Savetz Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 (edited) I have it on good authority that Sal Esquivel @KJMANN has died. I don't have any more details. I saw him often around Portland video game fests, and he was always such a happy and upbeat person, quick with a hug for me. https://forums.atariage.com/profile/5912-kjmann/ https://www.youtube.com/@salesquivel8562/videos -Kay P.S. Randy interviewed Sal in 2014: https://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-17-the-atari-8-bit-podcast-sal-esquivel I am archiving Sal's YouTube channel to Internet Archive now. They will appear at http://archive.org/details/sal-esquivel-kjmann Edited December 18, 2022 by Savetz 27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 That's a shock. His Facebook and YouTube pages seem inactive for a while. I knew he had the odd health issue but not the specifics. RIP mate. He produced plenty of good original tunes as well as revamps of old favourites. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrFish Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 He kinda reappeared here in the last year, when @VinsCool did some of the RMT updates. Mostly stereo stuff he was working on. He worked on some cool projects... Tempest Xtreem (graphics & music), Venture (graphics & music), Space Harrier (music) -- and some other game hacks. I don't own any of the games he did with Peter Meyer. Tempest had several demos released, but I think there was nothing for Venture. The music and digitized sound in Tempest were probably my favorite parts. Thanks for the efforts. Sorry to see you go so soon. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Me and Sal didn't get on but his music was really good and no one deserves to go early..RIP Sal.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Wasn’t familiar with his work....but as we all get older this kind of news always hits home. Thank you for taking the time to preserve his legacy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KlasO Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Sorry to hear about his passing. I liked his work. My condolences to his family and friends. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudografx Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 RIP, Sal. I liked your game soundtrack covers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Very sorry to hear this. I got to know Sal better over the past couple of years and enjoyed some video calls with him before he went into hospital. He will be genuinely missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Sorry to hear this, my condolences to his family and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+x=usr(1536) Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 This is very unfortunate news. My sympathies go out to his family and loved ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Sal was a passionate fellow, all about music and retro stuff. He could mix it up pretty well with folks because of that passion. He was all also all about a good time and would seem he was just as passionate about making joy for people too. Not sure if everyone realized it but Karoake Jockey Mann was actually more about making the people around him feel good and have some fun. Not understanding that or knowing that (How could people in a forum know those things?), as sometimes a few of us didn't get along with Sal at times as he was kind of blinded by two people about how to be with the AA community. You can see like all of us mistakes get made. Here's the thing, and goes to his humility... Sal did come back, and apologized a bit, he shared some of his work and music, that's the kind of fellow he was. Not many people actually work to make things right, and sadly he didn't get all the chances to fully come back with his health issues as such. It's hard to say goodbye when time doesn't let things settle just right. You'll be missed KJMANN, the music, the passion, and games are the legacy people can hold on to. You touched some people in a way few have been able in life to do. Hope there's endless music where you are and it's all good. If I didn't say it, I will now... I'm sorry Atari brother. _T. D.__ 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 (edited) When he initially had issues with some people including me, he disappeared for a bit, I thinking that I didn't want him to feel bad wrote to him and had a few chats with him and begged him to come back, which he did and, it seemed ok, but he was also as thick thieves with PeteyM who didn't endear himself to many people and was banned for a few things like multiple accounts to spam and annoy folk. Now me and Peteym were not best buddies but he did invite me to become a beta tester for him which considering his verbal talking to me (calling me and others pirates etc) it was odd that he had included me. After Peteym was banned I think Sal decided I'd helped in his departure (not even 0.00001% true) and got very arsey with me which annoyed as I'd offered a group olive branch to him. I hear from many that he was a nice guy and I really believe that as the few chats we had were friendly affairs, I'm sorry to hear of his death, it's always sad when someone in our community dies or has issues, we all tend to drop any silly problems and offer help. I want to remember him as the guy that made really good music, I hope he had as pain free and peaceful passing...One of the troop has gone.. Edited December 18, 2022 by Mclaneinc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snicklin Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Sal was nice with me and he gave me a set of RMT instruments that he had put together which I regretably lost on an old hard drive. If anyone else was sent them, let me know, I would be interested. Wasn't it Sal who became unwell from some mould on his window? Best wishes in heaven for Sal, I hate losing people from the community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.atarimania.com Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 RIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bf2k+ Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 Last year, I sold a 600XL that I got from Sal. I always had good dealings with him. May he R.I.P. