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A propos d'Obligement
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David Brunet
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Here is an interview with Nikola Tomic, a Serbian musician better known on the Amiga scene under the pseudonym
DJ Nick, who has been very successful for years with his various productions on and off the Amiga world.
Get warped in DJ Nykk Style!
 Please could
you introduce yourself to the Amiga community?
Hi - Ho, everybody! I am Nikola Tomic alias Nykk Deetronic or DJNick (for "all-retro"), computer user,
multimedia artist, one of the greatest Amiga fans out-there, music composer and animator. Currently,
I am working for myself, creating funny music videos, composing songs, and animating cartoons for my
YouTube channels that currently have near 2 million followers and over 2 billion views. Currently,
I have around 200 original videos online. You can check my multimedia portfolio on
YouTube or check my website for all links.
DJ Nykk's success on YouTube
Back in 1990's,
you were techno and psy trance DJ using Amiga. Tell us more about Amiga ex-Yugoslav scene, and those days
of tracking composing.
I've started my computer journey as a Commodore 64 user (in 1985) and then switched to Amiga (in 1990's).
I've met a lot of amazing people, especially during at that time, computer parties organized by the people
that used to follow (music/code/demo parties) here, for example Corrosion (now
Kosmoplovci, edit by interviewer),
all over the country. During that time, I've been enjoying using and experimenting with music software. I've
bought a hand-made sampler (from some tech-guys in Novi Sad) and completely fall in love with music trackers.
DJ Nykk's Amiga music studio at the time
I was impressed with Protracker (the first music composing software I've ever tried was a Noisetracker in
the 1990's) I used to create my first song ever. The .mod name was "What is NORML", and it was composed
and dedicated to one of the first demo-scene party organizations under the name "N.O.R.M.L". Song was
techno even NORML-guys were all into Punk :-). After a while, I've collected 20 songs for the first
techno album that I've released in Serbia in 1993 under the name "TechnoActive", fully created on a bare
Amiga 500 using Protracker.
Around 1994, I've composed a full game music album and created sound effects for the game "Capital Punishment"
(beat'em up for Amiga), for the Canadian-Serbian team ClickBoom (they converted Quake and Myst games to
the Amiga platform). Other projects I was known here for is a website hosting funny photos called Srbovanje
(site was popular during 2003) and various music & sound effect projects for various clients and their games
& platforms.
A website designed by Nikola Tomic
My first ever live-act I've made was with my towered Amiga 1200 in 1994 in my home-town Valjevo. :-).
I was playing only my .mod & .med composed songs and all techno-parties were followed and presented
by Technokratia, a Serbian techno-party organization from Belgrade that used to have its TV & Radio Show
weekly on national TV (the 3rd channel RTS & TV Politika) nammed "VJ Techno".
Musical productions between 1993 and 1996
You had very
beefed up A1200 that you used for video, audio and DTP. What was Amiga able to do until 2000?
The first Amiga I've started with was Amiga 500 with 1 MB RAM but during my 10 years upgrading, my Amiga 1200
was beefed to the maximum. Up to 2006, I've completed my Amiga system and used it daily for desktop publishing
(using PageStream), Artwork (using Draw Studio, an Illustrator/Corel-like, Art Effect, a Photoshop-like and
Photogenics), Prepress and Printing (via TurboPrint & PageStream), Music Composing (via OctaMED Sound
Studio, DigiBooster & Protracker), sampling (via Samplitude, the fastest NLE sampler I used to have
on Amiga ever that reminds to Wave Lab on PC).
His workspace at the time
I was very proud to use it daily as a business but also as a
gaming machine and to me, it was faster, better, and more usable than any PC at that time (2002/2003).
The picture below represents one of the layout designs I've created in PageStream (for "AS" - Amiga Survivor, a UK magazine):
Amiga Survivor
Amiga Survivor
I've found interesting photo in my archive - a print-screen of my Amiga system from 2000 during my work in
Art Effect (Photoshop-like) software I've used later for software review in computer magazine:
You have done
a Grasshopper's website design and Crystal theme for AmigaOS 4, have a Sam460ex and tested someone else's
AmigaOne X1000. What is your opinion of AmigaOS 4?
