It's been a while since I found a great music disk so I was pleasantly shocked to discover The Musical Wonder by Offbeat. This is their second 'Musical Wonder' and is apparently described as a demo delight. Well, it is actually!! The floppy disk boots with a mesmerising intro before offering different types of music.
This disk is impressive and, from the moment I saw that initial intro, I was hoping it wouldn't disappoint. Thanks to a humungous library of tunes by Big Alec, Mad Max, and An Cool, it doesn't. But it's not just the cool tunes I loved. This production uses gorgeous visual effects in ways your eyeballs will relish!
Additionally, there is a hidden screen that features high-quality audio. Hitting the right keys helps wonders but, if you don't want to experiment, beware of this spoiler... Hit the tilde key during the menu screen, then press the Clr Home key for the image. Scroll down to see the picture (without the cool audio, of course).
Okay, let's state the obvious once again. I know it's harsh to hear this but, no emulator or video recording will do justice to any Atari ST production. Use a real Atari computer to appreciate this disk fully.
I am taking a short break due to personal reasons... Hope to continue the ST talk soon... TTFN.
I was going through some older video recordings on my channel and found this one by the Glasgow Computer Centre. The Picture And Sound Show is a partial sample sound recording of the legendary song Money For Nothing, Dire Straits. I must admit, I'm curious about how they came up with that title. Yikes!
Your ST requires 1MB RAM and a double-sided drive. Don't scoff, this was 1986 and my family couldn't afford an Atari ST for two more years. Heck, I didn't know the joy of 1MB RAM until around 1990 when I got the SIMS for my STe. Additionally, they released a now obsolete half-meg version for those unwilling to upgrade! ;-)
It's incredible this "demo" was released in 1986, so impressive. I would easily have assumed 1988/89 if I didn't already know. Of course, this isn't the complete song, the ST would need multiple floppies and a bucket load of extra RAM. Look, for 1986, it is jaw-dropping, so leave it playing while you search your CD collection.
BTW, I've made many changes to AtariCrypt and worked hard (trying) to group things better. You will note different sections on the right-hand side of my website. Hey, do you want more demos/etc featured here on AtariCrypt? I hope so; the #demoscne is crammed with quality from many talented people.
This is a timeless song. A rock classic. Let me know in the comments if you want more...
Every so often, I leave a music disk playing in the background as I work. After all, what's better than living life like it's still the 1990s when the world was a much better place? Yup, nothing beats the groovy music my Atari ST knocks out and I've already got many favourite disks. Oddly, I haven't listened to Blubbersongs in many years which is by Paradox and stuffed with 27 superb tunes by 505. Crank up the volume!
Nils Feske/505 pushes maxYMiser to produce some incredible music, including a selection utilizing the STe DMA hardware, which I really enjoyed. That combination opens up another world of possibilities IMHO. Shockingly, there are no YouTube video recordings, so I made my own—it demonstrates a couple of minutes from each track. Use only to whet your appetite because nothing beats real hardware (best on the Atari STe).
Credits
All music by 505
Coding and graphics by Paranoid Coding by RA maxYMiser by gwEm ASCII graphics by Lotek Style Graphics by Zweckform
I've had this gem on my hard drive for ages and finally got around to recording what is nothing less than a jaw-dropping collection of chiptunes converted by Gunnar Gaubatz aka Big Alec. It was (eventually) released for Sommarhack 2019 by Grazey of Psycho Hacking Force and features several tunes. I've recorded snippets from each track but it's advisable to download this to enjoy it properly. Remember, nothing beats real hardware. Certainly not YouTube!
But what about Amberstar?
Well, Thalion may not have released the ST game but, this got me thinking of its prequel, Amberstar. A game I've never actually played - not ever! I remember seeing it featured in magazines and the graphics looked very nice. So, today, I downloaded the pre-configured HDD version by 8BitChip and had myself a playtest...
Stonish has the floppies but there's three of 'em. Good luck with that disk swapping!
We begin with an overhead view of a graveyard which is a dead interesting place (sorry). This leads onto the City Of Twinlake which flips our view from 2D to 3D, ala Dungeon Master. Now the adventure begins with plenty of places to explore and folk just waiting for a good natter. The first thing that grabbed me was the aesthetics that look and sound brilliant. However, I was unsure by the clunky user interface which initially feels a little cumbersome and messy.
Amberstar is quite difficult to get into from the start, and I'm perplexed that I wasn't able to create my own characters - but that's something to do with a dodgy installation program the Thalion boys made? Tut Tut Tut... Anyhow, the world of Amberstar appears huge so I'm wondering if I should add it to my ever-growing list of Atari ST games to play over a quiet weekend. Yeah, I often say this a lot... sigh... I think we all know how that plan will go. Hmm.
An early CryptO'pinion?
Considering I only played for half an hour, I'm quite taken aback by what appears to be an in-depth RPG. There's so much to initially overcome from the interface and characteristics, as with any new game. Graphically, it's amazing and the storyline is interesting with dread and captivation. Although I'm wondering if I need another life-sucking RPG especially as I still play Temple of Apshai, Rogue and the mighty Shadowlands. Not to mention the obvious ST classic!
