Reviews by LaLa |
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Katapillar Eliminator (Ice Age mix) - arranged by Tim ForsythReview by LaLa, 24/10/2022 It has a certain oldsk00l feeling to it, and I don't mean just the melodies - the instrumentation, the arrangement all reminds me of 90s tracker music for some reason. I really enjoy this |
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Chordian - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 24/10/2022 First of all, excellent job on the bass, it just cuts through the mix and it sounds fantastic in my headphones! Also, excellent choice on the instrumentation, it all works together very well. What I am not a fan of in this remix is the overall arrangement - somehow it just doesn't mesh with me, and the impact of the tune is lost on me. Which is hard for me to say, because I really like the original SID. I am also not a big fan of that synthy lead sound, but maybe it'll grow on me. So, from a technical perspective, it's a really good piece, but I think more could've been done here to increase its emotional impact. |
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ACE 2 (Danger Zone Edit) - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 21/10/2022 Oh, wow, a near-perfect pastiche ofDanger Zonefrom Top Gun laid over the melody and chord structure of Ace 2! Complete with syrupy lyrics! And that guitar solo!… If I may, the only gripe I have here is that the flow of the lyrics doesn't always match the rhythm of the tune ( highway into to danger, highway into hell, it's your job and you're the man, this is why we're here baby and let's gooo, let's fly for glory, etc.) - it feels clunky and unnatural in those spots. (For example, I don't think a native English speaker would ever sing glorywith a short oand a long y.) |
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Grand Prix Circuit Title - arranged by OxxReview by LaLa, 21/10/2022 I really dig this. This would be a really good dancey version of this tune, but it's marred by a mix that sounds a bit too thin. As others have mentioned, probably due to the lack of low end. Otherwise, the arrangement gets a lot of things right and manages to breathe new life into this classic tune. |
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Mikie'ish, ELP'ish, and Live'ish - arranged by Karl R PettersenReview by LaLa, 18/10/2022 (19 years later) This remix gets so many things right, and some not quite. The guitar in the intro is too obviously a pre-programmed synth (nothing wrong with any of that, it's just too obvious). For a remix that pretends to be live, it needs to sound more authentic. Then the bass sounds off, too. And the electric piano. Then the whiney lead towards the end sounds out of place, to… However, I really, really like that the arrangement nails so many nuances of the original! All the little things that make it sound so jazzy are in here, too. Considering the age of this remix it held up very well, but it would definitely benefit from an instrumentation upgrade (or by having this arrangement played by actual human performers). |
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Zynaps (Vaggelis saved me) - arranged by SlaygonReview by LaLa, 16/10/2022 Yeah, totally agree with the subtitle - were it not for Vaggelis' guitar shredding, I would've rated this tune a grey at max. NAAAH! Just kidding! 😁 Great collab all around! |
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IK+ - arranged by Steve FosterReview by LaLa, 08/10/2022 Those occasional bubbly arpeggios in the background (e.g. @ 1:22) - love it. The entire mix is rather low on volume, though, could've used some boost. The drums could've used some help in the mixing department, too. Overall, a cool idea in need of some refinement. |
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International Karate - arranged by OJ OscillationReview by LaLa, 26/09/2022 One thing you definitely nailed in this remix is the bass sound. Damn, it's good! One thing you definitely missed in this remix is the guitar - it doesn't sound like a real guitar to me, and I think it just screams out for a real one. I am also not a fan of some of the arrangement, where e.g. the percussion in the left channel is mixed with a filtered synth and some sparkly pads and just a bunch of other things. Sometimes less is more… Lots of neat ideas in this remix scattered all over the place, and kudos for covering the IK tune in its entirety, but as a whole this just doesn't work for me. |
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Green Beret Blues - arranged by Marcel DonnéReview by LaLa, 17/09/2022 Another masterpiece of fusion from Marcel's studio. I am a huge fan of Vangelis, and months later I am still depressed by his passing. And, of course, I am a huge fan of SID music, too. And Marcel is the amazing musician who is at the intersection of those two, here masterfully combining the style of Blade Runner Blues with the melodies of Green Beret. Marcel, words cannot express how much I appreciate your remixes, they mean so much to me on so many levels. Thank you! |
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Cybernoid II (The Revenge) - arranged by Mutherpluckin' BReview by LaLa, 06/09/2022 This would be your typical I actually quite like this, has a certain oldschool prog-rock feel to it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to fire up my bong and my lava lamp while I listen to it once more. 😉 |
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Ace 2 - Remastered - arranged by OxxReview by LaLa, 05/09/2022 WOW! A huge improvement from your first version of this remix! Luckily, you kept the same overall arrangement, which I already liked in your first version. But you enhanced the sounds and the mixing in this one by leaps and bounds. I love the added vocals, too - they're sometimes subtle, but definitely improve the song. You injected a tremendous amount of energy into your arrangement with your tinkering. Very impressive, very well done! |