Yes. I was in a good communication with Deron Kazmaier, PageStream inventor and developer and I was also
a beta-tester of this great software. I've redesigned the site as I truly loved using PageStream as
it was probably the most professional desktop publishing software on the Amiga platform (there are also
PageStream versions for PC, Linux and macOS) and wanted to add it a more professional look, to attract
more users and expand userbase.
Grasshopper's website
I've also redesigned amigaos.net website and got Sam460ex from Amiga community.
My goal was to be creative with AmigaOS 4 so I've composed a bunch of Ambiental/"Welcome to AmigaOS"
boot sounds,
drew some Workbench wallpapers
or find most on Aminet and Amiga Look site) and created Skins
for AmigaOS (such as Crystal,
including bunch of skins collection for AmigaAmp MP3 player, as well
as bunch of wallpapers, music, modules & sounds.
Wallpapers and skins for AmigaOS 4
Below is my original layout I've sent to Hyperion/Amiga for amigaos.net website:
My opinion about AmigaOS 4: everything Amiga ever needed is MorphOS,
speaking about features, listers,
display and design. AmigaOS 4 (still) looks outdated, like a bit upgraded AmigaOS 3.1. My perfect configuration
while working on real Amiga was Workbench/AmigaOS 3.9 +
Directory Opus Magellan, creating fantastic
environmental experience that boosted my creativity...
Btw, below are some skins I've created for AmigaOS (Crystal theme) in 2013:
On the screenshot below was my real Amiga Workbench 3.9, running in 2004 on towered Amiga 1200 system:
BlizzardPPC 68060/50 MHz with PowerPC 603e/166 MHz, BlizzardVision 8 Mb graphic card, 160 Mb RAM,
Prelude1200 16-bit soundcard, etc. Somewhere I've found my listed hardware in 2012/2013, so: 20 GB
hard disk, HD-Rack with 5.1 GB HD; 8x4x32 NEC 7500A CDRW; ext. 56K U.S. Robotics Modem; NEC 100 MB
ZIP; 17" DTK monitor; MIDI device; HP LaserJet 4MPlus printer with PostScript & 10 MB RAM; Amiga 4000
keyboard, cool Wizard Amiga mouse...). See - that was a die-hard fan! :-)
My ad in computer magazine, circa 2003:
You will soon
try MorphOS on your Sam460ex. What do you think of blue camp?
If you help me manage MorphOS to run on Sam, I will finally test it properly. :-)
Blue camp? I was always Amiga user and in ideal world, people should unite. Currently, we have many
different AmigaOS clones instead to have one, strong Amiga user/developer base with one and strong AmigaOS.
PS: you won't believe what I still have as my daily desktop background: a wallpaper I've created in
Photoshop in 2013 nammed "Amiga Encounter":
Tell us about
your PC transition. Has knowledge gained on Amiga helped?
I can only be thankful for living in a time when Amiga existed! :-) Amiga knowledge helped a lot, of
course. Amiga gave me unique experience and creative happiness, and moving to a PC was necessary only
because non-linear video editing & animation software did not exist. The only software I always wanted
to try is MovieShop (according to the screenshots, it was Adobe Premiere on Amiga computers before Adobe
Premiere existed). Today, I am creating my content using Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After
Effects, Premiere and Audition) but also, the best tracker available is Renoise tracker.
MovieShop
What do you
think of AROS-ApolloOS and new boards like Vampire? Is Amiga making a small come back, or it's a dead man living?
Unfortunately, I don't see the point of releasing hardware without software. I would jump back & use good
old Amiga (even new versions like AmigaOne X1000) the moment I could use the machine for making animations
and creating/editing videos. So, message to good old Amiga community developers (if any out there):
NLE video editor for AmigaOne X1000, X5000, vampire, 060 Classic or FPGA, etc. is more than needed, for example.
You are one
of world's biggest YouTubers ("influencers") because you have early devoted yourself to kids production.
Are you a big kid, and how does it feel working for children and parents?
To be honest, that "kids-production" path developed itself when I became a father, so - what else to do
during parenting than - to make a fun of life... That "magic" worked for me.
Tell us about
legal downside of living and working in Serbia.
