Quartex (old)

Quartex (Old) (QTX, 1988-)
Quartex was born in the summer of 1988, and was an amazingly arrogant cracking group in the early days... :) For some demos often listed as QTX releases (i.e. "Substance"...), see the entry for their previous subgroup Alliance Design, who later left to be on their own. German cracker Rob was also previously a profiled cracker on the C64, where he was one half of The Dynamic Duo.

Members

 * Australia:
 * Ginnie (sysop 'THE BREWERY', later in new Quartex, 08/92)
 * TIC (cracker, ex-Australian Crackers United then Paradox, later Nemesis, 1991)
 * XTC (co-organizer, H/P/A, ex-Australian Crackers United then Paradox, later Nemesis, 1991)


 * Canada:
 * Devious Doze (trade, ex sysop 'AKIRA PROJECT', previously Nemesis 07/92, 92)


 * Denmark:
 * Alliance Design Denmark (Seen and Paleface, later Melon Dezign, 1991)
 * Babykiller
 * Mad Max (sysop 'DANISH DELIGHT')


 * Finland:
 * Raze (Norway? sysop)


 * France:
 * Alex (ex Agile, 12/1991-)
 * Alliance Design France (Traitor as leader/trader, Corto and Albatros as coders, Mack and Hof as gfx artists, Moby as musician, etc., 1991)
 * Clash (assistant organizer France, leader of 'The Specials' intro section, ex-Demoniak/CPU^MGF^Joy > Amnesia 1989 French group > Apology, then Clash/M.A.D and Paradox, 1991)
 * Flex (original supplier, doublemember founder & organizer of Delight as Voyce, later Crystal > Oracle > Nemesis, then Paragon/Fusion > Crack Inc. > Skid Row > co-founder Interpol (1992) > co-founder Paradox (new rebirth 1993), 1991)
 * Hoan (cracker, aka Obi Hoan, ex-Aces then Black Monks (1989), 12/1989-09/1990)
 * Kid (gfx, ex Agile, later Delight, 12/1991-)
 * Olivier (global organizer, sysop 'OLIVIER'S PLACE', ex-founder/leader Paradox (1990-), ex co-founder/co-leader M.A.D (10/1989-), ex-DMX/Phoenix leader (1989), ex-Oli/leader of Les Nuls then The Drunk Ones (1988-89), 1991)
 * Patriot (ex Agile, 12/1991-)
 * Shocker (ex Agile, 12/1991-)
 * Skywalker (coder, cracker, H/P/A, later Skid Row then founder of Model, 1991)
 * Spirit (supply organizer, original supplier, ex-Aliens > LGCSS > M.A.D > Paradox, 1991)
 * Tagada (trader, member 'The Specials', ex-Babygang C64, then M.A.D and Paradox, 1991)


 * French credited suppliers/crackers associations (1991):
 * The Magic Trio (Spirit, Flex, Cyrius-4/Delight)
 * The Fabulous Five (Spirit, Flex and the three members of Delight Darry Booper, Quartz and Cyrius-4)
 * SFX, Infernal Best, etc. (Spirit & Flex)


 * Germany:
 * Red Rock (sell sysop 'RED ROCKS', 09/90-early 1992)
 * Rob (Robin Wunderlich, crack, 1989)
 * Selim (trade, 12/90)
 * Skyline (sysop 'LITTLE AMERIKA', 01/91)


 * Italy:
 * Shark (sysop, 1991)
 * Tom-Cat (trade sysop, 1991)


 * Kuwait:
 * Desert Rat (sysop 'FREE KUWAIT')


 * Norway:
 * Lame Brain (swap)


 * Sweden:
 * Mogwai (sysop 'STREETS OF FIRE')
 * Virus (music, ex Legend)
 * Zelnik (co-organizer, H/P/A, ex-Classic (old), 1991)


 * United Kingdom:
 * Acid ('91)
 * Action Man (original supplier, 1991)
 * ADS (later Paradox, '91)
 * Batman ('91)
 * Beast (sysop 'ARCADIA', ex Dual Crew, 91-04/93)
 * Executioner (sysop 'TREASURE ISLAND')
 * Nocturnal
 * N.O.M.A.D (crack, ex Scoopex, Genesis (old), Angels (old), Quartex (old), Skid Row (old), Ministry, Nemesis (old), Fairlight (amiga), 1991)
 * Speedy Dennis (later new Quartex, 01/1990)
 * The Jester (1991)


 * United States:
 * Bigfoot (Pete, sysop 'BIGFOOT'S BBS', 1990-)
 * Fletch (sysop 'HMS BOUNTY')
 * Magnetic (BBS courier, '91)
 * The Surge (cracker, 1991)
 * Waremonger aka Ware Monger (Steve, organizer/co-organizer, sysop 'LINK TO PERFECTION', 03/1989-)


 * Unknown:
 * Ace
 * Anon
 * Bill and Ted (sysops 'CRIME ZONE', ex Offence)
 * BlackBurst ('91)
 * No Limit (sysop 'TEMPLE OF DREAMS')
 * Predator ('91)
 * Spreadline
 * Trackmaster ('91)

Group History

 * 1988: The group was formed thanks to the merger between The Champs and Bitstoppers and started cracking games in a serial and frenetical manner. A lot of said games were released with just a small text, without any intro.


 * 1988-1989: This period should be called Quartex (very old) as in 1990 the group nearly died, to be resurrect in 1991 by Olivier from the ashes of the first Paradox. During this period and especially in 1989, Quartex was considered one of the best elite crack groups competing in the high spheres with the likes of Ackerlight, Bamiga Sector One, World of Wonders then Paranoimia, and Vision Factory at the same level of influence.


