Andrew Sega
Encyclopedia
Andrew Gregory Sega also known by the moniker Necros, is an American musician best known for tracking modules
in the 1990s demoscene
as well as for composing music for several well-known video games. He is currently part of the group Iris, a live member of Stromkern
, and has his own recording label known as Diffusion Records
.
Sega is also the founder of The Alpha Conspiracy project.
. His interest in music began when he was 7 years old, when he started playing and experimenting with an electronic organ
he had in his house. He later started taking lessons with an organist from a Polish church nearby, where he learned almost exclusively baroque music
. Later in high school he learned to play other instruments, including bass clarinet
and piano
.
Sega's first records were from artists such as Men at Work
, Genesis
, and Fleetwood Mac
. He discovered trackers in his first year of college (1993) from a friend, who showed him Future Crew
's Unreal
demo. Sega was amazed with how good the music sounded. He eventually discovered FastTracker 1.0, and began writing MOD
music for the first time. His first demo group was Psychic Monks. Through the mid 1990s he contributed music to various demo and music groups, and music disk
s such as Epidemic (1994), featuring other noted tracker musicians like Purple Motion
and Skaven
.
Sega later helped form the legendary tracking group Five Musicians
, which featured other notable figures, such as Jeroen Tel
, Basehead
and Hunz
. He was also a member of German demogroup Legend Design, and iCE. Sega programmed and/or composed music for several demoscene productions, such as the NAID
'95 demo Eden and 1996 demo Babylon. His composition, "Ascent of the Cloud Eagle", won the first place at NAID '95.
Later in his career, he gradually left demoscene behind and started making music for video games, beginning with little known titles such as In Pursuit of Greed, Iron Seed
and Xixit
, then moving on to Origin Systems
' Crusader
series, where he worked as a software engineer
and composer. Sega was a founding member of the video game music production company Straylight Productions
, contributing tracks to the first-person shooters Unreal
and Unreal Tournament
. Later, he joined Digital Anvil
(now a part of Microsoft Game Studios
), and worked as a programmer and musician on Freelancer
. In 2006 he founded Diffusion Games, a gaming company which focuses on exploring emotional and social aspects of interactivity
.
In 2001, Sega founded The Alpha Conspiracy, and released two studio albums, Cipher
(2001) and Aura
(2004), and a split EP
with Low Technicians, Forward Rewinding (2002). He also founded Diffusion Records
, an independent record label
through which he would release his first Alpha Conspiracy album. Gradually, Diffusion Records became a full-featured label, releasing albums by Iris, CTRL, Low Technicians, and Kilowatts and Vanek.
Sega was introduced to Iris in 2001. He started working on several test tracks with Reagan Jones
before becoming an official member in 2002.
He is also a live member of industrial hip hop group Stromkern
. Currently he is working on a new dark electropop project with Julia Beyer (Chandeen
, Technoir).
Sega's influences include Underworld
, μ-Ziq, Orbital
, Fluke
, The Prodigy
, Hybrid, Mouse on Mars
, Depeche Mode
, Rush
, Genesis
, XTC
, Public Enemy, Aphex Twin
, Imogen Heap
, and The Chemical Brothers
, among others.
Module file
Module files are a family of music file formats originating from the MOD file format on Amiga systems used in late 1980s...
in the 1990s demoscene
Demoscene
The demoscene is a computer art subculture that specializes in producing demos, which are non-interactive audio-visual presentations that run in real-time on a computer...
as well as for composing music for several well-known video games. He is currently part of the group Iris, a live member of Stromkern
Stromkern
Stromkern is a band that blends electronic music and hip-hop. The band was formed in 1994 by James "Ned" Kirby.Kirby was originally a DJ in Madison, Wisconsin as a teenager, experimenting under the moniker "Flowers for Ravers" before founding Stromkern. Disenchanted with the music he was receiving...
, and has his own recording label known as Diffusion Records
Diffusion Records
Diffusion Records is an American independent record label founded by Andrew Sega in 2001. Initially started as a label for Sega's first Alpha Conspiracy album Cipher, Diffusion Records went on growing into a more full-featured label, so far releasing albums by artists such as Iris, CTRL, Low...
.
Sega is also the founder of The Alpha Conspiracy project.
Biography
Andrew Sega was born on 20 May 1975 in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. His interest in music began when he was 7 years old, when he started playing and experimenting with an electronic organ
Electronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
he had in his house. He later started taking lessons with an organist from a Polish church nearby, where he learned almost exclusively baroque music
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
. Later in high school he learned to play other instruments, including bass clarinet
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
.
