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
das.Mordschaf: Its just GREAT ❤️
Capitaine: Crazyyy! It's just the original tune atmosphere. Many thanks for this 😊
Nebdar: Very good atmosphere build up and orchestral arrangment. Brilliant play and great work
92%
Nebdar: This tune has sole and purpose… Similar to the Twin peaks Tv series tune
karter: Must have for every collection. Outstanding!
Dumper: Absolutely brilliant.
93%
condor: Agreed with ommoroca - wonderful!
Trydowave: Best version of zoids. Obvious Jarre influence. Great stuff
humorguy: Oh sorry fell up from somewhere really nice. Big fat red one!
92%
Year 2001
machinae supremacy - Great Giana Sisters
tacocat: This one has been on playlist since 2001
Amok: Imho the very best all time remix ever!!! 😃
deathrunner: What to say? But WOW!
96%
Tonka - Last Ninja - Palace Gardens (Loader)
Rko_fan_since_03: I heard this one for the first time over 6 years ago and am still amazed every time I listen to it today. My favourite Last Ninja remix.
infamous: The transition in the middle is BRILLIANT, tonka really know's how to get into your head and make you listen up, top notch tune. Wish he'd do a few more such a great talent.
Tpmccusker: OOOF, good start! It's so fun and wild, it reflects the original so well!
93%
DHS - Max Headroom (Orbital 3241 Elevator Mix)
humorguy: Great value for money DHS just keeps on doin' it!
chairmankaga: One of my favourite SID remixes.
madrigal: Wonderful remix, DHS is a guarantee for quality!😉
90%
Year 2002
Glyn R Brown - Firelord - Symphonic
Fhood: Excellent
Ryrynz: Outstanding, such an epic improvement over the SID. One of the best remixes on RKO without a doubt.
RebornOnline: A great version of my favourite C64 tune! Thanks Glyn!
96%
Mahoney - Armageddon Man (Vocal Jazz feat. Karin Öjehagen)
allannoe: Outstanding!
MORBID: This is brilliant!
Tas: Sexy sexy vocals
95%
Glyn R Brown - Gordian Tomb Adventures
Gildan: Best remix on RKO, period.
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)
emrebulsat: Perfect… The Powerful SAW Sound… Trance it…
condor: You know, othere remixes were great but this remix is historical.
Wilfred: Excellent work!
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.
snorski: Epic
lolicon: Love Vangelis, love this tune! Very well composed. This delivers!
93%
jelly: Hauntingly haunting.
mz1453: Sounds like Kitaro! Relaxing, clear and yet powerful!
Gildan: Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy!
91%
Year 2004
prowler: Wonderful work!
Waz: Damn this is very very good. Lots of symphonic stuff that reminds me of the recent King Arthur movie, sensible use of vocals (very a la Enya for some reason) and thoroughly enjoyable.
karter: Couldnt be better. If this is half finished, I would really like to hear the finished one 😊
97%
Haldor: One of the best C64 remix ever!
CharlieC: I think this version is better than Mordi's, because of the bass line. Sinus bass rules!
YogibearRenoise: Best Sweet RMX!
97%
DHS - The Human Race (Bando alle Seghe)
Amok: Still great but I think its overrated and I prefer DJ Mitch's version… Finally I cant resist it… 😃
weasel: Really kicking style here!! Really reminds of enigma-melodics… Haha!! The drum-style and all that! 😉 Funny… But still fitting the original SID here, too! So it's working well and deserves a definite 'outstanding' from me as well! 😃
esg: I love this song and the two musician too!
93%
Year 2005
Makke - Artura(Dublin Delight Mix) feat. Andreas Wallström
chabee: Well done!
placio74: Brilliant & Masterpiece!!!
Waz: This is exactly how Ben would have done the tune if he'd been allowed to put all manner of Jethro Tull influence into the piece. Original and also quality, keeping the spirit of the original intact.
