The Magic of Evoke

Demoparty Report by a Bloke at the 25^th Evoke

The 25^th edition of Evoke was held from 16^th to 18^th of August 2024 in Cologne. It was an amazing event full of creativity, cooperation, and demoscene magic! Here are my impressions of this wonderful demoparty.

August 2024

A view from the floor at the Evoke 25 demoparty in August 2024.

This was the third time I attended Evoke, and it was a blast! Evoke in Cologne is the second largest demoparty in Germany after Revision in Saarbrücken (that I couldn't go to this year but attended the previous year).

My demoscene tag is Bala-Koala, and I was looking forward to coming back to Cologne to meet old friends and make new ones. I had arrived in town the night before and checked into my AirBnB.

The next morning, I rode my bike to the vicinity of the venue, the AbenteuerHallenKalk. On Discord, the organizers and set-up crew were providing updates about the progress of the preparations. I certainly didn't want to be one of the first people to arrive and disturb the crew in their work, so I waited until the doors officially opened at 17:00 and only then went to the entrance.

Lots of folks got to know each other in the queue in front of the AbenteuerHallenKalk building in Cologne

There already was a long line of folks waiting to enter. The queue stretched long and winding outside the old industrial building and the large construction site that occupied half the street. The rugged brick walls and steel beams of the venue seemed to tell stories of Cologne's industrial past.

The crowd around me was an awesome collection of people of different ages and backgrounds, each with their own story and passion for the digital arts. We easily got into conversations. Strangers became friends as we exchanged stories of past events, our favorite computer systems, and the projects we were most excited to see.

I chatted with a friendly couple from Jena and got to know a musician who had released a bunch of tunes in the past years. Of course, silly me forgot their real names and demoscene tags.

Then I managed to catch Harvey. He had kindly introduced me to Evoke a few years ago and we have ever since met at every demoparty in Germany. He is a prolific writer and has published his new book FOR BASIC TO ONE-LINERS with creative one line programs for C64 BASIC. He was eager to show it to me. (I naturally bought a copy. It is a cool book).

The wait, though long, felt like an initiation, an opportunity to connect with kindred spirits before stepping into the world of creativity and innovation that awaited us inside.

And then... we got in!

"Tron: Legacy", Walt Disney Pictures, 2010

As I stepped into the AbenteuerHallenKalk, I felt like coming home.

My heart quickened as I crossed the threshold, received the participant's bracelet from the kind crew at reception and entered the main hall where neon lights and the glow of countless screens cast an otherworldly hue over the gathering of digital artisans and curious minds. This was no ordinary event, it was a celebration of code, music, art, and creativity.

Let's get the most pressing matter out of the way: What is the demoscene and what is a demoparty?

The demoscene is a subculture of computer enthusiasts who create digital art and are active since the 1980s. Sceners create demos showcasing the technical and artistic capabilities of their creators and their computers. Demos are realtime animations that are generated by code and are often accompanied by music. At a demoparty like Evoke in the next days, sceners come together to share their work, compete in competitions, and socialize.

Let's dive into the events. Evoke becons!

The 25^th edition of Evoke was held in the majestic AbenteuerHallenKalk building in Cologne, Germany.

Day One: Friday, August 16

I navigated through the labyrinth of workstations, each one a portal into a different universe, where pixels danced and soundscapes pulsed.

The event kicked off with a panel discussion on the topic of inclusion in the demoscene. The panelists shared their experiences and insights on how to make the scene more welcoming and diverse.

At the panel talk "Inclusion Matters", the demoscene community discussed what it was like to be a woman or a minority in the early days of the scene and how to make the current day scene more inclusive.

In the meantime, the barbecue was fired up in the courtyard behind the AbenteuerHallenKalk. A long line formed as people waited for their turn to get a sausage in a bread roll.

I grabbed a beer and a sausage and joined a group of people at a picnic table. We chatted about the scene, the latest demos, and the upcoming competitions.

Party participants waited in line for a sausage in a bread roll.

The sausages were grilled to perfection and served with love.

After the panel talk and the grill picnic, the opening ceremony started. The organizers welcomed the participants and set the tone for the weekend ahead. We cheered and applauded the demos of the last ten years when we saw them on the big screen.

This was amazing! I loved the demos and the music. They were very inspiring! I was so happy to be there.

Patch Battle

Coding live on stage in the Patch Battle.

The second round of the Patch Battle with the theme "Embossed Neon".

