Reviews by LaLa |
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Displaying Reviews 31 - 60 out of 630 |
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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 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 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 asdemo 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 ( 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 perfect 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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Rambo : First Blood Part II - arranged by PPOTReview by LaLa, 23/04/2023 The Morse code in the intro spells out the name of the band and the first names of the individual members: PRESS PLAY ON TAPE MARTIN, ANDRE (André), JESPER, SOEREN (Søren), UFFE, ASEO (?) .--. .-. . … … / .--. .-.. .- -.-- / --- -. / - .- .--. . / -- .- .-. - .. -. / .- -. -.. .-. . / .--- . … .--. . .-. / … --- . .-. . -. / ..- ..-. ..-. . / .- … . --- |
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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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Coop Ups - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 19/04/2023 I have a new nickname for you: Jazzmeister. By the way, what's better than a perfectly crafted jazzy tune? When I can find a tiny flaw in it and pick on it. 😋 I think the synth sound is not a good fit for the lead sound in the beginning, especially when everything else sounds so acoustic. And I agree with Tim: it similarly doesn't seem fitting towards the end from 2:40 on. Sounds a bit out of place compared to the rest of the instrumentation. Other than this small flaw - excellent. |
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Mutants (Encore64) - arranged by Fred Gray & Peter ClarkeReview by LaLa, 17/04/2023 While the overall style of the remix has Peter's fingerprints all over it, it has a refreshing mix of raw synths and acoustic instruments playing the leads. Welcome back to music production, Fred! |
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Tintin on the Moon (Encore64) - arranged by Fred Gray & Tomas DankoReview by LaLa, 17/04/2023 Legends remixing a legend! While there's a lot to like about this track - the piano runs, the brass hits, the electric piano chords - I just wish it took the jazzy theme and ran with it even further. |
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Eskimonika (Encore64) - arranged by DankoReview by LaLa, 17/04/2023 I was not familiar with this SID before I heard this remix on Encore64. Reworked by Danko in a way only Danko can. Twisting and distorting sounds to his will, but still keeping the original melodies intact results in a prettyhardelectronic piece that remains hugely listenable. It's not really unz-unzmusic, though, because its rhythm is genre-defying, but it's still unmistakably Danko-esque with memorable melody lines played with crystal-clear synths backed by complex arpeggiated rhythms. Also, thank you, Tomas, for introducing me to this hidden gem of a SID! |
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Opus III (Encore64) - arranged by DankoReview by LaLa, 17/04/2023 It's always so great to hear a SID musician re-interpret his own work with different instruments. I really like the second half of this remix where pastiches of '90s mellow electronica abound: creamy, lush pads supported by a simple, but strong staccato bass line. Quite a delight! In fact, I wish that part was extended - it ends a bit abruptly just when I was getting into it. More of the same, please! 😋 |
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Ocean Loader III (Encore64) - arranged by Peter ClarkeReview by LaLa, 17/04/2023 This remix sits solidly in thesymphonic prog-rockstyle with the original's arrangement reworked very cleverly to fit into this genre. Luckily, it retains the original's uptempo backbone, enhanced with guitars no doubt all played by Peter himself, resulting in a wonderful track that really brings back memories: ah, back when we didn't mind the several minute long load times because we got music like this in return!… |
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Stationary Ark (Encore64) - arranged by Peter ClarkeReview by LaLa, 17/04/2023 Layers and layers of soothing sequences of guitar licks highlight the catchy melody, done in a style that many progressive albums of the 1970s would've been proud to include. |
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Immortal Flash 02 (Encore64) - arranged by VincenzoReview by LaLa, 17/04/2023 A great synth-heavy remix. This one made me smile, because I am a fan of the synthwave style (or retrowave or whatever you want to call it) represented by his piece. It's not as heavy- handed as to be dripping with '80s nostalgia, but the source of inspiration is certainly unmistakable. If you are not familiar with the original SID by Zardax, don't fret: I wasn't, either. It's a good SID, but Vincenzo really brought it to life with his modern-yet-retro instrumentation. |
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