Sega's first records were from artists such as Men at Work
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States . They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom...
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, and Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
. He discovered trackers in his first year of college (1993) from a friend, who showed him Future Crew
Future Crew
Future Crew is a now-defunct Finnish demogroup who created PC demos and software, active mostly between 1992 and 1994.-History:The group was founded in 1986 by PSI as a Commodore 64 group, before moving to the PC demoscene in 1988; other members included, over time, Trug, Wildfire, Pixel, ICE,...
's Unreal
Unreal (demo)
Unreal is a demo created by Future Crew in 1992.-System requirements:The demo states that "[it] requires a 386 computer [and] runs perfectly on a 486/33 MHz [PC] with Tseng Labs SuperVGA"...
demo. Sega was amazed with how good the music sounded. He eventually discovered FastTracker 1.0, and began writing MOD
MOD (file format)
MOD is a computer file format used primarily to represent music, and was the first module file format. MOD files use the “.MOD” file extension, except on the Amiga where the original trackers instead use a “mod.” prefix scheme, e.g. “mod.echoing”...
music for the first time. His first demo group was Psychic Monks. Through the mid 1990s he contributed music to various demo and music groups, and music disk
Music disk
Music disk, or musicdisk, is a term used by the demoscene to describe a collection of songs made on a computer. They are essentially the computer equivalent of an album. A music disk is typically packaged in the form of a program with a custom user interface, so the listener does not need other...
s such as Epidemic (1994), featuring other noted tracker musicians like Purple Motion
Jonne Valtonen
Jonne Valtonen is an award-winning Finnish composer, arranger and orchestrator. He is renowned for his contributions in the field of demoscene and video game music.- Life and early career :...
and Skaven
Peter Hajba
Peter Hajba also known by his demoscene nickname Skaven, is a Finnish musician and graphic artist.Despite having no formal training, he has won numerous awards for his music, including winning the Assembly music competition in 1993, 1995 and 2002. His most recent project is with Remedy...
.
Sega later helped form the legendary tracking group Five Musicians
Five Musicians
Five Musicians was a demo group / netlabel with origins in the demoscene. It was active between the years 1995 and 2000. The idea of limiting the group to only five members caused the group to be very selective. As a result, they created a number of very high-quality releases, and became one of...
, which featured other notable figures, such as Jeroen Tel
Jeroen Tel
Jeroen Godfried Tel is a Dutch composer. Best known for numerous computer game tunes he wrote in the 1980s and early 1990s for the Commodore 64, Tel is a founding member of the computer music group Maniacs of Noise....
, Basehead
Dan Gardopée
Daniel Gardopée aka Dan Grandpre is an electronic musician and former member of game music production company Straylight Productions...
and Hunz
Hunz
Hunz is an electronic pop music group from Brisbane, Australia. The name Hunz can refer to either the group or its composer, keyboardist and vocalist, Hans van Vliet....
. He was also a member of German demogroup Legend Design, and iCE. Sega programmed and/or composed music for several demoscene productions, such as the NAID
North American International Demoparty
The North American International Demoparty was a demo party held in the years 1995 and 1996, and the first demo party held in North America. Both years, the party was held at Collège Édouard-Montpetit in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, a suburb of Montreal....
'95 demo Eden and 1996 demo Babylon. His composition, "Ascent of the Cloud Eagle", won the first place at NAID '95.
Later in his career, he gradually left demoscene behind and started making music for video games, beginning with little known titles such as In Pursuit of Greed, Iron Seed
Iron Seed
Iron Seed is a 1994 DOS computer game, developed and published by Channel 7. It is a real-time strategy, science fiction, space game.-Description:...
and Xixit
Xixit
Xixit is a falling-blocks puzzle video game for MS-DOS from 1995, in some ways similar to Tetris. The purpose is to earn points by lining up the colored gems, that come falling from the top of the playing field in sets of 3, in such a way that a 3 or more identical gems are lined up, in any...
, then moving on to Origin Systems
Origin Systems
Origin Systems, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Austin, Texas that was active from 1983 to 2004...
