Chris Him Again Abbott C64 Audio Classics

Neil

What are your hobbies?

Chris

C64 remixing, reading, going to the gym, net. More often than not music though, and arranging C64Audio stuff. And Spyro the Dragon and gamble games when I go time. The orchestral arrangement studies are generally slanted towards remixing. I've got a cold at the moment 😒

Neil

Favourite non c64 musicians/group?

Chris

John Williams, but I owe the most to Jean Michel-Jarre.

Neil

Your top iii C64 music composers, and why?

Chris

I respect all of them in different ways: it'due south difficult for me to kickoff naming names without upsetting someone. Of form y'all've ever got to mention Rob and Martin (even the other composers will say that first off). Rob brought real musical expertise to the C64, as well equally breaking the boundaries, and Martin took a programmer's approach to creating a sound of immense wellbeing. The other spot would probably exist shared either past Fred Gray or Ben Daglish. I probably go on better with Fred'southward, since I take a liking for happy bouncy music (like David Dunn's)

Neil

Your peak 3 C64 remix arrangers and why?

Chris

I've worked with many brilliant people on the Dorsum in Times so it would exist unfair for me to unmarried anyone out.

Neil

What equipment do you lot use and why?

Chris

Hardsid: for the SID $.25 Supernova: for the SID bits and the bass bits Roland JP8080 - for the ambience bits Korg Z1 - master keyboard SB Live - to agree Soundfonts, including the orchestral ones Virtuoso 2000 - for the orchestral stuff JV2080 - more than orchestral stuff and other SFX A4000 sampler - for the Yamaha orchestral stuff Yamaha DSP Factory - all the recording goes through here Other people - for the hard $.25! 😊

Neil

What are your peak 3 Sid tunes?

Chris

Kentilla
Spellbound
Gerry the Germ (seriously!)

(incidentally, this is almost the same as Rob'south top iii of his own tracks, except he would replace Spellbound with WAR).

Neil

What are your top 3 remixes?

Chris

Tin't narrow it down to 3!

Neil

What non Chris Abbott remixes exercise you like?

Chris

More often than not if I really Dearest them I try and put them on CD... There have been many good ones: I remember in the early days existence very impressed by Tim
Forsythe's work (Agent 10 2, Ace 2 and Ghouls and Ghosts). Jogeir's covers ever have a certain something, too. Merely at that place are just also many to mention
fairly!

Neil

Why did you start doing Sid remixes?

Chris

Because I had to! I remembered the pieces, no 1 was bringing them back accurately plenty, I had the equipment, and then I started doing MIDIs.

Neil

The concept of of the Back In Time cd's is a good 1, but how did you come around to doing it?

Chris

No one else was going to! I'd been waiting for this CD for over x years... ane composer had been talking near it so much that he'd effectively stopped anyone else doing it. I stepped in. I was lucky to have the support of Rob Hubbard and Gremlin, and afterwards Body of water and Fred Gray 😊 With their support, Back in Time became official.

Neil

The response to the Back In Time cd's, were you lot happy with it?

Chris

Kind of. What upset me most was the people who concentrated on what the CD wasn't, rather than what it was. After all the trouble I'd gone to creating it, and bringing the composers back, all some people could do was complain that the tracks weren't dancey enough, that they didn't like the pb sounds, that the EQ was wrong, etc, etc. Talk almost missing the signal! Luckily a lot of people forgave information technology its undoubted technical failings and concentrated on what it was delivering:
which was authentic C64 tracks in a CD setting, with Rob Hubbard's actual input. Again, it's those people who believed non only in the CD, but in the ideal: the thought that SID music could develop once once more and become a strength, who were responsible for allowing me to do what I've done so far. I've got contempt for those who tried to ruin the dreams of those true fans with malicious carping, pirating and general badmouthing. Who the hell were they to try and take the dream from us, eh? Saddest of all, one prominent C64 musician was chief among those hoping to see it fail.

