Reviews by LaLa |
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Rallye Master (Encore500) - arranged by Romeo KnightReview by LaLa, 15/01/2024 Personally, I think the original Rallye Master Obarski tune is a bit uninspiring (ducks hail of rotten tomatoes thrown his way…), but Romeo Knight makes the most out of the material with a genius idea: make it into a Depeche Mode pastiche! It's spot on! Really well done, the early 80s style is instantly recognizable. |
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Leander - Title (Encore500) - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview by LaLa, 15/01/2024 The original one is fairly cinematic, too, so it's a perfect fit for that special electronic-cinematic treatment that only Glyn can provide. He is in full force here commanding a spectrum of instrumentation that several Hollywood music producers would be envious of. Just majestic! |
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Amberstar - Title (Encore500) - arranged by Jogeir LiljedahlReview by LaLa, 15/01/2024 OMG, that intro sends chills down my spine! A great emotional piece. My only wish is that the vocal was featured more than just in the intro. |
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Myth - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 10/01/2024 I am going to be a party pooper here and bring this remix down a notch. It sounds great, but it also sounds like you threw everything but the kitchen sink at it, and as a result, artistically it's all over the place, and doesn't sound very cohesive to me.The individual instruments all sound amazing, you made them bring all their fitting articulations to the table, from the trumpet to the solo singer.But. 😁I also felt like I should've kept a live instrument count on this track as it progressed. Solo trumpet? Check. Big mixed choir? Check. Electric guitar? Check. Solo violin? Check. Big brass? Check. Acoustic guitar? Check. Female choir? Check. Gated synth bass? Check. Orchestral strings? Check. Solo female singer? Check… It's like you went down the list of all things that make something sound epic and cinematic and you decided to check all the boxes. When I first heard this remix it made my head spin! I am getting used to it as I listen to it more and more, but still…Again, from a purely sonic perspective, the individual sections all sound fantastic. The entire tune is mixed to perfection. But I think it's just trying to cram way too much into 4 and a half minutes. |
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Delta (live at The Church for Transmission 64) - arranged by Reyn OuwehandReview by LaLa, 28/12/2023 Yawn, yet another remix of Delta?!?… Just kidding! 😀I absolutely adore the heavy use of the organ. (Hmm, an organ in The Church? Whoever heard of such a… Oh, I get it! Nice touch, Reyn! 😜)I feel like this could've easily gone double the length, Reyn's improv skills are just that good. |
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Bombo (live at The Church for Transmission 64) - arranged by Reyn OuwehandReview by LaLa, 28/12/2023 Folks, please, keep in mind that the original SID tune is barely over 2 minutes long, and Reyn doesn't even get to the end of his intro before the 3 minute mark in this remix… Reyn's wide spectrum of musical talent is in full display here. Just listen and be in awe, or watch the video of it from the Transmission64 concert and be even more in awe - because this is all played and mixed live! |
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Parallax (live at The Church for Transmission 64) - arranged by Reyn OuwehandReview by LaLa, 28/12/2023 Amazing buildup into a full-blown symphony of sounds. But to me the most favorite part of this remix is the elongated outro - total mic-drop moment, like Reyn is OUT! It sounded absolutely mind-blowing at Transmission64, and still sounds just 🤯! |
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Tiger Mission (liveThe Church for Transmission 64) - arranged by Reyn OuwehandReview by LaLa, 28/12/2023 What a wonderful piano improv over the beat of the original! You can feel it's from the heart… |
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Green Beret (live at The Church Transmission 64) - arranged by Reyn OuwehandReview by LaLa, 14/12/2023 Massive musical talent in full display here.I absolutely adore the use of organ sound in the intro! And then it just keeps building up and building up in a long, amazing crescendo, ultimately developing into an epic piece.When I first heard this entire concert while attending Transmissions64 online, I was completely mesmerized. Actually, that's not even the right word. The only other time I felt similarly is when I attended the Mythodea concert by Vangelis in person in Athens. I felt completely awestruck in the presence of a massive musical talent, overwhelmed and completely swept away by the moment we are all shared together with him. And during Reyn's performance I felt the same way again.If you haven't, yet, do yourself a favor and watch his entire performance that he linked in the video here. His tributes to Johannes Bjerregaard make me cry every single time I watch it. And I watched this video a LOT since it was first published.I hope, Reyn, that you'll consider uploading the other pieces from your live T64 performance to RKO, too.Thank you, Reyn, for sharing these wonderful moments with us! |
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Mystery (Abyss Game 2) - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 12/12/2023 Superb! The quality of the instruments is absolutely top-notch, from the violin to the choir. I love the arrangement, too, it carries sooo much emotion! And I'm always in awe in the quality of your mixing. Every note has its place here, every phrase tells us something, every passage evokes deep feelings. Again: superb! |
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Falcon Tn - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 04/12/2023 How the heck is this the first remix of this popular tune!?! Funkiness is dialed up to the max in this one, really good! The brass section is especially alive here, I like the echo on it. I wish the synth lead sounds were thicker, though (or replaced with a sax), they kinda get lost in all the funkiness. But otherwise, it's very, very enjoyable. |
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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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Endtheme (Encore500) - arranged by Jogeir LiljedahlReview by LaLa, 14/10/2023 I fell in love with his version right away and I can't stop listening to it - Jogeir extended the short original into a beautiful five and a half minute long chill piece, and I'm so glad it also features that wonderful melody line of the original prominently. Sorry, all other talented remixers, but we have a winner - this is my absolute favorite from the Encore500 album, bar none. |
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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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