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The Palace Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 Like some of other tracks of this album, I can totally imagine this track being the title theme of a 90s action TV series, it just has that kind of punchy, euphoric feel to it. I won't even bother comparing it to the version from Matt's earlier 'Reformation 3' album, because it's just so different (and dare I say, better - much better). A tasteful mix of guitar-heavy sections, drums with just the right amount of oomph, synths where they were needed - all delivered in an arrangement that just feels right. Superb in every sense. |
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The Palace Loading Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 Another high tempo, high energy track from this album. Matt is not afraid to use layers of percussion in his remixes that a human drummer wouldn't be able to play even with three hands. But that creative freedom - coupled with carefully selected drum sounds - is what gives this remix a strong driving force. Add some guitar licks (or guitar-sounding licks), garnish the rest with spot-on basses and synthy ear-candy, and you have a sure hit at your hands. Matt turned it into a fantastic hard rock(-ish) track, and I find it hard not to stand up and rock to it - or at least tap my feet to it. |
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The Dungeons Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 Ah, well, now we are in Matt's wheelhouse! Dark and gritty, mysterious and menacing - this is a style that suits him! This track on the album is definitely not the relentless flood of sonic sensory overload that some of the other ones, are, yet, it's just as impactful. The more you listen to it, the more you'll discover in it. Still, I wish it was longer, much longer - even the original SID was longer than this track. I wish Matt explored the shadowy depths of this tune even further. |
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The Dungeons Loading Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 Although a remix of this SID already appeared on Matt's 'Reformation 3' album, this R5 version is very different from that one. The layers of pads in the intro may sound familiar, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. Once the deep hits come in at 1:06 you know you're in for a wilder ride. Yet again, as with all other tracks of this album, the production and mixing of this remix is just out of this world. The choice of instruments, the changes to the original SID's arrangement - nothing I can argue with. And even with its sonic perfection this tune just begs you to turn up the volume to 11, especially during its crescendo. If there's one gripe I have with this track is its outro: there's none. It just ends suddenly, like if Matt forgot to finish it. All other tracks of this album have 'proper' endings, but not this one. Puzzling. Still a great tune! |
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The Palace Gardens Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 Honestly, slow, serene tunes do not seem to be Matt's forte. While the production quality of this remix is obviously high, I think it promises more than what it actually delivers. There are hints of Asian instruments sprinkled throughout this arrangement (e.g. a koto-like lead), but I don't think Matt goes as far as he could've with them. Don't get me wrong, this is still a very pleasant piece and one of the top Palace Gardens remixes I've heard, it just leaves me with a nagging feeling that it could've been more. |
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The Palace Gardens Loading Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 Similar to several other tracks on this album, this remix was also enhanced considerably by Matt for this album. Everything sounds more polished, more impactful. New sounds were added (both synth and guitar) that greatly enhance the soundscape of this track as compared to its version on ReFourmation. And while the overall arrangement was left intact, all those sonic tune-ups make this a very different - and, I'd argue, much better - piece. |
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The Wilderness Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 Although on first listen this may sound identical to the version on the 'Reformation 2' album - and that's true for the overall arrangement, even when listened to side-by-side - the production value of this version is much better. With punchier, yet smoother drums, the addition of several guitar licks, replacing some leads with (better) guitars - it just sounds leaps and bounds better in every department. |
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The Wilderness Loading Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 I compared this version with the one that appeared in Matt's ReFourmation album, and the difference is night and day: the drums are less gritty, more refined, yet, carry more punch. Some of the, may I say 'cheezy' synths are gone and are replaced either by powerful guitars or much better sounding synth instruments on this album. So, despite the arrangement being almost identical to that in ReFourmation this is undoubtedly a much improved version, with appeal to a much wider audience. Absolutely superb! |