Neil

Y'all mention that the response to the bit albums, was that they wasn't dancey enough. My opinion is that there is a place for dance versions (The soundwavers work is awesome) but a truthful embrace done in the right manner with modernistic instruments does more than justice to the music than a dance version. Isn't it a nostalgia matter after all?

Chris

Aye, it is, though different people believe different things... there's a sizeable group of people who believe that SID drums is the true remix (expect at Zombie Nation), or that dance remixes are the way. I'1000 creating stuff for the other group! Historically speaking it's much amend to take the definitive CD remix of a tune that captures it 100%. Once you've done that, people tin do equally many trip the light fantastic toe remixes equally they similar, I guess.

Neil

Take you been happy with the sales of Chip i & 2?

Chris

I approximate and then. You always await at how much yous could have sold, versus how much you did, and regret not selling mega-millions. In that location's been enough sales to generate investment in C64 music. If I'd listened to the occasional person on Usenet who claimed I hadn't got enough talent for this kind of thing, we wouldn't be here at present. Just goes to testify the power of positive energy.

Neil

What are your hates about the scene?

Chris

The implied buying of other people'south work. I estimate that would accept some people calling me a control freak or something, simply the mode I see information technology, the fruits of a person'southward labour are theirs to control. Why should other people feel they have the right to claim it as their own or corruption it?

Neil

Napster and other such share sites could be a trouble for y'all. What are your thoughts on these?

Chris

Afterwards some idea I realised that the people who utilize these sites and don't purchase the CDs aren't going to purchase fifty-fifty if Napster wasn't there. They'd but search and search, then probably give up, or phone a friend. I'k never going to persuade them to put their hands in their pockets. They should know that their apathy is what killed the C64 software scene in the mid 90s when people similar Kenz and Jon Wells were trying to go along it alive.Those people are Not true SID fans, they are parasites. If you believe in something, y'all should back up it. However, there are a large number of people who truly do get information technology. My work is for them: they deserve it, and they share my dreams.

Neil

So, did you practice whatever music on the c64 itself?

Chris

Yeah, for Superior Software. None of it was released past them though (licencing issues). The music was for the game-of-the-musical Chess. It'southward in HVSC. Getting a women's duet into three voices isn't piece of cake...

Neil

Was these commerical products or hobbies?

Chris

Both. When I accept a hobby I try to get the products to as many people equally possible. This unremarkably means trying to achieve distribution.

Neil

What was your dislikes and likes about the Sid bit?

Chris

Dislikes: unreliable

Likes: triangle waves, sync FX, powerful. Only Martin could brand the sawtooth wave emotional. I think he must have been trying to emulate a trumpet in an extremely abstract manner. But it was basically just a scrap, albeit advanced. It was what the composers did with it that made the magic: the SID was only the tool.

I would add that the utter controllability of the SID is sorely missed by some composers: Richard Joseph remarked to me that it was a truly level playing field for composers: they could utilise the SID as an instrument like one would use a violin: the emotions and expressiveness you could become depended on your expertise in the instrument, not how much money yous could throw at information technology. He misses those days, as indeed does Rob Hubbard. The soullessness of music nowadays is one of the factors behind his leaving composing behind: he's very into orchestral music because information technology'southward the same concept as the SID scrap: a limited palette of instruments which can be blended in infinite ways. The sound y'all can get with an orchestra is a function of how skillful you lot are, non what your budget is, equally long as you lot can afford an orchestra at all. Information technology'southward another level playing field, in which the telescopic for freedom and imagination of the composer is enhanced by being restricted. Jean Michel-Jarre once said that earlier he starts an album, he decides which instruments he will utilise, since no restrictions produces lazy art. Anyone who's used Microsoft products would concede he had a signal. There's a fine line of course: you've got to get to a professional product, so there'southward a minimum standard.

Neil

This would advise that music is better with limitations. However but to contradict the point, an example of unlimited instruments is Mike Oldfield, who on virtually Albums uses a massive library of instruments. His music shows this by being much fuller and more circuitous than many. I know he is famous for his guitar playing, but he uses many other instruments. What would you lot say to this?

