An Interview with DjLizard

by Neil Carr

Dj Lizard is all about Dance. Why?.. Well everyone likes dance according to Michael. But if you take a look at his website, you'll find many other tunes that are not of this style. Go on.. You know you want to…

Real name: Michael Cooke

Handle: DjLizard

Born: 1981

Nationality: Reptilian-American

Interview date: 19 April 2001


Neil

What are your favourite c64 composers?

DjLizard

Daglish, Galway, Kenneth W. Arnold, Hubbard, Tel, too many more. My answer matches everyone else's. I love C64 composers. Period. 😊

Neil

What are your favourite sids?

DjLizard

Axel F, because it is a song I have loved even since I was a little kid, sitting in my dad's lap watching him mess with the family C64. Zak McKracken, M.U.L.E., and Boulderdash. Love em.

Neil

What Equipment/Software do you use?

DjLizard

Impulse Tracker, Windows 98, and a Creative SB16 ISA. Well, I've upgraded to a Creative AWE64 ISA but I use the SB16 part of it more, so it's the same thing. Freeware/public domain samples from everywhere you could imagine. I dump to .wav from Impulse Tracker, then I use Cool Edit Pro to mess everything up. Then I encode with Audiocatalyst to VBR mp3 format, which is the most efficient I have found.

Neil

What gives you inspiration when creating a remix?

DjLizard

When I'm not forcing myself to remix something, the inspiration comes from a sixth sense. It's like how in math class you can learn a particular something that makes your mind 'click', and you instantly understand all the correlating things associated with that lesson, and everything FINALLY makes sense. I hear something in certain songs that make me remember songs that I could mix in, or how a song could be played a little bit faster with a dance beat, or slower with an ominous one… it 'clicks', and it's just like *presto*, I guess. Or maybe I remember a weird sample I have that I know would fit in, and then I build around it.

Neil

What non c64 music do you like?

DjLizard

Trent Reznor of NIN, and Brian Transeau (BT), are my idols. Plain and simple. I listen to every genre inbetween those two artists. And even weirder still, from Green Day to Rob Zombie. If it's electronic, I probably will dig it. If it's not rap or country, ditto.

Neil

What are your fondest memories of the c64?

DjLizard
  • SYS 64738!
  • a warm blue screen that was not associated with 'death' and OS failure
  • not having to deal with viruses.
  • finding things to do while waiting for large programs to load.
  • being 10 years old and programming in BASIC.
Neil

Your music follows the dance style, why is this?

DjLizard

Everyone likes dance. Those who say otherwise are in denial 😉


It's the energy in me, I love to release it and watch it flow. The irony is, I hate dancing, but I love dance music! I do almost every other genre though, on my site you can find everything from jazz to orchestral, and some experimental things I've been working on.

Neil

If there was one tune you wish you could claim as your own what would it be, and why?

DjLizard

The Delta theme. It made my best friend who didn't believe in the C64 change his tune when he heard the .sid. The graphics impressed him even more. The entire .sid is incredible! I don't think there's a drug you could take that would reproduce that kind of brain stimulus.

Neil

Which is better: cover, or remix?

DjLizard

I think this question is best posed to the listener; they will be biased toward whichever they prefer. I have no preference at all. I can't really answer this yet.

Neil

Should Sid be used in remixes?

DjLizard

By that, do you mean samples from the original SID tune? I use them where I think they would be appropriate. Look at my Hypaball remix. It sounds great with all the SID samples, 'cause I messed with them in Cool Edit Pro. My International Karate remix, however, is totally a cover; I just re-tracked some of the notes. So, to kind of answer your previous question I really can't be partial to a cover or a remix, because I love doing both, equally. Puffy64 seems to be able to combine the two.

Neil

What are your thoughts on the music in modern day games?

DjLizard

It is intense! When Warcraft first came out I was just stunned… and I loved FX Fighter's cheesy dance music, just like Sega's Virtua Fighter… and then Red Alert, and
games these days take advantage of the fact that consumers are no longer Adlib and PC speaker users and now have high-end rigs; some with THX-certified speaker systems with Soundblaster Live!'s, and more! I happen to have a Klipsch Promedia 200-watt THX-certified system… As you may be able to tell I'm not much of a gamer anymore. I gave that up years ago. I do play some arcade games though. Street Fighter Ex 2 Plus' music totally mesmerises me.

Neil

Which tune of yours are you most pleased with?

DjLizard

My own personal favourite is my Zak McKracken remix, because it was made from the same samplebank I compiled for the International Karate remix, my second favourite.

Neil

Why did you start remixing c64 music?

DjLizard

When I heard the Temple of Apshai Trilogy music when I was a kid, I dreamed of being able to make it modernised or give it a really cool beat, and change it. I think I had figured out what remixing was at a very early age.

Neil

In your opinion what is the essential part of remixing or covering a c64 tune?

DjLizard

Making sure you have enough familiarity to the original, unless it's very creative or interpretative of the original. People outside the scene seem to frown upon remixes that don't have much to do with the originals at all. I kind of do too, unless it's very constructive. 😊

Neil

How difficult can it be finding the correct sound that you want to create?

DjLizard

It can be extremely painstaking, frustrating, and agonising. I've scrapped many attempts at remixing any given song, because something always wasn't right. Then I'd start fresh, and try it again. Perseverance is the key.

Neil

What other arrangers do you like?

DjLizard

I think Eric Pochesci is doing a really great job. His work is stunning. Not to mention Puffy64 (again). I've been so busy with my career and life changes that I've hardly had the ability to spend a lot of time on my music, much less download someone else's, so I'm kind of useless on this question.

Neil

What are your likes/dislikes about the scene?

DjLizard

I'm not really a scenehead 😊


I just kind of hide in the back and release things periodically when I come out of my stupor. But seriously, I am very impressed with everything I see. Everyone is putting forth such serious efforts to keep C64 alive, and I'm enjoying partaking in every bit. But I would hardly consider myself to be a part of the scene, at least not yet. I feel I need to earn my wings. Or to be knighted by Sir Hubbard.

Neil

What does the future hold for you and your remixes?

DjLizard

Its horses. It will be an arduous process, but I shall try to progress. I feel sorta stumped right now, but I am hopeful that I'll get hit with the talent stick, or become inspired.

Neil

Lastly, what would you like to say to the scene?

DjLizard

All your base are belong to us.

Ah! i remember the virus free world, and the long loading times. But hey! we wouldn't have heard some of the best loading music if it wasn't for such slow reading. A world without ocean loaders… Unthinkable 😊

 

- Neil