Reviews by LaLa |
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Defender of the crown (The Elf's Story) - arranged by Peter ClarkeReview by LaLa, 04/10/2019 Two years later and still top-notch… Full disclosure: I was fortunate enough to have listened to various work-in-progress versions of this track thanks to Pete, and he was gracious enough to even incorporate some of my suggestions into his remix. Which is why I held back on reviewing this track until now. But I think now that nearly two years have passed since, I can do it in good conscience. Although to be honest, there's not much to say about this other than this is how orchestral remixes should be done. And what's really brilliant about this remix is that it incorporates all the major themes (subtunes) of the original SID in one single coherent piece. The various game tunes are weaved together seamlessly, and the resulting epic brings the listener on a grand journey, following the classic story arc of opening-crisis-climax-resolution. The 9+ minutes of this piece just flies by, which is always a good sign. This to me is the definitive Defender of the Crown remix, and I'm sure Richard Joseph would've approved of it, too. I can't think of a better way to honor his legacy than with this remix. |
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Turbo Outrun - Intro [s2] (dnb mix) - arranged by LPChipReview by LaLa, 01/10/2019 I like the idea of this remix more than the remix itself.Cutting up and rearranging the original SID, plus adding a few more instruments to it to enhance it - great idea! But I guess I expected more to come out of this. Repeating the intro bars ad infinitum makes this tiring to listen to. It gets more interesting in the middle, but that's more thanks to Jeroen's genius than anything else. I think, LPChip, you fell in love with your own idea a bit too much, and forgot to give it more polish. |
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Last Ninja 2 - The Streets (Powerloaded) - arranged by Black BozzeReview by LaLa, 21/09/2019 The intro sounds promising, but then it fades into a SID mashup - bit of a letdown. It sounds good, but only because the original SID embedded into this track also sounds pretty good to begin with. I think some more thought given to the arrangement would've helped here. |
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The Great Giana Sisters (Piano Live) - arranged by LightSideReview by LaLa, 17/09/2019 A thoughtful arrangement, very nicely played with appropriate feeling to it. I wish it was a little longer. |
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Firelord - Symphonic (a nod to Glyn) - arranged by Peter ClarkeReview by LaLa, 31/08/2019 Whoo, boy, this is a tough one!On one hand, the technical achievements of this remix (… of a remix 😊 ) are undeniable. The instrumentation is as good as one can get without hiring a real orchestra in Prague (right, Chris? 😊 ). To me the absolute highlight of this arrangement are the new vocals/choirs that appear at 2:02 and towards the end - I wish they were featured more in this remix. On the other hand, this is justa refresh of a previously created arrangement, and thus, feels a bit redundant. Other than the different vocals, it doesn't add much to Glyn's 17 year old arrangement. One of the reasons I really like Glyn's 2019 arrangement is because it is NOT a rehash - he actually changed the arrangement in significant ways (IMHO, to its advantage), in addition to giving it an instrumental update. Don't get me wrong, Peter, the amount of work you put into this is phenomenal, and it really shows (thus my high marks). I know from myself how much one can learn by trying to deconstruct and then reconstruct somebody else's arrangement. But to be brutally honest, your remix is something I might not listen to much ever again, but I tend to listen to Glyn's on a regular basis, and I'm sure I will continue to do so until my ears turn blue. 😊 |
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Challenge of the Gobots (Tribute to Ben) - arranged by Jogeir LiljedahlReview by LaLa, 23/08/2019 Wonderful! I really like the solemn slowed-down tempo here. The soft vocal is a nice touch. I was afraid this remix would go into the uptempo part of Gobots, too, but Jogeir was clever enough to omit that. Still, I wish this remix was longer… |
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Tai-Pan (an ear movie) - arranged by Peter ClarkeReview by LaLa, 20/08/2019 Epic! Great use of the oriental sonic palette throughout, tastefully mixed with the synthy instruments. And big plus points for including subtune #2 in this remix which is my most favorite Tai-Pan track of all. What a trip! I can't get enough of it! 😊 Thanks for sharing it with us! |
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Volleyball Simulator - arranged by Joe [Stainless Steel] BarwickReview by LaLa, 20/08/2019 What I like in this one is that it's trying to preserve the brutish, harsh sonic world of the original. I think it mostly succeeds, with the exception of the plinky leads, which sound out of place here. |
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Rambo highscore - arranged by OJ OscillationReview by LaLa, 20/08/2019 This is really, umm, weird, it's strange, it's totally out there - and that's what I like about it. It's like OJ Oscillation took the original SID, created a remix out of it, then he saidaw, f--k it!, and then twisted and mangled the hell out of that remix - arriving at what you can listen to here. Very unusual, but quite enjoyable. |
