Panoramic Designs (c64)

Panoramic Designs (PD, 1990-)
NOR> Bjørn Røstøen (code gfx, 04/90-05/91), Haavar B. Hojem (code, aka HBH,    04/90-92), Henning Rokling (music, 04-06/90), Lars Hoff (music,     Prosonix, 04/90-04/91), Marius Skogheim (04-06/90), Morten Salthe (code, 06/90), Olav Mørkrid (code music, 04/90-05/91), Ole Marius Petersen (gfx music, Prosonix, aka OMP, 04/90-04/91), Pal (gfx, ex    Offence, new 05/93), Richard Nygaard (code gfx, aka RND, 04-06/90), Stein Pedersen (code gfx, Prosonix, 04/90-04/91), Stig Bakken (06/90).

Panoramic Designs was an all-Norwegian demo group, born in the early months of 1990 mainly by former members of The Shadows and Abnormal. The fact that all members used their given christian names and not handles anymore was a rather unique quality back in those days. Only the swedish group Pretzel Logic probably preceded them in this. The group further had the strength of having top norwegian musicians Prosonix as members. HBH stated in his demo "The Pezed Bars" that he had left the group for another one. Olav made an improved version of the Turbo Assembler. Olav Mørkrid was previously known as Omega Supreme, Bjørn Røstøen was previously known as Moonray in Shape, Rawhead and Shadows. Haavar Hojem was previously ZTH/Abnormal. 1990 - In july, the group co-hosted the 'Bergen Party'. 1993 - Norwegian graphician Pal joined from Offence in may.

Pixel Magic (1990, 14.04, Demo). code: Marius Skogheim, gfx: Marius Skogheim, Bjørn Røstøen, music: Ole Marius Pettersen, Lars Hoff. Released at the Swedish Elite Easter Conference. review: While later demos are great, PM shows us an earlier PD. Only the final part really shines a little, with its bob-like helicopter in a part that looks inspired by the vectorballs part of the Red Sector "Megademo" [09/89] on the Amiga. Other than that, music is the main reason to download this. The final part contains a cover version of Iron Maiden's "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" if you're into that sort of thing. The party of release (and hence the release date) is a little bit made up of guesswork on my part, since the demo does not quote a year of release, only that it was released on the 'Horizon easter party'. There were no HZ party in 89 (that I am aware of), and HZ were coarrangers of the Swedish Elite Easter Conference 90 - held during the easter holiday. There is indications in the demo that this is an early release for PD. The demo is a single file, containing 3 demoparts. [glenn]

Digital Delight (1990, 30.06, Multiload Demo). code: Bjørn Røstøen, Olav Mørkrid, Morten Salthe, Haavar B. Hojem, gfx: Bjørn Røstøen, Richard Nygaard, music: Lars Hoff, Stein Pedersen, Richard Nygaard. Winner of the Bergen Party demo competition! review: Another nice demo from PD! The main strength of these guys seem to be - apart from the obvious musical excellence - their design. They make it look like their productions are a little more than just effects strung together. This demo also presents some other niceness, like the cool and original intro with the the gun; the horizontal twist-scroller and the concluding part, with 55 sideborder dycp's over a great Elfquest picture by Richard Nygaard... All to nice, exclusive music! Yeah, I like this... [glenn]

That's The Wave It Is (1991, 30.03, Demo). code: HBH, Bjørn Røstøen, Olav Mørkrid, gfx: Richard Nygaard, Bjørn Røstøen (chars), music: Geir Tjelta/Moz(ic)Art, Ole Marius Pettersen/ Prosonix, Richard Nygaard. 4th in the Horizon Easter Party demo competition. review: Another nice production by PD this, with the natural climax still being Richard Nygaard's fantastic pictures. In this demo it comes at the very end, and sure takes its sweet time displaying onto the screen! The rest of the demo is quite ordinary, to be blunt. As always, nice music. The demo is a single file. [glenn]

Destination 91 (1991, 30.03, Demo). code: Stein, gfx: Ole Marius, Stein (chars), music: Ole, Stein, Lars. Released at The Horizon Easter Party 91. review: PD present an original, goodlooking 'music demo' in cooperation with Prosonix here. That means five tunes of supreme Prosonix quality, and quite frankly that just can't be a bad thing! :) When the graphics are cool too, and the coding part works, you've pretty much got yourself a  winner. Just note that this demo focuses on the music, not on coding, so  there's no fancy effects. Just some cool graphics (love the two cool dudes talking!) and even cooler music. Niceness. Also known as "Destination II". The demo is a single file. [glenn]

From Panoramic With Love (1991, 17.05, Demo). code: Olav Mørkrid, gfx: Bjørn Røstøen, music: Lars Hoff/Prosonix. review: Hehe... More of an intro than a demo, this one was released just to fuck over Flash Inc. Apparently a small argument at the Horizon party earlier in the year resulted in notes being spread, containing harsh words from the Flashers... And so we have war. :-) The intro is quite nice, though extremely simple. It's just a large scroller across the middle of  the screen, and lots of pumping hearts all around it. The demo is a single  file. [glenn]

Psykolog (1991, summer, Demo). code: HBH, gfx: MS, music: Centurions (game), Transformers (game), Auriga (game), Zig Zag (game), Paul Norman "Forbidden Forest" (from the game), Zeb. Released at Panoramic Designs and Hoaxers party. review: I'm sorry, but I refuse to review HBH's dope fantasies. Please keep your addictions to yourselves. Promoting LSD is pathethic, and it seems to me like you've missed most of what the scene is about. The demo is a single file. [glenn]

Mentallic (199x, Multiload Demo). code: n/a, gfx: Richard Nygaard, music: Olav Mørkrid, Lars Hoff, Stein Pedersen. review: Now, this is a weird demo... And one that certainly lives up to its name! You see, there's not much in the way of normal scrolltexts here... All that is occupied with small, noncoherent and suicidal stories. Trust me, it's weird. It's a good thing then, that there's so many cool effects on offer! The first showstopper for me was the 'marbles' scroller. These are balls with a letters mapped onto them, making up a scroller. The balls bounce, and as they do, the letters swim around 'inside' them, as if they were filled with water! Very cool. Also worth mentioning is the 'blue' part, with its plasmalike effects, and the amazing picture in the endpart. [glenn]

Pez in My Brain (199x, Demo). code: n/a, gfx: n/a, music: n/a. review: There are no credits given with this demo, but from the facts that HBH coded 'The Pezed Bars', and this also contains dope romantic elements (pictures of pipes and marihuana leafs) I'm assuming he's behind this too. Nice last part with the balls. Probably did that on a day when you had no grass in the house, eh? The demo is a single file. [glenn]

The Pezed Bars (199x, Demo). code: HBH, gfx: HBH, Bjørn (chars), music: Paul Norman, Johannes Bjerregaard, ???/Origo. review: I'm not gonna review this piece of shit dope promoter of a demo. HBH announces that he's leaving for another group. Thank god. The demo is a single file. [glenn]

Parapsykolog (1992, .05?, Multiload Demo). code: Olav, HBH, MS, gfx: Olav, MS, HBH, music: Jip/Purebyte, Geir Tjelta, Rodland, Drelbs, David Whittaker, Stairway to Heaven (the game). review: What is this fucking shit!? I can't believe PD would release this pile of digital dung. They can't be fucking serious? I refuse to comment further. Well, OK, the plasma shit was kind of okay. The release date is a guess, based on them mentioning an easter party in the past tense. It's uncertain whether MS is Marius Skogheim or Morten Salthe... [glenn]