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
omoroca: Jarresque like hell. This one goes straight to the heart. Years ahead of its time! At 3:10 I fall apart from enchantment. Goose bumps all over! Added to my collection.
Kaitain: I really like this. It starts off sounding like it's going to be a bit pedestrian, but really starts to fly by the second minute.
prq: Excellent tune
92%
eliot: The original can not be beaten by any remake 😀
t0ester: Brilliant!!
nonick: Excellent! But I'd like to know which Galway tunes have been recycled here.
92%
john4p: Brilliant.
eliot: Very very very outstanding 😊
Nebdar: How such a small tune can be so much beautiful
92%
Year 2001
machinae supremacy - Great Giana Sisters
Gungung!: Just brilliant!
GlenBenton: Rocks like hell!
Tas: Groundbreaking!
96%
Tonka - Last Ninja - Palace Gardens (Loader)
migu: This popped up from my RKO playlist on random. Hadn't rated this and couldn't believe it's from 2001 (it's dec 2015 now). Amazing work!
Cifu1978: Really nice remix, with good tunes, good vibrations and good memories.
Acceptus: OMG. GREAT!!!♡
93%
DHS - Max Headroom (Orbital 3241 Elevator Mix)
legus: Gooood!!!
chairmankaga: One of my favourite SID remixes.
plokolp: Love this. 2 tunes in one.
90%
Year 2002
Glyn R Brown - Firelord - Symphonic
Tas: Still sets a standard
cactus007: GREAT!
Kalamarr: Enjoyed this one.
96%
Mahoney - Armageddon Man (Vocal Jazz feat. Karin Öjehagen)
Nebdar: There is something magic in this because it made me start signing
ulfepulf: Sweet!
NecroPolo: Awesome one!
95%
Glyn R Brown - Gordian Tomb Adventures
brix: WTF?! ! This is great!
humorguy: This is awesome. The first stirrings of a what has become a GREAT mixer.
Ginjirou: Absolutely amazing. Required entry on any mp3 player I own. Simply sublime! Could be from a shaolin monk stage show…?
95%
Year 2003
Lagerfeldt - Dutch Breeze/Robocop 3 (Progressive Uplift)
chainblade: One of the best remixes out there
Zilog: No trouble here whatsoever, great track!
donkeyspank: So good! The speech just adds to the atmosphere!
93%
Thomas Detert - Supernova (the slow tune)
TNT: Since 8 years it's a pleasure listening to this and it's still one of my favorites.
snorski: Epic
lolicon: Love Vangelis, love this tune! Very well composed. This delivers!
93%
mz1453: Sounds like Kitaro! Relaxing, clear and yet powerful!
exo: Simply a great song.
bratac: Simply wonderful!
91%
Year 2004
ggeudraco: I just love the fantasy style singing mixed with orchestra mixed with the modern synthesiser. It works well, and I'm pleased I regularly request this track on SLAY
kwed: Glyn says this is an unmastered/unfinished mix. I can't for the life of me hear anything wrong with it. Superb!
gamleerik: Totally awesome. We should have more like this, then the world would be a better place.😉
97%
slaygon: Outstanding! I also love the early workprint with only CS-80 in it, but this is just awesome!
condor: I remember this one whet I donwload it… It's brilliant!
Tomsk: Aye lad - this is indeed lovely
97%
DHS - The Human Race (Bando alle Seghe)
aricz: Mmmmmmm, smooooooth and beeeeautiful! Soothing stuff, yummie😊
Amok: Still great but I think its overrated and I prefer DJ Mitch's version… Finally I cant resist it… 😃
LaLa: F--ing awesome! I'm in total awe! (And that doesn't happen very often.) The beginning reminds me of Deep Forest - same great ethnic feeling.
94%
Year 2005
Makke - Artura(Dublin Delight Mix) feat. Andreas Wallström
merl: One guinness please…😊
DaManiac72: I love what you have done with this. You have created one of the best tunes ever.
chabee: Well done!