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsCool Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Dear god, this comes like a massive punch in the face, really heartbreaking to learn from email notifications. I've known from facebook he was battling with heart diseases and had gone to the hospital a few times, but in the last times I had heard of him things looked like he was getting better... Until no more sign of activity, which was worrying, but I was hoping for the best... Ugh... This feels bad, because we had been talking a few times over the months, and at no moment I would ever have expected anything bad to happen. It's bitter feelings to remember the last thing we were talking about was about making Atari music, and coming back to old projects, which I was not exactly in the best state of mind to help him with the ideas, and after a final exchange of messages asking me to give feedbacks to his latest music uploads on youtube, there was no interaction anymore, which was shortly after his first trip to the hospital I believe, which really hurts to remember because I recall wishing him good recovery and was hopeful to see him back on his feet quickly. The last time I did actually learn from him was another hospital trip, also through Facebook, but I was hopeful the silence that followed was a much needed time spent to rest and recover better... I wish I had taken some more time to seek for his status and how he was doing, but I suppose it is too late now... Rest in peace, Sal Esquivel, you have been one of the few people who really had believed in the things I was doing, and I felt so honored to learn that I was possibly a person who influenced you to make a comeback to the Atari scene. I am sorry things had to end on such an unexpected time, and I hope you are doing much better now, where you are currently. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heaven/TQA Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 RIP… I remember he once called me 10+ years ago from US regarding a game project as coder… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 On 12/18/2022 at 10:50 AM, Mclaneinc said: When he initially had issues with some people including me, he disappeared for a bit, I thinking that I didn't want him to feel bad wrote to him and had a few chats with him and begged him to come back, which he did and, it seemed ok, but he was also as thick thieves with PeteyM who didn't endear himself to many people and was banned for a few things like multiple accounts to spam and annoy folk. Now me and Peteym were not best buddies but he did invite me to become a beta tester for him which considering his verbal talking to me (calling me and others pirates etc) it was odd that he had included me. After Peteym was banned I think Sal decided I'd helped in his departure (not even 0.00001% true) and got very arsey with me which annoyed as I'd offered a group olive branch to him. I hear from many that he was a nice guy and I really believe that as the few chats we had were friendly affairs, I'm sorry to hear of his death, it's always sad when someone in our community dies or has issues, we all tend to drop any silly problems and offer help. I want to remember him as the guy that made really good music, I hope he had as pain free and peaceful passing...One of the troop has gone.. I had a bad experience with him as well. He ripped me off, but that's in the past, so let bygones be bygones, I reckon... R.I.P and my condolences to the family... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 4 minutes ago, DarkLord said: I had a bad experience with him as well. He ripped me off, but that's in the past, so let bygones be bygones, I reckon... R.I.P and my condolences to the family... Yeah, I seem to remember you saying about a machine or mod in a thread back then, but yeah, no point in holding on to grudges, he's passed and may he be making great music if there is an after life.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+StaxX28 Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Sad news... My condolences to his family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelen Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 This is very sad news...I once stumbled on his youtube account and heard fantastic composed song...my condolences to his family and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Philsan Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 I bought an s-video upgrade from Sal 12 years ago, it is still in use. I searched the conversation we had on AtariAge and my first post was: Hi Sal. I hope your health is now OK... He composed many great songs for A8, I bought Tempest Xtreem. My condolences to his family and friends. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 29 minutes ago, Philsan said: I bought an s-video upgrade from Sal 12 years ago, it is still in use. I think I remember installing it. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 Sal showed me how to upgrade a 600XL to have really, really good S-video. Arguably as good as UAV. Sorry to hear of his passing. RIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 Although we had some different opinions in some aspects, now it isn't important. RIP, Sal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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