Reviews by LaLa |
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Displaying Reviews 451 - 480 out of 689 |
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Tintin On The Moon - arranged by BeeZerkReview by LaLa, 05/09/2008 This SID is near and dear to my heart, so maybe my expectations were too high, but this remix is just wandering left and right aimlessly and doesn't go anywhere. It holds so much promise until about 1:30 but then - nothing. We get simple piano instead. Sorry, that just doesn't do it for me. Then it builds up again and - nothing. It's frustrating to listen to! It has all the right elements to make it a great remix, it just seems to be afraid to go that far. Too bad. |
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Compleeto - arranged by SlaygonReview by LaLa, 15/07/2008 Finally! A remix of this wacky and weird Top 100 SID! Kudos for trying to remix this admittedly very hard tune.But drop the broken record intro. It's horrible, it pains my ears. What were you thinking, Slaygon? The groove of the remix is awesome, fits the tune well. I really like the fact that the original's arrangement was left fairly intact - it works, why bother with it? I even like the occasional SID sounds here and there from the original, enhanced by modern instruments. Overall, though, it's lacking something to make it really special. Somehow it doesn't feel as wacky as the SID, it's like a wild animal that got tamed in captivity. Massive respects for the effort, though. It's a unique remix of a unique piece of SID tune. |
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Green Beret Cosmix - arranged by cosmiqReview by LaLa, 13/06/2008 8 years on and it still sends chills down my spine. The opening with the birds chirping is a great counterpoint for all the synth pads, the drums appearing 2+ minutes into the tune are a subtle driving force, and the undertones present throughout the arrangement are just superb.As brilliant as Reyn's remix is - which is the one that provided the inspiration for this remix - sometimes I actually prefer to listen to this tune over Reyn's version. It feels more polished, more velvety, more comforting. And it never fails to make me wonder. |
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Green Beret (live at The Church) - arranged by Reyn OuwehandReview by LaLa, 05/12/2007 As I'm writing these words in 2016, I can't believe this remix is already 9 years old. Since its release I haven't stopped listening to it - it has a visceral staying power, it etches itself into your brain and it doesn't let go. This tune is a perfect example of Reyn's astonishing talent for the layer-by-layer improvisational style that he brilliantly demonstrated during every single Sunday Service broadcast on Slay Radio. It's melancholic, powerful, hopeful all at the same time. I consider myself very lucky to have experienced the creative force of Reyn, the creative force of Martin Galway on the C64, and this remix of his tune in particular as interpreted by Reyn. And don't forget to check out cosmiq's remix of this remix which transforms it into yet another amazing interpretation. |
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Dadelos - arranged by moog (Sebastian Bachliñski)Review by LaLa, 18/03/2006 I really like the original SID by Reyn, it's so emotional, so powerful. So, I was looking forward to this remix.In short: I really like it! The ethno-ambient mood is set from the first note, although I would've prefered a more washed-out piano in the intro. The pulsing, always moving base is lovely. I am a bit disappointed by the muffled lead, in fact, the only reason this remix is not getting the highest rating from me is because of that lead. A Yamaha CS-80 would work perfectly here, hint-hint.😉 But in every regard this remix is as close to perfection as possible, it really carries forward the emotional power of the original. And it's also of perfect length: it doesn't drag on, nor is it too short to get us in the mood. Or, shall I say, in the moog… |
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Spy vs Spy - arranged by KjetilnReview by LaLa, 28/06/2005 The fake vocals in the beginning sound awesome - keep'em! There are some great ideas in there, but it appears you fell in love with them and couldn't bring yourself to change them - therefore, this remix sounds repetitive. Either make it shorter or make it more varied to make it more appealing. Other than that, a very decent effort! |
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Impossible Mission (Impossible Vocal Experiment) - arranged by load_errorReview by LaLa, 27/06/2005 Very avantgarde, definitely different, a very original remix. But where's that Aaaah? And where are those electronic blip-blops of the robots? At least the feeling of the game is there: this would definitely work as background music for a PS2 version of Impossible Mission. =) |
