Christmas Special Editorial: 20 years of RKO (The charts revisited)
Published: 24/12/2020 by Neil Carr
In the year 2000 Jan Lund Thomsen's RKO (remix.kwed.org) was born. Finally, a resource that enabled remixers to uploaded their remixes for the world to enjoy. Before that time the remixing scene were made up of several websites spread around the internet. Finding these sites and jumping around from one to another was a painful and a somewhat chaotic experience. Over the years RKO would establish itself to be the one stop shop to get your c64 remix fix. In this Christmas editorial special we go back through the years and present the top 3 remixes voted by our readers from each year to the current day. So grab a cuppa sit back and enjoy whilst we take you on a nostalgia trip. Oh! and if you haven't voted yet on these remixes here's a chance to do so. Happy Christmas everyone.
*Ratings are correct at the time of publish. Ratings subject to varience should votes be cast.
YEAR: 2000
jlrcuesta: One of the best remixes. Excellent sounds and structure.
prq: Excellent tune
humorguy: When you played a game a lot… And then 20 years later you hear the remix. You know, better than anyone who did not play the game, but just heard the Sid. This is why I know how great this is!!
92%
mfe: To take something so simple and make it this atmospheric requires skill. Kudos!
soppa: Absolutely stunning remix, so simple (as the sid) but yet so eerie and deep feel to it, also love the selection of ambient sounds in this.
Zilog: This is AWESOME!
93%
Nebdar: How such a small tune can be so much beautiful
countzorg: Shimmering
humorguy: Oh sorry fell up from somewhere really nice. Big fat red one!
92%
Year 2001
machinae supremacy - Great Giana Sisters
Ryrynz: For those that love this, check out Machinae Supremacy's work on Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams, it's epic! Grab the soundtrack!
sebuko: Normally I hate rock and sidsounds. But this one kicks asses. I love it!!!
MORBID: I am totally addicted to all these guitar-remixes! This one is just OUTSTANDING! More guitars! More punch! More drums… Hell YEAH!😊
96%
Tonka - Last Ninja - Palace Gardens (Loader)
Tpmccusker: OOOF, good start! It's so fun and wild, it reflects the original so well!
cyphax: Why is there still only ONE song from Tonka? I sure would love to hear more like this, cause this is, for me, still about perfect.
decibel: Lovely, the fade out at the end is sublime
93%
DHS - Max Headroom (Orbital 3241 Elevator Mix)
humorguy: Great value for money DHS just keeps on doin' it!
aero: Simply gorgeous
madrigal: Wonderful remix, DHS is a guarantee for quality!😉
90%
Year 2002
Glyn R Brown - Firelord - Symphonic
cactus007: GREAT!
raiden: Fucking Awesome! Glyn Keep this up will ya 😉
Mitch van Hayden: What could I say? Give me more like this!
96%
Mahoney - Armageddon Man (Vocal Jazz feat. Karin Öjehagen)
koroner: Superb!
humorguy: Had a tear… And I a MAN Goddammit!!!
Melaure: Very nice voice
95%
Glyn R Brown - Gordian Tomb Adventures
Mitch van Hayden: OMFG! Nobody could do this better.
brix: WTF?! ! This is great!
oddball: Gets better with every time I listen to this masterpiece!
95%
Year 2003
Lagerfeldt - Dutch Breeze/Robocop 3 (Progressive Uplift)
infamous: Outstanding
drax: Goose Bump alarm… One of the best remixes ever imo!
Makke: Together with Reyn Ouwehands Deflector, this tune defines the perfect Commodore 64 remix.
93%
Thomas Detert - Supernova (the slow tune)
humorguy: I give this an Outstanding, because it Satnds Out from the rest by quite a margin. Excellent.
soppa: Marvelous remix, the production is of course excellent but this is just so well thought out it's bound to stay on my playlist for a long long time.
lolicon: Love Vangelis, love this tune! Very well composed. This delivers!
93%
mz1453: Sounds like Kitaro! Relaxing, clear and yet powerful!
bratac: Simply wonderful!
Gildan: Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy!
91%
Year 2004
Chappers: Yet another masterpiece from Glyn. He is the new Jerry Goldsmith!
denise: Great
betelzeus: Unmastered eh? Gotta say sounds great to me, and love the vocals.
97%
97%
DHS - The Human Race (Bando alle Seghe)
NecroPolo: Excellent rendition. No more, no less.
prq: Beautiful melody, beautiful voices.
aker: Great, delectable music!
94%
Year 2005
Makke - Artura(Dublin Delight Mix) feat. Andreas Wallström
moog: Absolutely fantastic! 😃
Nebdar: SMASHING great
nicodaemus: Irish = yessir!