95%
Marcel Donné - Something Stranger Remake
ifadeo: F**k'n brilliant! OUTSTANDING!
romeo_knight: Yes, I have to admit this is a little bit FANTASTIC! 😉 (though I wouldn't have done the double time drums in the end)
humorguy: Zero to 3 minutes is the great foreplay, From then to 5:57 is the orgasm… Pure delight
93%
aero: Fantastic, thanks alot glyn!
kjetiln: Speachless
Makke: Holy Christ! Yes!!! At first listen I thought This will get a Very Good vote. Then came the choire, and it all just came together in pure perfection. Pant creamage galoure!
92%
Year 2006
Andy Gilmour & LMan - Robocop Title
NecroPolo: Time travel 😊
Nada: Oh yeah, that's nice. Some good guitar work in there. A bit too middle-class for me.
Ph0B1uS: A really good remix. I LOVE the guitar in this one, a defininite faviourite
96%
moog (Sebastian Bachliñski) - Tristess
humorguy: A fantastic composition, a fantastic rendition and can I just say- it's bloody FANTASTIC (did I say that already?!)
milan72: BOMBASTIC!!!😊
carpii: One of my favorite remixes. Seems not everyone likes the extreme lead, but I think it contrasts perfectly
93%
machinae supremacy - Sidology 2 Trinity
Caboose: This is definately top 10 on the whole remix64.
jokesoldier: Orange face + you got boost powa for the F-Zero intro!
DMC: Pheeew. What can I say? This one is dope! 8:17 - 10:22 kicks ass!!! Mixing is sometimes a bit messy but nothing I can´t live with. Outstanding vote for outstanding work!!!
93%
YEAR 2007
Reyn Ouwehand - Green Beret (live at The Church)
LaLa: The only wrong I can find with this remix is that the electric piano is too grungy for my taste. Otherwise, this is great, great stuff.
Hypnox: Absolutely stunning. Top-3 c64 remixes eva!
arraknis: One of the best I ever heared!
97%
Dafunk - Destruction - The New Beginning (rmx)
prowler: It seems like Dafunk is really in the zone right now, producing like sonic wanderer did some years ago 😀
Waz: Now this is lovely. Not only does it really have that flow and feeling of the original but it develops on it without being too obtrusive. Another winner from DaFunk.
GSC: Napierdalaj 😃
93%
clarence: This is really something cool!
Nebdar: It is outstanding it instantly focus my attention and ears on this track
gol: Amazing sound
93%
YEAR 2008
Mordi - Plastic Pop (I Miss You mix)
carpii: Ahhh I love this tune, it makes me happy and thats all I want from music
Dr-Duke: Very well done Mordi! *takes hat off* And here comes the red one from me… *click*
GeorgeMakarov: It's awesome! I'd have never understood she sang other song if you hadn't said it
93%
Dafunk - Hardcore Power (We Believe In Goa - Remix)
Dr-Duke: Is it just me, or seems there to be a little Boz-train after the beginning? *smiles* Besides joking, very nice track Dafunk. Personally I most love the intro on this one.
bluffphonica: GREAT I am loving this melody!
Mayhem: If my brother likes it then it has to be good… Stonking way to kick off 2008!
93%
Peter W - Stargate (Not As Trancelucent As)
xo: Su-bloody-perb.
Dr-Duke: Very well done Peter W! (Not my fault but I love trance) 😊
exo: Once again you deliver, Peter. 😀 Effortless flowing musical energy.
92%
YEAR 2009
Firestorm - Commando (Sound of SceneSat Edit)
Xenox.AFL: Excellent…!
L0rd3vyL: One of my favourite Commando remixes
rico: Amazing…
96%
Jogeir Liljedahl - Synth Sample - The Stationary Ark
omoroca: Beautiful! Added to my collection.
C64ever: I'm not familiar with the original sid, but this is a nice soothing track to listen to.
Zlorfik500: A wild and unfettered masterpiece!
96%
Ryrynz: A perfect remix of this classic tune, who ever gave this an average face, SHAME ON YOU! I wish it was a bit more open (less dynamic compression?) and a higher bitrate would have been nice.
Bjorn H.: What??? No singing babes and techno loops? Hehehe… Enough jokes. AWESOME work. Thanks Mordi! C64 playlist extended by one song.