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MOTR-HiScore (Garage Band Mix) - arranged by X-Klang offlineReview by LaLa, 27/06/2005 Those who say 80's music suxx obviously lived in the wrong 80's, right, SID fans?… … 😊Nice attempt at adding lyrics to MOTR, but unfortunately, the singing is completely drowned out - as far as mixing goes, this is a great example of how NOT to do it when there's singing, too. I am generally not fond of the garage band sound (there's just waaay too much of it out there and most of it its garbage), but as instrumentation goes, this is pretty decent. The MOTR tune melody is not always there, but that's okay with me. |
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Spy Vs Spy 3 (Arctic in the Space Frozen Mix SP) - arranged by Yamazaki KatoReview by LaLa, 27/06/2005 Very reminiscent of Antarctica Echoes by Vangelis, captures that stereotypical antarctic feeling very well. But it's too repetitive and thus, it feels drawn out. Successive repetitions of the theme should've been more varied to keep the listener interested. |
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The Human Race (Melodie Eine) - arranged by Das Karl Werk ProjektReview by LaLa, 27/06/2005 Very, very good electro cover of Hubbard's famous tune. The technical quality of it is just superb: it's well-balanced, the instruments are great, etc. I think it should've gone a bit further to bring out the Kraftwerk-feel, but it's a very good piece, regardless.Except for the piano at the end. I have no idea why that was needed there. I mean, it's nice piano playing by itself, but together with the electronic first half it's just out place. Thus my lower score for artistic impression. |
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Future Shock - arranged by Romeo KnightReview by LaLa, 23/05/2005 This is very cool! The original SID is a great piece of groovy, funky music and thankfully, this remix stays very true to that spirit. I think the instrument selection is spot on and the arrangement is excellent. Never fails to bring a smile to my face. |
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Savage (sub 2 from 80ies 2 now) - arranged by PutziReview by LaLa, 23/05/2005 Since it is one of my favorite SID tunes, here's a longer review of this tune instead of just a shout.The opening is kick-ass, the bass is really cool, but most of the lead instruments should've been selected more carefully. They sound tedious and they wear me down. Or they're simply thin and out of place. Although the remix tries to be in the 80's style, I don't feel a lot of 80's radiating from this one. A better groove would've probably helped there. All in all, a nice effort, but this tune deserves so much more. |
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Calling (MegaWarhawk Apocalypse mix) - arranged by Kent WalldénReview by LaLa, 03/10/2004 It's not really a fusion of the two tunes, it's more of a 90% being Warhawk, the remaining 10% being Mega Apocalypse. Personally, I would've prefered if it stayed on Warhawk exclusively, the Apocalypse portions sound totally out of place.It's pure dance-music that mindlessly repeats part of Warhawk's melody. At first it all sounded great, but as it just goes on and on it became tedious to me. That's too bad, because it sounded so promising. |
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Arkanoid (SID No More Mix) - arranged by MakkeReview by LaLa, 03/10/2004 Arkanoid - as techno-rap??? With some alternative rock mixed in??? I am scratching my head here, but one some level it seems to work okay. In a club setting this might set the place on fire, though, because it has really great rhythm. I doubt there's a single tune (C64 remix or not) out there that boasts more styles than this one… It's probably this eclectic mix of styles that distances me from it. |
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Human Race (Tune 4) Alternative Rock Mix - arranged by deVilhoODReview by LaLa, 03/10/2004 Yes, Human Race remixes are a dime a dozen, but this one stands out with its near-perfect mix, well thought-out production and carefully selected instrumentation. At first I was somewhat weary of the part where it digresses from the original a little (between 1:43 and 2:19), but now I think Pawel did a great job of applying his own touch to the tune. The pulsating bassline really rocks on my subwoofer. Verrrry good! |