95%
Marcel Donné - Something Stranger Remake
load_error: Splendid.
NecroPolo: Some synth epic stuff never hurts. Great work.
ifadeo: F**k'n brilliant! OUTSTANDING!
92%
iliad: Easily one of the best remixes on the site: emotional stuff, well done.
prowler: Wonderful as always by Glyn. Mmm, the Recovery has been on my SID-playlist for 20 years now, which does not make things worse. Thanks Glyn!
winc: This is very high quality and professional remix. LOVELY work!
92%
Year 2006
Andy Gilmour & LMan - Robocop Title
pie vs pie: Truly outstanding
weasel: Wow!! What a remix we've got here!! Comes really great in all efforts! Intro is very cool and it doesn't lose anything after that but even goes one step ahead in the further mixing! Cool, cool, cool man!! 😃
anaconda: So 80's that it would have surely been on the charts back in '85!
95%
moog (Sebastian Bachliñski) - Tristess
carpii: One of my favorite remixes. Seems not everyone likes the extreme lead, but I think it contrasts perfectly
dafunk: Oooh boy, I've been waiting for this for sooo long! 😊 Top notch moogie, my friend! 😃
drax: Damn, Sebastian you did again. You got pretty close to how I played it on the piano when I composed it 😉… Really nice production aswell… Love the piano and the strings!
93%
machinae supremacy - Sidology 2 Trinity
Kelsaurian: Absolute ballar!
Steve Foster: Brilliant in every way!
Frida Katarina: Fabulous!!
93%
YEAR 2007
Reyn Ouwehand - Green Beret (live at The Church)
mfe: A birlliant mix that does more than justice to the original.
XxDUSTYxX: Wow! This rocks! |m|
MatrixRevolution: Not bad, not bad!
97%
Dafunk - Destruction - The New Beginning (rmx)
klosterkatten: This tune is great! You really improved! Well done, I cant give anything but this cute red smiley.
sidbrowser: Great to listen while driving in my car! Top Remix!
infamous: Brilliant. Nothing else needs to be said.
93%
Jax: This can sit on repeat forever without you getting bored of it. Very varied, great all round, and definitely one of the best mixes for a while - I LOVE it! 😊 Even sounds a bit like Above and Beyond in places!
LMan: Very decent trance tune!!!
klosterkatten: Funky.
93%
YEAR 2008
Mordi - Plastic Pop (I Miss You mix)
selvatico: Simply outstanding
Goblin: What can I say, a fantastic take on a great tune… I'd love to hear more Danko remixes like this one
kai: Beautiful. Nuff said.
93%
Dafunk - Hardcore Power (We Believe In Goa - Remix)
migu: Simply great!
Danceaway: Starts 08 as he left 07… Top stuff and the sounds are bang on, along with top mixing… Keep it up Master Dafunk…
Waz: Now this IS nice, and even nicer than the old version Dafunk did. Chucked this through my Mission m73 biwired floorstanders and that bass is pumping to say the least. The latter part sounds epic trance style too, it rocks!
93%
Peter W - Stargate (Not As Trancelucent As)
Dr-Duke: Very well done Peter W! (Not my fault but I love trance) 😊
condor: Bravo! Althought I hate hats, Ilove sound selection.
xo: Su-bloody-perb.
92%
YEAR 2009
Firestorm - Commando (Sound of SceneSat Edit)
raj: Fantastic, creative
z80: Best Remix I ve ever heard. *sigh*
Makke: An obvious candidate for C64 Remix of the Year in my opinion. Absolutelly brilliant!
96%
Jogeir Liljedahl - Synth Sample - The Stationary Ark
Zlorfik500: A wild and unfettered masterpiece!
ulfepulf: Beautiful! A bit more dynamic piano, and this is perfect.
cyphax: Something went REALLY wrong here because I've not heard this before and I'm like WTF! This is GORGEOUS!
95%
Xtrabyte: Excellent
russ: This is just amazing, I cant stop playing this 😀
eliot: Sooo astonishing… Thx a lot
94%
YEAR 2010
drax: Excellence!!! I think there is a bug in the original sid-file. Just found the original prg-file and it sounds a bit different… This one covers the sid-file from hvsc.
GlenBenton: Outstanding!!!
mfe: Love the execution of this version.
95%
Chabee - Baboon (Skydive ReMix)
condor: Sounds, details… Brilliant! Reminded me to moog's remixes.
_steve_: I can't add anything that hasn't been said above. Fantastic remix!