Hey, have you played it? Are there any fans out there? What can you share about this Thalion RPG? I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys think because it looks intriguing. Well, for now, it's something for me to ponder over.
Until then, take a gander at these screenshots and try not to drool at the gorgeous pixel art...
Well, that's me heading northward the moment he turns his back!
Who knows who you'll meet under the beautiful skies?
Look at that lovely artwork. Very Ultima and very sexy!
Come on, how you can not love reading stuff like that!
The inventory here will take ME some time to master as I'm fussy like that.
A map. A freaking map!! This isn't cheating as it aids the quality of your adventure.
I recently read that Effect had released a brand new demo by Tom Kito which is stuffed with 12 tunes by Proto. I love chiptunes, and the Atari ST already has some incredible musicdisks in its library, so I had high hopes. Thankfully, ymphibian is foot-tappingly superb and I enjoyed it so much that I made this recording to share.
There's a range of crackers here and that E1M1 tune is shockingly great and something this old Doomguy enjoyed!! (how could I not?). Also, I really appreciated the autoplay feature, which is something every music disk should have. So, as their website says, "sit back, grab a beer and enjoy the banging beats coming from your Atari ST’s YM2149".
You can download this excellent music disk from the Effect website. Enjoy...
I woke up early today - in the mood for demos! No idea why, but I started watching a few old video recordings whilst suppin' my coffee. Yes, it's a weird way to spend those early hours when the family are still sleeping but... I am weird. There are so many great demos for the Atari ST and even a few for the STe too. (I never understood how the STe had all that extra graphical hardware, yet its demos pale considerably compared to the STFM releases?)
Anyhow, I ended up watching a few more videos - Punish Your Machine never fails to impress my old eyes and ears! Brace, by Diamond Design, is simply jaw-dropping. These got me in the mood - for another coffee!! Then I grabbed the headphones and enjoyed a few fave tunes by Scavenger, Nemo and TAO. A golden trio there!!
The trouble is, the hands ache holding onto the phone for that long, so I cast YM Rockerz' Spinning Wheels onto the TV. However, time was now running out and this "noise" woke my girls, who halted the fun ;-) But what a great start to the day! (Everything mentioned is within the above two [ST+STe] playlists I've linked.
I'll end this silly post with the groovy Sexgames by Christian Källström (Crazy Q) of DHS which is brilliant!!
No, not that annoying camp-as-Christmas pop group but, instead Cream's musicdisk stuffed full of Tao tunes. My recording has short samples taken from random tracks, it's just enough to read all the scroller - which is always a lamer's necessity. YouTube has its uses, but this disk is best experienced using real hardware so click the link above.
I've really enjoyed this disk, Tao never ceases to impress and Steps is nothing short of extraordinary. Love it!!
It's been a while since I posted something cool in our Music section. So, I went looking for something extra special and then I remembered this gem: a "Dark Rock" remake of the Rob Hubbard original. This completely blew me away!!
Okay, I'll award 100 points to those who can answer this question: What game is this music from? (Noooo, don't look at the post title hehe. Pah, never mind). All credit to Yoshitaka Hojo who you can check out on Soundcloud :)
I'm on the lookout now for other "dark rock" or "darker" remakes of ST tunes...
Tempest 2000 is an incredible psychedelic experience and sure made the Atari Jaguar roar like the beast it was always meant to be. The ST demo group 'Effect' released this cool music disk for the Atari STe. This has sure brought back many happy memories from the 90s when I first got my Atari Jaguar. Yup, a belting musicdisk this one!!
Credits and the download link...
Alastair Lindsay - Music
Blaze - Graphics
Jovis - Graphics
Kevin Saville - Music
ST Addict - Graphics
Tronic - Code
Wizzcat - Code (Tracker-Replay)
Grab the download via Demozoo and crank up the volume!!
Turrican II The Music by Black (aka Scott Clifford). A music disk for both ST computers shows just how great this game's tunes really are. Also, included is a selection of stereo remixes for the Atari STe so what more could you want? I've recorded this video and it plays about a minute from ten random tracks - but you should nab the download via Demozoo to hear all the tunes yourself. Of course, it's best experienced using a real Atari STe - so crank up the volume!!
Sector One is a music disk by Denis Huguet (ST Ghost) that pushes the DMA audio hardware to the limits with many cool stereo tunes - some feature 8/16 channels. Yup, it's quite mindblowing and certainly proves the power lurking underneath the STe's grey plastic case. We also have options to choose the various playback frequencies and also control the volume, treble, bass and more. Yep, this is a technical masterpiece and I love the Just Buggin' tune!!
Brighten up your evening with my recording or download this beauty for yourself!