Chris

Depends on the individual, I estimate. Remember that to many people an orchestra would not be considered a limitation, but it is. It'due south a lot harder to focus when y'all can't see the horizons of your world, and some people prefer those horizons to be virtually and well-defined. Jarre himself _sounds_ limitless too, it'due south just a question of using express resource securely instead of using unlimited resource shallowly. I don't know how Mike creates his music, and so I tin't annotate on that.

Neil

The music on the PC is more film esque - do you regret the style music on a computer has get? If so, why?

Chris

It was inevitable that as music became symbiotic with the game, and every bit games go less individualised that the music would stand up less and less of a chance of existing outside information technology. Also, y'all can hands have 40 minutes of music in a game, not repeated on a regular basis. How will yous get to know something if you lot don't hear it lots of times?

Also, the composers back so were commissioned like artists: go away, compose something, we requite you money. They took pride in their work, and needed to produce something that meant something to them artistically. These days it's a much more than workmanlike approach.

Neil

Do you have any personal favorite tunes on the PC and composer?

Chris

The music for the Monkey Island games, and Mean solar day of the Tentacle. LOL! Great stuff.
I adored Day of the Tentacle, and to a bottom extent Sam and Max...

Neil

So you take spoken to some of the c64 musicians and indeed worked with them - What was they similar ? - if you lot have spoken to them all, then but the master composers!

Chris

I've emailed most of them, and talked with some. It's funny how some people reverberate their music, and some don't. Fred Gray is a great friend of mine, and has a foreign but refreshing outlook on life, though he's been through some hard times. He's got a lot of musical appreciation and has eclectic musical tastes that don't really run to 80s stuff. I call up you can see this in his music, which was utterly unique. Ben Daglish is hyperactive! He'south a dandy guy but he can't stand still! Rob is utterly down-to-earth, Martin is... Martin! Marker Cooksey is a nice guy likewise, and all the same writing music for a living, mostly Gameboy games. They're all different people, simply genuinely pleased (and a bit puzzled!) at the depth of feeling people yet have towards their piece of work.

Neil

Rob Hubbard to many was a genious to many, and possibly the C64 wouldn't have been the same without him. What are your thoughts on the man?

Chris

It definitely wouldn't be the aforementioned without him. He raised the bar, and the stakes, and inspired countless other composers. Information technology's unfortunate that some of those inspired didn't have many ideas of their ain, but reused Rob's: the burn behind Rob's work was his extensive musical experience before ever touching a composer. This gave him an potency on musical styles that was quite unmatched. Who else could have written Monty on the Run? Nobody. Rob had a unique gift to brand you lot want to emulate him: the pieces were so practiced you wanted to accept done them yourself. Remixing is a kind of claim to ownership of that kind, admitting benign 😊 Rob himself is a very down-to-earth man. I think any romanticism he had was expressed in his music, simply his attitude to it was very workmanlike. Inspirational to everyone else, but Rob I think finds information technology hard to regard the piece of work as something other than something I did back then. Don't forget it was a job to him, albeit an enjoyable one! I call back you'll discover well-nigh composers (like near people) would rather people talk almost what they're doing at present, considering that'southward the way humans are.

Neil

Martin Galway was another, bringing a very different style, simply as admired. What practise you call up made him so special?

Chris

Martin'due south work was very organic. If Rob was cramming a whole orchestra into the PC, Martin made the chip sing to you lot. Something most his use of waves and modulation, and of form the musical ideas, was other-worldly. With some composers yous listen to their work and can hear it as a chord sequence and a tune. The true brilliance is those pieces that just exist in a life of their own: you tin can't easily dissect them: they just are. He just gives me warm fuzzies.

Neil

Rob has left the music making side of things, do you remember he will return? - I retrieve it could inject new life into the PC games market place. And besides the same goes for Martin?

Chris

I don't call back either will return, and I don't really retrieve the PC games market place would welcome them, either. It's lost its appreciation of that kind of affair, and commercially the time is long gone when y'all could sell a game on the strength of its soundtrack.

