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                              "Popstars" by YM ROCKERS
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system... ST, STe, Falcon, 1 MB RAM, RGB/VGA

credits.. code - tao/cream
          gfx  - exocet/jff
          msx  - 5o5/checkpoint
                 crazy q/timebomb
                 dma sc/sector one
                 dubmood/razor 1911
                 frazer/the syndicate
                 frequent/ephidrena
                 gwem
                 lotek style/.tSCc.
                 nemo
                 tao/cream

release.. o4/o3 at Error In Line 2k3

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Here it comes, after quite  long time again, the third release of the YM ROCKERS.
This time they  matched it, again, to  gather even more people for their project
and so it is  the first time, that every musician brings just one music into the
demo, very cool indeed  as we now also have  the chance to check out the work of
even more musicians.

The third edition of the YM ROCKERS music demos is named "Popstars" and  used to
run tirades of hate against the commercial  music industry, that is selling shit
to the public, and the dumb public, that  buys this  shit. That's the content of
the scrollers and  the title of  the demo makes you think, as we here in Germany
had a so  called star  search show  that brought  us some so called "superstars"
without  background, just  plastic poppers  nobody will  remember in a few years
anymore, but they sell them and their very dull music like hot sausages and that
is what many people don't understand... Don't follow the hype!

The demo itself  brings again  a very nice menu grafix by Exocet and is based on
the same shell as the previous  YM ROCKERS demos. This isn't a  real drawback as
it's "just" a music disk.



That's it...

We get 1o musix this time, of composers that are known from other rockers demos,
such as 5o5, DMA SC, Tao, Nemo and Lotek Style (MC Laser) as  well as musix from
new ones. Some  of them are  new appearing  on the ST chip musix  scene, such as
Gwem and some are musicians from other scenes, that swapped over to us and, last
but  not least, one  should be  known to  older  sceners as  well, Frazer of The
Syndicate, who did very cool chipmusix for this cracking band in the past.

And as different  as the musicians  are so are the styles of them and, to say it
right  now, there are  quite interesting  musix  included! Apart  from  the more
classic composers like Lotek, 5o5 and DMA SC, some of them produced very strange
stuff, such as  Gwem, who included  even some  samplestuff and created some very
pumping track with technoing style.

Quite outstanding is also  Frequents' entry that  starts  quite minimalistic and
surely is  a question of taste, and  since he steps  away from heavy-funky-demo-
music-style I like his tune very much as well.

Another strange thing  is the use of "old schoolish" chip drums, you  know those
"tschhhh, tch..." things, together  with clear drums and sid noises, sounds very
freaky. You surely  will find  a track you like  at the demo, it  doesn't matter
what music taste you have :)

Final words... "Popstars" moves on in the tradition of the  YM Rockers demos. It
               presents us the todays chip-music-connection and shows  that also
               in times of  16bit trackers  and MP3 music  that chip music isn't
               dying out. Furthermore  the demo  presents some  statement of the
               music making  underground about  the todays music scene and music
               industry that is  just running after  money and forgets about the
               music  itself. "Popstars" is  able  to top the  former YM Rockers
               demos slightly as it features a bigger  range of musicians and so
               a bigger range of interesting styles.

___ratings______________________________________________________________________

visuals.......  8o % - very nice menu grafix!
audio......... 1oo % - what to say... burn the ym!
effects.......  o5 % - only a scroller is left
design........  55 % - no intro sequence anymore... nice colours
originality...  85 % - some chippers that are new to the Atari scene in 2k3!

___Overall______65_%____________________________________________________________

Ok, the overall  score doesn't blows  you off your pants, but I  would say a new
shell and some little supporting stuff like a little intro could do wonders!

_.tSCc.__________________________________________________________moondog_o5/2k3_