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
cinemaniac: Perhaps the best remix of this, the best C64 theme out there ever!
Bjorn H.: One of the first C64 remixes I ever heard. Went with me on numerous travels. Two or three thumbs up.
banador: Just so good and interesting picture of the Nemesis that this music creates.
92%
t0ester: Brilliant!!
Zilog: This is AWESOME!
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.
93%
humorguy: Oh sorry fell up from somewhere really nice. Big fat red one!
Melaure: Excellent, I have found Jarre's fealings in this tune 😃
Trydowave: Best version of zoids. Obvious Jarre influence. Great stuff
92%
Year 2001
machinae supremacy - Great Giana Sisters
anaconda: Simply the best remix ever done. All time favourite!
condor: This IS best Giana Sisters remix.
zjebur: Excellent!
96%
Tonka - Last Ninja - Palace Gardens (Loader)
hillsman: Absolute genius. A true sid remix - wish there were more like it.
Tpmccusker: OOOF, good start! It's so fun and wild, it reflects the original so well!
sebuko: I love this version since over years. It´s the best last ninja version i´ve ever heard. Please rmx some more last ninja tunes. You´re really great!!!
93%
DHS - Max Headroom (Orbital 3241 Elevator Mix)
legus: Gooood!!!
madrigal: Wonderful remix, DHS is a guarantee for quality!😉
aero: Simply gorgeous
90%
Year 2002
Glyn R Brown - Firelord - Symphonic
Man from Stars: Great!
raiden: Fucking Awesome! Glyn Keep this up will ya 😉
niccin: Awesome!
96%
Mahoney - Armageddon Man (Vocal Jazz feat. Karin Öjehagen)
Mordi: Outstanding.
romeo_knight: Simply amazing! Just a pity the fantastic singing has no lyrics…
migu: So very beautiful still.
95%
Glyn R Brown - Gordian Tomb Adventures
Chili-Man: A Masterpiece!!!
lonegunman: Really Cool. You do not hear the Synthi… Wonderful!!!
humorguy: This is awesome. The first stirrings of a what has become a GREAT mixer.
95%
Year 2003
Lagerfeldt - Dutch Breeze/Robocop 3 (Progressive Uplift)
chainblade: One of the best remixes out there
Ryrynz: I used to play this at work in the store… Good times. Love it.
infamous: Outstanding
93%
Thomas Detert - Supernova (the slow tune)
Zilog: Conquest of Paradise / Vangelis samples or else I'm mistaken => very nice!
Amok: OMG… Powerful, Epic, Awesome… Speechless…
chabee: Fantastic!
93%
Gildan: Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy!
Mordi: Lovely rendition of a nice tune
myicq: This one on repeat, in a flight across the atlantic against the sunset. Simply awesome!
91%
Year 2004
monty_mole: Sounds like a moviescore 😊 Absolut perfect.
MajorLag: Epic
karter: Couldnt be better. If this is half finished, I would really like to hear the finished one 😊
97%
soundtrix: Really nice - reminds me of great 80's movies - Bladerunner/Vangelis
GlenBenton: Superb!
mstodge: I absolutely adore this tune and you have blown me away by your rendition of it.
97%
DHS - The Human Race (Bando alle Seghe)
Skitz: It just proves that DHS can make more than just UNZ! This is lovely!
c64glen: DHS covers Hubbard like no one else can…
floaf: This is REALLY nice!
94%
Year 2005
Makke - Artura(Dublin Delight Mix) feat. Andreas Wallström
Nebdar: SMASHING great
Skitz: I hate Makke… He is so god damn tallented! The muic arrangement is excellent (including Morpheus's percussion) and the lyrics are just perfect!
vernest: 😉 Quite original!
95%
Marcel Donné - Something Stranger Remake
devilhood: Fantastic texturing going on, the intro gives me goose bumps. I'm not a huge fan of the electronic sounding drum-kit though, but that's just me being picky ;😃
Gildan: I upgraded this after a couple of listens… Just after that 3 min mark is just amazing… Its been a long time coming but Marcel sure knows how to work a tune
Wilfred: Definitely one of the best tune from 2005.
