Interview with Daiz'l/Mystic

                       A n   I n t e r v i e w   w i t h 

Daiz'l/Mystic



by Michael/Anathema



                 MK = Michael/Anathema   DZ = Daiz'l/Mystic

 MK:     Hi Mr Daiz'l, can you tell our readers out there, who you are and what
 you do for a living; and what is your function on the Amiga scene?

 DZ:     Hello Michael!  Well, my name is  Kenneth  Jonsson and I'm 18.  I live
 in the northern parts of  Sweden  in  a  town  called  Piteå.  I'm currently a
 student at the Swedish gymnasium where I  study Nature Science (lots of maths,
 physics, chemistry etc.).  In the scene (and  in my sparetime) I'm a musician.
 For further details:  dial 12-5489-PRIVATELIFE at £80 per minute.{

 MK:     So you're a musician.  Can you  tell  us  something about the work you
 have done on the scene?

 DZ:     I haven't released much of  my  work,  even  though  I've been in this
 scene for about 3 years.  I'm  not  the  most productive musician in the world
 though, but  I'm  trying  not  to  be  such  a  perfectionist  all  the  time.
 Perfectionism only takes a lot of time,  and  after a lot of modifications you
 realise that your work was better in the beginning.

         Anyway, my modules can currently be found in Scenetalk #7 and #8 by us
 in Mystic, and also in a few ex-Subject intros and in Chip Attack 1 (soon also
 in the second) by Anathema.  I've also  done a module for this magazine, which
 you might be listening to right  now!!   I  like doing "proper" modules in the
 100k-size, but I occasionally also do chipmusic.

 MK:     If Amiga  Technologies  was  to  launch  another  Amiga-machine,  what
 enhancements would you like to see and why?

 DZ:     Errr....  A (bread) toaster, a  washing  machine, a microwave oven, an
 electric toothbrush and a heated pillow!!!  OK, time to get serious.
                                                                      {

         I would like it to look like the  A4000-T in order to have enough room
 for expansions.  A CD-ROM (at least quad-speed) would be nice, but as it's not
 very important it could be an option.   The  controller should be a SCSI-II or
 better, and a  large  HD  should  be  standard.   The  AGA-circuitry  could be
 replaced by a FAST 24-bit  graphics  card  and  the  old 8 bit sound-circuitry
 should be replaced by at least a  16 bit soundcard with 16-32 stereo channels.
 The current 8-bit 4 channel fake stereo  SUCKS!  The standard memory should be
 2-4 MB CHIP (possibly replaced by at least 2 MB on the soundcard and 2-4 MB on
 the gfx-card) plus at least 4-8 MB FAST (like I have).

         A multisync-monitor should be part of  the  package and the GUI should
 be enhanced to use at least 640*512  as  standard.  The CPU could be variable,
 but I suggest a 68060/66 Mhz  as  a minimum.  Preferably the PowerPC processor
 should be standard (which it will in some  time) in the best package!  I guess
 there wouldn't be very  much  left  of  the  original  Amiga,  but the OS (and
 perhaps the support-chips if speeded up)  should  stay "Amiga", since it's the
 best OS  I've  ever  seen!!   The  Workbench/Shell  environment  is  very well
 constructed, and I like the Amiga system VERY much!!


                                                                       {

 Conclusion:  This new Amiga (the A5000?) will probably be QUITE expensive when
 it's finished.  Perhaps AT should let other companies produce it too, in order
 to reach more potential buyers and lower the price level. 

 MK:     From what I've gathered from one  of  your letters, you claim that you
 were on the C64 scene.   Can  you  tell  us  a  bit  about that, and what your
 function was?

 DZ:     Yes, I was a member  of  the  wonderful  C64  scene  a couple of years
 (ago)!  The reason why I left it was because  I got bored, but I tell you: the
 C64 scene is/was a lot  better  than  this  one!   I  was  a programmer in the
 beginning, but I discovered my musical  capabilities  when  I got hands on the
 first old FutureComposer.  That  program  really  sucked,  but  at least I got
 started.
 
    I became a musician and was a  member of a self-constructed group (no names
 here) for a while, until I  joined  Flash  Incorporated,  which was one of the
 best groups at that time (I guess I was pretty lucky!?).  At first they didn't
 really like me, but after some time I  got several of my tunes released in our 
 demos.  When I finally started to see my  name  in the charts I hadn't got any
 motivation left, so I quit without saying bye.                          {

    It took some months until  people  realised  that  I wasn't around anymore.
 Anyhow, people in general were/are  a  lot  nicer  than  in  the Amiga scene -
 although "lamers" were treated in a  similar  way.   It was easier to get nice
 contacts though!  Anyway, if you ever stumble upon the name Shade of Flash Inc
 when you're looking through FHI-demos you know that it is me!  I also released
 two "musicdisks" (music-COLLECTIONS).  Who  knows,  I  might  do  a comeback a
 sunny day!?!?  The C-64 scene seems still to be alive!?

