Reviews by LaLa |
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Nebulas - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 01/12/2023 I've been listening to this remix a lot lately. And I mean, a LOT. It's a wonderful melancholic piece. You captured the haunting beauty of the melody line perfectly, complemented by a selection of sounds that work together in great harmony, all mixed together flawlessly. Great work, I really, really do enjoy it! |
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Commando - arranged by Instant RemedyReview by LaLa, 22/11/2023 [i]Review in 2023.[/i]As many have pointed it out over the decades, this remix makes heavy use of the original SID as-is, Still, I think that's what makes it so powerful: the strong sense of nostalgia that those sounds and musical phrases evoke. The first time I ever heard this remix was at one of the early BIT Live events in a club setting - and in that environment, it was an absolute blast to listen to. I could also knock it for what this remix isn't, but instead, I choose to enjoy it for what it is: a highly danceable version of a classic and legendary Rob Hubbard SID tune (which, let's not forget, is a remix itself). |
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Outcheesed (Le Petit Chevre) - arranged by WobblerReview by LaLa, 20/11/2023 I'll be honest: I don't why, but I really dig this remix! Just the right amount of nostalgic 8-bit arpeggios mixed with modern production and an excellent arrangement, not to mention the clean mix. One of my insta-favorites from the BIT Live 2023 Remix Compo. I just keep playing it over and over and over… |
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Cybernoid II-Do Androids Dream Of Electric Zombies - arranged by 0supereg0Review by LaLa, 16/11/2023 Creative subtitle, I like it! The remix is nice enough, but the arrangement is lacking the drive and oomph of the original. I get it, it was deliberately made more 'dreamy', but it just sort of drudges along and doesn't really go anywhere. The instrumentation is nice, the mix is fine, I just wish it had more overall artistic direction. |
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Coco Intro (Hot Coco Edit) - arranged by Ctrl-ZReview by LaLa, 12/11/2023 I like the cassette tape intro, nice touch! Where this remix starts to get interesting to me is at 2:00 into it - I quite like that section! And the rest of it is highly dance able, too, it's a nice remix. |
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Daley's Loader - arranged by Steve FosterReview by LaLa, 09/11/2023 I'll be brutally honest: since this is a cover of a cover (the SID is straight cover of YMO's 'Rydeen'), I can't get too excited about this to begin with. The instrumentation is fun, but I just keep hearing YMO's original in my head… |
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Kung Fu Master (Rock Trio) - arranged by Doron DeutschReview by LaLa, 08/11/2023 If this is a live recording, the mix could've used some cleaning up, it sounds muddy, mono, not very clean. I am not terribly excited by the arrangement, either, but I think with a better mix it could come alive. |
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Rambo First Blood Arp 2 - arranged by Tim ForsythReview by LaLa, 06/11/2023 A very deserving winner of the BIT Live 2023 Remix Compo! It fulfilled two rules of the compo to the max: 1) arpeggio-heaven, 2) it is [b]exactly[/b] 4 minutes long, which was the compo limit. 😁 An absolutely fantastic rendition of Galway's classic, loved it from the moment I first heard it. Congrats, Tim!PS: Drambo - haha, that's quite a coincidence! 🤣PPS: My favorite part of this remix: the break at 3:12. Totally makes the rest even more impactful.PPPS: I get it, 4 min compo limit, but I feel the end is a bit rushed and this could've used a longer outro for the RKO release. |
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End Sequence (Thanatos) - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 05/11/2023 That trumpet - wow! But wait, that singer - wow! But wait, that crescendo with the guitar - wow! But wait, now a choir, too - wow! But, but, but… it ends so abruptly! 😞 I understand the BIT Live Remix Compo had a 4 min limit, but you aren't facing such a limit on RKO. So, for the love of god, please, give us an extended mix! We want more!!! 😊 An absolute gem of a tune. Could be the soundtrack of my life… |
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Mr Danko's Opus - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview by LaLa, 28/10/2023 Glyn may have called this [i]Mr Danko's Opus[/i], but he has absolutely turned it into [i]Glyn's[/i] Opus.A stunning display of the mastery of the cinematic orchestra, arranged and performed with the highest levels of professionalism. I cannot listen to this in the background - it demands my full attention, and when I close my eyes and go along with Glyn on the journey he invited us on, those 9 minutes just fly by. Using Danko's 'Opus' series as a backbone, Glyn has weaved an intricate and marvelous musical story. From the soft sounds of a piano emerges a delicate intro that slowly turns into a romantic piece. After a short break we get a more forceful barrage of staccato orchestral hits - which ends abruptly as we suddenly drop into the deep and mysterious tones of woodwinds. From those depths we slowly emerge to the surface where we are greeted by an angelic voice and the brightness of high brass. Another break and we find ourselves - in a Spanish village where lovely flamenco music rules the world. As we leave the village behind, we are yet again introduced to an angelic voice that accompanies us on our journey together with a full choir. Our story concludes in an upbeat fashion where the entire ensemble of the orchestra is in full display. At the very end we are greeted by a children's choir (which I wished was featured longer). And… that was it? Yep, those 9 minutes flew by, didn't they?Well, at least this is the story that [i]I[/i] am hearing, but I'm sure everybody will find their own journey in this piece.A mesmerizing tour de force from a very talented musician.Just wow. |
