An Interview with Kenz
What are your Favourite C64 composers?
Rob Hubbard & Martin Galway (and many others!)
What are your favourite c64 Sids?
Too many to list them all! All time faves include Zoids, Sanxion, Arkanoid, Rambo etc.
What were your thoughts when you created the Website 'Binary Zone'?
At the time my thoughts were probably I REALLY NEED A WEBSITE!
I set up Binary Zone PD in 1989 but 10 years later everything seemed to be heading onto the Net - so the Binary Zone Interactive website was born.
Also why did you create the Magazine 'Commodore Zone'?
To fill the gap left by the demise of the 'off the shelf' magazines like 'Commodore Format' and 'Commodore Force'. Plus I was fairly confident I could deliver something which was comparable to those magazines - and not just another 'fanzine'.
Are you finding it difficult to find articles for the magazine?
Not really. There's always loads of C64 type stuff you can write about - but nowadays it's more emulator related. The internet has made it easier to track down C64 celebs so I'm never short of interviews for the mag!! In the past I've interviewed Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, Tim Follin, Paul 'Dokk' Docherty, Simon Nicol, Shaun Southern, Ubik etc. etc.
Has the magazine proved succesful?
Yes, very. But it's near the end of it's life as a paper magazine I'm afraid. I've got things planned for the mag though … Like an online version! And a CD-ROM which contains HTML versions of all 15 back issues.
What are your fondest memories of the c64?
I've got loads of fond memories of the C64. I've made some great friends through the C64 from having contacts all over the world and swapping 'kewl C64 warez' over the years. C64 music will probably be the thing which lives with me forever though. I adore SID music. Always have done, always will! Being interviewed in mags like Zzap!64 and Commodore Format are nice memories too. Too see stuff by me in a mag which was on a shelf in every newsagents in the country was amazing!
You have produced the Back In Time 3 Cd Companion. How did you get involved with the project?
I agreed to take the CD-ROM companion off Chris's hands so he could devote more time to the Back in Time3 audio CD. I'd already produced a few CD-ROM's in the past so Chris knew what I could do. It was great fun making the CD-ROM although writing all those reviews of the beta tracks made me go a bit mad in the end! Hehe!
What does the Companion Contain?
It contains early versions of tracks from Back in Time 1, 2 and 3 (along with the aformentioned reviews of each beta track!), the previously unreleased Back in Time CD (which is an updated version of Back in Time 1), a gallery of rendered pictures inspired by the Back in Time 3 story, assorted C64 remixes hand-picked for the CD-ROM (and kindly donated by the remixers from Kwed), a guided tour of the C64audio.com studio and Binary Zone Interactive (complete with lots of photo's), an account of when Chris Abbott met Paul Norman and Rob Hubbard in America and MUCH MORE!!!! It really is jam-packed - there's exactly 650mb of data on the CD-ROM!
What other work regarding the Bit CD's have you done?
I was one of the track beta-testers for Back in Time 2 and I was the executive producer of Back in Time 3. I think the Back in Time 3 CD turned out really well (hopefully thanks to some of my mad ideas and suggestions!) I love the way the tracks are linked together with Jarre-esque joins and the way the whole album follows a story. It really is an awesome listening experience. There's some amazing C64 remixes on there, with the ambient and orchestral versions of Zoids, the cool versions of Phantoms of the Asteroid and One Man & His Droid, a wonderful version of Trap and a MAD version of the Wizball high score tune being my particular faves.
For people who have not heard of the Channel 4 show Bits
, could you explain to our readers what the show is all about?
It's basically a late night computer game and gadget review show presented by three lovely young ladies - Aleks Krotoski, Emily Newton Dunn and Emily 'Bouff' Booth. They review all the latest console and PC games but have been known to have some nice retro moments too!
How did you come to work on the program, and could you explain what role you have played?
It started off with me entering a 'geek' competition they ran for a bit of a laugh!! I'm not really geeky in the traditional sense - I'm not spotty or wear glasses - but I thought my retro madness might give me a chance. And it did - I came second!! It was through this competition that I got to talk to the Bits team and then I got invited to the series 5 launch party (and got nicely pissed and then went clubbing with Emily Booth!) During series 5 I was on the show again doing a 'video rant' going on about how new games aren't as playable as the old classics. I even danced around to the 'Monty on the Run' music with a C64 and it was shown on the telly!! They also showed some other stuff I had done on later shows and I got to help them out with emulators and stuff for their retro features. I was actually mentioned in the end credits on the last show of series 5 as a 'retro researcher'! (A proud moment for the retro Kenz bloke I can tell ya!)
