An Interview with DJ Tobi
What are your favourite sid tunes?
My favourite tunes are Winter Games
, G.I. Joe
, Blue Max
and Lazy Jones
.
Which C64 composers did you get the most pleasure from?
David Whittaker and Rob Hubbard
What equipment do you use?
I work with a Keyboard only, and with good PC-Programs (Cubase VST, Sound Forge etc.) I'm 15 years old, so i have not enough money for professional Samplers etc.
What other C64 arrangers do you enjoy listening to?
I like DjLizard very much.
Why did you start arranging c64 sids?
I like this kind of music. It's funny to hear these simple notes sound so different. They are so much more interesting.
You have done four covers of David Whittaker's Lazy Jones
- Why four?
Lazy Jones was my favourite game when I was 2 years old. There are so many rooms in the game, and within each room is a certain melody. It's easy to make a remix from them.
What do you look at when creating an arrangement?
I know that my arrangements are not professional. I try to create them so that they sound good.
Did you ever do any original C64 sids?
No, I have only made remakes of them.
What in your opinion should a good cover sound like?
The original sid should be included and it should have good beats.
Goonies
wasn't a well known tune, why did you decide to do a cover of it?
I wanted to make a different thing. I liked the sid and it was just for fun.
If there was a tune that you wish you could claim as your own, what would it be, and why?
I think Boulderdash from DjLizard. I like it very much.
What were your fondest memories of the c64?
I remember playing on it with my older brother when i was young.
Do you think that C64 music will ever make a comercial impact?
No, I don't think so. In my opinion most arrangers do the work just for fun.
What non C64 music do you enjoy, and do these reflect in your music?
I listen to almost all kinds of music, But they don't reflect in my music.
Is there a c64 tune that hasn't been remixed that you would like to hear?
Yes, i would like to hear a tune from Kickstart II
Lastly, what are you planning to do next, and what does the future hold for you in regards of remixing C64 music?
In the future i will not be creating any more c64 remixes. I will create my own music.
Even though DJ Tobi has little in regards of equipment, it just goes to show you how with a little effort that even the most modest of arrangers can still produce great remixes.
- Neil