Neil

Was you lot surprised by the response the original composers gave to your flake projects, and how much of a heave personally was it for you to manage to get Rob/Martin/Marking/Ben to do some music for the cd's?

Chris

It was a huge heave, though Martin essentially just provided feedback for Jogeir's tracks rather than contributing annihilation directly. The biggest heave was obviously getting Rob'southward work in for Back in Time i. On the companion CD, there's an MP3 of the actual MIDI he sent me by email... history in the making. I'yard always thrilled when the composers help out: it's one of the principal reasons for standing: I've always wanted to class a company that actively helps and respects the composers, and helps their interests.

In the beginning I was e'er surprised when anyone wanted to assistance: it seemed very much like a solo project. Later it was less surprising because I'd been talking to them already. It'southward a thrill just to speak to my heroes from a previous time, let lonely work with them. To that extent, I requite them a lot of artistic freedom, which also helps. Later on all, who am I to tell Rob Hubbard or Mark Cooksey what to do?😉

Neil

Did they accept much persuading to piece of work on the scrap projects?

Chris

Rob volunteed his help when he heard my pre-versions, and they didn't quite practise what he wanted, especially Crazy Comets.

Part of the art of management is in persuading people to exercise something they always wanted to do in the offset place, so it was a question of providing the authors with a ways to do something they'd always wanted to do (like, exercise Kentilla orchestrally, for case) and remove the fiscal constraints that were stopping them. CD pirates simply don't get that: I wish I could get them by the scruff of the cervix, shake them, evidence them the cheques I've written to diverse composers, and get them to understand what they could be a part of. Anyone who pirates a Back in Time CD is not a true fan of SID music.

Neil

Back In time live - could you explain the whole concept! - i.e how did you lot come about the thought, was it hard to organise, what are your hopes for it etc.....

Chris

Large concept! Information technology came about when I received an email from a chap in Finland, who told me he was about to go to a C64 gild night in Helsinki. That'south odd, I thought. And then I got him to tell me nigh information technology after he'd been. And it was a big success! So I idea maybe there was a run a risk to practise some here. The initial program was actually to practice a roadshow of these club nights in major cities, to comprehend all the fans, in nightclubs of about 500 people. The plan also included holding them in Academy towns and advertising heavily on campus to get the students in besides. This is still the programme: I want new converts😉 It seemed achievable. Then we realised we were being a bit ambitious, so nosotros scaled it back to two nights: 1 in Birmingham (nice and central) and one in London. The initial plan was to accept Birmingham as 500 people and London as 1,000. Simply then we constitute Lodge DNA (1500 people) and fell in love with it. And we institute the ideal club in London just information technology was merely 300 people, but with TVs in the back for Uridium high score contests (win a Hardsid Quattro!!) and seven draft beers (the same club also runs another night called Electric Dreams which is also 80s new romantic synth stuff). So the London 1 became an exclusive actually late night Friday, only the Birmingham ane became the biggest C64 effect in decades. Then the VIPs started signing upwardly...!! Just for reference, my diary says that I idea of the nightclub idea on January 22nd. By February second I had plant the gild (on that same day nosotros changed the number of nights from vi to 2). Feb seventh I booked the London club. Feb 12th I persuaded iii major celebs to come... and in all of this, my keen friend Jason Mackenzie has been cardinal to it all, as have all my wonderful team. I can't do things similar this by myself, and good old Kenz has been pivotal to Scrap iii and this event. He IS my right hand 😊 That's not to downplay all the other wonderful people I talk with regularly... I take their energy from them and channel it into these plans. What is amazing is how speedily this idea adult and found its level: almost every bit if it was only waiting to happen. It'south amazing, but then again, not so amazing. If you can tap into an idea that'due south been dreamed past many people, and so get in happen for them, there's immense amounts of positive energy congenital up over years to tap into. Of course I plan to make a turn a profit from this night: but information technology's what I use the coin for that makes the difference! Profit is not a dirty word every bit a reward for endeavor, or when it'southward invested. The coin from the CDs was invested into the equipment and resources that made BIT 3 possible.