' Crusader
Crusader (computer game)
- No Remorse :As the game progresses, the Captain uncomplainingly undertakes dangerous missions, often with substandard equipment, and his continued success gradually earns the respect of his fellow Resistance members....
series, where he worked as a software engineer
Software engineer
A software engineer is an engineer who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers or anything containing software, such as computer chips, work.- Overview :...
and composer. Sega was a founding member of the video game music production company Straylight Productions
Straylight Productions
Straylight Productions was a team of video game music composers and producers, founded in 1994, which has since disbanded with lead musician Alexander Brandon taking on a new post as sound director at Midway Games.-Overview:...
, contributing tracks to the first-person shooters Unreal
Unreal
Unreal is a first-person shooter video game developed by Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes and published by GT Interactive in May 1998...
and Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament is a futuristic first-person shooter video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was published in 1999 by GT Interactive. Retrospectively, the game has also been referred to as UT99 or UT Classic to differentiate it from its numbered sequels...
. Later, he joined Digital Anvil
Digital Anvil
Digital Anvil was a computer game company. It was founded in 1996, when Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts left Origin Systems, Inc., along with many other employees....
(now a part of Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
), and worked as a programmer and musician on Freelancer
Freelancer (video game)
Freelancer is a space trading and combat simulation video game developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game was initially announced by Chris Roberts in 1999, and following many production schedule mishaps and a buyout of Digital Anvil by Microsoft, it was eventually...
. In 2006 he founded Diffusion Games, a gaming company which focuses on exploring emotional and social aspects of interactivity
Interactivity
In the fields of information science, communication, and industrial design, there is debate over the meaning of interactivity. In the "contingency view" of interactivity, there are three levels:...
.
In 2001, Sega founded The Alpha Conspiracy, and released two studio albums, Cipher
Cipher (album)
Cipher is the debut album by The Alpha Conspiracy, released in 2001.Splendid E-Zine's Ron Davies called the album "easily one of the best electronic releases of the past year", and later wrote, "Whereas a great deal of electronic music is best described as icy and repetitive, Sega's compositions...
(2001) and Aura
Aura (The Alpha Conspiracy album)
Aura is the second studio album by The Alpha Conspiracy, released in 2004.In a review for Splendid E-zine, Melissa Amos wrote:-Track listing:-External links:* * at Allmusic...
(2004), and a split EP
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
with Low Technicians, Forward Rewinding (2002). He also founded Diffusion Records
Diffusion Records
Diffusion Records is an American independent record label founded by Andrew Sega in 2001. Initially started as a label for Sega's first Alpha Conspiracy album Cipher, Diffusion Records went on growing into a more full-featured label, so far releasing albums by artists such as Iris, CTRL, Low...
, an independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
through which he would release his first Alpha Conspiracy album. Gradually, Diffusion Records became a full-featured label, releasing albums by Iris, CTRL, Low Technicians, and Kilowatts and Vanek.
Sega was introduced to Iris in 2001. He started working on several test tracks with Reagan Jones
Reagan Jones
Reagan Jones is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of indietronica band Iris.Reagan Jones formed Iris with Matt Morris in 1993, and has since remained the original vocalist for the band....
before becoming an official member in 2002.
He is also a live member of industrial hip hop group Stromkern
Stromkern
Stromkern is a band that blends electronic music and hip-hop. The band was formed in 1994 by James "Ned" Kirby.Kirby was originally a DJ in Madison, Wisconsin as a teenager, experimenting under the moniker "Flowers for Ravers" before founding Stromkern. Disenchanted with the music he was receiving...
. Currently he is working on a new dark electropop project with Julia Beyer (Chandeen
Chandeen
Chandeen is a musical project from Frankfurt am Main, founded in 1990 and popular in the darkwave scene in the first half of the 1990s. The band refers to its own style as "Electronic poetry"...
, Technoir).
Sega's influences include Underworld
Underworld (band)
Underworld are a British electronic group, and principal name under which duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have recorded together since 1980.- Early years: 1979–1986 :...
, μ-Ziq, Orbital
Orbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo from Sevenoaks, England consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2009 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows...
, Fluke
Fluke (band)
Fluke are an English electronic music group formed in the late 1980s by Mike Bryant, Jon Fugler and Mike Tournier with Julian Nugent as the band's manager...
, The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
, Hybrid, Mouse on Mars
Mouse on Mars
Mouse on Mars is a duo from Germany who have been making electronic music since 1993. Their music is a sometimes quirky blend of IDM, krautrock, disco, and ambient with a heavy dollop of analog synth sounds and cross-frequency modulation...
, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, Public Enemy, Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
, Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
, and The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
, among others.