95%
Marcel Donné - Something Stranger Remake
XxDUSTYxX: This is really an outstanding and very catchy Remix! Thumbs up, man! - P. S. Grytulf: Release a better Remix… That would be the REAL surprise!😉
Skitz: I can admit to cumming when I heard Feekzoids original remix - and this just had the same effect… A new pair of shorts please!
Melaure: Very relaxing
92%
Gildan: Glyn has been harking on about this tune for well over a year now and what a welcome return, fekin awesome I tell ya!
o2: This is so damn nice.
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 & LMania - Robocop Title
Ryrynz: Had this on my PC for almost 10 years and haven't voted on it. Emotion from the get go, I feel like it would almost belong on Cowboy Bebop or some other high profile anime closing. Incredible stuff!
anaconda: So 80's that it would have surely been on the charts back in '85!
stoo: When I heard the sweeping synths at the start I nearly cried. An 80s epic; this is the sound of my childhood. Someone should knight these guys.
95%
moog (Sebastian Bachliñski) - Tristess
Makke: Moog-alization-ness-tastic! What I'm trying to say is well done, moog.😉
olla: Simply great!! Keep it up Moogie…
jokesoldier: Makes me surprisingly very happy!
93%
machinae supremacy - Sidology 2 Trinity
Steve Foster: Brilliant in every way!
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!!!
Kelsaurian: Absolute ballar!
93%
YEAR 2007
Reyn Ouwehand - Green Beret (live at The Church)
Batowski: This should be number one! Even if it had nothing to do with Green Beret it would be a hit.
Hypnox: Absolutely stunning. Top-3 c64 remixes eva!
BeeZerk: Very Impressive, well done!
97%
Dafunk - Destruction - The New Beginning (rmx)
snorski: Smooth!! Like it a lot!
NecroPolo: Not my style but it's perfectly done.
prowler: It seems like Dafunk is really in the zone right now, producing like sonic wanderer did some years ago 😀
93%
Dumper: A great tune all round, Dafunk just keeps the quality coming, excellent.
KF: Top Stuff…!
chilli_uk: The more you listen the more you need to listen - great work Dafunk
93%
YEAR 2008
Mordi - Plastic Pop (I Miss You mix)
boyowilkins: Another fantastic remix - where on earth do you get the time 😀
selvatico: Simply outstanding
jtgibson: I find it somewhat disturbing that I like this song so much. The lyrics are so well done, and I normally *hate* lyrics!
93%
Dafunk - Hardcore Power (We Believe In Goa - Remix)
BeeZerk: Top notch tune, clear production, great transitions, prof arrangement and perfect lenght. The hookline is the thing I like the most, awesome work.
bluffphonica: GREAT I am loving this melody!
Grigul: Awesome, absolutely awesome tune. Maybe the best one of Dafunk. Great Job!!
93%
Peter W - Stargate (Not As Trancelucent As)
Amok: Just great…
Makke: All I can say is: Propper job, Peter! Very well done.
Nebdar: It is so nice to listen to it. The time pass so quickly
92%
YEAR 2009
Firestorm - Commando (Sound of SceneSat Edit)
Mordi: Heh. Ridiculously well done remix. _truly_ outstanding. Incredibly movie-like. One of the top-10 on the whole site for sure.
drm: Outstanding remix from a pro musician!
schlicky: Just friggin awesome!
96%
Jogeir Liljedahl - Synth Sample - The Stationary Ark
Codetapper: Simply beautiful!
ulfepulf: Beautiful! A bit more dynamic piano, and this is perfect.
Amok: Loves
95%
ScottMcUK: Thank you soooo much for this. Hope you pay homage to some of the other Ocean Loaders also.
Melaure: Excellent
Shark: Yes great work really liked it better then all these dance tracks of late and I can never get enough ocean loader remixs so cheers!
94%
YEAR 2010
eliot: Congratulation, this is really great!
mfe: Love the execution of this version.
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)
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!!!
Mordi: Cool tune. Great sounds and lovely percussion. I love your style!
condor: Sounds, details… Brilliant! Reminded me to moog's remixes.