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Cobra (Chillout Mix) - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 23/09/2023 The original by Sylvester Lévay is pretty laid-back, too, but you managed to make it even more chill by switching the lead to a sax. Which, BTW, sounds really good! A bit of a Spanish flamenco flair here and there on the acoustic guitar also doesn't hurt. 😉 And the entire mix, as expected from you, is squeaky-clean and clear. |
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Nightdawn Lounge (Share your love with me) - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 23/09/2023 I think it was a good choice to alternate between the vocals (from a sample library, I guess) and the melody lines of the SID and NOT pitch-correct the vocal samples to the melody of the SID. However, that also makes the structure of this remix a bit disjointed and to be honest, I think this remix would be great even without the vocals.Plus points for picking this rarely (if ever) remixed SID, though - I wish there were more remixes of its various subtunes, because it deserves it.As usual, the mixing is top notch, though, every instrument comes through crystal-clear. So, from a technical perspective this is a great remix, but the arrangement is not particularly exciting. |
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Commando (The Guitar Ballad) - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 16/08/2023 Adding the obligatory Commando cover to your portfolio, eh? 😉 Honestly, the part I like the most is when you veer away from the original melody completely at 2:18. Otherwise, it's a pleasant, but fairly run-of-the-mill Commando hiscore cover. I really like the instrumentation, though, has a bit of nice Spanish flamenco flair to it. |
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Human Race (tune 4) - arranged by Tim ForsythReview by LaLa, 16/08/2023 Mesmerizing! It was a stroke of a genius to cover it in this style and signature. And I completely bought it, too - until 2:39. The relatively sudden change in the rhythm there disrupted my gentle rocking, and the arrangement falls apart a bit after that, especially when it comes to the coda starting at around 4:08 with that syncopated lead. But overall, those are comparatively minor distractions in an otherwise excellent piece. |
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Kikstart II remix - arranged by Nadin0xD400Review by LaLa, 16/07/2023 I'm so glad to hear that my homey, Nadin, is continuing to create remixes! For a second remix (EVER!), this is pretty good. The arrangement is fine, although nothing too exciting, the individual instruments are a bit bland, but it all works.Where I find the biggest issue with this piece is in the mixing: those big boomy bass drums (e.g. at 0:04 and 0:16, and elsewhere) completely overwhelm the mix for a couple of seconds at a time, ducking everything else. Some call it pulsing, but I would hesitate to call this intentional sidechaining - I don't think it was an intended effect. To me it makes for an unpleasant listening experience.The drum track itself sounds a bit off to me, I think that could be better.Those issues aside, again, for a SECOND remix this is pretty promising, so I hope you'll continue creating more remixes in the future, too, Nadin! |
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Think Twice III Arok Entry - arranged by Tony Fluke73 WirenReview by LaLa, 16/07/2023 This mix definitely sounds like your best so far, kudos for that! I really like that choir sound, too. Switching to different instruments in the lead was a great idea. This should've placed higher at the Árok compo for sure! The ending is a bit abrupt, though, I wish you worked on that more. |
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Tristesse - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 13/07/2023 Hmm, there are several things this remix gets right, but even more things it doesn't. The instrument selection and the mixing is top-notch, no question there. The lead sounds are fine, but there's something missing there, too. I can't put my finger on exactly what, because the lead guitar has all the right articulations and variations, yet, it doesn't sound particularly exciting to me.The biggest culprit in my eyes is the monotonous drums - they just play the same 4 bars throughout, which gets rather old pretty fast. And then the lack of proper closure (i.e. the abrupt ending) is also odd - it's like you got bored with the remix and just decided to end it suddenly. I think this remix has more potential in it than what it actually delivers. |
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Shogun - arranged by AarrowReview by LaLa, 06/07/2023 Making something out of an 11 seconds long tune is not easy. This is a good effort marred by a messy arrangement and instruments that clash with each other left and right. I think your choice of mostly oriental instruments was a good one, they just overlap each other too much (maybe because of the lengthy reverbs). |
