Clear Spot: Sound and Vectrexians

October 30, 2021 — Vectrex

Fell holds a prototype Vecribbon overlay / anticlockwise screen shots from Vecribbon, Raiding Party, Holzer Vectrex generated hand and polyhederon / Derek Holzer at Zagreb Vector Hack Festival 2018

Sound and Vectrexians: In a Clear Spot looking at new uses for the Vectrex games console, an arcade style machine by Milton Bradley from 1983, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of creators who use the machine to generate graphics paired with unique sounds. Programmer ‘Fell’ discusses his titles Raiding Party and 3D Vector Space Cab, plus forthcoming game Vecribbon, as part of the programming team Shattered Screens. Audiovisual artist Derek Holzer explains how he hacks the Vectrex to allow input of frequencies which generate complex images on the screen of the device, and can be manipulated for artistic effect.

Partially broadcast 29th October 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Shattered Screens website including free demos and Vecribbon preorder
Derek Holzer website including article on Vector synthesis art
Videos by Derek Holzer on Vimeo and youtube
Vectrex fandom website including page on International Play Your Vectrex Day
Vectrex ProGaming Boards pages on International Play Your Vectrex Day and week long competition – ‘Vector War XI’ (30th Oct – Nov 6th)
Vectrex facebook page
Vectrex collector’s guide
Vectrex browser emulator
Listen to last year’s Vectrex Clear Spot, featuring interviews with Arts Foundation award shortlisted artist Zara Slattery plus programmers Kristof Tuts and Chris Malcolm
Listen to interviews with cartoonists who have been inspired by video games, including Pat Mills, Kieron Gillen, Gene Luen Yang, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey and Bryan Lee O’Malley