 MK:     I've seen a few articles in  other discmagazines about charts, telling
 that they aren't fair and you always see  the same names time after time.  Can
 you tell us what your view on the so-called charts is?

 DZ:     To be honest I don't  care  much  about  it,  but  charts can never be
 completely objective and fair -  and  especially  not in a computerscene. Just
 look at the real music charts  in  MTV  -  the music which reaches the highest
 rankings is often pretty  bad  (e.g.   Spaceman  by  Babylon  Zoo)!  The taste
 varies of course, so I guess I've  got  no reason to complain.  Anyway, charts
 in scenemags are quite unfair and not very updated.


                                                                         {

    People who did great work a LONG  time  ago are still hanging around in the
 charts because of lazy non-updating voters.   I  myself never vote in any mag,
 because I am not certain about who's the best  and who's not.  If I saw my own
 name in the charts I would naturally be glad, but it's not very important.

    The meaning of the scene  is  to  have  fun,  and  I  have just as much fun
 without any charts.  If there were no  charts it wouldn't make much difference
 to the people who are there,  because  they  would still be respected for what
 they do.  But as long as people want charts - let them have it.

 MK:     Apart from using your Amiga  to  compose  music,  can you also tell us
 what else do you do in your sparetime (except studying please)?

 DZ:     Hehe!...  I guess I've told you too  many times that I've got to study
 for a test!  OK then, I'll let you all  know what I do in my sparetime.  First
 I study, then I study again  and  after  a break I continue studying....  Just
 kidding, although that's the way it  is  when  I've  got a major test (e.g.  a
 physics test).
                                                                          
{    When I'm not composing music or when I'm not sitting in front of my Amiga I
 have two choices:  either I sit in front  of  the  boring TV or I meet with my
 friends.  Ooops, I forgot  the  third  choice:   I  listen to gospel music!!!!
 (Not a joke in fact!  Two of my classmates are members of a great gospel choir
 called "Pite' Gospel".  I'm not an  active  Christian though; I just enjoy the 
 music.  A musician should be multi-faced  you  know...)  Every now and then me
 and some classmates of mine gather to PARTY (without drugs)!!  In a small town
 like Piteå there isn't  very  much  action  (except  visiting the local disco-
 pubs), but you never have more fun than you make it.
 
[Theres nothing wrong about being a Christian, I mean take Peter/Anathema,he's
 a priest in cornwall, but he still finds time to code the lamellen fx in  Chip
 Attack 1 and Pandemonium 3 (Hello Peter ha, ha) çh-Mike/Anathemaçf]

 MK:     What is your group planning to release in the future?

 DZ:     Ehm...  I haven't the faintest idea.  The organisation in Mystic isn't
 really the best around (yet).   I've  been  a  member  of this group for about
 three years, and I've still never been in touch with the leader. Quartz in the
 SF-division got the leader position a while  ago, but I haven't heard anything
 from him.  Hello MYSTIC-members -  where  are  you??   Anyway, I guess our SF-
 division will keep releasing good productions (take  a look at "No Name" which
 was released a while ago)...
                                                                           {
 MK:     Would you consider buying a PC, and if yes - why?

 DZ:     I might buy a PC sometime  in  the  future,  yes.  But I won't do that
 until I can find an OS like the one in the Amiga, and that will probably never
 happen!  I read in a paper-mag that AT  might  do an Amiga-card for the PC, or
 at-least make a new OS  which  works  on  other  platforms than only Amiga, in
 order to make multimedia faster on those cans.  Interesting!

    But as long as the  stupid  PC-people  stick  with their stinking MicroSoft
 software like DOS and Windows-crap  I  will  for  sure  not  buy a PC.  But we
 Amiga-people have to face that a  Pentium  is  actually  a lot faster than any
 Amiga currently around (except the CyberStorm  board with the 68060 maybe, but
 consider the PRICE!!), and the  Amiga  hardware  is just too expensive. Stupid
 marketing and stupid ideology by  Commodore  was  to  blame for that. The only
 thing that makes me want to have a PC  is for my composing.  My music would be
 a lot better with 16-bit samples and several stereochannels!

 Doing MIDI-music would also be great fun when using good software, as I really
 HATE Bars'n'Pipes on the Amiga.   Nobody  can  say that Amiga-music with 8-bit
 samples and 4 channels is a lot better  than  PC without lying.  But I guess I
 don't have to buy one after all,  as  my  dad  probably will do so pretty soon
 anyway.                                                                     {

 MK:     Have you got any best friends on the  scene who you admire, and if you
 have - what are their names?