Neil

Could Dorsum In Time Live, exist seen equally a launch party for Bit three?

Chris

Indeed. In fact, there will be a launch party before in the evening (past invitation simply) which volition be held in the VIP room of the club. Proper noun registration will be like gold dust... and there Volition exist famous C64 faces to run across and talk to (some of the biggest, though probably not Rob or Martin). But the whole night is a celebration of Fleck 3 (people volition exist able to purchase it cheaply there, £10 for the deluxe version or something). Although non a lot of Chip 3 volition be played during the night, since it's not trip the light fantastic music. Information technology's ironic that hardly any Back in Fourth dimension tracks will actually be played at Dorsum in Time alive, only that'south the nature of the music.... 😊

Neil

You say that VIP invitation will be similar gilded dust. What is the criteria for a Vip invitation.... It couldn't maybe just to practise with if you are the biggest fan of sid or not! I'd imagine anyone going to Bitlive would suggest they are the biggest sid fan of all time?

Chris

Obviously beingness a famous name helps 😊 Simply in that location are a lot of people who have contributed a huge amount to the C64 scene over the years who deserve a suspension: similar Jon Wells, for instance. There are other people who accept supported me since the early on days and believed that this could happen. Those people are, coincidentally, some of the biggest fans of SID, though I believe that all SID fans consider themselves that way. There's no real criteria, and at that place's a real infinite limitation, so I've got to describe the line somewhere. But consider this: how would I know if someone was the biggest fan of SID unless they had actually proved it over a period of years talking with me? 😊 Those people who bothered to put pen to paper, or to contribute, those are the people who get the kudos. I have to add though that I will exist encouraging the VIPs to frequent the actual club too, then you're guaranteed to meet at to the lowest degree 1 famous face (simply look until I put upward the guest list!).

Neil

Fleck 3 - could you go into detail on the project?

Chris

If y'all read my news page on world wide web.c64audio.com/whatsnew.htm you can follow the story of its development, from loose drove of C64 tracks, to mixed Martial Arts and Sci-fi CD, to Sci-fi CD, to Sci-fi CD with added story and pictures, to Symphonic Sci-fi concept anthology 😊 With the first two Dorsum in Times, at least from my point of view, the emphasis was on technical accuracy as much as emotional bear on. Getting the comprehend so that information technology was satisfactory technically, and preserved the spirit of the SID, and gave people back their cornball feelings. But there was no consistency of feeling. Back in Fourth dimension 3 is designed to manipulate people on an emotional level. The technical things are taken for granted: I've been drawing relentlessly on a huge pool of talent, both orchestral, instrumental and fifty-fifty emotional. On the Back in Time 3 companion you lot'll find many technically great tracks that didn't brand Bit iii considering they weren't emotional enough. I've never omitted tracks for this reason earlier. Having a continuous storyline throughout the CD and de-emphasising some of the nerd-ly aspects is also an endeavour to achieve a wider audition with this: my main focus throughout my remix career has been trying to capture and enhance the spirit of the music and prove it is superior to most other music. How am I going to convey that to people unless I try to take information technology to a commercial level? One thing becomes clear when y'all're aiming music at an audition that'due south never heard it before: accessibility is very important. The thing about originality is that it requires the audition to actually put some attempt in, something which generally they aren't prepared to exercise. At present, as a person who wants to reach people instantly, you have to catch their gut feelings and rely on all the other things they've listened to smoothen the manner. John Williams is sometimes criticised by other classical musicians that his stuff is sometimes formulaic and simple. John is the first to admit that, on the basis that his audience don't have fourth dimension to retrieve virtually his music: merely to feel! He has to limited complex feelings in short sentences by relying on a well-established ready of grammar and orchestral motifs. Things like tremelo strings conveying suspense, Tuba parping conveying clumsiness, stuff like that. But which other composer has contributed and then many recognisable tunes to the zeitgeist? None. In brusk (big weep of too tardily!! 😊, everything on Back in Time three sounds similar something else, because that's the best way to go an immediate emotional reaction. The storyline is an attempt to further enhance these feelings by giving the person some mental images to guide their enjoyment of the piece. The particular isn't equally of import every bit immersing the listener in a coherent world. Whatever listener can listen to the pieces, be transported to a familiar-notwithstanding-new world (the best kind for about people) and dream of the story.