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Gordian Tomb (Extended PowerPunch Edit) - arranged by Zee EnergizerReview by LaLa, 20/08/2019 I find it impossible not to move my feet when listening to this great collaboration! Technically perfect, I really enjoy it! |
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End of All People (2nd) - arranged by Into DecayReview by LaLa, 23/07/2019 Honestly, I was not familiar with this JB tune before. This is not bad for thrash metal. I'm also curious what's Mordi's involvement in this track. I am guessing he is the lead singer? … 😉 |
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JT In Space (Man On The Moon ReDub) - arranged by DMCReview by LaLa, 05/07/2019 Most excellent!!!First of all, what great timing on this release: on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing! Second, this is one really cool retro space disco infused, yet very modern sounding production! The sound bites, the vocoded vocal, the over-the-top drums, the arrangement, the mixing - everything is just top-notch all around. I really, really enjoy it! Thanks for sharing it with us! |
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The Last Ninja - The Wilderness - arranged by MOSchopsReview by LaLa, 02/07/2019 An objectively authentic idea: performing this classic Last Ninja tune on nothing but traditional Japanese instruments! I'm shocked nobody thought of this before…Although I highly suspect this is all sequenced stuff with plugins (vs. an actual live ensemble), the arrangement and the instrumentation is still very convincing. Really nicely done! I'm looking forward to more performances in the same style! |
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Artillery (shape demo mix) - arranged by Gerd BahlReview by LaLa, 15/06/2019 Very well produced, I especially like all the subtleties of the lead (including that quick trill that was present in the original, too - nice touch). I think the lead sound is a bit overfiltered at times (just let it rip!), and overall the arrangement is lacking some sort of extra energy that I find hard to describe. But it's quite an enjoyable remix as is. |
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The Human Race (Goldrunner) Piano Live - arranged by LightSideReview by LaLa, 15/06/2019 I said it before and I'll say it again: I'm a sucker for piano covers, so any piano piece will automatically get upvoted by me. 😊 But I think this piece could've used more variation in dynamics, it's sort of flat throughout. Especially if this is a live recording, not a sequenced piece. |
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Yie Ar Kung Fu 2 - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 15/06/2019 There are many things I like about this remix. Its graceful intro (With a cowbell! You can't go wrong with a cowbell! 😉 ), the oriental sounding instruments, the wonderful arrangement, the balanced mix, etc. But here's why I'm a bit harsh with my vote: the melody line is rather flat. The lead instrument is very, very nice, but I miss all the slides and trills that make the melody line more interesting, more emotional. Reyn captured (and enhanced) that beautifully in his remix onGalway Remixed, and since then I can't even hear the original SID without those in my head. Compared to that, the melody line here sounds flat and a bit lifeless. But other than that, this is an outstanding production, showing great craftsmanship. |
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Gyroscope - Halloween Theme - arranged by Peter GantarReview by LaLa, 29/05/2019 The core theme is somewhat lifeless and repetitive. And it doesn't really scare me, sorry. Despite all the added sound FX. |
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Asterix And The Magic Cauldron - Gaulish Village - arranged by Peter GantarReview by LaLa, 08/05/2019 A valiant attempt at an orchestral arrangement, but the instruments all sound flat and boring. There's a total lack of dynamics throughout the tune, too. Not bad for a start, but this could've benefited from more time in the oven. |
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Microprose Soccer Theme - arranged by Greg EatonReview by LaLa, 08/05/2019 This! 😊 This is how I always should've imagined this tune: as oom-pah music! Perfect marriage of source material and remix style! But I think the piece could've used some more careful mixing: it all sounds too loud, too harsh. Probably because it has too many high frequencies in it. |
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Zybex (Zipbacks feat. BakiTheFox Kacepru) - arranged by DJ CzyszyReview by LaLa, 08/05/2019 The purist in me is protesting:but this is not a 1:1 cover of the original!True, but it's still bloody amazing! The rock-style arrangement is spot-on, the instrumentation was obviously carefully chosen, the guitars are played craftily, and the result is a powerful piece of music that also happens to be a mind-blowing SID remix. |
