Christmas Special Editorial: 20 years of RKO (The charts revisited)
Published: 24/12/2020 by Neil Carr
In the year 2000 Jan Lund Thomsen's RKO (remix.kwed.org) was born. Finally, a resource that enabled remixers to uploaded their remixes for the world to enjoy. Before that time the remixing scene were made up of several websites spread around the internet. Finding these sites and jumping around from one to another was a painful and a somewhat chaotic experience. Over the years RKO would establish itself to be the one stop shop to get your c64 remix fix. In this Christmas editorial special we go back through the years and present the top 3 remixes voted by our readers from each year to the current day. So grab a cuppa sit back and enjoy whilst we take you on a nostalgia trip. Oh! and if you haven't voted yet on these remixes here's a chance to do so. Happy Christmas everyone.
*Ratings are correct at the time of publish. Ratings subject to varience should votes be cast.
YEAR: 2000
condor: Never commented this one… With Zoids, I think it can von title of your best remix.
omoroca: Jarresque like hell. This one goes straight to the heart. Years ahead of its time! At 3:10 I fall apart from enchantment. Goose bumps all over! Added to my collection.
banador: Just so good and interesting picture of the Nemesis that this music creates.
92%
Zilog: This is AWESOME!
soppa: Absolutely stunning remix, so simple (as the sid) but yet so eerie and deep feel to it, also love the selection of ambient sounds in this.
Dumper: Absolutely brilliant.
93%
Melaure: Excellent, I have found Jarre's fealings in this tune 😃
eliot: Very very very outstanding 😊
humorguy: Oh sorry fell up from somewhere really nice. Big fat red one!
92%
Year 2001
machinae supremacy - Great Giana Sisters
mfe: I'm not a metal man, but the quality in this cannot be dismissed!
Imphenzia: 100% for me, superb production quality, composition and arrangement. Retrointro and passage to modern remix is outstanding too.
Spent: Insanely good.
96%
Tonka - Last Ninja - Palace Gardens (Loader)
REYN: Best energy, best buildup, best drum programming EVER!!! Gigantic!!
Nebdar: Awsome remix cool one with proper soul
deadguyfromhun: Great track, with a traditional Last Ninja rythmics…
93%
DHS - Max Headroom (Orbital 3241 Elevator Mix)
chairmankaga: One of my favourite SID remixes.
humorguy: Great value for money DHS just keeps on doin' it!
madrigal: Wonderful remix, DHS is a guarantee for quality!😉
91%
Year 2002
Glyn R Brown - Firelord - Symphonic
datucker: Very impressive, and even more impressive considering it was made in Fruityloops…
fraspras: A bit old sounded but great
Mitch van Hayden: What could I say? Give me more like this!
96%
Mahoney - Armageddon Man (Vocal Jazz feat. Karin Öjehagen)
exo: One of the best remixes ever. Period.
grytulf: Perfect…
ulfepulf: Sweet!
95%
Glyn R Brown - Gordian Tomb Adventures
Grigul: My personal all-time favourite. One of the oldest tracks I heared at SlayRadio, and still love and enjoy it. Glyn R. Brown is a Master of c-64-remixes.
Pietafon: Awesome!
Ansoe: Powerful, magnificent!
95%
Year 2003
Lagerfeldt - Dutch Breeze/Robocop 3 (Progressive Uplift)
gforg: Auuusommee!
JCM Leader: Awesome
tony.rc: I first heard this tune @ BIT2003 and I still love it to bits!
93%
Thomas Detert - Supernova (the slow tune)
soppa: Marvelous remix, the production is of course excellent but this is just so well thought out it's bound to stay on my playlist for a long long time.
Dumper: Truly wonderful.
snorski: Epic
93%
Mordi: Lovely rendition of a nice tune
jelly: Hauntingly haunting.
Dan: Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy!
91%
Year 2004
vosla: Oh, my gawd! *shits his pants*
Grigul: Another masterpiece from my personal Master of c-64-remixes. Great Job, Glyn. Always like to hear your tracks. Classical.😀
Codetapper: Brilliant tune!
97%
Amok: GREAT!!!
soundtrix: Really nice - reminds me of great 80's movies - Bladerunner/Vangelis
Waz: This is easily the best mix of Sweet, and for one reason: it's kept all the emotion that the C64 original had, and added plenty of good timed instruments (got to love the guitar work there). It's utterly brilliant and gets my vote as remix of 2004 so far
97%
DHS - The Human Race (Bando alle Seghe)
NecroPolo: Excellent rendition. No more, no less.
