Interview


Handle:
IL SCURO

How did you come up with your alias?
I saw an Italian movie about a pool player called Il Scuro, which means "the dark/shady one".

City / Country:
Stockholm, Sweden.
Boston, USA (April 95 -> )

Born year:
1970

What was your first computer, and when did you get it?
My first computer was the Commodore 64 and I got it in the fall of 1984.

The first contact I had with computers was at a video game
exhibition that a big Stockholm store (NK) had (in 1982 or 1983). It was a Swedish computer called ABC80. Then I visited every possible shop that had computers and played around with the ZX-80, Vic20, Texas (TI99/4A?), Atari 400/800, Sinclair Spectrum, etc. When the Vic64 came out I finally could decide what I wanted!

How did you get into the scene and what groups have you been a member of?
It all started on the Commodore64. I was very local in the southern suburbs of Stockholm. Nobody knew about me and I did not know anybody. I had to beg for games and did most playing and some very simple demos. When I got my "Final Cartridge" suddenly the world of assembler opened up. This was in 1985. Not much released work was done but in 1986 it really started. I found out that ripping music and pictures was not that hard.

As I always been a big fan of computer music I started a local group to make some music shows. I called myself "Gollum" and the group was "The Goonies". We did around ten demos including a lot of music from different games. I also made a "Demo Maker" which I distributed to a lot of local people. Still nobody knew about me. At the end of my C64 period I started in a group called "Shield". This was for a very short period, but first step into the scene.

In 1986 was my first contact with the Amiga. We quickly developed some software/hardware to transfer C64 pictures to the Amiga. Nostalgic reasons only. When the Amiga 500 came out I bought my own. This was May 1987! Now the real fun started. As I found out that other people used my handles I decided to use a more uncommon name. I wonder how many Gollums there has been through the years... The new name became "Il Scuro".

On the Amiga I started with Amiga Basic and converted an Othello game. Next week I did the same thing in C, but then Assembler took over. My first demo were released the summer of 1987. At this time I came in contact with some people and started "The Young Ones". We had some fun and did some demos. Later I met some other people and we started the group "The Outrunners".

In December 1987 Triad had a big computer party in Huddinge (southern part of Stockholm). This party changed everything! I was still 'Nobody' but met a lot of people. This is were I met PHS of CCS, Black Shadow of FLT and all the others. I showed them my stuff and they showed their. Suddenly everything fell in place. Suddenly I was in the middle of the scene and people started to know about me.

Through my contacts in "Shield" I came in contact with "DefJam". I started there in Januari 1988 and was very busy until 1990 when I started at the Royal Institute of Technology. That is the time I finally left the scene.

What was the proudest moment in your career?
When Per H†kan Sundell and I released "The Commodore 64 Music Show". I always collected C64 music and had made music shows in the C64 days. When a group released a Martin Galway show with converted C64 music I got the idea. Why not emulate both the 6510 assembler and 6581 sound chip? This way we only had to transfer the music from the C64 to the Amiga and just play it. It became a major success and we later released a much better version, called "PlaySID". Version 3.0 of it is my last release on the Amiga. Since 1994 I have only programmed professionally on the PC. I am developing a Document Managment System for a Boston based company.

For what specific reason(s) do you think that you are remembered for?
First of all, "The Commodore 64 Music Show" and PlaySID. Then all the creative work PHS of CCS and I did on the Amiga. Some demos and a lot of collections.

What would you like to be remembered for?
As one of the most known creative minds on the Amiga Scene. PlaySID is the crown of my work. I always tried to figure out something new. If somebody already done something, there were no reasons to also do it. How many vector cubes have we seen...

What made you stop the scene activity? (and do you remember when?)
Two reasons: I got bored of the scene. After a couple of years it is enough. It takes a lot of time and leads to the second reason, university studies at the Royal Institute of Technology. I left the scene just before the release of "The Commodore C64 Show" in 1990.

Thinking back on the good old days, is there anything you regret?
I should have started earlier on the Commodore 64. Some people already ended their career when I started. I had to continue on the Amiga...

What was your favorite
GAME(S):
Fort Apocalypse on the C64. Has there been better games yet?

DEMO(S):
Sodan's demos on the Amiga. Really insipired people.

PROGRAMMER(S)/TEAMS(S):
Mr Z and PHS of CCS. Two great friends. (Mr. Z and Il Scuro used to be in the same class)

CRACKER(S)/GROUP(S):
Red Sector, nice demos.

COMPOSER(S):
Rob Hubbard, a lot of really nice tunes.

COMPOSED TRACK(S):
Mike Alsop's Wizardy on the C64. Very simple but I like it very much.

EVENT(S)/PARTY(S):
The Triad party in Huddinge/Sweden December 1987.

MEMORY(S):
When I got my Commodore 64. A super computer at home!

Favorite drink:
Coca Cola...

What are you doing nowdays?
Working on a Document Managment System on the PC for a Boston based company.

What are you doing on your spare time?
Mostly a swedish sport called "innebandy" twice a week. The official name is Floorball as far as I know. Simply, take your tennis shoes, go to a basketball court and start playing with your plastic sticks and a white hollow plastic ball with holes. I also play badminton and watch a lot of movies.

Is there anything you'd like to say to the public?
Keep beeing creative and make nice demos, utilities and software. Spread it to the public so everybody can enjoy it.

What is the meaning of life?
To have as much fun and pleasure as possible for yourself and your surrounding. This implies, to be helpful and take the life as it comes.