Karmar: Beautiful
92%
SIDrip Alliance - From First to Last (AROK12 tribute mix)
catcher40: Amazing is all I can say. Took me back to the good old days of playing LN, loved every minute.
hillsman: Some of the leads aren't great, but this is an otherwise awesome compendium of some top LN tracks. Not a huge electric guitar fan, but it sounds great here!
maindrian: Makes me want to dry hump my speakers. It's THAT filthy. The lead does feel a little flimsy over the top of all that crunchy guitar, but boy, oh boy, does that guitar crunch.
92%
YEAR 2011
moog (Sebastian Bachliñski) - Jazzcat (007)
Dees Productions: Are you serious? Really, man this made me want to pack that pipe with thart jazzy stuff and sit that lounge all night in'. Wow what a jazzmeister! Lovin' this!
NecroPolo: _steve_: Someone needs to grow taste or ears, maybe both 😊 I'd really appreciate some explanation coming with bad rating instead of trolling with no name. That's coward in a way, eh?
Melaure: What a wonderfull piece of Jazz. Sax, guitar,. … Not far from perfection!
93%
Wilfred: My first favourite on remix64, simple, beautiful arrangement
Melaure: Excellent work again, and as unreal says with a touch fo Amiga! Congratulations!
_steve_: Great as usual… Very chilled
94%
Peter Clarke - Ocean Loader 3 (Cinematic remix)
hillsman: The best Ocean Loader? Check. The original composer? Check. Win! Win!
_steve_: Fantasitc. Like the slower pace of this one
Staticborris: Excelent. Love the movie score feel to the track, keep up the great work
94%
YEAR 2012
Ryrynz: Pro job. I would like to hear it however with a softer and smoother more expressive lead. This rings near the edges of perfection, It could've been one of the best.
bastard: Thanxxx!
drax: That is an excellent remix of one my oldies 😊… Quite like the intro of it 😊… Very well done - I am so flattered that you remix so many of my sids 😊
94%
Andreas Wallström and NecroPolo - DMC demo IV 2 (Celtic Mission mix)
LaLa: Head-bangingly powerful! Guitar-smashingly heavy duty! Rock on!
Slayer: Now, thats music!😊
Aule: MONSTER!
93%
infamous: Well fcuk me… Very nice sound, very powerful and has a good industrial feel to it… Very professional sound. Not much else I can say… Fantastic stuff.
XxDUSTYxX: Awesome Remix, so much energy! Arman was a legend. He and his music will be missed.
Dees Productions: Awesome!
93%
YEAR 2013
93%
LukHash - Supremacy (youtube vid)
oxygen: I really liked your original tone, wonderful work piece
LokkoLori: Obey Master LukHash!
Crono: Masterpiece!
93%
BeeZerk - BeeZerk - Blasphemy (Feat. Pallaso & Kage)
ziona: Awesome piece, very pleasant, I am addicted to it, looping all day!
JLD: Amazing remix!!
weasel: Yeah!!! What LMan said!!! 😃😃😃
93%
YEAR 2014
Slaygon - Platoon (Inexperti belli)
betelzeus: Dark and Gritty… Ditto NiN… Cool man
80sFreak: Just awesome!
defiance: This is amazing…!
95%
Robert Engstrand - The Mansion Gardens (Last Ninja medley)
Acceptus: Magic
Hoylander: WOW! This is one of the best remixes I've heard here in a long time! Very expressive and emotional, very well arranged and produced. Totally loved when the Palace Gardens theme was introduced towards the end. Again great job with this one!
chabee: Great!❤️
93%
Markus Schneider - Enlightenment - Druid II
drm: Good one it fits the game well.
Danceaway: Markus… This is just simply STUNNING mate… And you have moved up in the Orchestra arrangements for sure, love your past work but this is just STUNNING… Well done
Blackstar: Love it - count me in for next tour
93%
Year 2015
Slaygon - Never Die (Skitz lives forever)
GlenBenton: Brilliant!
Makke: This is simply brilliant!
NecroPolo: This track is made of harmony, musicality and honour. Maximum respect, man!
96%
Dr Future - Fist II - The Legend Continues
N.o S.kill P.erformance: Das ist der erste C64-Remix-Track den ich sogar runtergeladen habe, um ihn in meinen Musikordner zu packen
chosc: Hello! Well Done man, your tune is so wonderful and sometimes it remembers me of the old kung fu movies.
ChrisLo: Wow! Perfect piece, arragement, sounds, ambient!
95%
MRT - Eagles (Easy Flight mix)
James T. Kork: Just brilliant.