Amok: Still great but I think its overrated and I prefer DJ Mitch's version… Finally I cant resist it… 😃
DaManiac72: Brilliant. You should be very proud.
94%
Year 2005
Makke - Artura(Dublin Delight Mix) feat. Andreas Wallström
tball: Brilliant, especially the lyrics. Not sure what else to say.
Waz: This is exactly how Ben would have done the tune if he'd been allowed to put all manner of Jethro Tull influence into the piece. Original and also quality, keeping the spirit of the original intact.
romeo_knight: This is simply amazing! Makke, it's an honour to be beaten by you!
95%
Marcel Donné - Something Stranger Remake
Nebdar: Masterpiece of the true master
Dumper: Love it, a perfect companion to Feekzoids remix.
Chainsaw: Very great
93%
aero: Fantastic, thanks alot glyn!
Makke: Holy Christ! Yes!!! At first listen I thought This will get a Very Good vote. Then came the choire, and it all just came together in pure perfection. Pant creamage galoure!
raiden: Outstanding GREAT! Welcome Back Glyn! Good to hear That he's still alive! Great Mix.^^
92%
Year 2006
Andy Gilmour & LMan - Robocop Title
Ph0B1uS: A really good remix. I LOVE the guitar in this one, a defininite faviourite
streki: Nice and best!,)
lagerfeldt: Take My Breath Away
96%
moog (Sebastian Bachliñski) - Tristess
REYN: Great great remix! And also a very nice composition! Superb…
Chainsaw: This is really a masterpiece!
soppa: Whenever I get fed up with customers at my work, I just put my voip in to paperwork mode and sit back and listen to this! I love how moogs remixes are of great quality and mixing but still have that oldskool demoscene feel to them!
93%
machinae supremacy - Sidology 2 Trinity
XxDUSTYxX: THAT's what I call a masterpiece!
buzzard: Wasn't overkeen compared to their others, but hell its grown on me big time!!!
westerling: An absolutely great musical adventure!!!
93%
YEAR 2007
Reyn Ouwehand - Green Beret (live at The Church)
Nada: Great, absolutely great!
XxDUSTYxX: Wow! This rocks! |m|
Melaure: Exellent
97%
Dafunk - Destruction - The New Beginning (rmx)
LaLa: Great arrangement, great sounds, great mastering, great, great, great.
k_rostoen: What Skitz said.
bratac: Excellent, it has melody and yet is trancy.
93%
tonywestonuk: Fantastic… Have you considered posting to http://www.garageband.com/genre/trance - Cus, this remix is far to good to be kept just in the c64 remix community
chilli_uk: The more you listen the more you need to listen - great work Dafunk
gol: Amazing sound
93%
YEAR 2008
Mordi - Plastic Pop (I Miss You mix)
bahamut_ger: Ums auf Deutsch zu sagen. EINFACH GEIL!! Sehr guter Track. Bitte mehr davon.
Ziphoid: Really neatly done for sure!. … And dang, this dude is only 18… A new Dafunk in the making? I'll have to listen up to the rest of his tracks. Me likes!
baztd: Fantastic. I love it!
93%
Dafunk - Hardcore Power (We Believe In Goa - Remix)
NecroPolo: This musical style is not my cup of tea. The top notch execution is.
Agemixer: Nicely advancing one, good development since the original which is awesome aswell! I just love all the melodic silent moments in the middle and especially all those dafunk style, strong low modulation sounds… Kickass!
Grigul: Awesome, absolutely awesome tune. Maybe the best one of Dafunk. Great Job!!
93%
Peter W - Stargate (Not As Trancelucent As)
L0rd3vyL: My second favorite Peter W tune.
Varan: Builds up the mood very nicely the first minutes and then releases a nice melody. Very dreamy indeed. The ending feels a bit flat though.
Nebdar: It is so nice to listen to it. The time pass so quickly
92%
YEAR 2009
Firestorm - Commando (Sound of SceneSat Edit)
schlicky: Just friggin awesome!
NecroPolo: Although I like IK+ remix better and orchestra is not for me, objectively, I admit that this is excellence itself and a perfect nominee for the all-times #1. BTW, greetings to Suckho 😉 Eftos: you must be kidding…
fnordpojk: Astoundingly massive. I for one would like to see a Firestorm / Glyn R Brown collab!
96%
Jogeir Liljedahl - Synth Sample - The Stationary Ark
ulfepulf: Beautiful! A bit more dynamic piano, and this is perfect.
Badla: Totally badlsk! Awesome.
Mrcookie: Smooth and beautiful
96%
FuzzyDweeb: My favourite version of the classic!
Twinbee: A classic then and a classic now.