92%
infamous: Total change in style for glyn… Gone are the orchestra's replaced with sultry synths and plonk noises and aint it just beautiful 😊
Waz: This is a bit good to say the least. Lovely use of guitar for the lead parts, which convey just the right amount of emotion. And plenty of gentle and neat touches to make it a beautiful emotional piece. Download it. Now.
robertmansfield: Very nice arrangement and beautiful choir-sounds, so here goes the read smiler…
92%
Year 2006
Andy Gilmour & LMan - Robocop Title
infamous: Bloody brilliant… Nuff said
andy_mitchelluk: Brilliant. Takes me back to the old days again! A*****
plokolp: Great use of vibrato. This tune builds and builds and then delivers. I'm sure I've heard this guitar tone and style on a how to plays blues guitar CD / video I bought once…
95%
moog (Sebastian Bachliñski) - Tristess
mania: Awesome tune and the synth sound at 1:19 rocks, don't listen to them 😉
olla: Simply great!! Keep it up Moogie…
Makke: Moog-alization-ness-tastic! What I'm trying to say is well done, moog.😉
93%
machinae supremacy - Sidology 2 Trinity
kurganme: Yeah!
weasel: Hahaha!! Remixae SUPREMACY!!! Great version again, guys!! Yeah…
duffbeer: Absolutely great. I even recognized a short excerpt from F-Zero - Mutant City 1, one of the first Super-Nintendo games.
93%
YEAR 2007
Reyn Ouwehand - Green Beret (live at The Church)
Dr. Bongo: Is there anything Reyn CAN`T do! Nuff said.
PsychNerD: Outstanding, brilliant, excellent, awesome.
BAM: Couldn't stop listening to the Live SundayService version - this redone studio version is beyone belief, simply the definition of perfection
97%
Dafunk - Destruction - The New Beginning (rmx)
GSC: Napierdalaj 😃
bratac: Excellent, it has melody and yet is trancy.
klosterkatten: This tune is great! You really improved! Well done, I cant give anything but this cute red smiley.
93%
chilli_uk: The more you listen the more you need to listen - great work Dafunk
Waz: Another excellent job by Dafunk here. Gorgeous heavy bass and drums that underpin the tune wonderfully, and the piano lead is just the right side of full on. And you have to love those vocals - beautifully placed.
Dumper: A great tune all round, Dafunk just keeps the quality coming, excellent.
93%
YEAR 2008
Mordi - Plastic Pop (I Miss You mix)
Mrcookie: Great, I don't mind the auto tuner. It gives the voice a mysterious shape which fits perfectly into the tune.
kai: Beautiful. Nuff said.
LaLa: WOW! A completely unexpected fresh new take on Danko's famous tune! I love the piano, great singing, but most importantly, very touching, full of emotions. Lovely!
93%
Dafunk - Hardcore Power (We Believe In Goa - Remix)
spellcoder: Bit of '90 Cappella en some Scooter style
infamous: This gets a red face for turning into capella's move on baby half way through, the sudden flashbacks to the early 90's made me smile and do the little fish big fish dance… AWESOME STUFF AS ALWAYS!
brix: First I thought it was just very good, but from 4:00 the tune really gets the shit going! Outstanding stuff. Partytime!
93%
Peter W - Stargate (Not As Trancelucent As)
Makke: All I can say is: Propper job, Peter! Very well done.
L0rd3vyL: My second favorite Peter W tune.
LaLa: Wonderful!
92%
YEAR 2009
Firestorm - Commando (Sound of SceneSat Edit)
Lewrax: Fascinating…
Ryrynz: Done in a very epic movie like style, with obvious Unreal Tournament style instruments. Best remix of the year! What a treat!
rico: Amazing…
96%
Jogeir Liljedahl - Synth Sample - The Stationary Ark
Jezza: Amazing remix of a great sid!
Alucard: Pulls you in a trance and keeps you floating.
mfe: Poignant in its simplicity, this piece that could have easily become boring to listen carries you all the way through on a journey that never gets tedious.
95%
NecroPolo: Haha, I got ya! You get a. Sid file, just run through your MORDIFIER plugin - and that's it 😊 Quality work, as always.
