An Interview with Anders Carlsson aka GOTO80
Which c64 composers are your favourites?
Kjell Nordbo, Rob Hubbard, Jeroen Tel, Jeff, Shogoon, Zardax, AMJ…
What are your favourite sids?
Well, uh - various stuff by the artists mentioned above. And some other stuff. I can't be arsed with answering this question properly, hehe.
What can you tell us about your history on sid music?
In the mid-90's I began composing stuff in K12's editor Groovy Beat. It was a really weird piece of software. I tried some other programs, but settled with JCH's editor and have been using it since. I started with C64-music since I was composing chipmodules on the amiga, but wanted the real deal with the SID-chip. And yeah, I guess there were nostalgic reasons aswell.
Which tune that you composed are you most pleased with?
Obviously a pretty hard question, since different tracks are good in different ways. But I guess I'd say Pappap or Monkeywarning.
What does GOTO80 do now?
Working on some new records to be released in the near future (on bleep street records and 8bitpeoples). Playing live now and then. Making music for www.monotonik.com
What did you use to create your c64 sids?
Commodore 64 (new sid!) 1541 1581 Action Replay 6 JCH's NewPlayer 20.G4
If there was a tune that that you wished you had composed, what would it be and why?
I wish I had composed Anal'ouge by Jeff. I would have fucked it up bigtime, hehe.
What would you say are the main differences between 8-bit music and modern day games music?
Technical reasons, of course. I think studiomusic in games suck ass - I prefer specific soundchips on the different platforms. But I really don't play new games that often, so I guess I can't really answer this question very well.
What, who gave you your inspiration?
Kjell Nordbo. Jeff. Nu-jazz. Drum&bass. Grindcore. The recordlabel Moving Shadow's funky drum&bass-style. Zardax. And some more musicstuff, but also ofcourse non-musical things.
What are your fondest memories of the c64?
Gathering the family infront of the C64 to play Leaderboard!
Have you ever considered re-making some of your old work, using modern sounds?
Yes I have, and I've also done so. Apart from the C64, I use an Amiga and some synthesizers to make music (and even a pc now and then). I sometimes start with a tune on the amiga, and finish it on the c64 or vice versa.
You are still compose music on the c64, why?
Because it rules. If I wanna do minimalistic 8bit-stuff, I use the C64 (and also an amiga). If not, I use my synthesizers. The things inbetween - sampled 8bit-stuff - aren't necessary for me. I've never really got the idea with all the C64-remixes. I can't recall listening to a single good/fun c64-remix (except for my own remix of Ghosts & Goblins, hehe. Can be found at goto80.myhardman.com/music.html) .The C64 has a unique sound, and one can work wonders with the SID. And it's fun working with such hardcore limits, forcing you to realize your ideas in other ways.
What are your likes/dislikes regarding the sid chip?
I don't like the envelope-bugs - that the trigging of the sound, the attack, fucks up now and then (which hardrestarts kinda solves). I don't like the differences between the new and the old SID and also between different revisions and individual chips. It's ofcourse cool in a way, but listening to my tunes on an old SID is not a good idea at all. I love ringmodulation, knee-deep pulsemodulating bass sounds and the freedom of the SID. Setting bits n' bytes to make sound&music is superfresh. Oh yeah, and I don't like the noise from the C64.
What can you tell us of your current activities?
I've just moved to Gothenburg to study music and hopefully be able to work professionally with it. Writing some graffiti. Studying psychology. Looking for musicwork on GBC/GBA. Working on a new ht-single (http://ht.fineststars.com). Composing electroelectronica-music for the label subnatura (www.subnatura.com) under the pseudonym Extraboy. Contributing to a remix-cd of the australian idm-musician Tim Koch. Doing a drum&bass-track for No Sides Records' VGM-compilation. Trying to fix two of my C64s so they will live again. Planning a radio-show for the studentradio of gothenburg. And blablabla. And slacking.
What would best like to be remembered for?
I don't know yet.
Finally, what would you like to say to the scene?
Don't imitate, innovate - fuck emulators.
GOTO80's opinions about emulators and sid-remixes are slightly controversial, and might upset some of our readers… 😉 Anyhow, it's always great to see there's still artists creating those chip sounds we all love. Way to go!
- Neil
