Bastian Dornbach - Tetris (C64 Orchestral Mix)

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Duration:
25:53
Released:
05/02/2024
Charts position:
54. in the year 2024
625. in all-time charts
Score:
89%
Story

The epic soundtrack of the C64 Tetris version always had a special place in my heart. I remember recording it with a small microphone from our monitor and listen to it from tape in the dark night (back then around 1989).

 

In 2022, I decided to create an orchestrated version myself using MuseScore 3.0, transcribing the score note for note by ear. This is a new, improved mix using the excellent sounds of MuseScore 4.2 with MuseHub.

 

During the process of setting the score for full orchestra (which took me all in all about five months), I had a few ideas such as adding bass drum, field drums, cymbal clashes and using layers of thematic material and harmonies (the low tam-tam sounds in the first part were inspired by the great Tetris Remix done by Sami Koistinen). Also, I brought the three themes in the middle part together, playing them at the same time (which was not possible due to the restrictions of the C64 SID chip back then).

 

You may hear my love for late-romantic classical music. Most importantly, I wanted to keep the atmosphere of this unique piece and tried to be true to the original as much as possible.

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Thank you! Bastian

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What an epic, melodic, intensely evocative journey... Superb
Wow, you’ve done the impossible, one of the hardest Sids to remix and it’s full of awesome moments. There are a few places where I feel your sound library falls apart but everything else is performed with an impeccable delicate hand. Wonderful!
Really, really good effort. Spoke to a few friends about this remix and many of us were bordering on giving it red.
This tune made me feel like the old days and with this version it should be played in concert halls!
Review by Tomsk
09/02/2024

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Artistic skill

Nostalgia factor

Overall rating

I figure if someone goes to the trouble of doing a 1:1 cover of this classic, capturing every note, then the least I can do is give a full review. So I confess the begining is quite underwhelming, although the flute is perfect choice for the lead. When the sample kicks in on the SID I miss the drama, with staccato strings doing their best to fill in…but from a slightly dissapointing start, things start to improve…massively! Delicate use of strings begin to give this a Morricone-esque type feel…they are used cleverly, and you begin realise this newcomer knows exactly what he's doing. Subtle brass and woodwind create a perfect soundscape for the theme to evolve. Part 2 brings a suitable but perfect 'fairground' organ style sound to usher itself in…and again, we fall away a little for a short time…but all the while you just know this is slowly building. As the strings and brass combine again, I feel I hear the inspiration of Ernio again…Bastain seems to nail the dynamics here, and all that's missing is some female opera vocals. Superb! At the 16 min mark we begin get extra percussion, offering some lovely crecendos. If you love this theme, don't be put off by the opening. I listened to this multiple times, and hugely enjoyed the 25mins. Yes, there are small areas to improve, but Bastain has excelled in bringing a very, very good remix of a challenging SID. This is more or less a 1:1 version of the original, and perhaps in future this clearly talented musician can add a little of his own flair. For a first submission this is excellent, and I for one, can't wait to hear what he does next. Well done!
Review by Waz
09/02/2024

Technique

Artistic skill

Nostalgia factor

Overall rating

To even attempt the whole 25 minutes plus of Tetris is a monumental effort to start with, never mind the execution. There's lots of well balanced progression and development as the tune builds and builds, and even though some of the instrument choices may not be everyone's cup of tea, there's no doubt that the feeling of the original SID is there in abundance, and for me, that's the most important thing - it's all there with feeling and heart. The rise and fall of the SID backing instrument is here as the whole thing moves along.

There's plenty of film score sounds here, straight out of the likes of Philip Glass, Ennio Morricone et al. It's also testament to the way that the crescendos build from 17 minutes in that there's attention to detail to make not ust a 1:1 cover of the whole thing, but add to much more too. I'm certainly looking forward to what Bastian can do in the future, and this is a very good start indeed.