Aphex Twin aphex twin, warez king?

[chaosmachine]

If you were into oldschool warez, you probably knew of a group called Phrozen Crew.

 

Anyway, I was just looking them up for some reason, and a funny name shows up.

 

Phrozen Crew was founded in 1993 by Aphex Twin

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrozen_Crew

 

At first, I thought it was just a joke edit, but a quick search proved otherwise.

 

A group of like-minded computer software crackers, the Phrozen Crew (PAC) was created back in 1993 by Aphex Twin.

 

http://members.fortunecity.co.uk/phrozen/profile.html

 

Also gets several mentions here:

 

Somewhere in 1993, Aphex Twin invited me to join Forest Crew, it was a hacking group, highly underground group with 30+ members...

 

http://www.defacto2.net/dl/documentsweb/tKC_history.html

 

1993 seems pretty early for someone to be fanboying the Aphex name. What do you think?

[azatoth]

This explains his bitterness to modern VSTs, which he never had access to even during his warez days.

[Guest wake]

Maybe Richard D. James got his name from the founder of Phrozen Crew cause he made 1337 proggies.

 

[kaini]

interesting. maybe someone put it in the wiki article and all these people started taking it as a fact and some were boasting about how they knew him all along to try and boost their cred?

 

yeah, this.

those wiki sorta feedback loops happen all the time.

[thief]

So the fortunecity page with the afx mention was done in 2004.

 

Looks like the "Here is my history" thing was uploaded in 2000.

 

 

I dunno, I don't exactly think stirring shit on the internet is that new of an idea.

[BCM]

in 1993 I was part of the infamous Amiga hacking collective, PFX.

[Joyrex]

Richard, in interviews and in candid posts on forums and other online communities, has always hinted at having others do programming work for him - however, none of that really started to appear until after 1996, when the Richard D. James Album came out (one of the first releases where he used computers extensively in his music).

 

One easy way to prove this is find some releases from that group and see if he's listed in any of the .NFO credits.

[o00o]

I wouldn't be surprised when he did also upload his discography to several torrent pages to promote himself and to make sure the quality is the best possible

[chaosmachine]

Richard, in interviews and in candid posts on forums and other online communities, has always hinted at having others do programming work for him - however, none of that really started to appear until after 1996, when the Richard D. James Album came out (one of the first releases where he used computers extensively in his music).

 

One easy way to prove this is find some releases from that group and see if he's listed in any of the .NFO credits.

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20060925192745/http://www.defacto2.net/groups/PC/phrozen_crew1996_1.nfo

 

nfo file from '96, he's in the greetz.

[Guest Scrambled Ears]

not surprising and pretty awesome

[awesomeperson]

95-96 AFX was well popular at least in Europe, MTV Europe used to air his vids, do interviews, specials.

[Guest hahathhat]

this feels like a good place to say that i've always enjoyed music software releases from the H2O group

[kaini]

this feels like a good place to say that i've always enjoyed music software releases from the H2O group

 

indeed. also radium, moreso back in the day

[marf]

richard mentioned back in 98 on the supercollider forum that all software should be free and warez groups often makes software better and fix bugs, and how companies screw people over because they release programs that aren't finished and free of bugs.

[marf]

yeah, its confirmed as the creator of supercollider stayed at his place in london.Aphex was into supercollder v1. He posted some code and a little program and then he said he wanted to rape someone and got kicked off the forum

[sweepstakes]

Brothomstates/Lassi Nikko sampled "Wax The Nip" on one of his old 90s modules when he was still best known as Dune of the demogroup Orange. I think it was from around that time. I don't think just dropping Aphex into the greetz necessarily means anything except that someone in the group had some positive interaction with him, maybe even just liked his choons.

[YO303]

This just confirms AFX is autistic.

[pera]

A (hopefully) brief history of PC

=================================

OK, since you've actually clicked the link, I'm assuming you are actually somewhat curious as to how Phrozen Crew came to be. What you're going to read here is essentially a summary of our history. Earlier versions of this document contained very detailed explanations of how every member ever came to be. It was very interesting to me, and was fun for me to remember all the good and bad times, but I realized that most of you don't want to read a history book online. If there's a genuine want to know all the details, then I can make the other version available. With that said, it would be most logical to start from the very beginning...

 

Well, back in the early '90's... around 1993, there was a hacking (yes you read correctly, hacking) group named Phrozen Crew, which was run by a guy by the name of Aphex Twin. To make a long story short, Aphex Twin recruited a hacker, by the name of The Keyboard Caper, as a member. As time passed, the group died, as many online groups do. The Keyboard Caper (aka tKC) decided to re-form PC later on, as a cracking group. Hence the Phrozen Crew (as you know it now) was born. It was a very small group -- only four members total. The entire 'cracking division' consisted of one person, namely tKC. The other members were Psylocke, the vice prez and ansi coder. Do you remember the old school demo scene? Well, that's where the other two members fit in more or less: Mutha made music for demo's and Lucido did the graphics.

