A demo?

For Atari STE by XiA..

Confusion is a reaction.

A reaction to what is being addressed in the subject title. For many people these last few months, a confusing blur of 'Snowden', 'NSA surveillance state' and targeting of innocent/guilty? people by unmanned drones makes up 'US Policy'. Less confused people shout back that "We knew they were dodgy all along!"

(Other people with their own plots and agendas are quietly grateful that they're not getting any attention with this brouhaha going on. It's as silent as the grave.

Less political now, and confusion reigns over this latest production by the master story teller on the Atari demo scene, XiA. At least before we did our exclusive interview, where a whole lot of insider beans were spilled by the creator. (Insider beans are like regular baked beans, but with yummier tomato sauce!)

For the first time initiated or inoculated viewer, the signals coming from the 8 MHz end of the spectrum are mixed indeed. A HUGE file size, around 27 meg in its unzipped state(!) with a warning of 'UltraSatan or fast hard disk required' implies a super serious and super sensual smasher, to trounce the much loved and lauded 'TalkTalk 2' demo from 2010.

Running the demo launches you into some spectacular animated opening moves, with a jaunty soundchipped rendition (ooh-er!) of the Peter Gabriel classic 'Sledgehammer'. And what is it with XiA and rotating round objects? In this case, beautifully rendered crystal glass cojones which make a convincing case that grey scaling from the STE's extended palette is definitely worthwhile.

More (ahem!) non-realtime larks and high-jinks, with a 'Checkpoint' logo dropped and 'splashed' onscreen. Followed by a tasteful little distorting cuboid and a message to the Sommerhack 2013 audience. It may be a matter of hubris, but it is definitely a beautifully done 'misting behind the logo' effect.

At this point, it is more than likely that none of this has been done in realtime. "Persons of Interest' have been identified, such as Jookie and Lotharek. We are warned not to approach them.

A photo gallery of America's greatest moments from the last seventy years is up now. With unsubtle cameo appearances by various partygoers from Sommerhack 2013 crow-barred in by a drunk angry person on the Photoslop. So you might see XiA himself in a "Hurrah, we finally bombed Cuba!" moment, or one of the Nature brothers trying to discreetly break the wrist bones in Henry Kissinger's death warrant signing hand. Or that might even be Partycle reading Ronald Reagan a bedtime story? The mixing of the signals blares into sharp relief here.

More animation with a classy glassy spinning logo, and a quick American history lesson from Xia. This includes highlights such as "November 25th 1940. Woody Woodpecker makes his debut in appearance in the animated short movie 'Knock Knock.'"

A second sequence of 'family pictures' mashing up Sommerhack attendees with intimate moments from American history picks up once more. Is that really a double amount of Setok in the Oval Office with Bill Clinton? With a closer look, well maybe the other Setok is Wiztom? (There was a neat little bit of video dropped in the middle of that, a bit explosive in content.)

At last US Policy demands that the demo uses at least one real time effect. This is a vector cube from a couple of years ago. It is a 'thick line' cube, two pixels wide, which then gushes into a torrent of little cubes, spewing from an out of control 3D object tap in XiA's bathroom.

That is really the main part of it over with. A sudden change of music to something not at all YM synthesised, with a rotating and yet again, beautifully rendered Atari logo in the middle of the screen. We're on to the outgoing text, credits and general info part to wrap things up.

One thing we are warned, is that this part of the demo needs to be UltraSatan compliant. The reason for this is down to the 50 KHz audio streaming direct from disk. Credits include Checkpoint for some involvement, also someone called 'Acca' was responsible for the photographs. After this, the improvisational nature of the text becomes more apparent. At least one item of value we take away is the knowledge that the opposite of 'white' is 'yolk'!

A final animated flurry to end with thanks, and XiA, and we, are both spent.

So the impression left after watching it, without knowing the inside story, is a confusion, as referred to at the start of this text. Confusion over whether this is a TalkTalk 2 killer, or a more jokey 'Party report' style of thing.

The actual word from the godlike being XiA is, it IS a party report. The demo was mostly pulled together quickly from pre-existing stuff he had. The new element was his UltraSatan, a Lotharek built unit, for which he wanted to do something for at the party. So here it is, 'US Policy' has finally been revealed! (Supplemental note about the 'godlike being thing:- XIA has since been arrested for impersonating a deity!)

Rating:- 80% - XiA style wins as always. This could have used a slightly tighter direction in the mid-section, especially with the photo gallery which went on a bit too long, but that is only a small nitpick. Clearly greater things still await XiA's time and attention. (Read the interview!)

CiH - For Mag! - August 2013.

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