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Rambo High Score (RKO100 extended rework) - arranged by Johan AnderssonReview by LaLa, 18/08/2022 One year later… An outstanding rendition of the Rambo High Score tune! I especially like when at 1:02 that bass comes in, then at 2:15 that piano track - very nice addition. And that trumpet during the last minute or so is just icing on the cake. I really like how it all builds up to that final minute. Thank you for gifting us this extended version! |
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Auf Wiedersehen Monty - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 16/08/2022 Here's what I like:
Here's what I don't like:
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Terra Cresta - arranged by Johan AnderssonReview by LaLa, 19/07/2022 Just when I was getting into it with the vocoded voice setting up the saga - it ends. This entire remix feels like an intro to a much longer piece. |
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Outrun M.S.S (Fieramente Flamanco Fiesta) - arranged by 0supereg0Review by LaLa, 16/07/2022 Writingflamencoand fiestainto the subtitle elevates expectations pretty high, but I'm afraid this remix doesn't really live up to them. The arrangement sounds a bit of a mess, although I can't quite put my finger on why. The synthy instruments sound out of place in this genre for me, the improvs are too meandering, the delay is dialed up a bit too high on the backing tracks, and so on - my ears were pretty tired by the end of this 6+ min track. |
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Shades (Single Edit) - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 11/07/2022 For some reason the style of this remix reminds me of the memory I had of the Neverending Story title track, yet when I listen to that one, it's clearly not the same style, because the movie soundtrack was more pop than this. This one has lush pads, a dreamy lead, spacious drums, and plenty of reverb. Actually, I think this remix would've fit rather well with movie's soundtrack! 😊 Anyway, I quite like it! Especially with the catchy melody of Hülsbeck's original. Well done! |
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Exos - Acid 2 - (Bring the Beat Back) - arranged by OxxReview by LaLa, 02/07/2022 First of all, thank you for remixing this hidden little gem of a SID! I was familiar with it even before your remix, so thanks for picking it! This is a bouncy remix that is fitting for the original SID, and I quite enjoy it! Despite your efforts I think the low end is still not as punchy as it could be (or should be). The addition of the vocals samples is also welcome, and thankfully, you didn't overdo it, either. I think some of he instruments could be better, some of them sound a bit too cheezy for my taste. But overall I think this will be enjoyed by people on a dance floor. 😀 |
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sanXXIIon (Sanxion Loader Thalamusic Remix) - arranged by MMSYSTEMReview by LaLa, 27/06/2022 I think what brings down the score for me in this tune is that this is a Sanxion remix we've head a million times before. Not from you, obviously, but it sounds so similar to many other Sanxion remixes out there (with the exact same arrangement), and it doesn't really bring anything new with it. Technically, it's fairly good, maybe the mixing could've been improved a bit (cut some high frequencies), the instrumentation is fine, too, but… But nothing here blows me away. Good effort, good job - but that's about it. |
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Cybernoid II - arranged by Steve FosterReview by LaLa, 13/06/2022 Welcome back! It's always nice to see a remixer come back with a release after a long hiatus. Pretty straightforward arrangement that is fairly faithful to the original. I guess, the main issue I have with this remix is the mixing - it sounds too washed out, and sounds like it was over-filtered. I am unsure how to feel about the arpeggios in the first minute, rather than, say, using chords instead. Sure, the SID arpeggios sound retro, but I could've imagined this part with chords, too. The drums also seem to Overall, a solid arrangement with an underlying mixing issue. |
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Wizball opus 4 - arranged by MozolowskiReview by LaLa, 13/06/2022 Another minimalist arrangement that reminds me of Kraftwerk for some reason. (That's because you are old, dude, and you have no other, more modern frame of reference! Ouch.) It's an almost hypnotic, sequence heavy piece - much like the original, to be honest. It's different, it's new, yet, somehow, it's the same. It's mysterious and ambivalent, it's tribal and ambient. I dunno, I like it! |
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Cybernoid (surf mix) - arranged by Johan AnderssonReview by LaLa, 12/06/2022 Surf's up! Spot-on with the Beach Boys style. My only gripe is that the mix sounds overcompressed, especially in the low end. |