Did/do you enjoy this experience?
It was all amazing fun! And such a blast when I got mentioned on the show. Plus things like being deluged with calls from the Emily B regarding Spectrum games made it all worthwhile! Hehe! Full details about my 'Bits' adventures (along with loads of other stuff) can be found on my website http://bitsonline.tv
The name 'Kenz' is described on Chris Abbott's Website…. HAS THE MAN WHO TRIED TO SAVE THE C64
. Could you explain what Chris meant about this statement?
I don't know about that but I certainly stuck with the machine through thick and thin. When everyone else seemed to be abandoning ship I never gave up with the C64. I've kept my PD library running for the past 11 years, I took over 'The Guild Adventure Software', set up 'Psytronik Software' to release C64 games, started up 'Commodore Zone' to fill the gap left with the demise of the main C64 mags and I'm still doing C64 stuff to this day! Full details can be found on the BZ site:- http://www.binaryzone.org
When the Atari ST and Amiga appeared did you think that the c64's days were numbered, and was it inevatable?
Initially, yes. In fact I dabbled quite heavily in the Amiga scene myself for a good few years. Although I kept my C64 activities going alongside. But I eventually lost interest in the Amiga and now both my Amigas (A500 and A1200) are sat gathering dust. But I still regularly use my C64!
The are many retro scene's around.. IE's Atari ST, and Amiga scenes. But non of these have captured as much interest as the C64 scene, Why do you think this is?
There's something special about the C64. The games seem to have a unique feel to them. Plus the demo scene is absolutely amazing … And then there's that SID chip! I reckon C64 music has played a big part in keeping the C64 going for all these years.
What are your likes/dislikes about the c64 scene?
Likes:- It's a great community to be part of, I love the way people are still doing stuff on the actual C64 (and producing C64 related stuff - CD's, hardware like the HardSid etc).
Dislikes:- It's not the same as the good old days! Buying games just for the Hubbard music, getting amazing new demos from Compunet, playing games with your mates crowded around a crappy little TV … Ahhh, good times!
What are your thoughts on the Bitlive Event?
It's going to be an amazing night and it seems to get better all the time! I really can't wait to meet all those C64 heroes and to hear remixes of Commodore 64 tunes being played LOUDLY in a nightclub!! For a C64 fan it just doesn't get much better than this! Jeff Minter!! Rob Hubbard!! WOW!!!!
How long can the scene last?
Probably a long time - in some way, shape or form. It's constantly changing but no-one is going to forget the Commodore 64!
Who do you think gives the scene the biggest boost?
I'd say it's the combined effort of lots of people and not down to one person. We are all trying to do our little bit for the good old C64 in our own way!
How and indeed why do you make the Xmas Chortles videos?
It started with some audio tapes I made when I was younger. They contained me and my mates farting around (literally), computer game tunes, film snippets and other assorted oddness. These led on to the Xmas Chortles film which was done in the same style as the audio tapes although now you could SEE what was going on. The first film contained lots of camcorder capers, homemade music video's, computer games being played (with us shouting into microphones) and stuff like that. Nine years later I released the sequel to 'Xmas Chortles' which is much classier, contains plenty of CGI scenes and lots of alcohol was involved. Xmas Chortles 1 is basically a record of my life in the late 80's and early 90's and the second film follows my adventures in the late 90's and early 2000's!! It will be interesting to look back on those tapes when I'm an old git! Check out http://www.xmaschortles.co.uk for details of the tapes and films.
What response have you had regarding these video's?
Amusement and bemusement! People seem to latch onto different scenes. For some it takes a while to grow on them but once it has they are hooked!! It's all good harmless fun.
What does the future hold for Kenz?
Lots more working with Chris Abbott and lots more working with Emily Booth from Bits! (Which, surprisingly, is really happening! You heard it here first!)
Lastly, an open question. Add any comments that you see fit regarding the c64 scene?
I'd just like to say KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK to anyone still supporting the C64. Especially all you C64 music remixers out there - I love your stuff!! KEEP IT COMING!!! LONG LIVE THE C64!!!!!!!!
A man with a mission, a man with a dream, and a man i have the deapest respect for. Keep up the good work Kenz.
- Neil
