Reviews by LaLa |
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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 on Galway 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 little off for 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 ClubReview 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 of They Live for 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. Your love affair with 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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Zoom (NecroPolo C64 Hypercharger remix) - arranged by NecroPoloReview by LaLa, 26/10/2018 Loved it the first time I heard it at Árok Party 2018! Then I was thrilled that we were able to include it in the Johannes Bjerregaard charity album. And I am very delighted it is now available on RKO, too.It's an amazing remix of a much underrated JB tune. It has, of course, received proper NecroPolo treatment with overdriven and distorted sounds, containing so much SID-caffeine that it pumps me up every time I listen to it. ROC=K ON, C=ommodore!!! |
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Monty on the Run (rockmetal cover) - arranged by Vaggelis PapadopoulosReview by LaLa, 13/10/2018 I encouraged Vaggelis in a YT comment to upload his remix here, too - and I'm glad he did! What I really like in this remix is that he actually plays every single note of the original on his guitar: the devilishly fast runs, the slides, the arpeggiated non-melodic effects - I'm in awe of his technique! |
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Nemesis The Warlock - arranged by SoundLogicReview by LaLa, 17/07/2018 Opens with a very interesting combination of a choir and rough electronica, and later on it sprinkles it with some cinematic orchestra. It all builds up to a crescendo, which is suddenly interrupted by acoustic guitars. Then it resumes the more bombastic style, but we never really get a resolution out of it. Instead the piece just… ends. I think a bit more cohesion in style would've helped tremendously. |
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Last Ninja (Level 5 The Palace) - arranged by SoundLogicReview by LaLa, 17/07/2018 I am very confused by this remix. Starts out in a very nice, serene oriental style. But that lasts only until about a minute a half when there's an inexplicable change in tone and style to more aggressive electronica. Then I get confused even further when at around 2 minutes the guitars appear. What? Why? By this time the opening oriental style completely disappears in the background. And then all this is capped by the original SID towards the end. Umm, okay…Overall, this tune has all the hallmarks of a decent production, but the minute-by-minute stylistic changes make my head spin. |
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Cybernoid II - Title (Enhanced) - arranged by MusicWizardReview by LaLa, 12/07/2018 The notes are there, the arrangement is fairly faithful to the original, but it just sounds flat and emotionless. The electric guitar and the bass are both rather unexciting, for example. Needs more variation, better mixing, more vibrato, more effects… anything to make it sound more exciting. |
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Ace II - arranged by Philip BakReview by LaLa, 04/07/2018 I am somewhat conflicted by this remix.On one hand it has a high level of craftsmanship, showcasing many things (instrumentation, effects, breaks, etc.) modern professional productions tend to have. On the other hand, it feels to me like an ambitious project that falls short of delivering all the goods, especially when it comes to the arrangement. For example: awesome intro, it really got me going! But after the quick break at 0:35 it just continues on in the same style - I sort of expected an explosion of sound at that point. In fact, at 0:56 it adds some brass that sounds cheesy to me. But I kept waiting and hoping - until about 1:30 into the tune when I finally realized this just won't evolve any further. Which is a pity. What's there is unquestionably solid and enjoyable. Its style frequently reminds me of The Alan Parsons Project. But even after listening to it several times, in the back of my mind I just keep wondering: this could've been so much more… |
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Phantoms Of The Asteroid (No Bass In Space) - arranged by WobblerReview by LaLa, 21/04/2018 Lots of very nice touches here: 1) great use of the choir, 2) really like that robotic-vocoder sound effect that can be heard occasionally, 3) the variations starting at 1:44, 4) the solid rhythm and bass track throughout.Some stuff I am not fond of: 1) the thin lead from 1:19, 2) the arrangement becomes a bit repetitive as the tune progresses. Overall, it's obvious a lot of time was spent on this beauty, definitely a keeper! |
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Rolands Ratrace (80s Disco Remix) - arranged by Rat DistrictReview by LaLa, 30/03/2018 Strap yourself in for a 2+ minute intro before you hear a single note of Roland's Ratrace, but it's all in glorious synthwave style, which is all the rage today, and since I'm a sucker for those (with all their 80s nostalgic syrupiness), this put a big smile on my face. |
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Gyroscope - arranged by Gabriele TripoliReview by LaLa, 23/03/2018 First off, I think the title of this remix should be corrected: this is a remix of Jeroen Tel's Eliminator subtune #2. Yes, that one is based on Gyroscope, too, but it continues the melody line - which this remix does, too, and in the same way.As for the contents of this remix, the kick drum is way overpowering. Compress it or at least soften it in the mix. The choice of instruments is also extreme: lots of high-end, lots of low-end, almost nothing in the middle. Also, there's no ending - the tune just stops abruptly. |
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Spellbound - arranged by ManoReview by LaLa, 03/03/2018 Very original for a Spellbound remix! Its style is a mashup between flamenco, Caribbean pirate, and a bit of Mexican mariachi, but in high-quality and in good taste. Really, really good job, Mano! |
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International Karate Part I (Synthwave Remix) - arranged by Strange DaysReview by LaLa, 16/02/2018 It's a nice retrofuturustic treatment of Hubbard's track.The mix heavily favors the high-end throughout, which bothers me a bit. The arrangement really gets going after the full set of drums come in at 1:53, that got my hopes up high. However, the chords at 2:46 sound odd to me, both in texture and pitch, and they broke the illusion a bit. The entire track reminds me a lot of Tangerine Dream's albums from the 80s, which I think is the style Strange Days was actually going for. Nicely done! |
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Mission of Mercy (Film Score) - arranged by Peter ClarkeReview by LaLa, 10/01/2018 It's always a treat to listen to a SID composer's own remake of his old tune - and this one goes way beyond being just a treat!Even without your cue-list, the music here clearly tells a whole story, and it is, indeed, very cinematic - from the melancholic intro through the quiet but nervous anticipation in the middle to the cheerful ending. The introduction of the harpsichord (or dulcimer?) at 1:21 is an unusual and rather unique touch. I quite like it! This is a memorable arrangement for sure. Its only fault is the sudden ending - sounds like there was more to come, but it was faded out… |
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Auf Wiedersehen Monty & Commando - arranged by Jeroen TelReview by LaLa, 01/12/2017 For a Newcomer this Jeroen guy sounds pretty good to me. Not bad for a first remix, not bad, sir!… …Just kidding! 😃 Bow to the master! Bow to the master! |
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Artillery (demo music) - arranged by MRTReview by LaLa, 13/06/2017 Wonderfully arranged, skillfully instrumented, and superbly mixed (really clean and straightforward mix!). Sure, the sax could've had some more emotion put into it, but it sounds really good as is. I only wish this remix contained the beautiful main melody of the original even more. |
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Supremacy (Overprime mix) - arranged by SIDNIFYReview by LaLa, 20/04/2017 For me it's impossible to listen to this at anything but full blast. Impeccably arranged, superbly executed. The break at 3:44 is just brilliant.If there's one tiny fault with this remix is that the choir/singing towards the end is barely audible. Other than that, amazing, amazing stuff! You guys have more SID remixes lurking on your SoundCloud page, so please, upload those to RKO, too, don't be shy! 😊 |
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