Overall context is that transition from mild socialism of non-Stalinism type (Tito's Yugoslavia) to democracy
did not really created freedom, equality and legal protection, but in contrary, "Wild Wild East" type of
capitalism where you are alone, unprotected and insecure in every way. Long term poverty, isolation, NATO
bombing builds an untrusty system, but wakes worse in people. I am not sure is this end result of "transition
Serbian way" or merely a by-product, but it's not good. Living and working in Serbia might be very non-productive
and tiresome.
As real-life examples, even I was thought to be creative, entrepreneur, to live of my own work, I was long
time forced to live with my parents, married about age of 30 and only recently purchased my own property.
Now, I work to make a better and secure life for my children, but yet outside the bubble shield, the same
"horrors" of system working for maximizing profit at expense of humanity and rights will await them. In
business, it creates insecurity of payment for work done, and even sneaky tries of associates to legally
register my own work and trying to sue me or bring my YouTube channel down.
Also, there are many obstacles in real and digital life. What is normal in Western Europe is delayed here.
In 2003, ADSL came. Before, we were forced to use good old modems 56Kbit max. PayPal came about 2010
for payment, 2018 to receive money, and even today I am discriminated because YouTube per click is paid
way less if you are from Serbia, then for example France. There is a lot of social stigmas because of
bloody Yugoslavian breakup where Milosevic was accused as only evil face, while he was one of many, Sadly
ex-communist elites switched suits, found mutual interest with big capitalist and often destroyed chance
of ordinary hard-working people to do their own initiative, innovation and monetizing it. For example,
government has not legally protected "Internet freelances" for two decades, but now asks for tax back
payment for all those years, while offers very little to none social benefits. So you are in between two
walls: low social rights and big players walls. But I hear the whole world seems to be heading that way, facing
this dehumanizing obstacles. I am grateful for my own sanctuary, my home, my wife and my children. They are
heaven in the midst of hell, alongside few good men, including Amigans. And yes, I asked Vojin "vox" Vidanovic
to help this social analysis of more of new age colonialism then real free venture capitalism and direct
democracy Serbia 2023 is :D. Hope his social workers Ph D helps.
One of
the cartoon series "Maxim's Adventures" and many characters are based on your family. Do you draw
inspiration from daily life?
Sure. All characters I've presented in my music videos and animations are based on real-life characters.
Maxim is now 10 (in cartoon he was 5) while our younger son Alexa is 3 now (in cartoon he is a baby boy).
Masha is our dog (in cartoon she is a puppy) while my wife and me are mommy and daddy.
And it all started with music video Mommy Loves Baby
(Mama Voli Bebu) I've created in 2012 (the year when Maxim was born)
and up to today, video was played 298 million times! It has even been translated to Chinese and many
languages, but locally people like Bosnian version. :D
What are your other hobbies and interests?
Impressed with technology, enjoying spending time with kids... then exploring new software, composing music,
creating music videos for clients (and for myself, of course) and also, from time to time, I work on games.
This one was made for Android a couple of years ago and was called The Running
Snake (Ide Zmija), the
same name as the music video that also skyrocketed around 2014.
The Running Snake
Other than that, I love travelling, ski, snowboarding, any-ball-sports... and go wherever kids want us to go. :-)
Your 2023
message to surviving Amigans out there?
Keep Amiga alive :-). And let's home one day somebody with a vision will buy the rights and create
something from the brand. On the pic below you can see my Sam460ex Amiga configuration with AmigaOS 4.1,
my Crystal installed Workbench theme and I hope I will try MorphOS's Ambient (when find a lot of free
time). Overall, I believe it will be an interesting journey with the same problem: lack of creative software
for video and animation...
On the scanned photo below, you can see my review of Amiga's Photoshop clone "Art Effect 3" I wrote for
Svet Kompjutera computer magazine back in 1999:
In one of
the videos Running Snake, your interviewer thinks
he is pink elephant driving Amiga branded tractor. Who did you have in mind there?
Ah, heh, no, of course :-). But you can be him, if you wish... I'll credit you in future video revisions. :-)
Thanks for spending time reading this and best Amiga wishes in 2023!
Contact
Nikola Tomic / Nykk Deetronic
Multimedia Creator @ Deetronic Design Studio
YouTube
Main site: deetronic.rs
mamavolibebu.com
maksimoveavanture.rs
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