 

So that takes us up to roughly 1995. In '95 tKC and PC continued to crack and release demo's. In 1996, tKC discovered IRC. With the help of a few friends, he opened up a channel on EfNet called #PC96. It wasn't very popular, as most people had never heard of PC. The dominant group at that time was uCF (the uNITED cRACKING fORCE). PC and uCF were on excellent terms; there were many people that were in both groups. Unfortunately, differing styles eventually led us to break apart and distance ourselves.

 

At the end on '95 and in '96, big things started happening in PC. Things started rolling. Familiar and perhaps not so familiar names joined the ranks of PC. Myself, Archimede, Baloosh, AlieN, MegaByte, etc, etc. PC began getting attention. Not because we were super 'leet but because we were different. We tried to help all those that we could. We still do. It wasn't easy back then, we didn't have the asskicking cracking division we have now, but we tried hard. We decided that irc and the newsgroups would be the best way to get our stuff out to the average joe. We posted to the newsgroups day and night, and we set up irc offerbots.

 

It worked. PC got bigger and bigger. (who needs viagra? ;)) Classic guys like Saltine, LordByte, Killer+Bee, surva, and others joined the ranks. At times PC was growing too fast for it's own good. There were times of chaos and times when difficult decisions had to be made. As we kept rolling along picking up speed, we were doing more and better cracks and it was clear by the tons of thanks from people we were getting that we were doing things right. We rolled through '97 without a hitch.

 

In 1998, there was a major re-organization of PC. Internal group problems were wrecking us. We were taken down to our very core -- many people out there considered us dead. Done for. Hell no. After a lot of patience from everyone and a lot of talking and working things out, we came back. A bit scratched and scathed, but still breathing. Slowly but surely things began picking up. By the end of 1998, PC was cruising along once again.

 

In 1999 -- the road ahead of us looks good. The sky is clear, the engine is newly tuned and tweaked for performance, and the driver is sober and awake. This is usually the point where the narrator lists some of the best people in the group. But I will refrain. Why? Simple. I don't have to do it because all you have to do is look at a PC.NFO. All those people listed in there, those are my best guys.

 

 

phroZen,

tHATDUDE

 

http://www.phrozencrew.com/history.htm

[delet...]

Thanks for bringing this thread back, i got to delete something it.

[pera]

[...]

 

http://web.archive.o..._crew1996_1.nfo

 

nfo file from '96, he's in the greetz.

 

btw, Sandman (aka Siren) made some great tracks for Unreal, here is my fav one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D0YIAenLdk

[sweepstakes]

http://www.phrozencrew.com/history.htm

 

link=dead

[Kanakori]

awesome

[pera]

Ok, I was looking on some BBS's and scene websites.. there is a disk mag that have an interview and some ansi art from a guy called Aphex Twin (of iCE)

 

https://yfrog.com/z/59v6ng

 

but dunno, there are many people using aphextwin as a nickname...

 

there are more scene related material:

http://krum.ethz.ch/...cker%202/Aphex/

 

INTERVIEW WITH APHEX TWIN OF ICE ADVERTISEMENTS

COMPOSED BY PSYCO CHILD AND APHEX TWIN @ 10:01CTL 04/30/94

 

-----

Artist Profile:

-----

 

Handle: Aphex Twin

Affils: iCE ANSI Director

First Name: Greg

Age: 19

Residence: Toronto, Ontario

Computer: 386/33 Desktop, 486/20 Laptop

 

-----

INTERVIEW:

-----

 

PC: What inspired you to begin drawing computer artwork?

 

AT: I dont know ... well Jay... I had been out of computer related stuff

for about 4 years and I ran into an ACiD pack on a local PD board, and it

really impresed me so I decided to start drawing.

 

PC: Who enfluenced you most when you began ansi?

 

AT: Ummmm I dont know ... well Sonic impressed me with a little 50 line

ACiD loader. But when I seriously got into it, it was Quicksilver,

Tempus, and Danzig (White Devil) who I think were my major influences,

and Vindication as well.

 

PC: In chronological order what groups were you in, in the past.

 

AT: I started off in a group I started up myself called iMPACT. It included

me and umm, like no one else. Then I went to Gaoo [local group], then

Image, Gothic for a week, ACiD for two months, Gothic again for 5 months,

up until a day before it died, and now I am in iCE and its where I am

staying for ever ... and ever ...

 

PC: Why iCE? What about ACiD?