I spent some time last night listening to many incredible tunes from the SNDH Archive. Biomechanoid Locomotion, by Shinobi (aka Marcus Andre Rousseau) was probably my fave of the night so click the green arrow to hear it :-)
Turn up the volume and use these Atari ST programs to play everything from this amazing archive. 🎧
I have just listened to this amazing tune called Wowy, by Tomchi (played using JAM) and simply had to record it. Absolutely superb!!! So, kick off your weekend in style and download this gorgeous chiptune for your Atari STe!! 🎧
There are many amazing artists out there and I've always had a soft spot for the guys that make up the incredible YM Rockerz. So here is the wonderful compilation called "wave upon wave" which they released 17 years ago! It features several tracks by their awesome musicians: 505, D-Force, Dma-Sc, Tao, Lotek Style and Milhouse.
It's impossible to pick a favourite, but I do love Shifter by Tao which you can listen to by clicking on the GEM green arrow. Check out the YM Rockerz website ... I think that I'm going to listen to "Seven" again tonight :-)
Yesterday I had a demoscene night and relived the old glory days. When we eagerly await the postman's delivery of floppy disks - from Demo Club and other Atari ST PD libraries. Fun times with beauties like Anomaly, European, Punish Your Machine, Antiques and Rising Force. Also, I re-enjoyed some cool animations like Rippler, Newton's Cradle and Walker. I then finished off listening to Popstars by the awesome YM Rockerz. What you can hear for yourself, is ace!!
Yup, this is my rock and roll lifestyle... Well, when the wife and kids are out! :^)
I'm going to end 2016 with a brand new release by a good friend of mine - Bionic Nerd - aka Peter Jørgensen. It is the Outrun New Year Music Demo which has just been released so I've recorded a little sample from each track as a teaser for you all. Clickety click to grab this cool music disk right now and enjoy it. :-) Here is a little background by Peter:
"Hi all, I made this little new year music demo because I always loved the music from outrun and I always felt that we Atari ST guys were cheated on. Firstly, there was a track missing. Secondly, it kept shifting between the two other tune every time one would die. Lastly, I do not think that David Whittaker did his best. The music files are YMT format running at 300hz and the reason the program file is so big. In the new year I will make a new sound format, still as fast, but be taking less space but you will need a 2mb Atari to run this. Thanks to everyone for listening and I hope you like this? Thanks, Peter."
I have been browsing through some of the amazing works to come out of Silly Venture and found a superb chiptune by !cube (aka Toni Lönnberg). Hyper Ocean Ride came second in the competition and is also making use of the Atari STe's DMA hardware for those cool drums. I love this tune so had to share it - press the GREEN arrow below!
Okay, Mr cube has a great website and is also listed on Demozoo and SoundCloud. I have recorded a video of his "Meet !cube" musicdisk which you can download here and I must say that Bullet Sequence is another of my fave tracks (from Silly Venture 2014). Delicious!
Say hello to the third album by YM-Digital, Spontaneous Compression which was released yesterday and features nine tracks of awesome audio for us all to enjoy. Of course, each track was created using Atari ST computers!!
01. AdraSTea Orbit (16,61 kHz)
02. Cell Synthesis (16,40 kHz)
03. The Lost Confidence (50 kHz)
04. Aomi - The ST Version (16,40 kHz)
05. Yellow Leaves Are Falling (16,40 kHz)
06. Neutralizer II (16,40 kHz) / original composer: Rudolf Stember
07. Digiloo Digiley (50 kHz) / original composer: Kemal Ezcan
08. Draconus - The ST Cover (22,75 kHz) BONUS TRACK / original composer: Adam Gilmore
09. Aomi - The STE Version (50 kHz) BONUS TRACK
Total Time: 32:33 min.
All songs (except "Aomi - the STE version") have been recorded from an ATARI 520ST computer with YM2149 chip.
Atari ST chiptunes are superb and proven to be timeless, unlike tracker/MOD files (much of the time). We have numerous music disks in our library and here is Relix by DHS/Paradox. This features some of the most awesome examples of what 505 (aka Nils Feske) has created. It's quite something to hear such a massive selection of quality chip music pumping out of your ST's speakers so crank up the volume!
Anyhow, this disk has a cool feature that should be standard on all musicdisks - an AUTO Play function. Yep, you can leave the music disk alone and it will automatically work through every tune. I love Relix and it's one of my favourite musicdisks ever made which is saying something for a machine like the Atari ST.
Relix download by Dead Hackers Society and Paradox [demozoo]
Credits505 - Music Dan - Graphics Evil - Code, Graphics Paranoid - Code Zweckform - Graphics
Yerzmyey has released a new album called aTTraction which was produced using Atari computers. This includes an Atari TT with Hex Tracker, a Falcon with Digital Home Studio and he decided to make a couple of bonus tracks in Cubase using an Atari ST. The final shocker is the extra track created using Chaos Music Composer and NeoTracker on the Atari 600XL. Don't miss this from da' scene - download it now!!
Take a gander at his website because he's created even more. As I type, I'm listening to "Wake Up" from the "Chiptunes" album; another absolutely fantaSTic album. I've said it before, chip music will last forever.
This is the tracklist from aTTraction. You will enjoy them all...