any difference in MEGASTYLE PRODUCTIONS since the return and who actually are members of the core?
S)
Only I and SPACE-ROY are the active members from the core. All the other members (SPARKLER, PRICE, BROOZ, SLEEPWALKER, RAGE, DRUMTEX, CYCLEBURNER, LIZARD AND INZANE) stopped after our death in '91. Some will perhaps return, but most of them (including SPARKLER) will probably never return.
V)
Damn that is a shame, we will surely miss the likes of those guys, but anyway tell us your favourite...
S)
GROUP: CREST
DISKMAG: SEX'N'CRIME (we were #1 in issue 13 (hehe))
BEER: GINGER ALE (not actually a kind of beer)
FRIEND: SPACE-ROY/MEGASTYLE!
CONTACT: DERBYSHIRE RAM
DEMO: CREST / AVANTGARDE
GAME: ALTER EGO (C64)
V)
If you could make MEGASTYLE like it was in the old days how would you do it?
S)
Making MEGASTYLE the same as it was would be an impossible task, as all our members have split up, moved to different places in Norway and developed tastes/imagination/style in different ways. The question is if we want Megastyle to be what it was. I mean, the pressure from some of our members was so extreme that making demos was not fun at all. Nowadays with only me and SPACE-ROY left, it is just as fun as it was in the real beginning When we had the possibility to make whatever we wanted, not struggling to be the best and on top in every mag.
V)
What is the biggest difference to you in the legal scene since your return?
S)
It seems that most of the lamer groups are gone. The average demo keeps a much higher standard as most coders nowadays are able to code properly. And there are much more active groups that I thought it would be. The amount of groups and sceners in the charts are actually larger than 1990/91. What I really think is absurd is that every bloody group has to do a disk mag. Groups should concentrate more on demos than using resources to get mag editors and journalists. Only talented persons with experience should start a mag...
V)
Well, I think some people might disagree with that as mags have become a much more important part of the scene since you left, but hey everyone is entitled to his/her opinions, and also agree with your in a way... but not in another, Now tell us about your scene history and how you originally started way back, before this comeback?
S)
It all started when SPACE-ROY (formally known as MAO, CROCKETT) and SLEEPWALKER (formally NAPOLEON) left their old group to build up a new one (MEGASTYLE INCORPORATED) together with BROOZE former COBRA) the 8 September 1988. The next few months they recruited some more members, I joined in December '88 and our reputation grew as we made out famous Brainstorm- and Piece of Cake-demos. After a while we were perfecting the demos so much that there was no fun at all to code. After releasing 'KALLE KLOAKK' in December 1990, we didn't manage to finish another demo, no matter how hard we tried, so we died (it rhymed!). But anyhow, by mystery, we managed to struggle out a demo in 1993, which was a real pain to code, but at that time we had no contacts, so it was almost not spread at all.
V)
Well, hopefully the same thing won't happen again with coding not being fun, well what groups have you been in and how did the group changes occur?
S)
I and my brother SPARKLER formed a group called 'RSW' even before we got our c64. At that time (in
summer '86), I wrote basic-programs in my schoolbooks. We changed the group name several times from RSW to PYTON, NRK, WIZWARE and into RSW again etc. I stayed in that group for two years, until I joined 'NEW HELLMATES' in September 1988(at the same time as MEGASTYLE was founded). I made a lot of demos which were never spread. Another member of 'NEW HELLMATES' showed those demos to the members in MEGASTYLE, and the demos were so good that the entire NEW HELLMATES joined MEGASTYLE in December 1988. Since then I have stayed in this group. In 1991 we changed our name from MEGASTYLE INC to MEGASTYLE PRODUCTIONS.
V)
Well we can see your a loyal and devoted group member, but why wouldn't you be? anyhow has the cracker scene dropped do you think? if so why?
S)
I don't think that the cracker scene has dropped, it is the commercial software industry which has dropped, with all the leading companies as OCEAN, US GOLD, ACTIVISION etc, gone.
V)
Too, true RUBEN I’ll agree with that totally, well think back, is there any groups or MAGAZINES still alive since your return, that are still at a respected standard?
S)
There are surprisingly many groups who are still active. Those who weren't very good in 1990/91, has improved quite much (especially OXYRON, just look at COMA LIGHT 1!), but not a single disk mag I have heard about has survived since 1991.
V)
Well, I’m sure your a busy man, so I’ll let you go, thank you for the interview... good luck with the rebuild!
S)
Thank you very much, and I hope this text fits in the memory of your mag... however if you want to know more about the history of MEGASTYLE, read our long scroller in 'THE GREAT KLOAKKMAN'.
V)
Well, there’s not a problem with the memory in this mag in fact I haven't had to bother about that so far, but hey any last words?
S)
Long live the c64, and may the EVIL KLOAKKMAN strike hard on everyone who dares to leave the c64!!
Well that brings us to end for this issue I hope you enjoyed reading this as I did conducting it. Until next time...
+++
VENGEANCE/ONSLAUGHT.