Shape Design

Shape Design (SHAPE, 1988-)
NOR> Andreas (gfx, aka AWA, ex Dytec, new 01/95-06/99), Eivind Sommersten (code music, also in BM, 03/91-01/96), Glenn HD (06/99), Glenn Rune Gallefoss (code music, also in BM and Onslaught, aka Shark and GRG, ex    Digital Designs, 94-10/03), Haakon (01/96), Hans Petter (01/96), Kjell Nordbo (code gfx music, also in BM, 03/91-01/96), Kristian Rostoen (gfx    music, also in BM, 03/91-01/96), Morten (01/96), Richard (01/96), Rolf Runar (01/96), Snorre Narum (code, 03/91-01/96), Sveinung (01/96). DEN> Duke (new 01/96).

Boards; DRUGSTORE (nor, 01/96).

PREVIOUS MEMBERS (pre 01/96) -

NOR> Kaare (gfx, 05/93), Magnus (gfx, 03/91), Moonray (Bjørn Røstøen, gfx,    later Shadows, 05/89), Nightmare (Per Vidar Lund, swap), Predator (music, 10/89), Rune (code, 10/89), Trasher (Preben Vindholmen, code    gfx, 06/90), Unitrax (code gfx, 02-10/89), Zip (Einar, code, 02-10/89). SWE> Tracer (Fredrik Nordlund, swap, 05/89), Vision (Michael Nilsson, code    swap, 05/89). ???> AMJ (music, 03/91), Calculus (nor? 02/89), Chip (nor? 02/89), Dominator (nor? 02/89), DPL (nor? code gfx, 02-06/89), Hector (nor? 02-05/89), Jerkin (nor? code, 02-05/89), Kaiser (nor? gfx, 02-05/89), Oki (nor?    02/89), Powpin (gfx, 05/89), Trade (ex Play Power/Megastyle, new     02/90), TUW (nor? code gfx, 02-06/89), Zoar (nor? 02-05/89).

Shape are a Norwegian demo group, formed around the end of 1988. SHAPE means Supreme Headquarters Allied Programmers Europe. They have a sort of 'music section', whose members are also fulltime members of the group, called Blues Muz' (hereafter and above BM). Most of their tunes was made using Olav Mørkrid/Panoramic Designs' editor and player. Glenn R. Gallefoss made quite a few utilities, including an improved v2.0 version of Snorre Narum's 3x3 Chareditor [91], released in 1995. 1989 - Shape co-hosted a copyparty in the city of Porsgrunn, Norway in october with TRC, and came 2nd in the demo competition with "Phoenix" [10/89]. 1990 - Play Power (PP)/Megastyle changed his handle to Trade and joined around february. Norwegian coder Daredevil (02/89-) left the scene, as reported in the demo "Marantz" [07/90]. Norwegians Eric and Tony (swap, 05/89-) left the group in july for Beyond Force. 1991 - Yup and Burp left the group around january to build a new group called Offence. Rooster joined Padua early 91. 1995 - Rooster/Dytec joined around january, and is now known as Andreas. 1996 - This year signalled a revitalisation of the group, with fresh energy and new ideas.

At Last (1989, 25.02, File). code: Jerkin, Daredevil, gfx: Kaiser, Unitrax (logo), JTF/Hexagon (chars), music: Shade/The Troopers (part 2), rest is ripped. 5th in the Rawhead, Bros, Suppliers Party demo competition.

Coococ Four (1989, 14.05, Diskmag). Released at the Equinox and Horizon party.

Demented Children (1989, 14.05, Multifile Demo). code: DPL, Unitrax, Zip, TUW, Vision, gfx: DPL, Unitrax, Moonray, TUW, Powpin, music: Jeroen Tel/Maniacs of Noise, Fame, Demon, MAD/MON, Johannes Bjerregaard, Lords of Sonics, Slaygon, Oliver Klaever. Released for the Equinox and Horizon party demo competition. review: Scrollers, scrollers, scrollers. This demo fails on its almost total lack of inventiveness, being just one part after the other, all looking a lot like each other. The graphics are plentiful, but all are of the logo or charset variety, and all look like they've been filled with a  formulaic program. The music is all ripped from various games, though in a bit of fairness they're a pretty good selection. The overall impression of this 12-part demo is that there's just too many parts with little or no  variation, too many scrollers, and not enough excitement. A few pictures beside these endless blue logos would be nice... [glenn]

Phoenix (1989, 15.10, Demo). code: Zip, Daredevil, Unitrax, Rune, gfx: Unitrax, music: various. 2nd in the Shape & TRC Party demo competition. review: "Phoenix" is an ok 4-part demo, released at Shape and TRC's party in Porsgrunn, Norway in october. (part 1) It all opens with a rather stylish part, complete with "Last Ninja" picture done by Charles Deenen/M.O.N! I really didn't know he was a graphician... The part in itself is perhaps nothing special... It features the aforementioned picture, with the letters SHAPE in sprites overlaid and moving. Below this is a PHOENIX logo, and at the left side of this logo is a small upscroller. Code by Zip and Daredevil, gfx by Charles Deenen and Unitrax (logo), nice music by IQ 64/Mozicart. (part 2) The second part features a multiplexed dysp - that's lots of sprites, and in all the borders too, for those who don't know - done by Unitrax. And that's all this part features, really - just those sprites, saying they are 'MULTIPLEXED DYSP BY UNITRAX', moving around on an otherwise black screen. No music credit given, but it's possibly JCH/Vibrants (at least his player - but then again lots of people used THAT). (part 3) The third part is built around a 212 points plotter routine, done by Rune. It features just this, a SHAPE logo done by M.N.L/TRC, and music by Mozicart. So we press space again for the final part. (part 4) This one is pure graphical overkill, after the spartan presentation of the two former ones - a big quilt of a picture is scrolled left and right, as well as some animated stuff in the upper and lower border too. All coding and graphics by Unitrax, and music by Predator. So that's it - an amusing little demo, nothing exceptional, but a nice little thing with a few interesting parts. The demo is a single 188 block file. [glenn]