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The Wastelands Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 HOLY SH*T!!! Bursting at the seams with pure energy, this is a non-stop rush of adrenaline that grabs you from the very first beat to the last. My absolute favorite from The LN R5 album - I can't stop listening (and dancing) to it! It's at once a modern homage to a C64 classic, and also a new synthwave style blockbuster piece meets 90s popular music. The well-crafted drums are the driving force behind this piece (and omg those toms!), with guitar licks an synth lines dropped in for added spiciness throughout. This remix strays from the original melody line at several places, but nothing sounds out-of-place, everything sounds like as if it was intended to sound like this from the beginning. To wit: those last few bars towards the end will stay with you long after the last notes of this tune fade out. For me this is the most innovative remix on the entire album, bar none. The guitar leads, the rhythm guitars, those bass lines, not to mention those amazing drums - just perfection through and through. Its style is unmistakably that of Matt - coupled with an energetic arrangement and spotless production, that makes it a sure winner. |
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The Wastelands Loading Theme (from The Last Ninja) R5 Version - arranged by Matt GrayReview by LaLa, 29/03/2026 A fairly straightforward arrangement of the original that is expertly crafted and produced. The guitar lead sounds lovely, but every other instrument also finds its place perfectly in this version. |
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Magic Demo Designer (tune 1) - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by Gurbz, 29/03/2026 Quite a timeless experience this arrangement. The very effective use of synths, strings and vocals creates a beautiful landscape. Well done! |
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Giana Sisters Medley feat. Romeo Knight (Encore500 V2) - arranged by Peter Clarke, Jogeir Liljedahl & Barry LeitchReview by Gurbz, 29/03/2026 Very cool to hear a bare essentials SID track transform into this captivating piece of music. |
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Turrican 2 Title (Highway to Heaven mix) [Encore500 V2] - arranged by ZionaReview by LaLa, 28/03/2026 Honestly, there are very few Turrican 2 remixes I've heard before that are better than this one, and one of those was made by Chris Hülsbeck himself for his own CD album. I could probably nitpick my way through this remix to find tiny little faults in it, but frankly, who cares. It's a great remix and the love of the original shines through this one like a beacon. Great remix! |
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Giana Sisters Medley feat. Romeo Knight (Encore500 V2) - arranged by Peter Clarke, Jogeir Liljedahl & Barry LeitchReview by Tomsk, 28/03/2026 I was lucky enough to hear both Peters progress and also the lads who brilliantly finished this remix for him, after he passed. I know how much work went in, and what a great result came out. Such a moving tribute, and a tune that tells it's own story with-in. Beautiful |
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64 Counts of Battery - arranged by NecroPoloReview by Gurbz, 26/03/2026 An adventurous tune, very well done. Guitars sound fat and tight, arpeggio’s fly around, drums are rocking. Great stuff, great production 🤘🏻 |
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Stormlord - arranged by Reyn OuwehandReview by JumboKatt, 26/03/2026 Really emotional and played so perfectly.One can hear the feeling in every key stroke in the melody… Superb! |
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Giana Sisters Medley feat. Romeo Knight (Encore500 V2) - arranged by Peter Clarke, Jogeir Liljedahl & Barry LeitchReview by NecroPolo, 26/03/2026 Peter was a class act. Rest in peace, master of SID.This co-op track is a very nice memento. I'm especially fond of the slightly darker toned 3:20 - 5:20 part. Great soundscape and playing. |
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Great Giana Sisters - arranged by machinae supremacyReview by JumboKatt, 25/03/2026 Oh, @2.20… Guitars of Heaven. Greatest version ever, so much nostalgia. Also the new game was superb. |
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The Last V8 - arranged by GurbzReview by LaLa, 22/03/2026 Welcome to the remix community, Gurbz! I really like this debut remix of yours! All the personal touches you've added to the original arrangement really make it stand out. Really top-notch. But to be honest, I think the mix could be better, it doesn't quite has the clarity and crispiness I'd expect from a hard rock tune, but I'm willing to overlook that, since everything else with this remix is just so good. |
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Giana Sisters Medley feat. Romeo Knight (Encore500 V2) - arranged by Peter Clarke, Jogeir Liljedahl & Barry LeitchReview by LaLa, 20/03/2026 I don't know if we ever had a posthumous release of a remix either on AmigaRemix or RKO, so Pete may have just won that category, too. Although I wish he didn't… The first two minutes are so unmistakably Pete: the intricate layers of plucked instruments with some slow string as pads. That's definitely his signature. The slow and elegiac parts that follow are just incredibly mournful, asking the listener to stop and reflect. The closing minutes are pure bliss, with a more positive message, asking us to be thankful for what we've been able to enjoy during our short time together here on Earth. Life is too short to waste… What a fitting closure this track is to the entire album! Incredibly thoughtful and very well executed. My sincere thanks to the entire Encore team! |