Raffox: Mordi you rock
XxDUSTYxX: Thumbs up! This one is brilliant!
94%
YEAR 2010
omoroca: Gibs rules! Added to my collection.
mfe: Love the execution of this version.
p2: One off JB's better songs even gets better every time it's remixed!! F*cking great gituar solo & sound!! We want more, we want more… Di!! This version together with Marcel Donne's and Lagerfeldt's version is my top 3 of Sweetness! -p2/h3@tw@v3
95%
Chabee - Baboon (Skydive ReMix)
Mordi: Cool tune. Great sounds and lovely percussion. I love your style!
Metal_VIB: Pure porn! A tad too mellow for my taste though, but a really good arrangement of the track.
drax: What an amazing sound and atmosphere - would have been nice to hear some of the original lead in it though… Eventhough it might not have been suitable for this remix… This is really awesomeness!!!
92%
SIDrip Alliance - From First to Last (AROK12 tribute mix)
Arne: All in all a very good sounding remake of different Last Ninja musics. Thumbs up for this music!
Danceaway: Love it, top mix and it blends through each track perfectly, looking forward to seeing you guys live at somepoint in the future… Keep it up guys!!!
Waz: Let there be rock! It's a very good rendition of several LN tunes but done seamlessly with plenty of good nods to the original. It really does need some harder drums though, otherwise excellent all round.
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%
LMan: I love DRAX' melodies, and I love Modi's remix.
YogibearRenoise: Great as almost always!
aero: It just feels groooooooove!
94%
Peter Clarke - Ocean Loader 3 (Cinematic remix)
karl_xii: Fantastic, gives me the shivers when listening
Unzen: Excellent tune - memories come flooding back 😊. Top work!
Palin: Oh… So immersing.
94%
YEAR 2012
chabee: Great! Well done!
Brosa: As usual - Mordi = The sign of quality.
LMan: Perfect, just perfect, mate.
94%
Andreas Wallström and NecroPolo - DMC demo IV 2 (Celtic Mission mix)
karter: M/ awesome!
truck: \m/ worthy comment I'm just not coming up with right now here
LaLa: Head-bangingly powerful! Guitar-smashingly heavy duty! Rock on!
93%
mfe: I'm not a metal fan per se, but I know when it is well done. This is well done.
Chainsaw: Just awesome great. This rocks!!! Red smile, because there is no higher one!
L0rd3vyL: Awesome. Love me some rock, and you do Armand's tune supurbly.
93%
YEAR 2013
monty: Never expected Kitaro to join RKO. Welcome, dude! 😃
horizoner: Really Outstanding!
Ryrynz: Nicely done.
93%
LukHash - Supremacy (youtube vid)
DSMarine: As the vote says… Simply Outstanding!
Crono: Masterpiece!
LokkoLori: Obey Master LukHash!
93%
BeeZerk - BeeZerk - Blasphemy (Feat. Pallaso & Kage)
Danceaway: TOP track and agree with above… This is nice and I can play in the car with Summer time by will smith…
NecroPolo: Man that's some serious summer hit stuff that is beyond being a cool SID remix. Awesome work!
ziona: Awesome piece, very pleasant, I am addicted to it, looping all day!
93%
YEAR 2014
Slaygon - Platoon (Inexperti belli)
khisanth: GREAT stuff indeed.
mfe: Brilliant mix of this song, well done. Though I would have left out the vocal sample, personally.
defiance: This is amazing…!
95%
Robert Engstrand - The Mansion Gardens (Last Ninja medley)
K8-bit: Beautiful. Hairs on the back of neck rising kind of good. Please do more Last Ninja themes like this!
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!
Neo-Rio: Deus-Ex: Human (or ninja) Revolution? I'm not sure if it was a deliberate homage to that game, but I loved it. Perhaps if SID lead sounds were a bit lower, it'd be perfect. As it is, send it to Eidos Montreal and see what they say!
93%
Markus Schneider - Enlightenment - Druid II
mfe: It gets a red face, but… That 'cello with its own room reverb against the more open reverb of the rest of the mix sticks out like a sore thumb.