Marantz (1990, 01.07, File Demo). code: Trasher, gfx: Trasher, Dolla/WOT (fonts), Alex/ALD (font), music: JCH/Vibrants (part1), 20cc (part2), Maniacs of Noise (part3). Released at the Bergen Party. review: This opens with a text-and-logo screen outlining some of the credits for the rest of the demo. There are no real 'effects' in this small piece, just a few basic things. The demo is almost entirely done by Trasher, code and graphics. All the music is ripped. After the relatively tame opening, the next part contains just a scroller, in addition to a SHAPE logo and some palm trees =] The last part has another SHAPE logo, and the only almost-an-effect in the demo; a sinus-sprite routine, with parameters chooseable with the joystick. Your world will hardly go down in flames if you miss this one... =] [glenn]

Shaped Up (1991, 30.03, Multifile demo). code: Eivind Sommersten, Snorre Narum, gfx: Kjell Nordbo, Magnus, music: AMJ, Moz(ic)Art/independent, Eivind Sommersten, Kristian Rostoen. Released at the Horizon Easter Party. review: One thing makes this demo worth owning: Kjell's awesome opening logo. It's nice to see something a little out of the ordinary, and a little more colorful than most. Excellent work! Unfortunately the rest of the demo does not fully come up to THAT standard. There's a DYCP part with WAY too many DYCPs, for example. The result, of course, is that they only have two or three pixels to move up or down in, each. It doesn't look good, thrust me. The overall impression is, as they say themselves, something of a rushed job. Not bad, but needs more work. [glenn]

Blues Muz' Pack 1 (1992, Filedemo). code: Eivind Sommersten, gfx: Krisitian Røstøen, Kjell Nordbo (chars), music: Eivind Sommersten, Kristian Røstøen. review: This one certainly falls into the category ‘music demo‘. It‘s a logo, a scroll, and 9 tunes to choose from. Actually, the design is not too bad on this demo, but they could perhaps have used some more cheerful colors. Ofcourse the music is what counts here, and it‘s not bad at all. As mentioned, there‘s 9 tunes here, and most are surprisingly short, ranging from a little over a minute to a little over 3 and a half. And no Norwegian native can resist applauding a cover version of the theme for the cheesy German tv police show 'Derrick'! Lots of charm. They mentioned in the scroll it was going to get released at a party, but that was all we were told. No indication of a release date! [glenn]

Blues Muz' Pack 2 (1992, Filedemo). code: Eivind Sommersten, gfx: Kristian Røstøen, music: Eivind Sommersten, Kristian Røstøen. review: This pack is much the same as the first one, though there's new graphics and some new design. There's a nice effect they could have done more with, which is a keyboard 'interpreting' the music, much like the Phenomena musicdisks "Music Dream" on the Amiga. The tunes are perhaps not as high quality as in the first one - as Eivind admits in the scroll - but it's not bad either. Ofcourse, some pieces are stronger than others. Fair. [glenn]

Blues Muz': JCH (1993, Filedemo). production: Eivind Sommersten, Kristian Røstøen, Kejll Nordbo. review: An even more spartan music pack than before, but I can appreciate the meaning: The music is what counts. And in this case, it really does! :) Shape's music section presents three really good tunes here, and the minimalist approach to the visuals actually help draw attention to the  tunes rather than to other things. I applaud! [glenn]

Blues Muz': The Magic Flute (1994, early, Filedemo). production: Kjell Nordbo. review: Another music demo from BM, and unfortunately the weakest one yet. I think Kjell‘s tunes have too much of an 80‘s feel to them - not the beefy, bassy beats of the others. The design also looks a bit dated, though the basic idea is quite good. Along the bottom right border is a flute, and out of it comes little notes dancing to the top. There's also a scroller, ofcourse, which tries to be different but is only ugly. I'm sorry, Kjell, but I can't recommend this to anyone. [glenn]

Blues Muz': Born Alive Dead (1996, Filedemo). production: Kjell Nordbo. review: Well, Kjell has certainly improved a lot in the two years since "The Magic Flute". This selector is still far from exciting, but at least some of his tunes sound a bit better now. There‘s a huge amount of tunes here - 26! - which offers good variety. Having said that, a lot of it is just plain shit, while other pieces offer some nice things. You still have a way to go, Kjell, but you're getting there. You should perhaps consider working more with music than coding and gfx, though... :)   Kjell mentions on the intro screen that this is his fourth music pack.  [glenn]

Little Partydemo (1999, 19.06, File). 3rd in the Remedy 99 demo competition. review: Just a nice little one-screen intro, with a SHAPE outline logo in the middle of screen, and blue swirling strobe lights illuminating it from behind. It actually looks quite cool :) Nice but very...little. [glenn]