 

AT: Well OK ... I started talking to Syntax Error and I got along with him

real well, and agree with everything he wants to do with the group. Umm,

I like the direction in which iCE is going right now plus I suppose I

like having a say in whats going on. ACiD's cool but its just not where

I want to be right now.

 

PC: What do you do when your not dealing with computers?

 

AT: I suck. No really I guess I hang out with my friends and smoke drugs

and munch drugs and uhh drop drugs and uhh what else do I do umm ahhh

ahhhhhh pick up chicks (hot babes) and uhh ummmm ummm I drive my honda

civic .. its standard. Its red. I also go to school [he's a senior].

umm I also eat (veggies) and umm sleep ya!

 

PC: Whats your favorite type of narcotic?

 

AT: Well I suppose shrooms (right iNKY?) and uhh I also like weed alot.

But I have tried basically everyone of them... (If anyone wants me to mail

them drugs, just give me your address and your full real name and I'll

send it priority express ... I'll even pay the extra costs myself)

 

PC: What is your view of the scene?

 

AT: uhh well personaly I kinda think it sucks and I'm getting tired of it and

uhh I wish you'd all stop calling me and I quit.

 

PC: Are you serously thinking of leaving the scene?

 

AT: No you lamer, I'm not.

 

PC: Thanks bud... (eat me)

 

PC: Who have you known longest in the scene?

 

AT: Elminster ... I have known him longer than anyone else in the scene.

Actually I have known Dr.Tongue the longest but I speak to Elminster

more often ... ohh wait Iron Man too ... I have known him for a long

time ... I dont know, its not cool to pick favorites. Actually, I guess

I've known Rad Man for a while too...

 

PC: (you talk too much)

 

PC: How do you feel about teleconferences?

 

AT: Well I dont like 'em much anymore. They were kinda cool in the

beginning cause it was a novelty for me but now all I like are the iCE

private ones because I can get insulted by Memphis Snails.

 

PC: What is your favorite ANSI you ever drew?

 

AT: Umm my Amber one ... I like it because its kinda different and all the

different parts are taken from different pictures and i kinda put them

together into one big ANSI. Plus its for my good friend Corwin whom I

forgot to put into the question about who I've known longest. (Corwin

is a real cool guy, and I hope he stays in the scene).

 

AT: Anything else ya want to ask me?

 

PC: Uhh your the one making up the questions so you think up another one!

 

[At this point of time Aphex takes over]

 

AT: What else do I want to ask myself?

 

AT: uh do you have any embarassing childhood memories?

 

AT: Well there was the time I lost my mom at the airport. And uhh and the

time at the assembly when I was in grade 1 and I had to dress up as a

bird and sing a stupid song but uhh those were too traumatic and I want to

stop now. I would apreciate if you would stop with the personal

questions.

 

AT: So who is your favorite ANSI artist?

 

AT: Well it depends. I'll list some of them in no specific order... Tempus

Thales, White Devil (Danzig), Quicksilver, that Aphex Twin guy, Corwin of

Amber, ohh did I say Aphex Twin yet and if I didn't, him too and also I

digged Psyco Child's easter bunny. Also Vindication, and Alter Ego. And

thats all.

 

PC: Hey dork you done yet?

 

AT: How long is it homie?

 

PC: Its five pages so far.

 

AT: Well thats cool I guess. And ya ... Jay, this interview would have been

a lot less stressful if I didnt have to make up my own questions.

 

PC: Later Greg.

 

at: Later Jay.

 

---- Aphex Twins Greets -----

 

Syntax Error, Shaggy, Tempus Thales, Elminster, Dr.Tongue, Iron Man,

Black Ire, Sexual Chocolate, Quicksilver, Pnakotic, Soul Blazer, Stile,

Corwin, Sinned Soul, Eternal Lie, Golgotha, Kinayda, Cav!, Xerobe, Psyco

Child, Tranqy, iNKY!, Soul Rebel, Afx (in SA), Pointy (you know who you

are :), Rad Man, Beastie, Hannibal Lecter, Shihear Kallizad, Spyder Man,

egghead, Raistlin, R.Noble, Terminator2, Hitman, Opiate.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

PC & AT: Hope you all liked this wierd interview.

 

[kinski]

well, they call him greg. so i guess not rdj.

 

http://krum.ethz.ch/ftp.modland.com/Fasttracker%202/Aphex/weird%20vocal%20voices.xm - this sounds weirdly legit.

[pera]

http://krum.ethz.ch/...e%20cave%202.xm

http://krum.ethz.ch/...pace%20apnea.xm

 

 

http://krum.ethz.ch/...20the%20moon.xm

 

and actually, wait a minute.xm (1996, same year of RDJ album) is quite good

 

 

 

http://web.archive.o...l/skyjump-team/