Video game credits
Andrew Sega has composed music for the following video games:- 2007 - Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am
- 2007 - Enigma
- 2003 - FreelancerFreelancer (video game)Freelancer is a space trading and combat simulation video game developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game was initially announced by Chris Roberts in 1999, and following many production schedule mishaps and a buyout of Digital Anvil by Microsoft, it was eventually...
- 2001 - Conquest: Frontier WarsConquest: Frontier WarsConquest: Frontier Wars is a real-time strategy engine released in 2001 by Ubisoft and Fever Pitch Studios. The bulk of the development was done at Digital Anvil in Austin, Texas, a startup developer originally owned by Chris Roberts.-Gameplay:...
- 1999 - Unreal TournamentUnreal TournamentUnreal Tournament is a futuristic first-person shooter video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was published in 1999 by GT Interactive. Retrospectively, the game has also been referred to as UT99 or UT Classic to differentiate it from its numbered sequels...
- 1999 - Jazz Jackrabbit 3Jazz Jackrabbit 3Jazz Jackrabbit 3 is the unreleased third installment of the popular PC game series, Jazz Jackrabbit...
(unreleased) - 1998 - UnrealUnrealUnreal is a first-person shooter video game developed by Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes and published by GT Interactive in May 1998...
- 1997 - Wing Commander: ProphecyWing Commander: ProphecyWing Commander: Prophecy is the fourth direct sequel in Chris Roberts' Wing Commander science fiction space combat simulator franchise of computer games. The game was released in 1997, produced by Origin Systems and distributed by Electronic Arts...
- 1996 - Crusader: No Regret
- 1995 - Crusader: No Remorse
- 1995 - In Pursuit of Greed
- 1995 - XixitXixitXixit is a falling-blocks puzzle video game for MS-DOS from 1995, in some ways similar to Tetris. The purpose is to earn points by lining up the colored gems, that come falling from the top of the playing field in sets of 3, in such a way that a 3 or more identical gems are lined up, in any...
- 1994 - Iron SeedIron SeedIron Seed is a 1994 DOS computer game, developed and published by Channel 7. It is a real-time strategy, science fiction, space game.-Description:...
Necros
- 1994 - Digital Psychosis (Psychic Monks, DOSMS-DOSMS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
music diskMusic diskMusic disk, or musicdisk, is a term used by the demoscene to describe a collection of songs made on a computer. They are essentially the computer equivalent of an album. A music disk is typically packaged in the form of a program with a custom user interface, so the listener does not need other...
) - 1995 - Progression (Five Musicians, DOS music disk with S3MScream TrackerScream Tracker is a tracker . It was created by Psi of Finland's Future Crew It was coded in C and assembly language. The first popular version of Scream Tracker, version 2.2, was published in 1990...
files) - 1997 - System (ITImpulse TrackerImpulse Tracker is a multi-track digital sound tracker . It was one of the last tracker programs for the DOS platform. It was authored by Jeffrey "Pulse" Lim, and example music was provided by Jeffrey Lim and Chris Jarvis...
music files)
The Alpha Conspiracy
- 2001 - CipherCipher (album)Cipher is the debut album by The Alpha Conspiracy, released in 2001.Splendid E-Zine's Ron Davies called the album "easily one of the best electronic releases of the past year", and later wrote, "Whereas a great deal of electronic music is best described as icy and repetitive, Sega's compositions...
- 2001 - Forward Rewinding (a split EP with Low Technicians)
- 2004 - AuraAura (The Alpha Conspiracy album)Aura is the second studio album by The Alpha Conspiracy, released in 2004.In a review for Splendid E-zine, Melissa Amos wrote:-Track listing:-External links:* * at Allmusic...
Iris
- 2003 - AwakeningAwakening (Iris album)Awakening is the second album by indietronica group Iris, released in 2003. Awakening was the first album to feature Andrew Sega, who added guitars and pushed the band's sound into a more experimental electronic direction.-History:...
- 2003 - Reconnect
- 2005 - WrathWrath (Iris album)Wrath is the third album by electropop group Iris, released in 2005. Taking the organic style of Awakening and adding guitars, they created this album with "more of a 'rock' feel" than a "'club' feel".-Track listing:-Personnel:...
- 2005 - Disconnect 2.0
- 2008 - Hydra
- 2010 - Blacklight
External links
- The Alpha Conspiracy official website
- Artist profile at OverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...
- Andrew Sega Webshrine with Music examples
- Andrew Sega at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Diffusion Records official website
- Iris official website
- Stromkern official website