Good people:

I'm planning to write an article on 2d-art in the demoscene for the next issue of Pain, and I hope it's ok with you guys who commented on my previous post that I use some of your viewpoint to broaden my discussion. I believe it was Phoenix, Gargaj and Truck who commented. I won't refer to you by name (unless you want this of course), but you will probably recognize your views so I thought I should ask ahead.

And, if you have more views/ideas/considerations on how to make this a good and well reflected artictle, shoot.

Truck: don't tell the editorial staff yet. If it happens, it happens. If not, I've spent my designated demoscene time doing something else I hope you'll all appreciate.

Arch

Only vaguely scene related, this, but anyway.

I've always been a metalhead, but recently I've been wanting to check out some good electronica acts. I've always enjoyed Aphex Twin and NIN, but that's about as far as I've been able to push it. Recently I stumbled across a Swedish act called The Knife, and I was really taken by them (www.myspace.com/theknife) in a scene music kind of way. So, the question is, any tips for good music within this genre? I really don't have the time nor the opportunity to listen my way through myspace in search of something special. Oh, and I really can't stand goth or all those emo MM-clones.

Thanks in advance!

I'm incredibly hung over, but I take that as a sure sign that the Oslo scene meet was a good one. I guess I could have picked a better spot, but who could guess that the place was going to be flooded with theatre-goers for the theatre next door? I've only been there once before, and then the place was near empty. Aaaanyway. The turnout was surprisingly good I think. The following were present: Menace, Pinnochio, Arcane, Waffle, Svok, Archmage, Gloom, Frequent and a friend of Svok that hadn't been into the scene since 1996. Beers were had, plans were made. And then some more beer. You know how it goes.

The only bummer of the night was that my mobile phone was pickpocketed out of my bag. Crap crap crap. I have no idea how they managed. Well, have to start collecting those numbers again I guess.

After a couple of weeks of growing numbness every time I opened my mailbox, I actually received the first Mindcandy yesterday. I watched the whole "newskool"-disk through and I was actually very impressed with some of the stuff I saw. Ok, there is a lot of horrible horrible 3d on there and some pretty pointless trance music and a WHOLE lot of layers that Truck warned me about, but there is also a lot of quality stuff that actually makes me regret that I've been missing out on this period. Guess I had other stuff to do at the time. Where do all the years go, anyway? A damn haze, it is.

Well, now... I've noticed a difference between a great number of these newskool demos on the DVD(the latest one released in 2001 I think), and the demos that are produced today. Today, if, say, a Brainstorm-production feature a horrible painted logo for the sake of oldskoolness I find myself going "Whoooa! 2d!" even though my eyes fucking hurt. Fact is that not many years ago the 2d-artists of the scene were really really good, and 2d (i.e. painting in PS or Painter) was integrated in demos in a seemless manner. I'm at work now (yes, I hope the boss is not watching) so I have no way of checking, but I think it was the the demos by Noice, Maturefurk, Mandula and Haujobb among others that have 2d that really kicks and pushes the personality of the demos. I'm not shouting for girls, swords or dragons here, but 2d can be used in ways that build up atmosphere and adds personality to demos. I'm not saying that 2d is totally absent today (Iris, Ephidrena, Fairlight have some), but it is most definetly on the decline. The result is, IMHO, pretty cold demos. If I'm to take Trixter's word for it, coding skills have now given up the steering wheel to design, but I can't really see that happening in a good way if the 2d aspect is neglected.

So the question is, where did they all go? There is a growing scene of computer artists out there that has evolved from the concept of concept artistry for games and movies, but this trend does not seem to affect the demoscene very much. I can't provide a good explanation to why this is, but I can go against the trend in my small way and paint. And I will.

Here is a statement about our absent Mindcandy commentary that I posted in gargaj's journal, and it was really the cause of me opening this account. Figured it would fit in here as well

When we were first contacted by the Mindcandy team, we were a bit sceptical to say the least. Over the years there have been several people trying to buy the legal rights to this otherwordly beast we created that is called Nexus 7. We've basically told them to fuck off, because even though we had come to a point where it didn't matter much to us, we had a feeling, if vague, that it mattered a great deal to some surviving demosceners out there. But the Mindcandy approach seemed different and more along the lines of demoscene interest, so after a bit of internal discussion we decided to say go. And I'm glad we did. So far so good.

The commentary aspect is a different matter. Me and Hyde are the only guys left in the N7-team with any interest in the scene, but when the commentary request came we felt inclined to ask the other guys too. In short, they couldn't care less. Me and Hyde then discussed the possibility about the two of us doing a commentary, but we ended on the decision that such a commentary would not match the production. It would also take the focus away from where we are now. Too much nostalgia is not necessarily a good thing. It's cool that people enjoy what we did on the Amiga, but for us it's not very interesting to keep basking in the glory of what we did some 12 years ago. The demo is there for everybody to watch. It was a statement we made back then. No point in us commenting it to death now, because we can't really add anything that isn't there already.

Trixter, however, was able to provide a sense of context, and that was kind of interesting for us as well. There are some horrible commentaries on there made by people whose ties to the original production is vague at best, and I really prefer Trixter to any of these guys.

But... I have to agree with Truck on his reflections on the fear of silence. There ought to be a hell of a lot more silence in the demoscene. And less scene poetry. Definetly less scene poetry. Consequently I'll STFU right now.

Hoy! This is my first post here. I imagine the update rate on this journal will be pretty slowish, but when I post it will mostly be demoscene related. If you don't know what the demoscene is, I won't be the one to tell you. Sorry.

Which brings me to my view on some recent events. Let it be said once and for all that I'm not one of these demoscene outreach missionaries who think anybody apart from those who are already involved really give a fuck unless you actually make something worthwhile. The whole Timbaland incident, justified as it was, gave some clever sceners the idea that one should write some sort of demoscene manifesto in the name of public relations and recruitment. The thread on pouet took some pretty scary turns along the way, and I guess we haven't seen the end of it either. Well, now, these people are not representing my demoscene. In my demoscene you fend for yourself only, you put a real effort into making stuff and if people catch on, it's nice. The demoscene will not expand through anything else than the actual demos it is able to produce. I got into the demoscene through cracktros in the late 80's. If anybody had shoved a manifesto or a wiki-definition in my face back then, I would have given them the finger straight up. Introspection, discipline and quality - NOT exhibition, manifestos and public relation outreach movements - are the key factors for a thriving, and expanding, demoscene.

And in case you're wondering: yes, I am doing something.