Interview


Handle: Pernod / Horizon

How did you come up with your alias ?
Well, when I first started coding demos in 1987, I and a couple of friends formed the group 'Absolut Vodka Team' (AVT). Because of the massive ad-campaigns at the time, we got the name spread for free ;-) ... We decided to let our aliases have something to do with booze so I chose the name 'Pernod'. Perhaps 'Absint' would be a better name (popular brand among artists about a hundred years ago. Caused damage to the brain/nerves and was hence withdrawn from the bar shelfs! Pernod was the 'healthier' successor). A short name is good, because Pernod fits well into 6 sprites. If I had 7 sprites I wrote 'Pernod!', and with 8 sprites something stupid like 'Pernod89', where 89 meant the year 1989. When I was a member of Fairlight, this was a perfect excuse to write 'Fairlight' only when I had multiplex sprites! Of course, if there were 3 sprites I wrote 'FLT' and with 4, it was 'FLT!' and with five 'FLT89'!

City / Country:
Rebbetuaröd, Wanker County.
No, seriously I, like many other people from the good old days, live in the beautiful university town of Lund, southern Sweden. I moved to Lund a couple of years ago. When I was active in the scene I didn't live here, but in a small town not far away.

Born year:
1971 (we're getting old, guys!)

What was your first computer, and when did you get it?
It depends... My dad bought his first Sinclair ZX-80 in 1979 or 1980. I wasn't particularly interested (that could have something to do with my age at the time) but with 1kb of memory and b/w graphics, who could blame me?! Later, in '82 I got a videogame called Philips G7000. I realized that with a Vic-20 or even better, a C64, I could do stuff like that myself, so I talked my parents into buying a 64 for me. In 83, I got one from Santa.

How did you get into the scene and what groups have you been a member of ?
Soon after I got my 64 I understood that there was such a thing as a 'scene'. My first contact with guys in the scene was in 1986 when I (as a part of the Swedish school system) worked at a computer store in Malmö, called 'Diskett'. The guys from WASP (-> West Coast Crackers -> FLT) used to hang there (some of them worked there). Strider showed me how to remove the top and bottom borders, and God was I impressed!!! I doubt Strider remembers that, but I will never forget. I mean, I was still a lamer and had never met anyone from the scene, and there comes Strider & co! But of course, I would never admit this. ;-)

In '87 I started coding demos, but it wasn't until spring-88 I went to my first copy party. Some people there had heard of me, and boy was I happy! We released a demo at the compo; we didn't win, but it was a good demo. Later that year me and my friends in AVT went to the Horizon party in Enköping. I met a lot of big guys there, and they had all heard of me and were very impressed with our previous demo. At the compo, we ended up in 2:nd place. From that moment, I was truly a member of the scene. AVT released it's last demo in late '88, at the Silents party in Alvesta. It was a disaster, because the demo wasn't really ready for release (=full of bugs), and MDT and Horizon beat the shit out of everyone else (MDT were Exilon and Boogaloo. Soon after the meeting, Horizon Headhunter's dpt. recruited them. This was a part of HZ strategy: if you can't beat them, let them join us!!!). AVT crumbled and Viper recruited me to FLT. Then I got to know Bacchus and some other guys (he also lived in Lund, only about 300-400 meters from where I live now). My first meeting with all the guys in FLT was in March '89, at a party in Slagelse, Denmark. The party was great fun and I got to meet a lot of guys, like the hilarious Karl XII and Grendel. The organizers made three mistakes: 1) They sold beer at the party (Karl XII ended up puking on some cables: bzzzzzt!!!) 2) They sold Coke in glass bottles (you could hear a crash every 5 minutes or so). 3) The winners in the demo compo were elected by a 'jury'. The result wasn't fair at all, and a war broke out in the scene.

I and Judge made FLT a big name also in the demo scene. I can say that without flattering myself, and I'm sure nobody's questioning it. We got great backup from the other guys in FLT; Bacchus, Mr.Wedge, Grayhawk and Danko just to name a few. They made sure to let everybody hear of us.

We released two demos, "Algot's Revenge" and "Rutig Banan", which rendered us 3rd and 1st positions in demo compos. Then I went into charts (...she taught him some choords, the future was wide open... :-) ) first as #2, then #1, breaking Mr. Cursor's long-time position. Then I was on top, and I think it was the proudest moment (there were many, believe me... ;-) ) in my career. The group I respected the most at the time, Horizon, soon contacted me and let me and Judge join. This was in the beginning of 1990. I didn't hesitate, but I was almost afraid to tell Bacchus and the guys. But they weren't angry or anything, and we were still great friends. FLT later recruited some coder talents so everything went well. In Horizon, I made only a few demo parts. As there were more coders, I could also get time to start doing graphics (ok, I made graphics in FLT too, but in AVT - no!), so I went into the graphic's charts as well. But I was never no.1 in graphics, and I know I could never have been either. Making graphics was great, as there was great competition in that area too, something I hadn't realized before. For example, I was constantly in a 'fight' with Goblin/Light about who was the better artist. Of course, I was ;-) ;-).

