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Human Race (Welcome To Goldrunner) - arranged by The St. Albans Rob Hubbard Fan Club

Review by Ahriakin, 20/02/2021

Occasionally seems to fall out of tune, and the piano reprise doesn't quite work imho - the concept yes but the instrument is too forward compared to the space fo the mix and isn't impactful enough to match the tone. But other than that is a great epic vocal mix.
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The Last V8 (Locked Down Remix) - arranged by Graeme Slapp

Review by Ahriakin, 20/02/2021

Though well respected not one of Rob's absolute best, at the same time this is an excellent mix of the original. Doesn't stray too far from the source but at the same time perfects it to nab a 5/5 from as 4/5 imho.
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Oblique (Hoax me once, shame on you...) - arranged by Slaygon

Review by Ahriakin, 20/02/2021

Absolutely deserving of 'Cinematic' as it reminds me so much of Hans Zimmer. The beat and melody are uncomplicated but satisfying. The arrangement and mix/master impacting, engaging and downright fkn brilliant 😊
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Hessian - Title Theme (epic vocal soundtrack) - arranged by Anthony Walters

Review by Grigul, 12/02/2021

That track is a great example when you try to explain, what a C-64-Remix IS. You give the other person the original tune, he recognizes it immediately as C-64-Music. Than you give him this remix, and enjoy his reaction. Absolutely amazing track, I really enjoy it every time I hear it.
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Dragon's Lair II - King Lizard DarkMedieval Remix - arranged by Fabio Marinelli

Review by Amon73, 10/02/2021

Mi piacciono molto i cori, le campane, ed il remix! Continua così. Spero di ascoltare quanto prima il tuo lavoro su shadow of the beast!
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Commando Highlife (Christmas Carols in St. Albans) - arranged by The St. Albans Rob Hubbard Fan Club

Review by LaLa, 10/02/2021

This sounds much better than your previous choral remix (Human Race). I love the arrangement, and the performance is full of emotion, it's rather moving actually, I quite like it! However, I am going to be nitpicky about the choirs yet again: I really wish they sounded a bit more natural, a bit more convincing. You have mixed the male, female and children choirs masterfully in this remix, all singing their own lines - what a great idea! But they sound just a tad too robotic to me. I think yet again it's down to the lack of legatos between their phrases. But that piano ending with the soft tones - OMG, that is just brilliant! All in all an excellent piece - and to be honest, I think you made your choir sample libraries sound as good as you could, with proper dynamics and everything. I just wish you pushed them a bit more. I can only imagine how this would sound with a real choir… Really impressive job, thanks for sharing!
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Way of the Exploding Fist (In Game music) - arranged by JB Xplodingfist

Review by tim_forsyth, 28/01/2021

I liked the synth patches you've used, which I thought gave it a strong start, but I was hoping this would take me on a journey somewhere. I think it needed to either build up to the drum section or settle into a groove using some more instrumentation / rhythm in the background.
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Human Race (Welcome To Goldrunner) - arranged by The St. Albans Rob Hubbard Fan Club

Review by tim_forsyth, 26/01/2021

what you have here is a prototype for an amazing live performance. Fantastic arrangement, hitting the right notes and vowels in the right spots. Amazing.
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Way of the Exploding Fist (In Game music) - arranged by JB Xplodingfist

Review by LaLa, 25/01/2021

Starts out with a simple intro - but unfortunately it also continues the same 'simple' theme for the rest of the tune. There's nothing wrong with simple, but you should've injected more dynamics, more 'emotion' into the individual instruments. Shows promise, though, so I'd encourage you to keep trying with more remixes!
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Magic Johnsons Basketball - arranged by LPChip

Review by VᒪIᑎᗪEᖇ_⊘7, 24/01/2021

This tune has such a great vibe, just got to love it. Definately one of my faves 😊
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Cauldron 2 - arranged by Makke

Review by DMC, 24/01/2021

When I first heard this track I thought: Wow, what type of vocoder is this (because this thing has a special sound to it that I never heard before)? I never figured it out but every time I listend to the track, the same question came to my mind: What vocoder did he use. Today is the day I was waiting for so long. You revealed it to the public (Ok, I could've asked you, but I never did) 😉
Sadly, the plugin isn't available anymore.😒

The whole track is full of Kraftwerk related blips and blops and this is a good thing. Everything sits well and tight in the mix and sounds marvellous (but it already did with the first released album version).