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That's the Way it is - main (regular) - arranged by Gerd BahlReview by LaLa, 01/05/2019 First off, tons of respect for remixing the entire 7+ minute tune! The arrangement is a bit uncomplicated, but it varies enough not to become boring. It also nicely retains the atmosphere of the original material. The opening chords feel a littleofffor me (especially the last bar of the sequence), but once the drums came in, I was sold. I also like how you turned all the arpeggios into chords, kudos for that. Overall, there are lots of nice touches throughout the tune (like the whistles, or the sharp lead playing the melody line) which keep it interesting throughout. |
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Lightforce - arranged by The St. Albans Rob Hubbard Fan Club offlineReview by LaLa, 02/04/2019 A powerful version, full of energy. In the first couple of minutes I find the brass sections a bit lacking in oomph, but then they make up for it later. The drums and the drones are especially well crafted. |
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Bombo (vocal mix) - arranged by Sanjo RideReview by LaLa, 15/03/2019 The vocoder vocals are pretty cool, although a bit hard to understand, because the syllables are too distinct, too robotic, there's no flow to it. The rest of the track could've used some spicing up, but overall, it's a decent remix! |
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Thrust (Full of Oxygene Remix) - arranged by BaRReview by LaLa, 09/03/2019 As a big Jarre fan I am actually in awe of how you managed to stuff Thrust into the framework of Oxygene! I think the magic act starts to fall apart a bit halfway through, but then it picks up again and finishes elegantly. Really nicely done, sir, my hats off to you! |
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Bangkok Knights (ingame) - arranged by Anders HesselbomReview by LaLa, 05/03/2019 Boy, I'm very torn about this remix. I like so much about it, but I think all that goodness is lost in the lackluster mixing. The intro: fantastic instrumentation, immediately sets a grungy, dystopic mood (actually, it reminds me ofThey Livefor some reason). But then at 0:32 the punchiness of the bass disappears as the other instruments come in. The electric organ at 0:55 would be brilliant - but it's barely audible in the mix. The lead coming in at 1:10 is also too soft and remains so for the rest of the tune. So, again, brilliant ideas, a very good arrangement - but this just screams out for a better mix. |
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Disgrace (Dreamers Remix) - arranged by LeaReview by LaLa, 13/02/2019 You have a beautiful voice (I'm assuming it's you singing, Lea…), so you should flaunt it: you should bring it more to the front in mixing. Especially when more instruments start playing and when you add reverb to the vocals, it becomes harder to understand the lyrics, because your voice gets lost in the mid-frequencies. Otherwise, I really like how you enhanced the vocals with various techniques throughout (layering, vocoder, chorus, etc.), the production quality is top-notch, the arrangement is outstanding, the instrumentation is spot-on. I really like the filtered intro, too, that's very modern of you. 😊 A fantastic debut on RKO, I hope to hear a lot more from you!!! |
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Times Of Lore (from 8Bit Symphony) - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview by LaLa, 12/01/2019 What a wonderful journey you've taken us on with this epic piece! This sounds bona fide professional. I can't even imagine the time and effort it must've taken you to create this Times Of Lore mashup! What can I say - THANK YOU! |
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Firelord (from 8Bit Symphony) - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview by LaLa, 12/01/2019 I didn't think your superb symphonic remix from 16+ years ago could be made any better. I was wrong, so wrong! The flute sounds just wonderful (makes me wonder if it was written with Ben in mind…), the choir sounds even more emotional, and the dynamic flow of the arrangement makes it sound very cinematic. I really like the parts where the melody line quickly switches between the various sections of the orchestra. Even though it sounds similar to your previous Firelord arrangement, it's clearly very different - and even better. I'm sure somewhere up above Ben is listening to this, too, with a big smile on his face… |
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Lightforce - arranged by Markus SchneiderReview by LaLa, 31/12/2018 Very soundtracky, a perfect homage to Rob's classic. It doesn't fall into the trap of some other remixes that are also technically excellent, but tend to get boring as the tune goes on. Instead, Markus managed to inject several careful changes into the arrangement and instrumentation that keep the momentum going while also keeping with his chosen style for the remix. Yourlove affairwith Lightforce, Markus, really shines through! Thanks for sharing it with us! |
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Commando (Super Joe Rmx) - arranged by UraniummindReview by LaLa, 21/12/2018 A valiant mega-effort which is brought down by a few serious issues. The arrangement is varied enough to keep my interest up throughout the remix, but some odd dissonant sections, questionable choice of instrumentation, and sorely lacking post-processing make it sound worse than it really should. |
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