The Patch Battle was one of the highlights of the evening. On the smaller stage, four participants challenged each other to live-code a graphics demo on their computers with their work being projected on the large sceen behind them. In each round, the presenter gave the contestants a different concept. They would have to think of something really quickly and then code it in their tool of choice. Here are the concepts of the three rounds:

• Round 1: "Grunge Spiral"
• Round 2: "Embossed Neon"
• Round 3: "Mosaic Mirage"

I was fascinated by the skill of the participants. They not only have to be capable and think quickly but also have to be able to code under pressure and on a stage while everyone watches them. The audience was cheering and clapping, and the atmosphere was electric as the contenders used the following tools: Cables, Tooll3, Blender and TouchDesigner.

Kudos to the four brave patch warriors who took on the intense challenge of coding graphics demos live on stage. Their ability to create art from code in real-time was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Some demo party participants had decorated their workspace. This skull with glowing LED eyes was on PotcFdk's desk.

Discovering the Great Work of Fellow Sceners

The best part of the demoparty is to go through the tables with the participants and see what they are working on. Some of them have decorated their tables with lights, toys, and other gadgets. It was fun to see all the creativity and passion that people put into their work.

I chatted with a first-time demoscener who goes by Gearmo3DS and who had made a music application for the Nintendo 3DS: Noise Commander 3DS. He was excited to be at Evoke and to show off his work. He made a demo to advertise the app, and it was impressive! You can find his Youtube channel here.

I found a scener who was working on his pimped up Amstrad/Schneider CPC using the amazing SymbOS operating system. It has a full graphical user interface. It made me itch to continue my own work on creating a distraction free writing workstation using a C64 Maxi with GEOS and a portable LCD display.

From the scener called Pararaum I got a sneak peek of his C64 demo using PETSCII graphics created by my fellow Austrian scener Logiker who unfortunately could not come to Evoke. They are both part of Vintage Computing Carinthia (VCC) who organize a meetup in the south of Austria as regular as clockwork and have an impressive list of demo releases.

For Evoke they created a demo that tells the story of a couple of flamingos in love who get turned into zombies by a mosquito. I swear it makes more sense when you see it for yourself! The demo was funny and creative. The PETSCII art was so well crafted that it looked like pixel graphics.

The much beloved Commodore C64 (Reloaded MK2 from iComp) connected via a Framemeister upscaler to an HDMI display

The Joy of Sticks: Harvey's miraculous box of erect games controllers

I set up my little workstation consisting of my trusty iPad Pro and the tiny but cute Surface Go2 on a free table and prepared my submissions for the competitions.

I had created a pixel art piece showing a flaming skull for the pixel graphics competition and a digital painting of a teddy bear with a parachute for the freestyle graphics competition. Harvey convinced me to also submit a piece to the ASCII/ANSI competition. I was excited to see how my work would be received by the audience in the voting.

I have a separate article about the "making of" my competition entries. You can read it here: Making Compo Graphics for the Evoke 2024 Demoparty.

With my submissions in place, I found myself drawn to the food offerings in the AbenteuerHallenKalk. The house bar not only provided a nice selection of Kölsch beers and Club-Mate but also hot dogs. I joined the line with others who were just as eager to refuel. I found the food simple but satisfying, a good complement to the demoparty.

The bar area provided a nice selection of drinks and snacks.

The First Day Comes to an End

Late at night, I went back to my AirBnB to get some sleep. Meanwhile, the party continued. The music was still playing, and the coding was still going on.

The DJ duo Ukatsti Beige took to the stage and played a set that kept the crowd dancing. I was tired, but I was also very happy. I couldn't wait for the next day to start.

Pulsating music and dancing under the stars.

The open-air dancefloor behind the AbenteuerHallenKalk

The neighboring indoor skating and biking track was used as a sleeping area. I chickened out and rented an AirBnB instead.

Day Two: Saturday, August 17

On the second day, I was the bloke who awoke to go to Evoke. I knew that the agenda was packed with seminars, competitions, and events.

I also knew that the demoparty would need some time to hit its stride. So I started the day slowly with a cup of coffee and a walk through Cologne. The sun was shining, and the city was alive with the sounds of people going about their day. I took my time, enjoying the sights and sounds of the district called Kalk before heading back to the AbenteuerHallenKalk at 10 o'clock for an inspirational day starting with seminars.

I must say that the Evoke seminar room in the AbenteuerHallenKalk is a bit of an insider's tip. Most participants do not know where the seminars are held.

The seminar room is just above the toilets. You have to take the steel staircase in front of the bar to the toilet level and then go one floor higher than you'd expect. But you have to be careful that you don't take the wrong staircase and go up the technical orga folks in their command center high above the party floor and intrude upon their work.

