An Interview with Octave Sounds
Who are your favourite c64 composers?
Martin Galway, Rob Hubbard, David Whittaker, Fred Gray, Matt Gray, Ben Dalglish, Maniacs of Noise, Martin Walker, Tim Follin and many many more! …
What are your favourite Sids?
Crazy Comets, Last Ninja, Comic Bakery, Skate or Die, Dominator, Bump Set Spike, Delta, Sanxion, Game Over, Knucklbusters, International Karate, Ghost And Goblins, Rambo and more or less every game which came out for the c64 with music from the great musicians at the time!
Which other arrangers do you like?
I have heard some really good remixes by Jogeir Liljedahl, 02, Fabian Del Priore, Marcel Donne, Chris Abbott, Boz, Peter Connolly (bit series cds) and also off the kwed remix chart LMan, Tonka, Cz Tunes and many others in the 64 scene.
What other arrangements do you like?
I like all the arrangments on the back in time series cd's and also some of the arrangments on the remix.kwed.org chart recently done by some talented arrangers! .
You have so far made only 1 remix "Delta (Dancey Version). Do you plan to make more?
I will most definitely be doing more remixes of classic 64 tunes so keep a look out on my website also on the remix.kwed.org chart plus the Remix64 messageboard for new remixes!
Delta was in the style of Dance. Are you gonna continue with the dance style or switch to another?
I did delta as a dance version as I felt it would be best suited to that style but also I did a orchestral piece of delta which I haven't uploaded on the remix chart yet… also my other remixes will be in different styles like dance, rock, orchestral, house, trance but keeping to the original as not to ruin the orginal tune.
Are you pleased with how your remix of delta turned out?
hmmm… well if I would want to change it I most probably would (a musician is never happy!)
What type of feedback have you had?
I have had a lot of positive feedback from people who have liked the delta remix and original tunes and wanting me to do more of both!
What equipment/software do you use?
I mainly use the Technics sx-KN6000 (keyboard) which I used for the delta remix and is a workstation with everything built into one also I have a Pentium III PC with a Yamaha SX1000XG (sound card) plus a Yamaha PLG150-AN (plug in board) for analogue sounds and the software I use is mainly Cubase and sometimes Reason.
What can we expect from Octave Sounds in the future?
A whole lot more remixes of classic 64 tunes and original music to enjoy and listen to and also more and more features will be put into the website to keep you all happy! , so keep a watch out for updates on the website in the future…
Who do you think gives the scene the biggest boost and why?
I would have to say Chris Abbott for all the hard work he's done to boost the 64 scene with the back in time series and the shows in Birmingham and London also Jan Lund Thomson for setting up a website for people to upload their remixes of classic 64 tunes in a top 10 downloads chart to be heard by thousands of surfers! , along with other people who have put in a lot of time into keeping the 64 scene alive and kicking!
How did you find the scene?
I found out about the 64scene by surfing the internet and going to the back in time3 show in Birmingham and meeting the man himself Rob Hubbard and also Martin Galway, David Whittaker, Ben Dalglish, Fred Gray, Jeff Minter with classic remixed 64 tunes pumping out to a dance beat in the club with a podium dancer to match and plenty of beer to keep you happy!!!
What would you say if c64 music became more commercial?
If it is done right and not exploited and gains a wider interest in the 64 scene for people to enjoy then why not?
What are your fondest memories of the c64?
My fondest memory would be when I first heard the sounds and seen the graphics of the c64 compared to the speccy I had. (I was gobsmacked!) and the tunes what Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, Maniacs of Noise, Benn Dalglish, Matt Gray and the others were coming out with were nothing less than BRILLIANT! .
Why have you decided to remix c64 music?
Mainly because I love the 64 and with doing music for quite a long time on different formats (speccy, c64, amiga, pc) I decided to setup a website with remixes of classic 64 tunes for surfers to download and also original tunes by myself to download has well.
What are your likes/dislikes regarding the scene?
I really like the 64 scene for people being friendly and helpful with lots of websites catering for the 64 (c64audio.com, lemon, bozgoesretro, remix.kwed.org, Remix64 and many others) and hope the 64 scene gets even bigger and better!
What non c64 music do you like and does this reflect in your own music?
In music I am very broadminded and don't restrict myself to one type of music and as they say variety is the spice of life!
If someone decided to give you a FREE piece of equipment, and you could name it, what would it be and why?
Well it would have to be the one and only ANDROMEDA keyboard which has the exact sounds of the 64 and is out of this world! with every knob and dial you can get your hands on to change numerous parameters to get the sounds of the great 64!
Lastly, What would you like to say to the scene?
I would like to say thanks to everybody who made my remix of delta (dancey version) on the remix.kwed.org chart go to no. 3 in the top 10! , and a big thanks to Boz, Chris Abbott, Feekzoid, Jeroen Tel, Peter Connolly, Jan Lund Thomson, Tas and everybody else in the c64 scene!
Too early to judge, too early to tell, but Delta was a good debut from Octave Sounds. Like many i await his next remix with bated breath.
- Neil