 DZ:     Yep.. you Michael!  You are in-fact  a  very  nice person, and I guess
 the whole UK-scene agrees about that!  The  scene would be very boring without
 people like you, who care about the unknown people!

 MK:     What is your favourite Group, Artist, Musician, Designer, Programmer?

 DZ:     I haven't got any special favourites, but  I can give you the names of
 a few talented people anyway:

         Group      - Andromeda, Stellar, Parallax, Artwork
         Artist     çe- T'Vaan, Devilstar, Cougar, Bridgeclaw, Suny, Louie
         Musician  - Jogeir Liljedahl, Brainbug, Strobo, Dizzy, Spaceman
         Designer   - Michael/Anathema, Ninja/Scoopex
         Programmer çh- Azure/Artwork

 MK:     Quite a few boys on the  scene  feel  that  if girls join the scene it
 will be ruined.  Do you share the same views?  (I Don't!)
                                                                             {

 DZ:     No I do not at all.  There won't be any changes!  Why should the scene
 be ruined just because other humans of  the  feminine kind would join to share
 the fun?  Men always seem to  be  afraid  of losing their positions to women!?
 HA HA, you think - women  can't  do  anything related to computers!  You're so
 totally wrong!!!  Just how good were YOU  when  you were a beginner?  Just let
 them in I say!  Maybe the scene could become a lot better and more humane with
 women!

 MK:     Have you ever been in contact with a girl on the Amiga scene?

 DZ:     No, in fact not.  But that's because I don't know of many girls in the
 scene...  It would be nice to be in  touch  with a girl, but I won't contact a
 person just because she is.

 MK:     Have you got any synthesizers or keyboards, and if so - what are they?

 DZ:     The only thing I've got is a £450 YAMAHA PSR-400 keyboard which is old
 and not very exciting (the sounds are OK, but I'm fed up with them). Too bad I
 can't afford one of those fancy synthesizers around, like the Korg Wavestation
 and similar (Roland etc.).  If  somebody  wants  to  send  me a synth, just go
 ahead!                                                                      {

    The samples I use in my modules are  mostly given to me by friends or taken
 from my keyboard or CD-player.  Too bad I haven't got any sample-CD, so I have
 to pick samples from normal music; which  gives  me only about a maximum of 20
 samples per CD....  Blaehh...  I  think  musicians  in  the scene should share
 samples more than they do, so  people  like  me  don't have to get poor buying
 expensive synths!

 MK:     I saw one production by a  group  called  'Subject', and it seems they
 used one of your modules in their intro.  What's the score on that group?

 DZ:     Well, that group is dead a long time  ago.  It was started by me and a
 few other people who live nearby.  The score  was just to have some fun and do
 a few intros and some other small  productions.   Half the group went into the
 army, and everybody lost the interest.   The  best  thing about that group was
 that I got to do ALL the  music,  as  the other musicians weren't very active.
 We released a very crazy intro called "What!?",  which I hope none of you ever
 saw!  It was pretty awful, but  very  funny  in  the  middle of the night at a
 party in a town nearby.  Too  bad  that  fun-only  groups don't last for long.
 They tend to become too  unserious  after  a  while,  and then there isn't any
 motivation to go on.
                                                                           {

 MK:     If anyone wants to contact you, where should they write to?

 DZ:     If you are a  musician  (or  whatever)  and  want  pure friendship and
 swapping of modules, samples  and/or  ordinary  stuff  then  write  me at this
 address:

                               (DAIZ'L / MYSTIC)

çe                                Kenneth Jonsson
çf                                Enbärsstigen 16
                                 941 41  Piteå
çh                                  - SWEDEN! -

    If I for any reason am not  interested  or  if I haven't got the time, I'll
 let you know!

 MK:     Well Daiz'l, this is the end of  your interview.  If you would like to
 say hello to any of your friends or send  love and regards to any of your girl
 friends out there, then do it now thank you.

                                                                          {

 DZ:     Thank you for the nice interview!   There  are some people who deserve
 to be mentioned:  Michael/Anathema, Amon/Mystic,  Vim!, Moon/ex-Flash Inc (the
 legendary C-64 musician), Wingnut, Coke,  2-HOT-4-U  and  all Mystic members I
 still don't know.

    A big cheer to  my  great  "real-life"  friends:   Henrik Forsberg, Mattias
 Eriksson, Mathias Bergh,  Jenny  Engman,  Therese  Segerstedt,  Sara Lundberg,
 Maria Broberg and all the others I know  and won't write down in order to save
 time and space.

 I could go on like that for  a  while,  but  I'll quit here.  A message to all
 people out there who have their computer  as their only hobby:  Please realise
 that REALITY is a lot more  worth  than  your  electronic friend!  Try to be a
 social fellow and always be nice to everybody as much as you possibly can!
 
 Thank you for your attention.  See you somewhere else sometime.

}