Thanks for releasing it on RKO. I'm looking forward to the next releases from It's binary, baby! .
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Knucklebusters (Cinematic 64) - arranged by Slaygon

Review by LaLa, 23/01/2021

One of my favorites from the album! Knucklebusters the way only Slaygon could cover it. Add the phenomenal guitar-shredding of Vaggelis to mix and you've got a total mind-bender. Sixteen minutes of frenzy compressed to five minutes. TOP-NOTCH!
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Human Race (Welcome To Goldrunner) - arranged by The St. Albans Rob Hubbard Fan Club

Review by LaLa, 22/01/2021

I like the concept a lot, but unfortunately, the choirs sound a bit too artificial - due to lack of legatos, mostly. The arrangement is phenomenal, it's a good idea, but more time should've been spent to make the choirs sound more natural, especially since they are the focal point of this remix.

PS: What a FANTASTIC story about your experience with Mr. Hubbard! Thanks for sharing!
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Parallax (title screen tune) - arranged by Steve Collins

Review by Claus, 21/01/2021

Originality: The first part is veeery close to the original, but it becomes more interesting when the drums start. Nevertheless, I think I miss some freshness here, it is just a pretty close remake. 2/5 -

Embracement: Very easy to recognize, it just doesn’t fully keep up with the original. 4/5 -

Arrangement: The sounds are generally comparably close to the original sounds, but unfortunately in many cases a bit lacking compared to that. Martin Galway did an excellent job with the pitch bends and vibratos, it is really difficult to improve or even match that. While the drums are a nice addition, they are too repetitive for my taste. The voice samples are nice! 3/5 -

Performance: Not a lot to complain here, but the pitch bends sound a bit too exaggerated sometimes. 4/5 -

Mix: The mix is not bad, but sometimes the lead synths pop out a bit too much for my taste. The panning seems a bit funky at times and I do not like the chosen reverb. 3/5 -

Mastering: It lacks a bit of punch and I would agree with LaLa that it is overall a bit harsh. I think mostly because there is simply not enough bass, and because of the loud leads. 4/5 -

Overall: 3. 17
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Six Hours (Hardstyle Remix) - arranged by JLD

Review by Claus, 21/01/2021

Originality (30% weight, part of artistic skill): While this is a solid remix, I think it lacks creativity a bit. The original is already kind of screaming hardstyle. The remix improves the instruments obviously, but hardly adds anything new to it. 2/5 -

Embracement (30% weight, nostalgia): It is kind of a Hifi-Version of the original, so I think embracement is excellent! 5/5 -

Arrangement (14% weight, part of artistic skill): The arrangement is good, the sounds really fit the genre well, and there is a lot of interesting variations going on sound-wise. 5/5 -

Performance (14% weight, part of artistic skill): Excellent performance, nothing to complain about (no wonder, as everything is programmed). 5/5 -

Mix (9% weight, part of technique): The mix sounds very professional, although I think the Bassdrum is a bit too prominent (even taking the genre into account). 4/5 -

Mastering (3% weight, part of technique): Pretty well mastered, it only lacks a bit of the fatness and deepest frequencies for the dance floor. 4/5 -

Overall: 3. 98
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Cauldron 2 - arranged by Makke

Review by Claus, 21/01/2021

Originality (30% weight, part of artistic skill): How fresh and creative is the remix?