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Sweet - arranged by Marcel DonnéReview by LaLa, 03/10/2004 First of all, let me state that my review of this tune is not entirely impartial. Marcel gave me the privilege of not only listening to the first two beta versions of his cover, but he was nice enough to incorporate some of my suggestions into it, too. Predictably, I am absolutely pleased with the result.Second, I have to admit that for personal reasons I hold Sweet very close to my heart (one could say it hit my sweetspot, heh-heh). From the first time I've heard it I thought that it is one of the (if not THE) most emotional original tunes ever created on the C64. Many times when I was depressed or just sad, I listened to this tune with my eyes closed and by the time the tune was over I had tears on my face… So, any cover of this tune has to pass my very high expectations. And I'm pleased to say that Marcel has done it. The previous two remixes of Sweet that I heard were both lacking the emotion and the sadness of the original. Marcel delivers both thanks to the soul of the famed Yamaha CS-80, the same synth that provided that signature Vangelis sound up until the 90's (and Vangelis happens to be one of my favorite composers, too). What do I like here: - The opening arpeggios and the entire opening itself. - The wonderfully emotional lead provided by the CS-80 (and Marcel's playing). - The introduction of the drums at 0:37. - The shadow lead starting at 1:17. What a nice touch! - Those a la Zoolook Jarre-esque noise-effects at 1:48 instead of the original's sweeping double-noise. What a great enhancement over the original! - The bridge being played on a guitar. (Or guitar-like sound.) - The introduction of the very Vangelis-like bell-like pad at 2:26 - it really enhances the melody! - The very cool ending. - The fact that not only Marcel sticks to the original closely, but he also managed to enhance it! What do I think could've been done better: - The trills in the lead do not quite come through with the CS-80 brass, they seem to disappear into the rest of the tune. This is basically due to the limitation of the sound itself, but I wonder if it could've been enhanced somehow. - The guitar could've used a lote more vibrato at 3:02, 3:10, 3:18 and 3:25 (i. e. on the low notes). In fact, short slides would've been better here than just a vibrato, because that's pretty much what the original SID does, too. But these are the relatively minor gripes of an obsessive perfectionist. Plus look at it: 9 pluses versus 2 not-so-pluses. That ain't bad at all! The bottom line is, I have a new tune to cry to… |
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Bombo (Tune 1) - arranged by Romeo KnightReview by LaLa, 03/10/2004 Nice touch with the opening: as people gather around a campfire, somebody starts playing Bombo tune 1 on the guitar. Then a sudden (too sudden) switch to studio production with wonderful, wonderful guitar playing. When the drums come in, it becomes an even better piece: it's groovy with the melodic chord structures of the original intact.The last 60 seconds of the tune… Well, let's chalk it up for artistic expression. 😊 But I think that ending it with the same around-the-campfire feeling would've been better. All in all, a very impressive piece, I really like it! |
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Rastan - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview by LaLa, 03/10/2004 Very good Gladiator-esque movie soundtrack-style remix, great production, Hans Zimmer would be proud of it for sure - but it uses a bit too many musical cliches for my taste, thus my lower score for artistic impression. Other than that, it's a pleasure to listen to, it's definitely a work of love! |
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Aztec Challenge - arranged by IceXuickReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 The mood created by this remix is dark, gothic 80's electro. Here and there it also contains hints of Kraftwerk and - strangely enough - exotic passages that try to tie it to the C64 game (but for me those sound more Arabic than Mid- American). The Aztec Challenge speech sample is a bit overused. The remix is somewhat lengthy, it lost my attention towards the end, possibly because of the relative lack of variation in the tonal frequencies. |
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Giana Sisters Hiscore (D-Flingern Mix) - arranged by ifadeo offlineReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 Bringing a sort of 90's feel to it, this remix manages to mix soft pads with electronic ear-candy. I think the only thing missing here is some vocals on top of everything. Not as romantic as the original tune, but at times I could characterize it as cute. |
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Target Renegade - arranged by PetersReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 A soft electronic piece with relaxational overtones. Not what you'd expect from a Target Renegade cover, but somehow it works. It's moody and groovy with just the right ingredients and a proper mix. Unfortunately, it appears to be a partial upload as it cuts off abruptly in the middle of the tune. |
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Thrust (Magnificent Worlds) - arranged by FeekZoidReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 Quite an interesting piece. The human brain tries to categorize everything, but mine failed miserably with this one. It contains not only several different styles of music (like the ambient opening, the heavily electronic main part and the tranquil second part towards the end), but it also includes a remix of Arcade Classics in addition to Thrust. I like how the different pieces of Thrust are - excuse my pun - thrust together to form a very recognizable but rather different musical experience. The Arcade Classics remix would be great by itself, but since it's enclosed by Thrust, it feels a bit out of place. In summary, it's a technically impressive, but stylistically somewhat confusing piece. |
