| Hack-Mag: |
Please tell us a bit about yourself (age, profession, name, group, hobbies etc.). |
| Moby: |
Well... I'm named Fred, like the famous French composer. I'm 21 and I study computer science. I'm a real music lover! I collect tapes, LPs and CDs, I love reading Stephen King's books, and I love (overall) BEER! My favourite ones are Pelforth (a French one), Chimay (Belgian), De Verboden Vrucht (Belgian, too), and some others... Belgian beers rules! |
| Hack-Mag: |
When and on which machine did you start with computer music? |
| Moby: |
I started music on ORIC-1 in 1983! Actually, it was not music, just bip bip, like the Atari ST. I also began to code in machine code on Oric, it was so funny! Then I bought a C64, on which I coded a few things, thanx to my training on Oric (same machine code) and I of course did some tries with music programs, but I didn't manage to find any user-friendly editor! So I really started computer music on AMIGA, 4 years ago. First with Sonix, then with Soundtracker. Now I also work on PC with Adlib card and soon on Apple IIgs. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Did you have a training on certain instruments? What instruments do you play? |
| Moby: |
I've been playing keyboards for about 7 years, but I stopped 3 years ago because I was fed up with synthetic sounds! I started to play the drums, and I now play in a Blues-Rock Band named Dear Popol... sounds great! We mostly play old ZZ-Top stuff, Johnny Winter, SrV, AC/DC, and old Blues standards. We also compose some tunes of course. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Could you give us some info on your computer history (earlier groups)? |
| Moby: |
My first team was IMPACT INC. I stayed with them 1 year and a half. We released some simple demos and a music disk. Then I joined Apology, a french team which released a demo disk and died. Then I joined Dragons. We released 2 demos and one Megademo (on which most of the tunes were unfinished! grrr). Alcatraz asked me to join them. I did it. Some of my tunes were released in the Megademo IV, and in two music disks. (Try to find the Alcatraz Music Disk #1, because it has not been very well spread and my best tune lies in it! It's called 'Pelforth Blues'!) And now, I am a member of DreamDealers, the coolest team in France! |
| Hack-Mag: |
How do you like your current crew? |
| Moby: |
As I said, they're very cool, very funny (one of our musician is called 'the Clown'. Cool name Djam! hehe) and very powerful. Before I joined them, they have released 2 Megademos and a game music compilation. And the Jukebox 2 is now released (36 ripped game musics). We really plan to do great things together!
Here's our memberlist:
- Kougar ...... Musician
- Sun ......... Musician (the clown!)
- Redlight ....... Coder
- Tony ............. Gfx
- Tik .............. Gfx
- Croquik ........ Coder
- Moby ........ Musician
Our new demo, called "Tales of a Dream", is now out! Check it out! |
| Hack-Mag: |
What computer equipment do you own? |
| Moby: |
A500 + 512 Ko, home made sound sampler, Philips monitor, Nordic Power, A590 + 2Mo, + soon a 150Mo HD. Of course, my Amiga is linked to my stereo amplifier 2x45 watts! Yep... |
| Hack-Mag: |
Do you use synths as well to create your music? |
| Moby: |
As far as Amiga music is concerned, I mostly use synths to sample sounds. But sometimes I use my Midi Keyboard to compose (not often!). But now that I bought my Korg M3R, I am also composing on synths, and it is more funny than the Amiga! |
| Hack-Mag: |
How many percent of your samples are self-made, how many ripped? |
| Moby: |
I'd say 50-50... Used samples of course, because I've got loads of ripped samples that I never use. |
| Hack-Mag: |
Do you consider sample ripping to be a poor thing? |
| Moby: |
Of course not! When somebody has sampled a sound you need, why should you sample it by yourself? You can take it! That's what I think. I'm never angry when I hear my sounds in some tunes! Moreover, I'm very proud that Walkman uses my Piano (nice sound hee?). |
| Hack-Mag: |
What's your favourite real music? |
| Moby: |
Well, it depends... Sometimes I got da blues. Yeah... And then I like to listen to J. Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albatross, Jimi Hendrix and so on... But sometimes, I really love to destroy my hears with Metallica, one of the best band on Earth. Or Annihilator, Watchtower, Holy Terror... I also love Steve Vai, Joe Satrani, Randy Coven, Stu Hamm, Steve Morse and so on...