We also arranged a few parties (some of them were just small gatherings for people from Stockholm. I was the "foreigner" there! (because of my 'Skånska' accent)). To be honest, Bagder, Zagor and Kjer were the true organizers and fixed everything so well, thanx guys!

In mid-1992, I and Boogaloo went to Samsö, Denmark to win our last demo competition, and so we did, mostly thanks to the genius Exilon (he was always before his time, for example he made a full-screen X- and Y- D011-scroller in 1988. He also made a demo part with seven sprites in the sideborders, with chars on the screen, in the same demo of course). Exilon and Boogaloo made a part with real-time filled 3d graphics on the 64 and that was why we won. Censor Design were 2nd and I will never forget those guys either! This was the last time I saw any of the Horizon guys, apart from Judge who has been studying at the same department as I have (Dept of Computer Science, Lund University).

For what specific reason(s) do you think that you are remembered ?
1st, I was a good coder and 2nd, my need to show-off. For example, if I drew two logos, "Horizon" and "Pernod", I always made "Pernod" the bigger one. In one part, I made a two-screen wide Horizon-logo and a three screen wide Pernod-drawing! (shame on me!)

But the best coder in the scene was probably Exilon, but he naver had any need for show-off, that's the only reason that he isn't very well-known, I think.

What would you like to be remembered for ?
See above + beeing a very social guy at partys.

Thinking back on the good old days, is there anything you regret?
No, nothing in particular. Ok, I could have done more demos, but like many of you out there know, I am extremely lazy!

What was your favorite
GAME(S)
Rally Speedway, Delta, Commando

DEMO(S)
All demos! I love demos! Especially the ones from Horizon (I wasn't a member from the beginning, ok!), Upfront, The Judges, Light, Beyond Force, FiG, Xakk and many others.

CRACKER(S) (OR CRACKING GROUP(S))
Fairlight and Triad and many others.

OVERALL GROUPS :
Hmmm... hard question! Best crackers were Fairlight, I think (at least the most famed and long-living). Best friends... I can't say, there were so many people who I will never forget!

COMPOSER(S)
Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway and all of Maniacs of Noise.

BEST COMPOSED TRACK(S)
Dunno, but Hawkeye and Monty on the run were absolutely great.

BEST GRAPHICS
I have forgotten most of the artist's names, but The Sarge was one of the top-1!!!

EVENT(S) (E.G. COPYPARTY) MEMORY(S)
I have too many memories to list them here. Read my story above! But some things come to my mind...

At the time when phreaking and stuff were most popular, some people in the scene were caught and put on trial. Bacchus/FLT was "kinda" involved so I went over to his apartment and pushed the button to the door-phone (he couldn't see me there) and after he answered I said, with a very mature voice:

-Hello, I am Lt. John Doe from the county fraud squad. I believe we have to talk!

Bacchus said "yes of course, come on up!". When I had walked the stairs up to Bacchus' place he opened the door, and boy was he upset!!!! He bought it all.

Another thing is when Karl XII, Seagull/FLT and Exilon were trying to make pasta. They are the three worst cooks I've ever met: 

K-XII: Should we try a few macaronies first, 
       and see if they pop (like popcorn)?

Exilon: How much should we pour into the water?

Seagull: The whole package (1 kg), I think.

Some guy: What should we do with the water 
          when  it's ready?

Exilon: Nothing, it will disappear!
Mastermind/HZ introduced the concept of beating people up with rubber snakes. He bought one that was about 2 meters long! At one party we had a video camera and we threatened lamers (and non-lamers) to say ugly things about themselves or about their groups in front of the camera. Then it was all shown on the big screen!

The worst lamer trying to show off was at the Upfront (I think) party in Randers, Denmark, in the end of 1989. I had made a music player which was playing the Delta theme, and a lamer comes up to me and says:

Lamer: How fast is it?
Me:    Eight raster lines.
Lamer: Is that in hex or decimal?
	   
	   Oops.   :-)


DRINK ?
Soft drink: Water.
Booze:      Vodka.
Wine:       Red.
Beer.       Yes.


What are you doing nowadays ?
I am studying in Lunds University, Lund, Sweden. I am majoring in Computer Science and I am expected to receive my master's degree very soon. In fact, in the building where I go, many people from the scene are studying, or have been the past few years. For example: Judge/HZ, Celebrandil/Phenomena, Kaktus, Phred/FLT, Gollum/FLT and also people from Triad.

So I am still into computers, though with a more professional attitude. I don't make demos anymore, but I am trying to learn everything about modern computing, especially computer graphics.

What are you doing on your spare time?
Socializing. I live in a kind of dorm (studentkorridor) and we are having great parties. Then I mean p-a-r-t-i-e-s! Watching TV, sleeping... I have no life...! :-)

Is there anything you'd like to say to the public (read: admires)
I will never forget all you great guys out there! I hope some of you still remember the great times we had together, it will never come back, like you thought when you were young(er). Gotta stop here, I am getting nostalgic...

What is the meaning of life?
You ask ME this? Ok, there are a lot of meanings, and sure I still have to find some of them out.