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Thanatos (In Love Mix) - arranged by DJ RETROGradeReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 If somebody can explain to me why this remix starts with what sounds like a Japanese auctioneer speaking fast, please, let me know. Then it has a sort of minimalistic oriental feel to it with exotic drums and that sitar-like lead. Which would be okay with me, except that this goes on for over 5 minutes without much variation - and it makes this remix boring. Cut this remix in half or introduce some variations or add a climax or something. |
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Delta (Concert version) - arranged by Noviello PippoReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 A -fake- concert version, shall I add. The piano also sounds fake (i. e. sampled), but it is played nicely, it has a Yanni-esque melancholic feeling to it. Unfortunately, the last minute of this remix leaves me completely confused. It suddenly switches from the piano to a rather poor electronic version with a cheering crowd providing the supposed concert feel - and then it ends just as abruptly. Puzzling, to say the least. It would've been a nice piano piece, but that horrible ending destroys it all. |
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The Last Ninja 3 Intro - arranged by IceXuickReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 In its current form this remix is not much more than an enhanced SID tune. Many parts of the original were left in verbatim (or so it sounds), including the arpeggios, which was an especially big mistake. The addition of effects and monstrous drums doesn't add too much except loudness. I still much prefer Reyn's own version of his tune on Nexus 6581 which has a definite orchestral feel. That's more fitting for the LN3 Intro than this electro-opera with its trumpet-like analog lead. |
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Zamzara (Spice Mix) - arranged by Gustav TaxénReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 A nice groove is what makes this remix pretty good, although I think the snare-like drum has annoyingly too many high frequencies (read: it's noisy). Funky bass line, pleasant electric pianos and a fitting lead characterize this remix. Unfortunately that synth-flute lead later gives way to an overfiltered annoyance. Luckily it doesn't last too long. The serene ending is quite lovely. |
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Ocean Loader Four - arranged by YoshiReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 A solid average remix, nothing surprising, nothing exciting, nothing outstanding, but nothing bad, either. The thumping base drum is rather overwhelming, but I like the choice of lead instrument. |
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Cybernoid 2 (Dancing baby mix) - arranged by Noviello PippoReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 It is said that in general it's not advisable to pan drums hard left or hard right, but that's how this remix starts - and even continues. I find that rather disorienting. Worse, this panned-left practice later spreads to other instruments, too. In fact, Pippo admittedly had some serious trouble with his equipment during recording - but he still decided to upload the remix. Why, oh, why??? It's too bad because his work wouldn't be so bad, in fact, it would be a fairly good electro-dance remix. Unfortunately, the extremely poor recording quality completely destroys the experience. |
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Human Race - arranged by Markus SchneiderReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 Here is a remix where all the sounds seem to be really good, but together they don't make much sense to me. I really like the electronic choir in the background, but the lead sound sort of destroys them. The clapping is great - but what's the point of having it here? The drums provide a nice rhythm but stylistically sound out of place. I wish the occasionally appearing female singer was featured more prominently and more frequently. All in all, technically it's great but artistically only so-so. |
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Comic Bakery (Retro Magic) - arranged by HazelReview by LaLa, 05/04/2003 I feel like this remix just drags on and doesn't really go anywhere. Which is not too good, because it stretches quite long. I feel no passion, no inspiration. The drum loops are okay for a hip-hop or rap style but don't really have much to do with the rest of this remix. |
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