Interviews
Interview with Fix
Published in Vandalism News #60 - Diamond Edition
Performed by ZZAP69
On my favorite parties in the early 00's I always ended up next to a certain scener with a plastic C128D. Often chewing on some candy, sipping on some soda and struggling with a border breaking Y-scroller. With his deep voice and with the deepest sentiment he enjoys to tell the many tales of his past. It would be a crime not to share this man with the Vandalism News readers. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Fix.
Z: Please tell us a little about your private life: family, other hobbies/sports, etc.
F: Short version... else it would the to many blocks of the disc...Born 1973, One little son at 6, Lives in Landskrona/Sweden. Hobbies.. Collecting Pinball machines, old computers, Infocom text adventure games.
When I got time I try to fly real aeroplanes, RC Planes/Helicopter. And trying to learn how to play guitar.And I got some Furcifer Pardalis as pets... ( Panther Chameleons )
Z: How did it all start?
F: Guess it was September 1 - 1973...But if you talking about computers it did start way back at 1983. During that summer a neighbor that worked with computers did have an C64 at home testing it out.My father got impressed and bought one for the family early autumn. Computers were new and software limited. I wanted to play games...
One funny thing is that my parents took some computer lessons back then trying to learn how to programming. I asked if I could follow, but they told me that I were to young. So I did read the books at home instead.At this time Basic were the shit... My first C64 had a Vic 20 Keyboard :-)... And Yes, I still have it!
Jumping forward in time, I did meet some friends with C64's in school. Soon after I attended my first copy party... learn how to program assembler etc and rest is history.One thing I still hate is that I missed the first copy party ever held in Sweden, my friend Poul (Garfield, later Axa) tried to convince me that there were some people meeting up in Furulund a weekend in a scout cabin... Since Poul did says a lot of strange things I didn't believe him. We were only 11 or 12 years old back then... So I stayed home and Poul did went. And this time it actually was true... I got pissed... Luckily there were a new party next weekend and I did go then! If I'm right this could be the first ever held party in Europe/World? I haven't managed to find an party dated earlier. Party was held my Reagan Cracking Service (RCS). They later held some other Classic parties.
Z: The tradition of sharing C64 software is long and has had many forms. Did you start as a school yard turbo tape swapper or did you start off calling out to illegal BBS's at once?
F: I started to trade with my friends, found advertisement in newspaper, got more contacts , started to mailswap, then copy parties came... and some years later the modem trading started.
I had a BBS called Fastline. First it was a Endless Piracy HQ, later it became TRSI SHQ, 2000 AD HQ...
Z: Who organised the first party you mentioned? I can't find it on CSDb. You were only 11. Was it already in 1984!?
F: If I can recall it was early 1986 in May. It was arranged by Reagan Cracking Service (RCS) later Nine Tomorrow Crew (NTC)/ It was held in a little scout cabin in the woods in a small town called Furulund. It was way before the bigger Furulund parties held in a bigger place. As I know there were two parties that month: Sadly I missed the first party, but next weekend there were a new !!
What I know this could actually be the first copy party ever held in Europe. I don't think that the name copy party was invented yet. If someone have better memory than me, please fill in. At the time I were 11 or 12 years old :-)
Z: What made you come back to the C64 scene in the early 00's?
F: Guess I could thank my old friend Jucke. My old computers were hiding since long time in the attic.When he told me they held some parties in Helsinborg (Floppy). Since it's close to me and didn't do any special that weekend I payed a visit.
At the party I meet long time no seen friends since way back... I got amazed about everything again and all old friends and all new great people.Since that weekend at Floppy I just knew that I missed my Computer,the scene and friendship!
Z: You are a father. How do you make time for your scene activities?
F: Yepp... We got house rules... When daddy is computing, don't disturb!There is always time after his bedtime.
Z: Do you live with your sons mother?
F: I found another love in my life, so sadly I must say I don't live with her. But we have a good relation.
Z: Do you like ice cream? Cornetto cones for example? :)
F: My all time favorite is TipTop
Z: The Floppy parties were held on a place called Tip top, but I was thinking of someone stealing dozens of Cornetto cones from a freezer box at some early copy party. Do you have any comment to that?
F: Not one of my favorite anymore... wonder why..