Shark: Yes great work really liked it better then all these dance tracks of late and I can never get enough ocean loader remixs so cheers!
94%
YEAR 2010
95%
Chabee - Baboon (Skydive ReMix)
TheZee: A beautiful blend of sounds! You've got real talent mate, keep up the good work!😀
Unreal: Yeaa! It is a great remix now!! I loves the feel, and the various elements and samples in the music! Congratulations, I am waitin' the next one, my friend!😊
Zilog: Exquisite!
92%
SIDrip Alliance - From First to Last (AROK12 tribute mix)
hillsman: Some of the leads aren't great, but this is an otherwise awesome compendium of some top LN tracks. Not a huge electric guitar fan, but it sounds great here!
Danceaway: Love it, top mix and it blends through each track perfectly, looking forward to seeing you guys live at somepoint in the future… Keep it up guys!!!
weasel: Wow! Truly _outstanding_, indeed!!! Thank you _very_, very much!! 😃
92%
YEAR 2011
moog (Sebastian Bachliñski) - Jazzcat (007)
Mordi: Been listening to this regularly since it's release on SceneSat Vol 2. Outstanding as ever.
LMan: The name's Funk. Moog Funk.
nettuno: Excellent, melody, arrangement and a style unique. WOW!
93%
Wilfred: My first favourite on remix64, simple, beautiful arrangement
chabee: Nice Re-Remix 😊
_steve_: Great as usual… Very chilled
94%
Peter Clarke - Ocean Loader 3 (Cinematic remix)
NecroPolo: I'm not really into orchestral remixes but only lack of hearing would let me say that I don't appreciate the work behind it much. It's a great track with great arrangement but I like the other version better.
YogibearRenoise: This sounds really great and is now one of my favs of RKO! Could you please make an orchestral version of song 1 in HVSC of Tai-Pan? That's my fav sid of you! Thanks for this!
hillsman: The best Ocean Loader? Check. The original composer? Check. Win! Win!
93%
YEAR 2012
snorski: Sweet!
winc: The sound in this the way it just mixes together, and the harmony just made this the best song of 2015!!
LMan: Perfect, just perfect, mate.
94%
Andreas Wallström and NecroPolo - DMC demo IV 2 (Celtic Mission mix)
weasel: BRING IT ON!!! *headbanging… Although no really long hair!! ;-D* Working really _great_ this version for this great SID.
Slayer: Now, thats music!😊
k_rostoen: Wow! The tune works really well with this music style. Sounds great!
94%
chabee: Great as it is!
bordeaux: Great tribute, awesome guitars - thanks a lot!
Dees Productions: Awesome!
94%
YEAR 2013
Grigul: Wow, great tune. The influence by Jean-Michel Jarre is obviously, but hey - I'm a huge fan of Jarre since 1979. Great Job, Peacemaker.
Nebdar: You hit my soft spot witthis remix too great job
Jojje70: Never heard the original SID but the melody and chord progressions are just fantastic! Beautiful and atmospheric, it's an amazing tune that gives me goosebumps! Great work!
94%
LukHash - Supremacy (youtube vid)
p2: Love it! Just like all the other work of LukHash!
Crono: Masterpiece!
AmiC64: For me the BEST Remixer EVER!!! ZAJEBISTE!!!
93%
BeeZerk - BeeZerk - Blasphemy (Feat. Pallaso & Kage)
weasel: Yeah!!! What LMan said!!! 😃😃😃
LMan: Wow this is some serious billboard-charts-wothy summer pop!!
bastard: Impressive production. If I'd known the original tune, I would have rated it red++
93%
YEAR 2014
95%
Robert Engstrand - The Mansion Gardens (Last Ninja medley)
timmya4000: Outstanding!!! Great choice of sounds. Love that bass
chabee: Great!❤️
DJNutzZ: YES!!!
93%
Markus Schneider - Enlightenment - Druid II
LMan: Markus Schneider is back, better than ever.
infamous: Markus has always been a fantastic musician and all thats changed over the years to me is the increase in production values, great stuff as always.
rico: … Gives me a lot of Game of Thrones vibes - in a very good way!
93%
Year 2015
Slaygon - Never Die (Skitz lives forever)
Kate Eternal: Incredible remix!
Zatuffli: Describe emotions with music. I am excited! Simply brilliant! Good Work!
GlenBenton: Brilliant!
96%
Dr Future - Fist II - The Legend Continues
omoroca: Wonderful! Added to my collection.
Rapture: Class! The melody at 0:38 reminded me of Joe Hisaishi Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away!
LMan: Beautiful.