You didn't ask what I don't like but I'll tell it! I HATE rap, house, newbeat, techno, Jarre, Depeche Mode, Bros, PSB,U2, Simple Minds, Cocteau Twins, and all kinds of dance music. That's pure crap! |
| Hack-Mag: |
And on the Amiga? |
| Moby: |
My favourite musicians (should I say my Gods?) are:
- Bruno who has a very funky style and who sounds like nobody else. His musics sound "real".
- Walkman who always brings wonderful melodies, and who can also do some very powerful things (Thrash Collector was so fun!!!).
- Heatbeat who smashes my ears and my brain with his unbelievable solos! "Scrambled Mind" is one of the best tune I've ever heard on Amiga!
- Uncle Tom who should drop gfx and get back to music coz' I love his crazy style! He's so original!
I also like Kougar/DreamDealers, Chrylian/Proton, Delorean/Vertigo, Jester/Sanity (Ja, ja!), Mantronix/Phenomena, Nuke/Anarchy, Axel/Brainstorm, Audiomonster/Silents, Tebirod/Concept, and some more... |
| Hack-Mag: |
What kind of (Amiga) music do you hate and why? What elements in the tunes makes you scorn them? |
| Moby: |
I hate all that house-hip hop rappy tunes. It isn't music. There are no melodies in those shits. Just a beat. I also hate musicians(?) who sample a complete drumtrack cos' they are too lazy to do one by themselves (or not able?). I hate wrong notes, and samples with bad loops. |
| Hack-Mag: |
According to your opinion, what is more important about a song: the composition or the arrangement? |
| Moby: |
When I compose a tune, it's in order to express something that I have in my mind or in my heart. Arrangement requires mostly technic. And a bad tune with a good arrangement will remain a bad tune. Listen to Walkman's tunes... There are nearly no effects, but his composition is so powerful! So, we have to compose more instead of trying to hide the poor composition with arrangement. (Hi Tip!) |
| Hack-Mag: |
How do you like parties in general and soundcompetitions in particular? |
| Moby: |
Well, I only attended to 3 parties: The Alcatraz Party in Switzerland in June 90, the Cyclone party, in France in August 90, and the Cyclone II, in August 91. They were all very cool. I really LOVE party, but big parties are always in nordic countries, and it's quite far from my hometown. I wanted to go to the Silents party in Denmark this summer but it has been cancelled. I've participated to only one sound competition. It was this summer at the Cyclone meeting. Well, there were 35 tunes to be played. It was more than boring. We listened to the songs for about 4-5 hours.. And the 6 guys got bored very fast... I hope that's why I ended only 17th (or something like that)!!! |
| Hack-Mag: |
Do you know a lot of other musicians and how important is the rest of scene to you? |
| Moby: |
I only "swap" with a few guys (hi DeLorean, Chrylian, Axel, Jester (yo!), Sir Monkey, Ostein Eide...). I am quite lazy, that's why I only have a few contacts. The crack'n' swap-scene doesn't interest me at all, but I am fond of demos! I own about 250 disks full of demos. But I am not very involved in the scene... |
| Hack-Mag: |
Do you need success or a positive feedback in your work (e.g. from charts, pals, contacts)? |
| Moby: |
Well, I guess I would have stopped Amiga-music since a long if I needed success... Because I've been doing music for 4 years, and I'm only starting to be known. Anyway, I compose music first for my own pleasure. But I must admit that it's really motivating to see your name the charts! |
| Hack-Mag: |
That was it already. Any famous last words that you want to spread to the world? |
| Moby: |
I'd like to say to all my contacts who didn't receive anything from me since about 6 months that I will answer soon! Be patient! I'm so lazy. Watch out for DreamDealers productions! Beers Rules! |
| Hack-Mag: |
Moby, thanks for your patience. All the best for your future work. |
Note from the editors: Thanx must go to