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Cybernoid II (C64 Modern Mix) - arranged by X-WaveReview by LaLa, 05/07/2023 A tale of two remixes.The first half (up until 2:21) is just not to my liking at all. Simplistic drums, simplistic instrumentation, and most importantly, the chord progression sounds off (compared to the original). I get it, you were going for that simple 8-bit sounds, but sorry, it just doesn't work for me.The second half of this remix, however, would probably get an orange if it was a tune by itself. That part is done more to my liking, with the electric guitars dominating it and the drums driving the rhythm so well. |
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Hotrod - arranged by Tim ForsythReview by LaLa, 14/06/2023 Ah, thank you for remixing this oft-forgotten subtune! I've been wondering how to remix it for many years now, but never got around to actually doing it. Glad somebody else dug it out and just did it!PS: That honk at 2:09 - haha, nice touch! |
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Deformata (Encore64) - arranged by DankoReview by LaLa, 28/05/2023 Evoking the style of 1990s piano house it wouldn't be amiss on the dance floor, either - but then, we didn't expect anything less from Danko, did we? In a nod to the past this track also features a healthy amount of SID sounds (or at least sounds that remind me of the SID's oscillators) weaved delicately into the arrangement, and it's also infused with a healthy dose of something that I can only describe as demo scene style. |
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S-Express - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 17/05/2023 The original S-Express is basically a remix, sampling over a dozen other songs. So then, this is a remix of a remix's remix! 😋Really well done, keeping the original's groove and enhancing it. Maybe the drums should be a touch punchier in the mix, but that's nitpicking. Quite enjoyable as-is!PS: I can't believe nobody remixed this tune before… 😲 |
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Knight 'n' Grail Ending (A Knight Adventure) - arranged by Tim Forsyth & YogiReview by LaLa, 15/05/2023 Didn't know the original before, but this is peppy! I kinda wish the vocoded vocals were introduced earlier, but it's fine as is. |
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Plastic Pop (Plastic Fantastic) - arranged by WobblerReview by LaLa, 12/05/2023 Wow. There's so much to like about this remix, I don't even know where to begin. The lyrics is surprisingly deep (Another plastic remix spinning 'round / Is that really what we needed?), the AI voice is pretty good, the inclusion of Danko's vocals is just brilliant. Even the AI generated cover art looks fantastic!Sure, the AI voice sounds unnatural at times, but overall, I really value a) the fun nature of this song, b) that fact that you were not afraid to experiment with AI, and c) that the end result sounds really good.Well done! |
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Clystron - arranged by RavetracerReview by LaLa, 08/05/2023 First of all: welcome back, Ravetracer, who seems to produce only long remixes of Thomas Detert tunes only! 😁This is a really amazing remix! It is a [i]perfect[/i] piece of music to relax with after a long, physically exhausting day. So, thank you for that!It was a genius idea to turn Thomas Detert's frantic, and sometimes a bit chaotic piece into an ambient chill-out piece. I hear hints of Enigma and Tangerine Dream in this remix, too - which is a good thing. This slow-moving downtempo tune may not be everybody's cup of tea, but it really hits the spot for me. Love it. |
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Parallax (Wikipedia Mix) - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 06/05/2023 This is really clever! If you don't know why, check out the Wikipedia entry of Parallax at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_(video_game) 😁 |
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Sensual Parallax - Parallax Loader - arranged by 0supereg0Review by LaLa, 02/05/2023 I really like the artistic freedom you took with this tune! It's a very creative arrangement. I like how you seem to play around with this well-known tune in a rather refreshing way. But I think the mixing levels of the various tracks don't quite gel together (the drums sound a bit too soft, for example). Other that - well done! |
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Scarabaeus - The Escape - arranged by Tim ForsythReview by LaLa, 24/04/2023 Sounds like a hit soundtrack from a 1990s blockbuster movie. Amazing combination of synths, pads and other elements as it builds up to a crescendo, which suddenly ends, only to be followed by yet another amazing buildup in the second half. Tim: this is just superb! What a fantastic tribute to an old game from a Hungarian software powerhouse!UPDATE: The more I listen to this remix, the more I admire it. This is sooo good! |
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Galactic Games 1 The 2nd (tune) - arranged by Steve FosterReview by LaLa, 22/04/2023 Great intro with lovely 80s drums. At 0:15 I'm not crazy about the arpeggio - should've been turned into chords, IMHO. At 0:46 the lead has way too much reverb on it, it gets washed out. Also, a tune is more than just the melody - the same drum pattern repeating over and over again gets pretty boring pretty fast. At 2:03 the SID lead is… fine, but I wish it was enhanced a lot more. |
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Artillery (Heavy Punk Artillery) - arranged by Dan TootillReview by LaLa, 22/04/2023 If Ziona's remix didn't exist before, I would've probably liked this remix more. But it's hard not to make comparisons. This one is more peppy, more cheerful than Ziona's version. I think the instrumentation could've been a bit more sophisticated, but together they sound pretty good, they don't trample on each other. Overall, quite good, but I wish it was more than that. |
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