Definitely a fresh take on the original, which is very short and simple. Lots of creativity went into this, an absolutely great interpretation. 5/5 -

Embracement (30% weight, nostalgia): How well does the remix represent the original?

Now that’s a tricky one, as the original is so short. It picks up all of the signature parts, but I think it is not easy to realise on which original it is based. The general feeling is well preserved though. 4/5 -

Arrangement (14% weight, part of artistic skill): How fitting and elaborate is the choice of instruments for the chosen style?

Awesome! Some sounds are a bit 2005ish, but hey, who cares! 5/5 -

Performance (14% weight, part of artistic skill): How well are the instruments played? How good is the timing, tuning, groove etc.?

Excellent performance, nothing to complain about (no wonder, as most of it is programmed). 5/5 -

Mix (9% weight, part of technique): Is the volume balanced well between the instruments? Are EQ, compression and effects applied appropriately?

Excellent mix, you can clearly hear that this was done by a professional. 5/5 -

Mastering (3% weight, part of technique): Does it sound well-rounded and professional overall? Are master bus processing and the overall spectral balance ok?

Excellently mastered, again clearly audibly done by a pro. 5/5 -

Overall: 4. 70
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Ocean Loader 5 (Dunn Rockin') - arranged by Underphil

Review by Claus, 21/01/2021

Hey, my first review! I spent quite a bit of time on thinking of a framework that hopefully helps remixers to understand how I vote, and helps myself to keep objective in the future -

Originality (30% weight, part of artistic skill): How fresh and creative is the remix?

I like the Iron Maiden style and I am not aware of other remixes that would have done that before, although it does not seem a very unexpected interpretation. The bass guitar and china/doublebass interludes keep the track interesting, although some more changes in instrumentation would have improved that even further. The remix is not really adding new surprising elements, which in my mind is required for a top score here (although it might reduce the embracement then 😊) 3/5 -

Embracement (30% weight, nostalgia): How well does the remix represent the original?

The original is immediately recognisable. The kind of hypnotic/repetitive feeling of the original is well preserved. Nice, I could hardly imagine how to improve that! 5/5 -

Arrangement (14% weight, part of artistic skill): How fitting and elaborate is the choice of instruments for the chosen style?

This is a bit of an easy win here, as rock music rarely profits from elaborate arrangements. The choice of sounds is good. I will nevertheless reduce the score by one, as some more sounds would have made the track a tad more interesting (as mentioned under originality). 4/5 -

Performance (14% weight, part of artistic skill): How well are the instruments played? How good is the timing, tuning, groove etc.?

That is bit of a difficult win here 😉, as rock music really depends on tight guitar playing. Not that the guitars are not well played, but compared to commercial productions there is quite some gap here. The drums seem to be programmed (I guess), and sound a bit uninteresting to me (coming from a drumming background). Tuning is fine. 3/5 -

Mix (9% weight, part of technique): Is the volume balanced well between the instruments? Are EQ, compression and effects applied appropriately?

Contrary to LaLa, I think the balance of the instruments is perfectly fine. EQ seems fine overall and effects are chosen well and do not overwhelm the sound. Again, the drums could need some more care. Still, a really nice mix! 4/5 -

Mastering (3% weight, part of technique): Does it sound well-rounded and professional overall? Are master bus processing and the overall spectral balance ok?

Overall spectral balance is ok, I guess a bit more shine could help. Fatness, argh that’s a hard one. The loudness war is over, nevertheless the track might profit from some more fatness. It’s good, but not commercially good, so I give it a 4/5 -

Overall: 3. 86
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Tomcat - Galata RemixX - arranged by Phrygian

Review by trapdoor, 16/01/2021

I like the Middle Eastern instruments. Soundtrack gaines ethnicity with nostalgic vibes. Peace & Respect for artist!
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Tomcat - Galata Remix - arranged by Phrygian offline

Review by trapdoor, 14/01/2021

i like it. it's really good and simple remix. btw Tomcat is one of my favourite c64 game
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The Last V8 (Locked Down Remix) - arranged by Graeme Slapp