NecroPolo: Man I must admit that in general I greatly dislike orchestral remixes. At least the ones that are not created with so much expertise like this one. It blasts the rest out of the pool (sorry guys). Kudos Markus!
Gocab: Nice take and realy great hollywood sound.
93%
Year 2015
Slaygon - Never Die (Skitz lives forever)
GlenBenton: Brilliant!
Makke: This is simply brilliant!
_steve_: An incredibly emotive piece
96%
Dr Future - Fist II - The Legend Continues
omoroca: Wonderful! Added to my collection.
gerd: Excellent choice of instruments
chosc: Hello! Well Done man, your tune is so wonderful and sometimes it remembers me of the old kung fu movies.
95%
MRT - Eagles (Easy Flight mix)
Pepe Pinapple: Two Steps ahead!
LMan: Lovely style.
JChambers: Amazing work!
94%
YEAR 2016
Blackstar: For me this is a just as a perfect remix of a C64 tune should sound like.
wbdeejay: Love the phat bassline driving this awesome dance mix along, overlaid with delightfully simple melodies.
mika: Aaaaand that one is going straight to my car playlist
96%
Johan Andersson - Out Run - Splash Wave (surf mix)
finnr: Awesome. Has been on repeat for more than an hour now 😊
symbols: So Pulp Fiction! 😃
vurtx: Just perfect in all areas.
94%
Dr.Piotr: Leds dance!!! Greats!
hillsman: Catchy! Quality!!
LaLa: When listening to this tune I'd like to stand on a hilltop and yell out: This is what the scene is about!!! Kickass 80s feel coupled with a kickass demo tune.
94%
YEAR 2017
SIDNIFY - Supremacy (Overprime mix)
Mordi: Wow! Cool stuff!
XxDUSTYxX: That's so dope! |m|
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!
redhot: Awesome, especially the bass line
LaLa: A surprisingly downtempo, melancholic arrangement, which I didn't think I'd like, but this is expertly crafted! Just lovely!
94%
96%
YEAR 2018
FastLoaders - Commando High Score
Nightshft: Awesome!
XxDUSTYxX: Great work, Jarle!
_steve_: Simply amazing. Love the improvisation around 1:28-1:50 - very Hans Zimmer Top Gun Anthemesque
96%
95%
FastLoaders - Ghouls and Ghosts
GlenBenton: Wow, man!
Ryrynz: Professional. Excellent.
Mordi: Nailing all the arpeggios on guitar. Impressive remix!
94%
YEAR 2019
Peter Clarke - Firelord - Symphonic (a nod to Glyn)
C64_Gamer: Love the 2002 version and now I love this too
_steve_: Love Glyn's original - this re-imagining of that is very well put together and is a great addition to it. Not sure omoroca is hearing the same tune as eveyone else.
JustPhreak: Outstanding work!
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.
kwed: Turns out the only way to top Glyn R Browns 16-year old symphonic remix was to have Glyn himself come back and update it. Amazing stuff and instant classic if I ever heard one!
celina w: This remix is really amazing!
98%
rnuls: Fantastic song from Jogeir
c64glen: Outstanding. Unfamiliar with the original but there Pink's Who Knew in there.
omoroca: After 20 seconds I knew I have to vote Outstanding. Because… It is. Great job!
97%
YEAR 2020
NecroPolo: Lovely stuff Peter! I love the guitar playing especially.
Walter12: Best… remix… EVER!!
Blackstar: Great love boat remix of SH 😉
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.
Glyn R. Brown: The more I listen to this track, it just gets Better & Better 😊 Great work Guys…
NecroPolo: Welcome to the movie 😊
95%
SIDNIFY - The Last Ninja - The Wilderness
Ryrynz: Doesn't get much better than this, it's got all the elements of a top notch remix, love the fresh new SID sound, what an evolution! Holy shit @3:00, bro we need more remixes from you here!
XxDUSTYxX: Thank you for your powerful and catchy hi-quality remix, SIDNIFY! Ben Daglish will never be forgotten!
MatrixRevolution: Amazing!
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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