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Hawkeye (Slipping into the Stellar Sublimeness) - arranged by 0supereg0Review by LaLa, 12/06/2022 Nice idea, but a bit too heavy on the jingly-jangly things, they get really tiring after a few bars. Tone those down with a low-pass filter (or stop doing them after the intro), but keep the dreamy guitar. @3:22 - oh, those jingly-jangly things suddenly stopped! Why? I don't know, their abrupt departure sounded rather random, but my ears welcomed the change for sure. At around the 5:00 min mark - wonderful pads, now that actually sounds like This track has the potential to bring me to another level of consciousness, but every time I get captivated by its downtempo rhythm and dreamy sounds, I get yanked back into reality by something happening abruptly. Like that sharp synth at around 7:16, where the guitar also inexplicably gets moved to the left channel. Eh?… Anyway, lots of great ideas here, lots of potential, but the execution could've been better. |
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Traz - arranged by Dr FutureReview by LaLa, 10/06/2022 Excellent disco feel, spot on with the instrumentation. Sure to bring smiles on all 80s music fans' faces. 😎 Great guitar lead in the first half of the tune. But minus points for oversimplifying the lead between 1:25-1:55 - where are the signature slides?!? Omitting those is a total deal-breaker for me. The same goes for the synth lead pretty much throughout the rest of the tune. Plus points for those guitar noodlings in the second half of the remix. Sigh.. so close to a red, so close. |
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Ghost 'n Goblins - Orchestra Cover - arranged by NordischsoundReview by LaLa, 10/06/2022 Hi, welcome to the remix community! A very good remix, especially for somebody who is a newcomer here, and especially for an orchestral cover. Using an organ for the intro - clever! Unfortunately, the rest of the arrangement relies too heavily on the percussion to drive it forward. I also hear a bit too much of the low-end instruments throughout the remix, which muddies it up for me. I wish you also used a larger dynamic range for the individual orchestra sections - everybody just seems to be playing all the notes at the same intensity, which makes it sound too unnatural. Other than these, I think the arrangement has a lot of promise, but I think with a bit more attention to the individual instruments (and maybe even adding a few |
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Afterburner (Melodic Modal Medieval Morning) - arranged by 0supereg0Review by LaLa, 08/06/2022 Wow, somebody went a little too crazy on the pan LFO… 🤪 The idea of making this into a downtempo chill mix is absolutely great. However, I am super annoyed by the fast moving left-right panning, especially when it's done on the lead instrument (which is an otherwise pretty flute). I find it very distracting. It's too bad, because the arrangement is really good, I like the instrumentation, too - just please, stop your band from running around on the stage so much! It's a cute effect at first - but constantly for 8+ minutes?!? Ouch. PS: I made the mix mono in Audacity - ahh, sounds much better!… |
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Beyond the Ice Palace Live Performance - arranged by Tony Fluke73 WirenReview by LaLa, 08/06/2022 Live or not, I think you should've added more variation to the backing tracks (other than the key changes). The sound selection is actually pretty solid (really like that filtered pad). The live lead is not a whole lot demanding, so I expected some more - additional articulations, trills, slides, anything to make it a bit more interesting (not that I would be able to play it any better live, mind you, but I also don't do YT videos of me playing live). Overall, a solid effort that falls short in several departments. |
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The way of the Exploding Fist (sub 3) - arranged by OJ OscillationReview by LaLa, 06/06/2022 This is a very interesting, deceptively minimalist arrangement, sort of reminds me of Kraftwerk's 'Electric Cafe' album, but with a more modern breakbeat twist. I wish the lead instruments sounded a bit better, or at least stood out a bit more in the mix. I don't think this will be everybody's cup of tea, but I enjoy it. |
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Boulder Dash - Amusement Park Loudspeaker Remix - arranged by OxxReview by LaLa, 26/05/2022 I like the concept behind this track a lot more than its execution. I think you totally nailed the arpeggiated sequences of the intro, superb job there! I wish the EDM style of this tune was more emphasized. It's especially lacking in the low end, both bass and drum-wise. I think the overall arrangement is pretty solid, though. With a bit more attention this would be a big hit on the dance floor. |
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Depressed (Tributo Al Pasado) - arranged by Eivind SommerstenReview by LaLa, 24/05/2022 Great concept, but I am not convinced by the execution of it. Somehow it feels off, but I can't quite explain why. |
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Parallax Mini EP - The Past, Present and Future - arranged by Tim ForsythReview by LaLa, 21/05/2022 Tangerine Dream 🍊 does Parallax! If I didn't know the original SID and somebody told me this is a TD album from the 1980s or early 1990s, I would've said I absolutely adore the long arpeggiated sequences and how you weaved them into one another. The middle section that pays homage to TD's And that last section with the more melodic part - jaw-dropping. The way you build up to it is just amazing. Perfect choice of instruments, total eargasm. Well, I could keep gushing on and on, but I think you get the idea. Who would've thought that after all these decades I could still be surprised by a Parallax remix? This is an epic work that seamlessly mashes the style of Tangerine Dream with Galway's timeless SID opus and it does that superbly. Su-perb-ly! Congrats! This is top stuff. PS: One minor gripe: I wish it didn't end on a fadeout. An epic like this deserves a more definitive ending. |
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