Danceaway: Best oceanloader remix I've heard… Very nice
94%
YEAR 2010
nummer2: Waited long time for a new sweet remix and this is just perfect.
k_rostoen: What Mayhem shouted
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.
95%
Chabee - Baboon (Skydive ReMix)
TNT: This is for sure one of the best remixes I've ever heard! Absolutely magnificent!
_steve_: I can't add anything that hasn't been said above. Fantastic remix!
Metal_VIB: Pure porn! A tad too mellow for my taste though, but a really good arrangement of the track.
92%
SIDrip Alliance - From First to Last (AROK12 tribute mix)
K8-bit: I really really like this… I love the guitar play, and the nostalgia the montage brings me… But I think more variation in the SIDdy parts would've been better… Too much reliance on the samey triangle lead IMHO.
Spite: A very good (and unique) remix of Last Ninja tunes. A but flat on the drums and the bass could go up a bit, but the uniqueness of the remix still makes it one of the best rock-remixes so far this year.
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!
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!
LMan: The name's Funk. Moog Funk.
chabee: The sax plays amazing! Nice work!
93%
Dees Productions: The perfect mix of a perfect song. Like to drizzle honey all over the floor and just roll around!
NecroPolo: Drax gets Mordified. I like both factors.
_steve_: Great as usual… Very chilled
94%
Peter Clarke - Ocean Loader 3 (Cinematic remix)
NecroPolo: I'm not really into orchestral remixes but only lack of hearing would let me say that I don't appreciate the work behind it much. It's a great track with great arrangement but I like the other version better.
karl_xii: Fantastic, gives me the shivers when listening
Staticborris: Excelent. Love the movie score feel to the track, keep up the great work
93%
YEAR 2012
zajos: 😊 😊 😊 Sounds amazing! Up to date, pro sound still reminds me of the original era.
ZnL: Awesome, good work!
The SIE: What else can I say… All above said is true. Except schallmauer's shout.
94%
Andreas Wallström and NecroPolo - DMC demo IV 2 (Celtic Mission mix)
Aule: MONSTER!
truck: \m/ worthy comment I'm just not coming up with right now here
DHS: Wow! I mean… WOW! Fuckin' WOW!
94%
Vaggelis Papadopoulos: Amazing and powerfull Remix NecroPolo!! Kudos brother!!
Chainsaw: Just awesome great. This rocks!!! Red smile, because there is no higher one!
LMan: Thank you for pointing out the tragic fate of Armand, his outstanding SID, and this outstanding remix.
94%
YEAR 2013
94%
LukHash - Supremacy (youtube vid)
p2: Love it! Just like all the other work of LukHash!
oxygen: I really liked your original tone, wonderful work piece
weasel: LukHash is a BLAAAST!!! 😃 Really, really cool stuff he's doing here! KEEP ON GOING, pal! *Thumbs UP!*
93%
BeeZerk - BeeZerk - Blasphemy (Feat. Pallaso & Kage)
archon: Wow, great mix and fitting the vocals in just perfectly!
Danceaway: TOP track and agree with above… This is nice and I can play in the car with Summer time by will smith…
Melaure: Top of the charts!
93%
YEAR 2014
Slaygon - Platoon (Inexperti belli)
80sFreak: Just awesome!
khisanth: GREAT stuff indeed.
c64glen: Brillant. Sounds very dirty to start with and then has some glorious guitars.
95%
Robert Engstrand - The Mansion Gardens (Last Ninja medley)
Mayhem: Excellent for what's there, now how about the whole track?😊
K8-bit: Beautiful. Hairs on the back of neck rising kind of good. Please do more Last Ninja themes like this!
NecroPolo: Very nice and fluent production with superb vocal tracks. My 2 picky notes are: 1- for energy it feels a little like an aeroplane with spinned up engines that doesn't take off at the end; 2- I really miss some witty outro that matches the brilliant track.
93%
Markus Schneider - Enlightenment - Druid II
infamous: Markus has always been a fantastic musician and all thats changed over the years to me is the increase in production values, great stuff as always.
LMan: Markus Schneider is back, better than ever.
Ahriakin: Great work! Another for the 'cant believe that's a C64 remix' playlist for the family 😊
93%
Year 2015
Slaygon - Never Die (Skitz lives forever)
druu: Bass came in and so did the goosebumps! Insta-Red. 'Nuff said!
