Reviews by K8-bit

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all c64 only Amiga only

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Mutants (Sub 2 Mutation) - arranged by vurtX

Review by K8-bit, 24/03/2012

A very good arrangement, with a very distinctive choice of instruments that catches the attention.

The song itself however, is somewhat uninspiring in its structure, and does not hold the attention all that much. A good arrangement with impressive instrumentation of a structurally uninspiring piece (IMO!) that may have benefited from a leaner length… says Kate of the day-long epics, lol
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Druid (Magic Golem Dance) - arranged by Monty

Review by K8-bit, 08/03/2012

Really nice take on the original, with some gorgeous smooth instrumentation… *except* for the snare from about 1:30 on.. it seems a bit.. out of place.

A pet hate of mine also is the otherwise lovely simple flat-tone lead instrument. I like how it grounds the whole piece in warm-fuzzy 8-bitness.. but I think it sounds awfully cold as it doesent have any vibrato to give it any warmth - I felt much the same towards the from first to last last ninja medley.

Other than that, I loved it
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Flimbo's Concerto (Opus 12 in C major) - arranged by Peter Clarke

Review by K8-bit, 07/03/2012

ok! Completely got my reviews mixed up and vexed poor Peter with my totally bizarre (and not at all correct for this piece!) comments!
  • ahem* Right…

An orchestral take on Flimbo's quest! nice, and quite an enigmatic take on what has traditionally been covered as a funky, upbeat and typically small-band type sound. Here we find Peter has done it in sweeping orchestral grandeur, sounding like the reprise version of the theme as would play over the end-credits of an animated-movie version of Flimbo's Quest

Instrumentation is spot-on, as is its appropriate use (ie no instrument misuses - octave 1 flutes for example!)

2:30 and you can't help but grin when the almighty main theme starts, again - reinforcing the movie-like quality.

Nice use of NICE brass sounds too, no PARPS here, lol.

The whole thing has a lovely flowing rhythm, it doesent sound mechanical as can often be a side-effect of sequencing.

I'm not the biggest fan of the original tunes (or game) but I appreciate their technical artistry, and this does it a LOT of honest complimentary homage
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Trick Bag - arranged by DJ Skitz & Mordi

Review by K8-bit, 07/03/2012

Another lush tune - its got a very Amiga kind of vibe to it, I think - and is exactly the kind of style of music I used to love hearing.

Catchy, beautiful, and poignant in so many ways.
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Mutants - arranged by Razmo

Review by K8-bit, 07/03/2012

LOVELY!

A favorite of mine, which has been covered before by others, some good, some excellent, but I really like this particular take on it, a nice progressive synthy style.

Fab
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Last Ninja 2 The Office Loader - arranged by TNT

Review by K8-bit, 26/09/2011

I like this a lot, mainly because I loved the original tune (and all the nostalgia associated with it!) but also because this arrangement reminds me of Netrunner by Tim Wright (Cold Storage) which was one of the notable original music pieces in Wipeout 2097 Thank you
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Green Beret (The Simple Mix) - arranged by Mordi

Review by K8-bit, 02/08/2011

Understated, laid back, sweet, lush.

Four words to start with describing this piece that I'm so glad Mordi decided to release after tantalising in the forum

Now I have a special soft spot for this original piece from Martin Galway, but that doesent mean I automatically love every arrangement, there arent many out there that I can confess to really liking.

This, by approaching the piece from a different angle - smoother, slower, less frenetic than the original - it appeals for different reasons.

Mordi's decision to stick with the wibbles/noteplex's in the tune is a good one, it anchors the piece to the original in a warm nostalgic way I appreciate. The melody is intact, with an added underlying harmony that reminds me a bit of the dual-melodies in the Wizball highscore. Added arpeggios give it an ethereal lift that think adds a lot too.

A relaxing nostalgic listening pleasure, thank you Mordi
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The Last Ninja Legends - arranged by Mr.E.

Review by K8-bit, 02/08/2011

For the most part I really like this, it tugs at the nostalgia strings in a couple of ways. Obviously its covering some of the most famous C64 soundtracks ever, but also the instrumentation and arrangement has a very Amiga-ish approach.

Normally, I have very little time for UNZ type remixes, but this one appealed.

Its a bit long in places, also not enough variety in the instrumentation in the long to sustain proper interest. Some progression instrumentwise, or some filtering on the *very* amiga like chords would have given it more depth I felt.

However, as an arrangement based on its nostalgic value, its melding of the themes, and the technical accuracy of the very distinct melodies - excellent.
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Last Ninja 2 (Central Park Guitar Remix) - arranged by Richard Braithwaite

Review by K8-bit, 17/06/2011

I would sum up a review of this track that I only hear recently from a random play on slayradio thusly:

This is how I imagine Matt Gray wanted the original piece to sound.

Fantastic. Also an example of where the use of the real C64 sound (by which I mean SID sounds) works to create a truly nostalgic fusion of retro and timeless instrumentation.
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Flashback - Holocube - arranged by Mano

Review by K8-bit, 17/06/2011

One of the standout pieces from the game gets a superb cover here. I've always had a softspot for some of the music in Flashback, this one in particular. The arrangement is clean, and has a bright, embellished piano, as well as some nice layers underpinning it. There have been a few covers of this track, but this is up there with my favourite (name eludes me at present)

If this composer was to cover more of the themes from the game, I would be quite happy
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Target Renegade (August 1999 remix) - arranged by Ferrara

Review by K8-bit, 29/12/2010

Really like this!

Didnt read the info until afterwards, but thought it had a very mod sound, but charming nonetheless. Sort of Giorgio Morodor vibe too.

A fave c64 tune of mine, rendered lovely here.

Would love if you were to breathe new life into instruments tho!
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