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Turrican 2 Title (Highway to Heaven mix) [Encore500 V2] - arranged by ZionaReview by hillsman, 20/03/2026 There are a lot of Amiga Turrican remixes and the quality varies. It is clear that a lot of effort has gone into this and that there is a love for the source material. The sounds are crisp, the melodies are on point and the arrangement is top notch. The best T2 Title Remix to date IMO. |
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Blood Valley - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 08/03/2026 The intro flute sounds wonderful! I presume it's a SWAM instrument? But that hard-to-explain human touch just flows through the entire piece in every single instrument. The crescendo with the choir is just superb, and then the single voice finishing it up all makes it sound very cinematic. Top-notch production. |
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International Karate (revived) - arranged by Puffy64Review by LaLa, 27/02/2026 This is a real gem - and its unmistakably Puffy-esque. You did the best you could with the 10+ and 20+ years old material you had at hand. I, for one, am glad you released it! Musically, kudos for tackling the entire tune - and more. Maybe a break here and there would've been welcome to give our ears a chance to recover from the onslaught of heavy electric guitars, but then again, the original SID doesn't let up much, either. Thanks for saving this remix and uploading it! |
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Skate or Die (tsr ocean drive remix) - arranged by tsrReview by LaLa, 24/02/2026 If there was a specific genre targeted with this remix, then I'm afraid it went over my head. There's a pad that sort of washes out the entire mix when it's there. The lead sounds too flat and uninteresting. The bass starting @ 3:03 (that is, when it's not doing the rapid staccatos) sounds pretty cool, though. |
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Tetris [Mariko's Tale] (Encore64 V2) - arranged by Barry LeitchReview by Hendrik74, 24/02/2026 I recall playing Tetris for the first time, it was in the basement of a friend's place, without any sunlight the place became whatever we played on the C64. Add a brown worn-out couch, the smell of chips and Cola stains all over the desk and you get the picture. While watching one of my friends play I wondered that no one seemed to take notice of the soundtrack, which was quite strange and different from your average C64 tune, only rivaled by the Parallax intro. And boy, was it long or cleverly looping? It must be, why would anyone compose a track that ran longer than anyone could keep the bricks from piling up to the top, which inevitably meant falling back to the menu screen and the score resetting to start? Well, it wasn't like that, it played on, until finally it faded and started over.That is the charm of remixes, they bring back not only the music, but the memories. And the answer to what the original composer might have heard when creating this, on whatever equipment or only the mind, before converting it into what the SID and skill allowed. This remix has it all, the stomping drums, the original-sounding synth kicking in at just the right moment (at 3:00), the orchestral grandeur (starting with the middle part at minute 11, with a lead string that is a nod to Game of Thrones?) and lots of interesting choices, like the hand-pan sounds, the door-bellintermezzo at 9:43 and finally the unexpected 90 second, dreamlike extro, which makes one want to start the track all over again, just like the original did, back in 1988. |
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Enigma Gun (Extended Mix) - arranged by neriakXReview by JumboKatt, 19/02/2026 Like a cat's purrr triggering every nerve ending in slow, delicious waves, this track sends shivers cascading down your spine - pure, electric pleasure! |
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First Samurai (Ingame Remix) - arranged by MechrisReview by Gwood1234, 18/02/2026 Nice arrangement with some good synths etc. I'm not too familiar with the original but enjoyed this. Well done Mechris! |
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Times of Lore - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 09/02/2026 What a lovely rendition of Times of Lore! A long time ago I tried to tackle the same tune the same way (with a piano playing the arpeggios), but I was far less successful at it than you were, which is why that remix never got released. 🙂 And the way you continue building up the tune with additional instruments was a great idea. The percussion fits in perfectly, too. I quite like the the synth lead at the end, too, a bit Vangelisy with its CS-80-ish quality, plus with its softness and lush reverb. Well done! |
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Way of the Exploding Fist - arranged by Kent WalldénReview by LaLa, 09/02/2026 Not many remixes stand the test of time, but here we are, almost 26 years later and I still enjoy listening to this one as much as ever. The dancey-trancey treatment that WOTEF got here fits surprisingly well. I also love those echoes that are all over the place, they really give this remix a unique character. Even the instruments don't sound as outdated as maybe they should, they are all tightly woven together. |
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Sid Factory 1 - arranged by moog (Sebastian Bachliñski)Review by iksz_cs_twarf, 03/02/2026 One of Laxity's top tracks. Moog's smooth jazz rendition is naturally a bit airier (which makes it more suitable for jazz radios, hehe), although I somewhat miss the torturing densitiy of the original. Anyway, a must. |
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