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Variform is a demo
Demo (computer programming)

A demo is a non-interactive multimedia presentation made within the computer subculture known as the demoscene. Demogroups create demos to demonstrate their abilities in programming, music, drawing, and 3D modeling....
 by the demogroup Kewlers
KeWlers

keWlers is a Finland-based demoscene, formed in the early 1990s, originally called Mewlers. After smaller releases such as Tripfish 2 or Another High-Caliber Mechanical Complication, their breakthrough came in 2002 when they released their critically acclaimed demo Variform at Assembly demo party....
. It was released in 2002 at the Assembly demo party, and even though it only placed 3rd in the competition, it became one of the most widely acclaimed demos ever, winning three Scene.org Awards
Scene.org

Scene.org is a non-profit organization, providing the currently largest demoscene file repository. It was founded in 1996 by Jaakko Manninen, though originally it existed as ftp.fm.org, an FTP-server for releases from the group Five Musicians....
 the following year.


ARIFORM is a spectacular trip into a futuristic world of abstract glowing objects in electric colors.






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Variform
Variform is a demo
Demo (computer programming)

A demo is a non-interactive multimedia presentation made within the computer subculture known as the demoscene. Demogroups create demos to demonstrate their abilities in programming, music, drawing, and 3D modeling....
 by the demogroup Kewlers
KeWlers

keWlers is a Finland-based demoscene, formed in the early 1990s, originally called Mewlers. After smaller releases such as Tripfish 2 or Another High-Caliber Mechanical Complication, their breakthrough came in 2002 when they released their critically acclaimed demo Variform at Assembly demo party....
. It was released in 2002 at the Assembly demo party, and even though it only placed 3rd in the competition, it became one of the most widely acclaimed demos ever, winning three Scene.org Awards
Scene.org

Scene.org is a non-profit organization, providing the currently largest demoscene file repository. It was founded in 1996 by Jaakko Manninen, though originally it existed as ftp.fm.org, an FTP-server for releases from the group Five Musicians....
 the following year.

Technical information

  • Size: 8.5 megabytes
  • Running time: 6:17
  • Platform: Win32, later ported to Mac OS X
    Mac OS X

    Mac OS X is a line of computer operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., and since 2002 has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems....
     and Linux
    Linux

    Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL license...
  • Minimum requirements: Pentium II
    Pentium II

    The Pentium II brand refers to Intel's sixth-generation microarchitecture and x86 architecture-compatible microprocessors introduced on May 7, 1997....
     class CPU, TNT2
    RIVA TNT2

    The RIVA TNT2 was a graphics processing unit manufactured by Nvidia starting in early 1999. The chip is codenamed "NV5" because it is the 5th graphics chip design by Nvidia, succeeding the RIVA TNT ....
     class video card


Synopsis

VARIFORM is a spectacular trip into a futuristic world of abstract glowing objects in electric colors. The demo features a consistent and very dynamic flow which helps in delivering the viewer through all the effects, accompanied by a Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from D?sseldorf, Germany. The signature Kraftwerk sound combines driving, Repetitive music rhythms with catchy melody, mainly following a Western classical music style of harmony, with a minimalism and strictly electronic instrumentation....
-esque electro
Electro (music)

Electro is a genre of electronic music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 and funk records. Records in the genre typically have electronic sounds and some vocals are delivered in a deadpan, mechanical manner, often through a Vocoder#Musical applications or other electronic distortion....
 soundtrack. Reviewers hailed Variform as the perfect fusion of oldskool and newskool demostyles.

Variform was a trend-setter in many aspects: The robot-like voice-synthesis in the music (though it wasn't the first demo to apply it), and image postprocessing techniques (glow, or "square-filter") were later used in many other productions, and the opening phrase "WE ARE BACK!", became one of the most repeated phrases among demosceners.

Trivia

  • The music bears obvious resemblances to Finnish electro-formation Imatran Voima's single In/Out. The similarities were later confirmed by Little Bitchard.
  • The figure visible in the first half of the demo with the text "KAPTEENI AEAENI" written on it is a reference to Ääni (meaning "voice" in Finnish, given to him after his deep, sonorous voice), the security chief
    Security guard

    A security guard, is usually a privately and formally employment person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people.Often, security officers are uniformed and act to protect property by maintaining a high visibility presence to deter illegal and inappropriate actions, observing for signs of crime, fire or disorder; then taking act...
     of Assembly. There is also a Finnish Reggae-collective called Kapteeni Ääni.
  • The whispered greetings are a reference to the Aphex Twin
    Aphex Twin

    Richard David James , aka Aphex Twin, is an electronic musician who has been described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music." He founded the record label Rephlex Records in 1991 with friend Grant Wilson-Claridge....
     song "Respect List". The sentence "Mad bloke and his dogs next door", is a direct quote from the AFX single.
  • The panting in the first part of the soundtrack is a reference to the classic Kraftwerk
    Kraftwerk

    Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from D?sseldorf, Germany. The signature Kraftwerk sound combines driving, Repetitive music rhythms with catchy melody, mainly following a Western classical music style of harmony, with a minimalism and strictly electronic instrumentation....
     song "Tour de France".
  • On November 25, 2005, Kewlers released a musicdisk called , a compilation of 13 remixes of the Variform soundtrack and two bonus tracks (an instrumental and a beta version of the original). The compilation is available in a and also in (with CD-cover included).


Credits

  • Programming by Curly Brace
  • Graphics by Actor Dolban
  • Music by Little Bitchard and Mel Funktion


Awards

  • 3rd place at the Assembly 2002 demo competition
  • Award for Best demo at Scene.org Awards 2002
  • Award for Best effects at Scene.org Awards 2002
  • Award for Best soundtrack at Scene.org Awards 2002
  • Nomination for Best direction at Scene.org Awards 2002


External links

  • on Scene.org
    Scene.org

    Scene.org is a non-profit organization, providing the currently largest demoscene file repository. It was founded in 1996 by Jaakko Manninen, though originally it existed as ftp.fm.org, an FTP-server for releases from the group Five Musicians....
  • on Pouet
    Pouët

    Pou?t, or pouet.net, is one of the largest comprehensive on-line directories for the demoscene today. The site was established in 2000 by Laurent ?analogue? Raufaste and 2008 is maintained by the admin staff of Scene.org....
  • on BitJam