JustPhreak: Awesome job!!
nummer2: Love it 😊
94%
YEAR 2016
Ripper7575: This is the best version of Cybernoid 2 in my opinion. Very good quality of sounds.
Mordi: Cool! Very original take on the source. I like the mood.
Dr.Piotr: Best guitar by Imany and god action on the bass
96%
Johan Andersson - Out Run - Splash Wave (surf mix)
vurtx: Just perfect in all areas.
Tomsk: So much fun to listen to! Excellent
Sanjo Ride: Loved this, was juming around in my seat
94%
94%
YEAR 2017
SIDNIFY - Supremacy (Overprime mix)
L0rd3vyL: Fantastic remix, dude
Sascha Michael Theel: Outstanding!!! I love it!!!😀
Brosa: Holy cow… Full throttle, love it!
97%
NecroPolo: Not my kind of stuff at all (there is no blood) but it is quality at its best. Great work!
LaLa: A surprisingly downtempo, melancholic arrangement, which I didn't think I'd like, but this is expertly crafted! Just lovely!
nummer2: The whole idea of this remix is just genuis and fresh I wish it was 1-2 minutes longer and it would have been perfect
94%
Etsit: Summer cruise!
Marcus: I have to turn up the volume. And listen the song a second time, third time… I really like it.
Zilog: So sweeeeeeeeet!
96%
YEAR 2018
FastLoaders - Commando High Score
xgener8or: Really good vibes 😊 Could be at the end of a movie with a ferrari driving into the sunset along a mountain road. Haha
The Breaker: This is some one Awesome Top Gun, Commando Retro Remix for sure. 😃
Amiga1200: Woooooow man!
96%
Erestor: Perfect!
Marcus: The perfect mix! The shouts speak for themselves. Could be a Hans Zimmer score!
Ryrynz: I still like x-formz one a bit more but this is great. Can we get a FLAC please?
95%
FastLoaders - Ghouls and Ghosts
Amon73: Uno dei migliori che ho ascoltato qui 😊 Ci vorrebbero più FastLoaders nel mondo 😊 Perfetto!
JChambers: LOVE IT!
Uglybob: Progressive
94%
YEAR 2019
Peter Clarke - Firelord - Symphonic (a nod to Glyn)
Poppykuk: Great arrangement. Keeps the atmosphere of the original but sounds huge.
Breadbox Bill: I love it!
bastard: Absolutely wonderful arrangement!
97%
Glyn R Brown - Firelord (from 8Bit Symphony)
Ryrynz: Love this but prefer the 2002 version's overall expression, just needs a remix up to this level of quality and boom… Masterpiece.
Grigul: Is there anyone who can beat Glyn R. Brown? No, only Glyn himself - and he did it. He took one of his greatest Remixes - and improved it to a higher level. The old one is still epic - this one here is (my opinion): The Most Epic Track Ever!!
celina w: This remix is really amazing!
98%
omoroca: After 20 seconds I knew I have to vote Outstanding. Because… It is. Great job!
mrt: Fantastic work! Thanks
PixelGrinch: Outstanding Remix! THANK YOU, Jogier
97%
YEAR 2020
peterparker: Nice and fitting guitar solo!
Tomsk: Startlingly good remix. Strings, bass, lead, guitar all blended together with care and love. I can even forgive the 'shoehorned' vocoder, because it makes me smile. Wonderful all round!
Murdock: A really lovely great work, Peter 😊
96%
Peter Clarke, ziona & Slaygon - Tales of Boon (The Collaboration Mix)
Poppykuk: Another musical journey with peter clarke. I hear the other players and it all works beautifully together. I love the way the soundscape changes.
XxDUSTYxX: Excellent collaboration! Thank you very much for this Remix, ziona, Slaygon and Peter Clarke!😊
Glyn R. Brown: The more I listen to this track, it just gets Better & Better 😊 Great work Guys…
95%
SIDNIFY - The Last Ninja - The Wilderness
hillsman: One of the best remixes on RKO… Period.
MatrixRevolution: Amazing!
XxDUSTYxX: Thank you for your powerful and catchy hi-quality remix, SIDNIFY! Ben Daglish will never be forgotten!
95%
People, we should considder ourselves lucky to be part of a community diverse enough to cover everything from the solitary hobbyist with a copy of Fruityloops to an 80-piece symphonic orchestra. The solitary remixer can afford to be out of pocket on a remix since the music isn’t his/her day job - the professional musician doesn’t have that luxury. Dismissing one over the other isn’t a way to take the hobby in new directions. If you prefer the freely available renditions, that’s fine by me - but don’t knock commercial efforts simply for having a cost. No one is in this to get rich.
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