Neil

So what does the hereafter for your projects have in store?

Chris

Bigger and bigger. In one case nosotros've washed the Thrust concert in Wembley stadium, then I'll retire 😊

Neil

Do y'all feel that c64 remixing has a life span, or practise you lot experience that it's merely a matter of time earlier then genre dies?

Chris

People will always be driven to create, but the famous source material is dwindling. Once the music that inspired people has been covered to death, then the supply of remixes will slow. I hope people then concentrate on quality. Heed y'all, it's been 15 years, and the rate hasn't slowed yet, so who knows? Especially if C64 music makes a commercial breakthru. I'm taking the remixing scene in a new and radical direction with Scrap three, as is Reyn with his Nexus series of CDs, and then there's plenty of room in the identify we've just left (for instance, Jeroen Brebaart'south Special Agent 2001 shows him approaching Reyn levels of instrumental stuff 😊

Neil

So exercise you actually think that c64 music has a take chances of making a commercial breakthru?

Chris

It already has: Zombie Nation. It'due south but a question of when the perception switches from nerdy to absurd. It's already happened in Germany... the bodily perception that rules this is independent from the music. After all dance music already uses a lot of sounds that could be SID.... the British are especially weird well-nigh this. The Europeans are style ahead of us.

If something does happen, I'm going to try and make certain that the C64 scene is represented well, and that some large corporation doesn't endeavor to rip everybody off: though my resources are (relatively) limited.

Neil

What is your musical background?

Chris

Nix in particular. Did O level music, taught myself to play the electronic keyboard (my keyboard skills aren't great). Loved it. Fell in love with estimator music and JMJ. Saw Bogg's demos. Got a MIDI interface for my Atari 400 and later an 800XL. Got a C64 with MIDI interface. Used Ubik's music. Stopped music altogether in 1988. Got an AWE in 1994. Started MIDIs. Bought a DB50XG. Did system piece of work for a crappy German publishing visitor based on XG work (they loved Monty on the Run loftier score and Rollercoaster). They idea of turning the MIDIs into a CD. Contract talks, etc.

Neil

And so you are prepare to do a live issue. What nearly a alive performance - is that a possablility?

Chris

Wait until mid-end 2003. You lot Volition be shocked at the magnitude of my plans. But for that to work, people have got to acquit with me. These things take time. I will need their back up more than e'er! To work out what I'g doing, you lot've merely got to wait at what the natural progression of the Back in Time series is, and what Back in Time 4 will exist: Swords and Sorcery! At present what'south the best way to practice that justice? Pieces like Master of Magic, Nemesis the Warlock and Spellbound? 😊

Neil

And so subsequently fleck 3 what's next, are you going to have a intermission or kickoff work on bit4?

Chris

Straight into the London social club night, and so working on that theoretical live event, which volition likewise coincide with the release of Flake 4. Plus there's CD releases from Tonka/Iridium and Instant Remedy, and possibly a dance CD of stuff from the order night... this is going to exist amazing!

So judging by Chris's comments it's articulate that he has high respect for the composers he has been working with. Chris seems level headed and knows what he wants from life. His ambition is enormous. Chris's exploits volition indeed get bigger and better over the coming years. For one this is an exciting time for me and many other fans, aswell every bit for many other Arrangers and indeed Chris himself. The time to come of C64 remixing is set to not only come alight, merely to engulf the scene amid the rages of flame.

- Neil

calderhance1976.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.remix64.com/interviews/interview-chris-abbott.html

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