Review by lee.oades, 08/01/2021

It's like The Last V8 as done by J M Jarre. I really liked it.
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Parallax (title screen tune) - arranged by Steve Collins

Review by LaLa, 03/01/2021

While I totally respect that this remix covers the entire ~11 min of the original SID, I find the overall timbre of this remix a bit too harsh for my ears. Whether that's down to the choice of instruments or to the final mix, I do not know, but I think this remix would've benefited from a low-pass filter.
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Cauldron 2 - arranged by Makke

Review by LaLa, 02/01/2021

A fantastic track from Makke's 2005 album 'It's Binary, Baby! ' As expected from a professional album, a professional track. Innovative mix of Kraftwerk (from 'Radioactivity') and Richard Joseph's classic SID.

PS: Now that I've listened to Karl Bartos' I'm The Message again, the resemblance is pretty obvious. Well done, Makke!
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Tomcat - arranged by Falco Paul offline

Review by LaLa, 01/01/2021

A rather lifeless arrangement, I'm afraid. The instrument selection is eclectic at best, mixing is almost non-existent, the samples (fighter pilot comm, plane flyby) are passable.
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Oblique (Hoax me once, shame on you...) - arranged by Slaygon

Review by Poke16384, 24/12/2020

No. 6 in the AROK/SLAY Summer competition and deservedly so. This is a complex SID to capture in terms of it's tricky arrangement and it's subtle eastern vibes. It manages to do both whilst taking the listener on Slaygon's own unique journey but never quite straying too far from the original. A truly 'different' kind of listen from the norm, here on Remix64. Well mixed & mastered too.
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Monty on the Run (high score revisited) - arranged by Johan Andersson

Review by LaLa, 23/12/2020

If this doesn't get you up and dancing, nothing will! Really good idea to match the melody with a classic rock'n'roll groove.
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Turrican 1 - arranged by Dr Future

Review by LaLa, 23/12/2020

Lovely production with delicate touches all around. The lead guitar sounds a bit too artificial to me, but it's not too distracting from the overall arrangement. I wish this remix was longer - it fades out too early!
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Artillery (Tyrell orchestral fusion - RKO edit) - arranged by ziona

Review by LaLa, 22/12/2020

No wonder this won SLAY Radio's Árok Tribute Remix compo in 2020! An absolutely stunning piece done in a duet format where the synthy parts are answered by string-heavy sections and vice versa. That melody line is what really catches me out every time - it's full of emotional subtlety, so delicate, yet, so powerful. The instrument selection, the arrangement, the mixing - all as close to perfection as they can get. Top-notch production all around!
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Ocean Loader 3 (21st Century SID Remix) - arranged by Peter Clarke

Review by Tomsk, 21/12/2020

I actually prefer this punchy synth version of the two… it's crisp and clean, and feels modern and yet retro, and you can't argue with the sound of the SID chip. Great inclusion, well mixed. Sometimes even an orchestra can't compete with the beautiful sounds the original SID produces!
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Mission of Mercy (Film Score) - arranged by Peter Clarke

Review by Tomsk, 21/12/2020

Outstanding… full of movie score atmosphere… probably my fav Peter Clarke remix.. having never heard the original I still found myself drawn into the arrangement as it changes pace and goes off in many different directions. Some great choices of unusual instruments really give the tune character, my only critique being the abrupt ending.
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Last Ninja 2 Central Park Ten Years Later - arranged by JPH

Review by LaLa, 20/12/2020

First of all: welcome back to RKO! Second: this is a much improved remix over your last one from 10 years ago. This is more guitar-heavy (that's a positive, because you are really good playing them) and the mix is nicely balanced, too. Two issues: a) that piano break at around 2:15 sounds dissonant, and b) It ends way too abruptly. You should've at least let the reverb ring out to completion. All in all, this is a much more enjoyable version of LN2, and I hope to hear more from you!
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