Mekka and Symposium 98
                         A Small Report by Count Zero
                        as published in "Propaganda" #27

The Mekka and Symposium 98 party held from the 10th to the 13th of April in
1998 was a definite outstanding party compared to the usual The Party events
around christmas.

The atmosphere was in no way comparable to the usual no alcohol and
we-are-the-gods atmosphere people really suffer from in DK...
Here you were able to bring along some beers and weed and have a real party.

Around 1000 people gathered in the exactly fitting Heidmarkhalle in
Fallingbostel near Hannover.

The usual network connections were set up and the server contained party
related stuff afterall ! I mean, you were actually able to get most of the
demos being released directly from it without running around and asking the
ppl. Nice organization there, although the organizers should bring their own
cables, RAM and beer next time. :)))

Along with the usual compos some other events were happening aswell.
Just like a really nasty Splish Splash compo and a partywomen fake picture
compo. (Anyone got the results on that one ???)

Anyways, to keep this a little short I will just send along the results and
a list of the more important sceners I met.

Let's start with the results and maybe some unworthy comments from a lame
cracker knowing nothing about style.


Demo Compo:

1st   Our Darkness     Keine Ahnung
                       (Smash Designs)
2nd   Reanim8ed        Hitmen
3rd   Krestyron        Crest+Oxyron

Smash Designs did it again ... That marriage thing in the end scroller
wasn't really needed to win I guess, but effects like that push a lousy demo
to the top I assume.

The Hitmen demo really made fun out of these 4*4 effects and the Oxyron+Crest
demo was a ruler for sure ...  pure style ... 

Worth mentioning was Splish Splash demo by Padua aswell ... have you ever
heard a lot of drunk people sing a c64 cover of Yellow Submarine ???? RULEZ!

Graphic Compo:

1st   Du Bist Boese    Rayden/AFL
2nd   Fantastica       Wurst Hans / [0]
3rd   I'll remember    Hardsequencer/DYT

Rayden's picture rules for sure, while the Fantastica one was just converted
from Boris Valejo and averagely re-edited. Hardsequencer's picture was
quite nice aswell then again.


Music Compo:

1st   Living Black      Taxim/Willow
2nd   Stars             Leo/Willow
3rd   Compotune         Bax/NoName

Not much to add here, as everybody has an own style. Just check them out !

4K compo:

1st    Smash             Smash
2nd    Double-Plasma     Flip/Centric
3rd    Just for fun      Didi/Laxity

Welps ... not too much to add here aswell, just that Padua's contribution
should have been ranked higher than 4th and Laxity's contribution must have
been a joke ... didn't have anything funny or
special at all.

I was expecting some funky Wilddemo stuff done on either C64 or even console,
but the only funny stuff was a gameboy demo done by Icebird/WOW.

Overall the cometitions were pretty cool and had a touch of style aswell.
It appears that more and more people do not just stick to 4by4 effects
anymore, but do new stuff instead aswell.

Finally a little list (cracking scene related) of people that have shown up.

AFL - Danzig and Rayden 
Dytec - Fatman and Dodger
Hitmen - Cupid, Curlin, Groepaz, Jihad, Peacemaker, Seven (ex-hitmen)
and mr. 'Where Is My Logo ??' TYRON ... :)

Triad - Acidchild
F4CG - Neotec
WOW - Alien, Einstein, Bud, Iceman, Sorex
Laxity - Animalo, Didi, Dan Dee, KBS
Remember - Jack Alien
APP (hehe) - Ned, Heavyhead


Other people worth mentioning next to all the coolios from Oxyron, Padua and
alike demo groups are for sure our fellow comrades RTM (DC-Amiga), Benson
and Street Tuff (ex-RSI) and a lot of others we have been taking a hit with.

As you might have recognized I don't like party reports with some kind of
chronological order, as I would mix that stuff  up all day anyways ...
and worst is: If you still know the time it was a lame party anyways ... :)))

So ... here you all go with a little one and the advice to show up at the
next Mekka and Symposium in 1999.

Maybe they manage to get a proper Pizza Service by then :)))

No, honestly ... save your money from the Denmark parties and go for a real
scene party ... 

As X98 which was just announced for September ! Just check out:

http://come.to/x98


That link WILL work :)

cya ... Count Zero is off ...