The Mini Awards
Hosted by Jonatan "Macx" Forsberg

The smaller executions are often those with more flavour, but they are left behind and not given enough attention. When the party is over the lonely nerd in front of the blue screen is happy to tune into the emotions emanating from a one file demo. Such is the beauty of the small, bigger is seldom better.

This autumn we have been able to appreciate quite a few pieces of miniature art on the scene of this machine, and it seems some clusters of artists have made it their current brand.

First we take a look at the two recent Dekadence demos Summer Sucks! and Arséyus, released in November and December respectively. Summer Sucks! is a snowman dying in the desert and birds flying at the mountainous horizon. The second demo, which is much more up beat, follows the same theme, a snowman in a mountainous desert. But this time the snowman is alive and well, nose towards the skies. We are told that this is what we get, nothing more. And that is what we ask for, am I not right? The Mini Awards tells you the truth about life, listen and learn. Both are coded by Britelite and with graphical and audial produce by LordNikon. Bring us more.

The Groin gave us The Pale are Never Fully White which is also known as There is a Lot to Spot. Autumn colours on trees, a white background and an important message sung out to Jeff's tunes. Let it play.

XirtaM by Falcon Soft lacks a tune, but not a charset. For some reason it reminds me of having to choose between a red pill and a blue pill. I wonder why.

News from the Labs of Metalvotze came in October and is not puke'able, in fact the sound is pretty dozing. There is a rhythm to it, beating in the background, and when the brains are up to it those patterns can achieve pleasure I am sure. Smaller than life.

Conrad released a demo with plenty of colours for a meeting by the UK branch of the Commodore Computer Club. 4-Mat composed a brilliant tune and it all bounces around in the most fantastic manner. The impressive play with the Union Jack, plasma style, is what steals my love the most. And it is not because I am an Anglophile hoping for a great Empire where Britons never ever will be slaves. Not at all.

Dusan Milivojevic from Serbia released Daytime under the group label of Victory. An old unreleased part finally brought to justice. Mid 90s-style, with a sun beaming, and believe it or not, a rather nice intro logo beaming even more. It gives me memories of early mornings and scrolling texts from Australian Chrome. I dunno why.

Retro64 released a scary bit of something. Full moon, a cemetery, green eyes and ghosts. Perhaps even a skeleton peeking from behind one of the gravestones. It is hard to tell. Apart from the eyes, ghosts and skeleton this actually happened to me in a god forbidden mining village in Tasmania, a week or so after I had left Jazzcat and (relatively) civilized Launceston. The NTSC guys can do it! Scary like hell.

Germans always get it their way. Dead cheap liquor, autobahn without speed limit and nasty porn. Wolle Rose Kaufen?

We finish off by taking a close look at what has come from the factories of Vision lately. Mermaid, Nori and Hein are lovely people, and their products are mongered with the most delicate packages. If you do not agree you are a bad person. Le Voleur de Bicyclette connotates towards the aristocratic elite of Sweden some a hundred and fifty years ago, but how on earth could a French person know that? Had Ed told him, or perhaps Mermaid whom these days lures in the forests of Suède (à l'est de la Norvège). It is smooth and I almost adore it. Flowers, leaves and bicycles. I have a friend in Stockholm whom is into bicycles a lot, he orders weird bicycle parts from strange countries. Sinners All is Mermaid pixels and a really gigantinormously good tune by a character earlier unknown to me, 505. In Octopus in Red Wine there are some strangely spinning tentacles beautifully drawn by Hein. I would much rather see these molluscs be left in the ocean than in red wine, and Mermaid knows I do, why she composed a downbeat contemplative tune in it for me. In the same line of discussion lies the next production by the same people: Seahorse in Blackcurrant Milkshake, also known as Completely Intentional. The last execution I put my attention to this very night is Yellow by Mermaid of Vision. It is yellow, like what Coldplay sings about. And Beatles. It is good. I like Mermaid and I want her to come to the Swedish parties and call Antidote. Vision does it again, Born 2B Cool. Discover the Difference

After much contemplation I have concluded that the winner of the Mini Awards in Vandalism News GOLD is myself, for having written this text. The decision can not be appealed. All power to me!

If you produce something worthy of being included in a future chapter of the Mini Awards, drop me a line with it, and tell me your most inner thoughts about the release. If you do not suck (in a bad way) you know how to get a hold of me.

In this corner of the universe, which already has grown awfully big, less is more.