(On a second thought, maybe it isn't that bad that the seminar room is not super well-known. There is only limited seating and it can get very packed during crowd-pleasing seminars.)

Seminar Sessions

The first seminar of the day called out to me: "A Beginner's Guide to Picotron" by Krystman.

This was an introduction to the fantasy workstation Picotron, a virtual computer currently being developed by Lexaloffle Games that runs as an application on a PC or a Mac. The seminar was a beacon for those with a passion for art of programming a retro computer that never existed.

I found a seat and settled in, ready to absorb the arcane wisdom. The speaker, Krystian Majewski, an indie game designer and lecturer with the enthusiasm of someone who still marveled at the magic of their craft. He described the intricacies of the Pictotron virtual hardware, revealing the secrets of configurations and memory constraints.

The audience was captivated, and I made a mental note to try my hand at creating a demo for the Picotron platform. Later Pararaum suggested a collaboration doing that. Spoiler: it might involve zombie teddy bears.

"A Beginner's Guide to Picotron" by Krystian Majewski (Krystman)

Emerging from the world of Picotron, my mind was still buzzing with the possibilities. I made my way to the next seminar. This one was a deep dive into the art of optimizing 3D graphics.

The room was filled with an eager audience. We were all hungry to learn how to squeeze every drop of performance out of our 3D models and how to make polygons sing and shaders shimmer. The speaker Psykon described vertices and pipelines, shaders and shadows. They showed us the commonalities but also the differences between the tools used to create the 3D models and the tools that import them as assets to populate a game.

"Preparing Your 3D Models for Realtime Use" by Psykon

Twitch Video Recordings of the Seminars

• Panel Talk: Inclusion Matters
• A Beginner's Guide to Picotron by Krystman
• Preparing your 3D models for realtime use
• Procedural Geometry on the GPU

The Heartbeat of the Demoscene

This day unfolded into a whirlwind of impressions when the competitions came into in full swing. The entries ranged from pixel art to music to interactive demos.

I wandered through the venue, taking in the sights and sounds of the demoparty, chatting with fellow sceners and admiring their work.

ByteWall, the TIC-80 Desk

The Picotron from Krystman's seminar was not the only fantasy computer or console featured at Evoke. There was a corner with two PCs running the TIC-80 Tiny Computer, a virtual console that allows you to create, share, and play retro-style games and demos.

The console comes with a code editor, a music tracker, and a sprite editor. The games are distributed as virtual cartridges that can be shared online. The "ByteWall" with the TIC-80 was a popular spot, with people gathering around to play games and share tips and tricks.

The TIC-80 corner was a popular spot not only for playing but also developing games.

The output of the PC running TIC-80 was projected onto a large screen.

TIC-80 provides a full development environment with editors for code, graphics and music.

Catalan Encounter

This day, the organizers had again ignited the grill, offering sausages in a bread roll. As I stood in line, my attention was caught by the lively conversation happening just in front of me. The two guys were speaking in a European language that danced on the edge of familiarity. There were hints of Spanish in its cadence, touches of Italian in its melody, and perhaps even a trace of French in its rhythm, yet it was distinctly none of these.

I simply asked one of them because I was curious. It turned out they were speaking Catalan, a language as rich and unique as the culture it represents. We got into a vivid conversation, and I learned that I was chatting with one of the graphicians from the demogroup Spontz. After a hiatus of more than a decade, they made their triumphant return to demomaking but insisted that "we are NOT back".

What began as a simple exchange over a mystery language blossomed into a long, engaging discussion about art, creativity, life in Sweden, and about Barcelona (the city not the planet Barcelona).

The competition entries were presented on a large screen in the main hall and we could vote for our favorites.

Demo FOMO

I tried to catch as many seminars as possible, but I also wanted to discover what others have been working on. I'd often got lost in conversation and lose track of time.

I'd be chatting with a fellow scener about their latest project, and then I'd realize that I'd missed a special event like e.g. the afternoon seminar on "Procedural Geometry on the GPU" by Mrvux.

I felt a pang of FOMO as I realized that I would have to choose between the seminars and chats with other sceners. Later I even heard that there had been a juggling workshop in the outdoor area.

I had missed that as well. But I also knew that I couldn't be everywhere at once. I had to make choices, and I had to trust that I was where I was meant to be.

Oh, and there was a demo in th 4K cetegory called Fear of Missing Out by Rimina.

There were too many things going on to be everywhere all at once.