 * 1990: Legendary cracker Robin stopped his contribution to the scene. Most European members also stopped or left for other groups. Quartex mainly survived through its U.S. BBS's and a few EU members notably in France (Hoan...), Germany (Red Rocks...), UK (The Jester...).


 * 1991: Paradox changed its name to Quartex while merging with the remaining members Waremonger and Bigfoot in the United States. The name Quartex was attractive enough with its long score of releases and most sceners called it a legendary group, which appealed to Paradox members, notably the organizer Olivier. Also both groups were historical friends and allied against Skid Row and Angels. The move finally helped Quartex survive after its decline in 1990. Should this have not happened, Quartex would have possibly be gone forever.

With ex-Paradox members, Quartex became again one of the few elite, if not the best elite group, mainly competing with Skid Row, Fairlight and Crystal.

Quartex also had two sub-sections in France at the time: Alliance Design which released the 'Substance' demo and a few other ones, and The Specials (Clash, Tagada, Skywalker...).


 * Skywalker and Flex joined Skid Row in September then founded Model along with Bob Duncan, Sauron and Porta. Flex at the same time joined Crystal as doublemember (in fact triplemember Delight) and double supplier at Model, resulting in him leaving both groups for Oracle and then Nemesis as a founding member supplying one game (Fascination) the day before he was busted. The game was finally released under Quartex brand in memories for the group (and because it was in French). Late this year, Furax joined Paradise and opened 'FANTASIA', Black Ninja (sysop of 'PARADISE') joined Skid Row. The French section died late '91, after experiencing some problems with the French police in the 'Bluebox' affair. Olivier closed his board 'OLIVIER'S PLACE' late '91.

Chronology of busts in the 'bluebox' affair saw first Hoan (no more in Quartex at the time) and other non-Quartex people (Stone/Skid Row, Wonderboy/ex-The Band...) busted. Then followed Quartex members Clash and Tagada, then Garp/Crystal and Foxy/The Company, then Flex/NMS^QTX^DLT and a second Delight member, then Spirit/Quartex at the end of the year. French Quartex leader Olivier and 'Substance' demo coder Corto/Alliance Design were busted at the beginning of 1992.


 * Except for long-time U.S. members Waremonger, Bigfoot and a few others, most other members worldwide left in the middle of the French turmoil, to form Nemesis in November 1991. Although he closed his board, Olivier remained loyal to Quartex and continued to support the group quietly without joining Nemesis, until he was busted on his own.

In more details: UK members N.O.M.A.D (crack), Action Man (supply), Infiltrator (all ex Crystal, 1991) along with Swedish member Zelnik (Henk, org., ex Classic ex Crystal, 1991) took important ex-Paradox members like The Surge (USA, crack, 1991), as well as XTC (Adrian, org., 1991) and TIC (crack, 1991) both also ex-Australian Crackers United, with them and formed Nemesis.


 * 1992: After the wreckage, the replacement members who joined were less active and the year has been a difficult one for Quartex.


 * 1993: While it was claimed in a news item in Spaceballs' "R.A.W. #5" [05/93] that Virus joined Legend, the truth is that he joined FROM Legend! In late 1993, the Swedes in Agile (Elric, Conqueror etc) merged into Quartex. This was also around the same time the English sysops Undertaker and Sabbath ('GRAVEYARD', busted in Ma) joined from Fusion (both had also previously been in Agile). American sysop Waremonger (Steve George, 'YOUR LINK TO PERFECTION' WHQ, new 03/89-) closed his legendary board this year before the board reappeared a few months later.


 * English sysops Undertaker and Sabbath ('GRAVEYARD', both ex Fusion) both left late in 1993. The Undertaker went to the PC scene, while Sabbath discontinued his scene life. Some confusion exists in that some people think that the two joined Alpha Flight - but that is a different Sabbath.


 * Unsorted:
 * Gizam (England? ex Crystal), Slayer, Megadrive (England sysop 'LIVING HELL') and Scrote (England sysop 'THE KRYPT') left.
 * Dutch sysop BamBam ('DOWNTOWN', ex Classic) joined Agile.
 * English sysop Image ('IMAGEWORKS', ex Eclipse) joined M.A.D, but was busted the following morning. The then retired from the scene for a while, before returning as The Undertaker/Agile - and was later back in Quartex.
 * Sysop Scout ('METROPOLIS', old handle Face The Facts, '91) joined Skid Row.
 * Danes Paleface and Seen left to form legendary demogroup Melon Dezign.

Releases


Wat Een Gore Kop (1994, 28.12, 40k Intro)

 * Info: 18th in The Party '94 40k intro competition.

BBS's

 * LINK TO PERFECTION (USA, WHQ) (1990-1996) alt name YOUR LINK TO PERFECTION
 * BIGFOOT'S BBS (USHQ) (1991-1993)
 * SLEEPY HOLLOW (USHQ, 1991)
 * ARCADIA (UK, 91-93)
 * TREASURE ISLAND (UK,93)
 * CANDYLAND (USA, 09/90)
 * DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (USA)
 * GREYHAVEN (USA)
 * REVELATION (USA)
 * NO NAME BBS (Germany)
 * EUROPOLIS (France)
 * BLACK HOLE (Italy)
 * INFINITE DREAMS (Italy)
 * PIRATE'S HEAVEN (Italy, old name DARK DATA SECURITY, 09/90)
 * PARADISE CITY (Spain)
 * INVISIBLE SUN (Holland, 09/90)