Z: And what about source discs from Vortex42? :)
F: What discs..source code? Someone I knew helped them making a backup of some discs when they went for pizza.
Z: What are the major differences between the AMIGA and C64 scene?
F: Now days all Amiga demos runs on A4000/1200 with PPC cards and lots of memory.Yes it looks cool, but the soul of demo programming is lost and I don't even bother watching them anymore.I can't tell if it's an animation or real-time. If i ever will make an intro/demo on the Amiga it will be on an
A500/A1200 un-expanded trying to break the boundaries of the limited hardware.C64 demos don't need more memory, faster CPUs to still impress...
Z: And what are the differences between "now" and "then"?
F: Now days most sceners are much more friendly. Wants to help out. Happy if you show up to a party.Back then everyone (mostly) tried to be a cool and eliteish as possible.Yes, sure it did help to push the limits of cracks, demos etc. Maybe we all are a little more grownup now... ?
Z: Have you ever had any problems with bad ass-sceners?
F: Back in the old days there were lot of tough guys.. Sometimes it got physical. Strider / FLT were one of them and guess he had some issue with me. Don't know for sure why.
I told him what I though about him, and he got pissed and threatened with a beat up. But he never did anything.
So it went on for some years... He probably don't remember me anyway. :-)
Z: Do you still use that beautiful C128D?
F: Yes, it's modified to suit me. :-) Got 2x 128D, 1x 128D CR, +5x C64, +3x 128, +5x Amiga 500, 1x A1200 and +5 1084 Monitors...Probably much more laying around, can't keep count on everything.
Z: How come that we two C128D owners used to end up next until each other on almost every Floppy party?
F: Good question... but quite funny
Z: Is the border-breaking Y-scroll finished?
F:More or less... It was developed on an real C64 with TurboAssembler.It got big and I run out of memory..I've been porting it to cross-assembler environment.So it's time to use it in an upcoming production, hopefully in a G*P release. Soon as everything forgot about it, I can release it. Many have seen it running at several partys...
Z: You used to be a SYSOP?
F: Beside trying to code assembler on the Amiga, I've has a BBS called Fastline. Had it for some years when I was a member of Endless Piracy, Alpha Flight, TRSI and finally 2000 AD. Was one of the faster BBS to get the latest stuff back at the days. It was running on my old Amiga 3000 030/25MHz with 2 nodes with US Robotics 14.4K..I have lots of good memory's from that time.
Z: You were some kind of phreaker? Something about a redirected phone line from the local pizza joint?
F: It sure was fun back then... With modem trading and large phone bills. You tried to find every way to call for free.
First most used AT&T, MCI & Sprint calling cards.. After that Blueboxing, to seize the line to make those free calls. And the Swedish phone company did find some way to stop it. And you had to call Norway to bluebox. And then a redirected phone line in some store were a good way to call Norway for free and then bluebox from there. In the end I manage to find a 020 (freecall number) in Sweden to some PBX. I hacked it and had a crystal clear line out for the whole world. The password was 12345... hahaha..
One day when I called it for some modem trading, there were a voice machine with a message. This call will be recorded and registered. Unauthorised use will be charged. :-) Never got busted, since I had the old phone system in Sweden, where you couldn't trace calls.
Z: Do you run an own company?
F: I had a computer store called Microdata. Sold Amiga and PC stuff for 6-7 years.Now days I have Golf store selling golf clubs and equipment for last 12 years.
Z: Do you want to share some fine memories from any party you have attended to?
F: I have so many memory's from different parties that I could write a book about them.Meet so many sceners that I can't count them, visiting most parties in Southern Sweden and some in Denmark.
Some memories are best kept as memories.
Z: You recently lost a lot of body weight? What made you take that decision and how did you manage? Do you keep it up (down that is)?
F: After I stopped train Tae Kwon Do after 10 years at a high level.. I gained some weight.. 20-25kg
Now I lost 20kg, and gaining slowly :-)
Z: Landskrona is a stronghold for Swedish ultra-nationalists. How do you think that come?
F: I don't know... bad integration by the politicians I guess.
Z: You have a very deep voice. Do you enjoy singing?
F: I can't sing... you don't want to hear.
Z: Maybe after some beers on next party! Thanks for the interview!
F: Take care!