The rugged brick walls and steel beams of the venue seemed to tell stories of the city's industrial past.

I found this to be the most impressive submission to the ASCII/ANSI competition. The dimensions for this compo are 80 x 25 characters.

Voting into the Night

The day was filled with competitions. The participants had been working hard on their entries, and now it was time to show them to the world scattered across the afternoon and evening.

The audience were invited to vote for their favorites in each compo category using the new party system provided by the organizers. The winners would be announced at the prize-giving ceremony on Sunday.

Here is a full list of all the categories:

• 3D Scene
• 4K Executable Graphics
• Alternative Platforms
• Animation
• Freestyle Graphics
• Interactive
• MP3 / OGG
• One Screen ANSI / ASCII (Amiga)
• One Screen ANSI / ASCII (PC)
• PC 4K Intro
• PC 64K Intro
• PC Demo
• Pixel Graphics
• Tracked Music - Drum & Bass Mania

You can find the full list of competitions and their results on the Demozoo page of Evoke 2024.

While the presentation and voting of all other categories were held during the day, the largest and most prestigious competitions, the 4K Intro, 64K Intro and the PC Demo competition, was held in the evening. For me, these are the supreme disciplines of every demoparty.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the demo competition submissions were queued up for viewing. The room darkened. Only the giant screen at the front and the soft glow of countless monitors scattered throughout illuminated the hall.

We all watched in awe. Some participants were seated in a cinema setup right in front of the projector screen. Others were tucked away at their desks. Others still watched from the comfort of the bar area while quenching their thirst with Kölsch. For remote viewers, the organizers had provided a video stream.

The PC Demo competition, the king among the compos

We were treated to a feast of audiovisual delights. The competition was fierce (but friendly).

Every demo vying for the coveted top spot acting a bit like a window into the minds of its creator. There were demos that defied the limits of hardware. There was music that resonated in the depths of the soul. And there were graphics that blurred the line between art and code. I marveled at the sheer ingenuity on display.

The voting was no easy task. How could one choose between such masterpieces? But most of us did vote in the new online party voting system. My choices were guided by the moments that had stirred something deep within me.

502 visitors attended Evoke 25 at peek times (until the visitor counter went on strike).

An Unexpected Birthday

This year's Evoke was particularly special as it marked the birthday of one of the longest-serving sceners and organizers, Luisa, who has been a vital part of both the Poo-Brain demogroup as well as Rabenauge. The presenter called Luisa on stage to show their respect.

As she stepped into the spotlight, the audience erupted into a warm and heartfelt applause. It was more than just a birthday. It was a collective acknowledgment of her dedication and contributions to the community, a tribute to someone who had given so much to the scene. The applause seemed to linger, carrying with it the deep appreciation of everyone in the room. This was a truly memorable highlight of the event.

The whole demoparty celebrated Luisa and her birthday

Dance the Demo Dance

Night fell in earnest. The atmosphere shifted from contemplative to celebratory. The DJ took the stage, and the first beats of electronic music pulsated through the speakers like the frenetic knocking of a metaphorical SWAT team on a door, sending vibrations through the floor and up into my bones.

I joined the crowd on the makeshift dance floor, letting the music take over, the beats syncing with my pulse as we all thought we moved as one, despite some of us resembling joyful spastics.

It was a liberation, a way to unwind after all the excitement and followed this year's motto "Party like its 1997!"

The night was ours...

Well, not mine specifically because after embarassing myself with my lame dance moves, I went back to the AirBnB at two o'clock in the morning. But some folks succumbed to the constant, driving force of the music until the wee hours of the morning.

The beer tent where you could sit and sway to the music while sipping Kölsch beer.

The DJ's tent which projected the music into the night.

One of the many DJ desks, this one is in the bar area.

Day Three: Sunday, August 18

The last day of Evoke started with a presentation by the folks from Art of Coding about the future of the UNESCO digital heritage project. Unfortunately, I missed it because I thought I could catch it on the video stream during a nice breakfast in an adorable little café... but unfortunately there was no video stream for the seminar. I heard it was very interesting and informative. I hope to catch up on it later.

In the outdoor café, I was the bloke who had a Coke and ate an egg yolk. (Apologies. I promise I will now stop clumsily stringing together words that rhyme with Evoke.)

I came to the venue at around noon to meet up with folks for one last time and to see the prize-giving ceremony. The atmosphere was a mix of excitement and nostalgia. It felt like there was a sense of accomplishment and a tinge of sadness that the event was coming to an end. If I'd have to guess, then I'd say that there were probably around a hundred people in the venue on the last day.