Ziphoid: Nice twist compared to the original SID which still can be recognized in this very enhanced state. Too bad it's a bit short, but I think this requires a play in a Cozy Corner in the future. 😊 Well done!
Makke: This is simply brilliant!
96%
Dr Future - Fist II - The Legend Continues
chosc: Hello! Well Done man, your tune is so wonderful and sometimes it remembers me of the old kung fu movies.
gerd: Excellent choice of instruments
LaLa: Lovely arrangement, Western-style oriental ambience done right.
95%
MRT - Eagles (Easy Flight mix)
timmya4000: Absolutely fantastic, top notch, faultless
NecroPolo: This track has antique aesthetics and balance. The style is not really for me. The quality is.
JChambers: Amazing work!
94%
YEAR 2016
Jac: This is really good. Sitting at work, should go home, but want to listen again!
KoYamaRo: Extremly Nice 😀 Sounds nice to me…
Sokratekk: Would fit in any Italo Disco set… Great!
96%
Johan Andersson - Out Run - Splash Wave (surf mix)
Blackstar: Love it!
finnr: Awesome. Has been on repeat for more than an hour now 😊
symbols: So Pulp Fiction! 😃
94%
95%
YEAR 2017
SIDNIFY - Supremacy (Overprime mix)
Ryrynz: Great stuff
MatrixRevolution: Wow!! What a Guitar!!
chabee: Great work guys!
97%
HighCSharps: Awesomeness in one word!! Thanks
redhot: Awesome, especially the bass line
Castor: Awesome!
94%
Marcus: I have to turn up the volume. And listen the song a second time, third time… I really like it.
HighCSharps: Nice work!
Zilog: So sweeeeeeeeet!
96%
YEAR 2018
FastLoaders - Commando High Score
Marcus: Well done!
Shark: Perfect!
_steve_: Simply amazing. Love the improvisation around 1:28-1:50 - very Hans Zimmer Top Gun Anthemesque
96%
LMan: Superb
Ryrynz: I still like x-formz one a bit more but this is great. Can we get a FLAC please?
WizardOz: Epic!
96%
FastLoaders - Ghouls and Ghosts
JChambers: LOVE IT!
drm: Quality tune!!
Ryrynz: Professional. Excellent.
94%
YEAR 2019
Peter Clarke - Firelord - Symphonic (a nod to Glyn)
Breadbox Bill: I love it!
Poppykuk: Great arrangement. Keeps the atmosphere of the original but sounds huge.
bastard: Absolutely wonderful arrangement!
97%
Glyn R Brown - Firelord (from 8Bit Symphony)
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!!
Dan: Glyn… Nuff said
Marcus: Glyn really has the feeling to arrange an orchestra track with all his dynamics and emotions (very quiet to thundering loud). I loved the old one and the new one is just great again.
98%
Mordi: Dane meets Liljedahl! Highly enjoyable!
PixelGrinch: Outstanding Remix! THANK YOU, Jogier
omoroca: After 20 seconds I knew I have to vote Outstanding. Because… It is. Great job!
97%
YEAR 2020
archon: I listened to the original arcade and mainly the C64 version million times. This is a gigantic interpretation Sega should pay for and I'm sure everyone who knows the original would appreciate. So much effort in this, deserves alot of love 😊 Thank you!
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!
MagicMosher: Really cool!!!. Absolute banger once again my man
96%
Peter Clarke, ziona & Slaygon - Tales of Boon (The Collaboration Mix)
NecroPolo: Welcome to the movie 😊
Glyn R. Brown: The more I listen to this track, it just gets Better & Better 😊 Great work Guys…
tw1l1ght: Wow! You guys better be careful not being 'asked' to get a permit from the community before being allowed to submit more entries in that trio -> Puts each of your best sides into a complete package of awesomeness! ❤️ @3:30 - SO Slaygons part!😉
95%
SIDNIFY - The Last Ninja - The Wilderness
Mano: Solid, Well done.
Bistecca104: Wow! Just WOW!
Ahriakin: Great remix, lots of energy while respecting the source.
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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