92%
SIDrip Alliance - From First to Last (AROK12 tribute mix)
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!
Makke: Standing ovations from me. Only one complaint: The drums sound way too flat, static and thin for this heavy track.
weasel: Wow! Truly _outstanding_, indeed!!! Thank you _very_, very much!! 😃
92%
YEAR 2011
moog (Sebastian Bachliñski) - Jazzcat (007)
Karmar: Bad? Why? It's amazing cover! THX moog!
Melaure: What a wonderfull piece of Jazz. Sax, guitar,. … Not far from perfection!
nettuno: Excellent, melody, arrangement and a style unique. WOW!
93%
soppa: One of my personal favorites, could listen to this all day long.
Wilfred: My first favourite on remix64, simple, beautiful arrangement
omoroca: Wonderful, as always! Mordi=Jogeir? Added to my collection.
93%
Peter Clarke - Ocean Loader 3 (Cinematic remix)
Pandarific: I absolutely LOVE THIS!
Shark: Liked it a lot and loved the THX type logo theme around 1.30.😊
Poppykuk: Love it! (and the other one LOL)
93%
YEAR 2012
ZnL: Awesome, good work!
finnr: Love it. Funky as the original, all the effects added are spot on. One of my fav sids, and now one of my fav RKOs.
bastard: Thanxxx!
94%
Andreas Wallström and NecroPolo - DMC demo IV 2 (Celtic Mission mix)
drm: Awesome. Reminds me of Joe Satriani!!!
LMania: Yeah ROCK! The awesomeness! Can you guys make a remix of Commando, just like this one?
tazuk: Awesome 😀
93%
teo: Great remix, has it all what's needed!
XxDUSTYxX: Awesome Remix, so much energy! Arman was a legend. He and his music will be missed.
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.
93%
YEAR 2013
Marcus: Great, awesome! Wall Of Sound like Razmo said before!
NecroPolo: That SID is a heavy piece of cake, man! Execution is flawless, the remix gone several steps beyond the original (already great) atmosphere. I like it soundwise, too.
Grigul: Wow, great tune. The influence by Jean-Michel Jarre is obviously, but hey - I'm a huge fan of Jarre since 1979. Great Job, Peacemaker.
93%
LukHash - Supremacy (youtube vid)
MORBID: Such a brilliant remix!
XxDUSTYxX: Outstanding Remix! |m|
eisei: Love the video too
93%
BeeZerk - BeeZerk - Blasphemy (Feat. Pallaso & Kage)
Amiga4eveR: Wow!!!
Danceaway: TOP track and agree with above… This is nice and I can play in the car with Summer time by will smith…
Lclhstr: Not my favourite style by any measure, but man 😊 put your HENZA-henza-HeNzA!😊
93%
YEAR 2014
Slaygon - Platoon (Inexperti belli)
Mordi: Very nice soundscape! Not familiar with the original tune.
betelzeus: Dark and Gritty… Ditto NiN… Cool man
LMania: Killer track.
94%
Robert Engstrand - The Mansion Gardens (Last Ninja medley)
chabee: Great!❤️
K8-bit: Beautiful. Hairs on the back of neck rising kind of good. Please do more Last Ninja themes like this!
Zilog: Goosebumps everytime!
93%
Markus Schneider - Enlightenment - Druid II
DHS: Wow! I mean, WOW!
Thiad: This is Great. Cool Remix.
drm: Good one it fits the game well.
93%
Year 2015
Slaygon - Never Die (Skitz lives forever)
L0rd3vyL: What an amazing mix. Early favorite for Best C64 remix for 2015. Can't wait to see what this year has in store.
_steve_: An incredibly emotive piece
LaLa: Fresh off his win at ROTY 2014, Slaygon drops another beauty on us. Wonderful cinematic emotions - I only wish if it was longer…
96%
Dr Future - Fist II - The Legend Continues
omoroca: Wonderful! Added to my collection.