Two of the recipients of a prize.

The Awards Ceremony

Finally, the time came for the awards ceremony of the 25^th Evoke.

We gathered once more, the air thick with anticipation. The winners were announced one by one. Each of them met with applause and cheers. I felt a deep respect for everyone who had participated as their names were called and the trophies handed out.

It wasn't just about winning. It was about the process of creation and the journey. And isn't it the most wonderful part of every journey, that you make new acquaintances and learn about them, learn from them?

Most importantly, it was about the sharing of ideas and the pushing of boundaries!

When the final prize was awarded, the room erupted in enthusiastic applause. This was a collective acknowledgment of the brilliance that had been on display.

If you haven't yet, then you can check out the results of the competitions here on the Evoke page on Demozoo.

"Evoking Magic for Dummies": Steffest from Desire, the winner of the pixel graphics compo put up a timelapse video of how he created the winning pixel graphic.

I particularly loved Daydreamer by teadrinker. The PC demo came in second by a single point (681 vs 682 points for the winner) right after Paradise by mfx. Both demos were great but I just liked the style of Daydreamer a bit more. I also loved the winner of the MP3/OGG competition, the song Demoszene Träume by DaTucker, MacGyverGear and Titus. It was quite a poppy track with a catchy melody. It has vocals and lyrics which is not very common for demoscene submissions (though there were some others at this year's demoparty).

"Daydreamer" by Teadrinker shows how music and graphics merge to be more than the sum of their parts.

As to the results of my own submissions, I was generally happy with the seventh place in the pixel graphics compo (of 28 entries). I also got twelfth rank in the freestyle graphics compo (of 16 entries).

I was a bit disappointed that my ASCII/ANSI submission only got to fifteenth place of sixteen overall. But then again, I hadn't counted on participating in that compo at all. I was just happy to have made something for it.

The agenda of last day drew to a close. The presenter on stage took the time to convey praise and gratitude to the dozens and dozens of organizers and helpers. When they gathered on stage the audience gave them a respectful round of applause. And they certainly deserved all the praise and love sent their way.

A big round of applause for the Evoke organizers!

The organizers had excelled in creating a seamless and inspiring environment. They had set up rows of tables and chairs, provided a world-class internet connection, ensuring everyone had a comfortable workspace. The stage, equipped with a massive screen and a high-quality sound system, became the centerpiece for demos, competitions, and music, both indoors and outdoors.

They went above and beyond with a live video stream for remote participants, state-of-the-art competition machines, and a well-designed website that kept everyone informed. The seminars and panel discussion were carefully curated to engage and educate attendees at all levels. To keep the energy high, they provided a grill serving delicious sausages and a bar stocked with beers and drinks.

Every detail, from the technical setup to the social spaces, was meticulously planned and superbly executed.

After the organizers had left the stage, the presenter turned to the party audience and bid us farewell with the gentle words "And now... get the f**k out of here!"

We streamed out into the open. I left the venue with a sense of fulfillment, of having been part of something special. The demoparty was more than just an event, it was a celebration of the intersection between art and technology, a reminder of the endless possibilities that lie at the crossroads of creativity and code.

As I walked into the overcast afternoon I knew I would carry the memories of this day with me for a long time to come.

The Magic of Evoke

What sets a demoparty like Evoke apart is the sense of shared purpose and collective creativity. Here, the screen is not just a tool but a canvas. The sound system turns into an instrument. The algorithms transform into a beautiful language of expression. Participants push the limits of hardware and software.

They craft digital masterpieces that can be as intricate as a symphony or as abstract as a painting. Demosceners can become the digital equivalent of Basquiat, Beethoven, Botticelli or even Bohlen. The old and new collide to blow your mind 🤯

The competitions are the heart of the party. They were moments when the room collectively holds its breath. When a truly impressive entry is presented, the audience spontaneously breaks into applause. Whether it's a groundbreaking demo that bends the rules of what's possible, a piece of pixel art that evokes deep emotion, or a musical composition that makes the walls pulse with its rhythm, many submissions show the endless possibilities of digital creation.

But Evoke goes far beyond the code, the graphics, and the music. The true magic of Evoke lies in the connections formed. It's in the conversations that spark new ideas. It's in the friendships that begin over a shared appreciation of a particularly clever demo. And most of all it is about the sense of belonging.

And it is wonderfully crazy the Evoke series of demoparties has been going strong for more than 25 years!

Here's me, happy but exhausted at Evoke 2024.