95%
MRT - Eagles (Easy Flight mix)
James T. Kork: Just brilliant.
Dr.Piotr: Lindsey Stirling she played Mr. T
LMan: Lovely style.
94%
YEAR 2016
symbols: Most Excellent Sir! Bodayshus!
ChrisBond: Wow - that is a really good remix, good sounds good arragement, but a little static beat - love it anyway, and thanks a lot for the Cybernoid I Bonus at the end - lovely
spavatch: Excellent remix, wonderful in every way!
96%
Johan Andersson - Out Run - Splash Wave (surf mix)
symbols: So Pulp Fiction! 😃
gABBa =aGp=: Hey boy, you ever were on woodstock? Great tune!😊
ChrisBond: What can I say, perfect Beatles like 😊
94%
Dr.Piotr: Leds dance!!! Greats!
hillsman: Catchy! Quality!!
NecroPolo: Despite that I hate dancing and dreamy stuff to quite a high degree I'd be a fool not to see the values of this quality track. Great work and a floor filler contender on a demoscene party.
95%
YEAR 2017
SIDNIFY - Supremacy (Overprime mix)
teo: What a great first remix! Igy tovább!
Haxel: Beautiful mixing and gorgeous arrangement!
MORBID: Oh yeah!
97%
Ryrynz: Would like something more like Apollo2k's version but no denying the quality of this.
NecroPolo: Not my kind of stuff at all (there is no blood) but it is quality at its best. Great work!
Mordi: Well done! A pleasant listening experience. Edit: Relistening two months later. It's really nice!
94%
96%
YEAR 2018
FastLoaders - Commando High Score
Shark: Perfect!
LMan: Super sweet rock ballad. All thumbs up!
The Breaker: This is some one Awesome Top Gun, Commando Retro Remix for sure. 😃
96%
speedy: Uhh, what to say. Great track!
wbdeejay: As wonderfully Moody and Detailed as the original.
marcel: Is there a superlative for epic? If there is, than this remix is it! Amazing bit of work Sir!
96%
FastLoaders - Ghouls and Ghosts
GlenBenton: Wow, man!
drm: Quality tune!!
kwed: Too much (prog) rock for one hand!
94%
YEAR 2019
Peter Clarke - Firelord - Symphonic (a nod to Glyn)
bastard: Absolutely wonderful arrangement!
C64_Gamer: Love the 2002 version and now I love this too
Poppykuk: Great arrangement. Keeps the atmosphere of the original but sounds huge.
97%
Glyn R Brown - Firelord (from 8Bit Symphony)
Seedgroup: Pure Gold!
Mano: Top notch.
Dan: Glyn… Nuff said
98%
Mordi: Dane meets Liljedahl! Highly enjoyable!
rnuls: Fantastic song from Jogeir
c64glen: Outstanding. Unfamiliar with the original but there Pink's Who Knew in there.
97%
YEAR 2020
Tomsk: Startlingly good remix. Strings, bass, lead, guitar all blended together with care and love. I can even forgive the 'shoehorned' vocoder, because it makes me smile. Wonderful all round!
Paulie68000: One of my all time favourite arcade pieces; I love the seamless blend of genres from the opening strings to the guitar break near the end. Pure class.
XxDUSTYxX: Extremely catchy feel-good music!😊
96%
Peter Clarke, ziona & Slaygon - Tales of Boon (The Collaboration Mix)
Marcus: I can't remember the game but wow what a score!. If this great track is 3rd place what is 2nd and 1st in the remix competition.
Ryrynz: The synths don't really have the punch I want, they really need to be front and center, orchestra sounds good. Overall a nice atmosphere. Dat Slaygon tho… @3:30 my jam.
Poppykuk: Another musical journey with peter clarke. I hear the other players and it all works beautifully together. I love the way the soundscape changes.
95%
SIDNIFY - The Last Ninja - The Wilderness
Bistecca104: Wow! Just WOW!
NecroPolo: Spendid work lads!
XxDUSTYxX: Thank you for your powerful and catchy hi-quality remix, SIDNIFY! Ben Daglish will never be forgotten!
95%
People, we should considder ourselves lucky to be part of a community diverse enough to cover everything from the solitary hobbyist with a copy of Fruityloops to an 80-piece symphonic orchestra. The solitary remixer can afford to be out of pocket on a remix since the music isn’t his/her day job - the professional musician doesn’t have that luxury. Dismissing one over the other isn’t a way to take the hobby in new directions. If you prefer the freely available renditions, that’s fine by me - but don’t knock commercial efforts simply for having a cost. No one is in this to get rich.
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