Ahriakin: Great version, fantastic mix.
0021agimA: Perfect work Dr Future!
95%
MRT - Eagles (Easy Flight mix)
blubberdiblub: Wow, just wow! The reverberation creates a dreamy atmosphere, the bass line so powerful and the strings simply lovely.
nummer2: Love it 😊
Ryrynz: Wow, that's quite the remix.
93%
YEAR 2016
ChrisBond: Wow - that is a really good remix, good sounds good arragement, but a little static beat - love it anyway, and thanks a lot for the Cybernoid I Bonus at the end - lovely
Ripper7575: This is the best version of Cybernoid 2 in my opinion. Very good quality of sounds.
wbdeejay: Love the phat bassline driving this awesome dance mix along, overlaid with delightfully simple melodies.
96%
Johan Andersson - Out Run - Splash Wave (surf mix)
gABBa =aGp=: Hey boy, you ever were on woodstock? Great tune!😊
Supergrobi123: Beautiful, nicely-balanced Remix
finnr: Awesome. Has been on repeat for more than an hour now 😊
94%
Dr.Piotr: Leds dance!!! Greats!
bgmnt: One of the best!
Ispace: 10 years on, I still love this music… And you?
95%
YEAR 2017
SIDNIFY - Supremacy (Overprime mix)
Ryrynz: Great stuff
chabee: Great work guys!
Mordi: Wow! Cool stuff!
97%
kwed: One of the best Plastic Pop arrangements ever. If not the best.
Castor: Awesome!
Double_maggic: Listen - vote - repeat…😊
94%
StormChild: My favorite remix of Albedo alongside with RunStop64's version(s)!
beldin: Synth heaven!
nummer2: Absolutly great. Man I follow your mixes for so long but you improved on some unbelieveable level. Its perfect. Were you get all these cool sounds and ideas from. 😃
96%
YEAR 2018
FastLoaders - Commando High Score
Marcus: Well done!
xgener8or: Really good vibes 😊 Could be at the end of a movie with a ferrari driving into the sunset along a mountain road. Haha
TbB: I want back in time… GOD! I miss my c64 😉 Please write at least 15 words. WTF?!😊
96%
wbdeejay: As wonderfully Moody and Detailed as the original.
Anthony Walters: Awesome! - Hollywood is calling…
WizardOz: Epic!
95%
FastLoaders - Ghouls and Ghosts
ChrisC.: Fastloaders Metal Gods!
Amon73: Uno dei migliori che ho ascoltato qui 😊 Ci vorrebbero più FastLoaders nel mondo 😊 Perfetto!
JChambers: LOVE IT!
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!
96%
Glyn R Brown - Firelord (from 8Bit Symphony)
Gildan: Glyn… Nuff said
Chris Abbott: A huge upgrade to the iconic 2002 version. Make sure you catch the pure symphony version at http://www.8-bit-symphony.com
speedy: EDIT: Great stuff after several listenings and better than first one.
97%
c64glen: Outstanding. Unfamiliar with the original but there Pink's Who Knew in there.
aix: I don't comment very often, but when I do… Whoa.
rnuls: Fantastic song from Jogeir
97%
YEAR 2020
peterparker: Nice and fitting guitar solo!
Ryrynz: Oh my lord. Is anyone else basically after a version of this but with a bit more of a drawn out emotional vibe to it?
MagicMosher: Really cool!!!. Absolute banger once again my man
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.
MagicMosher: You guys should absolutely keep up the work together the harmony between the 3 styles of music takes me on a journey
XxDUSTYxX: Excellent collaboration! Thank you very much for this Remix, ziona, Slaygon and Peter Clarke!😊
94%
SIDNIFY - The Last Ninja - The Wilderness
Mordi: SIDNIFY = Quality. Punchy track!
XxDUSTYxX: Thank you for your powerful and catchy hi-quality remix, SIDNIFY! Ben Daglish will never be forgotten!
NecroPolo: Spendid work lads!
94%
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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