Interview
Handle: Macmagic - Only when the music got serious I used my real name: Reyn Ouwehand.
How did you come up with your alias ?
Before I got my computer I was a graffity-artist. MacMagic was allready my handle then.
City / Country:
Katwijk aan Zee, Holland.
Born year:
2 August 1973.
What was your first computer, and when did you get it?
The C64 was my first computer. I almost got a Texas Instruments computer, because a guy in the neigbourhood had also such a computer. And I wanted that computer, too. (you know how kids are...) I'm glad my folks bought the C64 instead....I think that was in '86/'87.
How did you get into the scene and what groups have you been a member of ?
Paradize was the first group I joined. Some local friends (Genius/John and Dennis) and me founded that group. It was real fun and we even made a 'game' called 'ArenA'. Besides that I joined the Sixth Sense which was in a city nearby Katwijk aan Zee. But I didn't stay there long. I met The Ruling Company at a party in Venlo. I stayed there for some time. We did some demo's and after that I got more into the 'scene'. I got in contact with Dave Hogendorf and Patrick Witteman from Scoop Design and we made an intro for Flimbo's Quest . (and I also did the loading-tune for that game. btw, you should hear the loading-tune Johannes Bjerregaard innitialy made for that song, it's much better than mine. but Laurens van der Donk (the author of Flimbo's Quest) didn't liked it. i believe it's still 'hidden' in the soundtrack. check it out, it's one of my favorites.)
Via Laurens van der Donk (and Mario van Zeist, co-writer from Hawkeye) I got in contact with System 3 in England and made tunes for some of their games. Including Last Ninja 3, which was one of my latest works. I made those tunes in an editor from Falco Paul (20CC), who lived in a city nearby. He also checked the sounds for me. It was a lot of fun to have business-trips to England when you're only 16 years old... At the same time I became a member of Maniacs of Noise. Charles Deenen had a lot of work coming and couldn't handle it any more. Even with Jeroen Tel and Johannes Bjerregaard at his side. So he asked me. In that period I also was a member of Blackmail. We did some great demo's. There were some of the best gfx-artists and programmers in that group. Like Richard Groenendijk and Hein Holt.
Resume: Paradize, Sixth Sense, The Ruling Company, Scoop Design, Blackmail, Maniacs of Noise.
What was the proudest moment in your career ?
To become a member from Maniacs of Noise.
For what specific reason(s) do you think that you are remembered ?
The guy who made the music for Last Ninja 3 ???
What would you like to be remembered for ?
I don't want to be remembered. I'm still going.......
What made you stop the scene activity ? (and do you remember when?)
I think it was in '90/'91. The reason was probably the Amiga. At the time the Amiga came you had to compose with 'samples' but the samples were a bit crap at that time. So I thought it was better to buy 'real' samplers and stuff like that and make 'real' music. I always wanted to make more serious music.
Thinking back on the good old days, is there anything you regret?
I just discoverd these sites and I now have the oppertunety to listen to my C64-music again on my MacIntosh. (thanks to Andreas Varga) And I regret I didn't put more time into the tunes itselve. Most of the sounds I used were crap and the tunes were made much to fast. So I wish I could relive those days and do it better this time....
What was your favorite
GAME(S)
IK+
DEMO(S), PROGRAMMER(S) (OR PROGRAMMING TEAM(S)), CRACKER(S) (OR CRACKING GROUP(S)), OVERALL GROUPS, BEST GRAPHICS:
I don't think it's fair to answer that right now, because I'm to affraid I would leave someone behind. I've got a bit of a bad memory. First let me check all the C-64 archives on the Net, than I will come back at that later....
COMPOSER(S)
Bjerregaard, Galway, Tel.
BEST COMPOSED TRACK(S)
Parallax from Martin Galway
EVENT(S) (E.G. COPYPARTY)
I only went to the party in Venlo, Holland like 3 or 4 times.
DRINK ?
Coca-Cola, not Pepsi!!
What are you doing nowadays ?
When I was 16 years old I went to a 'high-school for music and dance'. (like in the TV-serie 'Fame'). I studied piano (Jazz) there. After that I did an audition for the Conservatory in Rotterdam and studied there for another 5 years. I did 2 studies there, besides piano I also took lessons to became a studio-technician. (mics, synthesisers, mixing, etc...). And I got some classical composition lessons aswell. At that time I also played in a lot of (pop)bands and in my free time I built up a home studio with an Atari with Cubase and a lot of (old) keyboards. Things got out of hands and nowadays I'm running a studio for a living. It's a big 32 track studio with all kinds of equipment. I produce records now.....
What are you doing on your spare time?
I'm busy composing a symphony at the moment. A big score for orchestra. And I'm trying to keep the weekends free to entertain my girl-friend.
Is there anything you'd like to say to the public (read: admires)
Keep the C-64 alive! Keep it on the Net!
What is the meaning of life?
Have more dreams than you can realise....