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Rastan - arranged by Glyn R Brown

Review by Tomsk, 03/10/2004

Aye - you have to say this is rather special. Again, this one won me over and I always enjoyed listening to the Z-show for the 'obligatory' playing of this tune.
I've really no idea how you keep faithfull to a 3 voice sid tune, and then turn it into such an extravagant orchestral masterpiece - but this is about as good an example as you're likely to find. Opening the tune is that perfectly suited vocal and then we get thrust into the main theme itself. From here you can clearly appreciate the time and effort gone into making this - it's just so professional and sounds spot on to the original (despite the fact that there's hundreds of other instruments giving it 'what for' in the background). For me, that's the magic. There's nothing left of any original backing - it's just been completely replaced with an authentic orchestral score… only the lead tune is recognisable. I don't know if that makes sense, but I know one thing… it sounds awesome.
Top marks to Mr. Brown - nice to have you back.
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Sweet - arranged by Marcel Donné

Review by Tomsk, 03/10/2004

I first heard a preview of this during the Z-show and to say I was keen to get my grubby little hands on it is an understatement.
A lot of Marcels work does stay hugely faithfull to the original SID tune, enhancing the listening experience with new fresh instruments and this is a classic example of how good it can get.

The guitar work is simply stunning and fits in with the main theme really well - and even though I'm not a Jarre fanatic I still really enjoyed the drums which suite perfectly and the choice of lead (very sid-ish!!!) I often think drums can make or break a tune - sometimes they're well done, but the wrong style for the tune. At other times they can be overpowering but Marcel has got these spot on.

Fantastic effort and a must download.
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Calling (MegaWarhawk Apocalypse mix) - arranged by Kent Walldén

Review by LaLa, 03/10/2004

It's not really a fusion of the two tunes, it's more of a 90% being Warhawk, the remaining 10% being Mega Apocalypse. Personally, I would've prefered if it stayed on Warhawk exclusively, the Apocalypse portions sound totally out of place.

It's pure dance-music that mindlessly repeats part of Warhawk's melody. At first it all sounded great, but as it just goes on and on it became tedious to me. That's too bad, because it sounded so promising.
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Arkanoid (SID No More Mix) - arranged by Makke

Review by LaLa, 03/10/2004

Arkanoid - as techno-rap??? With some alternative rock mixed in??? I am scratching my head here, but one some level it seems to work okay. In a club setting this might set the place on fire, though, because it has really great rhythm. I doubt there's a single tune (C64 remix or not) out there that boasts more styles than this one… It's probably this eclectic mix of styles that distances me from it.
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Human Race (Tune 4) Alternative Rock Mix - arranged by deVilhoOD

Review by LaLa, 03/10/2004

Yes, Human Race remixes are a dime a dozen, but this one stands out with its near-perfect mix, well thought-out production and carefully selected instrumentation. At first I was somewhat weary of the part where it digresses from the original a little (between 1:43 and 2:19), but now I think Pawel did a great job of applying his own touch to the tune. The pulsating bassline really rocks on my subwoofer. Verrrry good!
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Sweet - arranged by Marcel Donné

Review by LaLa, 03/10/2004

First of all, let me state that my review of this tune is not entirely impartial. Marcel gave me the privilege of not only listening to the first two "beta" versions of his cover, but he was nice enough to incorporate some of my suggestions into it, too. Predictably, I am absolutely pleased with the result.

Second, I have to admit that for personal reasons I hold "Sweet" very close to my heart (one could say it hit my sweetspot, heh-heh). From the first time I've heard it I thought that it is one of the (if not THE) most emotional original tunes ever created on the C64. Many times when I was depressed or just sad, I listened to this tune with my eyes closed and by the time the tune was over I had tears on my face…

So, any cover of this tune has to pass my very high expectations. And I'm pleased to say that Marcel has done it.

The previous two remixes of "Sweet" that I heard were both lacking the emotion and the sadness of the original. Marcel delivers both thanks to the soul of the famed Yamaha CS-80, the same synth that provided that signature Vangelis sound up until the 90's (and Vangelis happens to be one of my favorite composers, too).

What do I like here:

- The opening arpeggios and the entire opening itself.
- The wonderfully emotional lead provided by the CS-80 (and Marcel's playing).
- The introduction of the drums at 0:37.
- The "shadow lead" starting at 1:17. What a nice touch!
- Those a la Zoolook Jarre-esque noise-effects at 1:48 instead of the original's sweeping double-noise. What a great enhancement over the original!
- The bridge being played on a guitar. (Or guitar-like sound.)
- The introduction of the very Vangelis-like bell-like pad at 2:26 - it really enhances the melody!
- The very cool ending.
- The fact that not only Marcel sticks to the original closely, but he also managed to enhance it!

What do I think could've been done better:

- The trills in the lead do not quite come through with the CS-80 brass, they seem to disappear into the rest of the tune. This is basically due to the limitation of the sound itself, but I wonder if it could've been enhanced somehow.
- The guitar could've used a lote more vibrato at 3:02, 3:10, 3:18 and 3:25 (i. e. on the low notes). In fact, short slides would've been better here than just a vibrato, because that's pretty much what the original SID does, too.

But these are the relatively minor gripes of an obsessive perfectionist. Plus look at it: 9 pluses versus 2 not-so-pluses. That ain't bad at all!

The bottom line is, I have a new tune to cry to…
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Bombo (Tune 1) - arranged by Romeo Knight

Review by LaLa, 03/10/2004

Nice touch with the opening: as people gather around a campfire, somebody starts playing Bombo tune 1 on the guitar. Then a sudden (too sudden) switch to studio production with wonderful, wonderful guitar playing. When the drums come in, it becomes an even better piece: it's groovy with the melodic chord structures of the original intact.

The last 60 seconds of the tune… Well, let's chalk it up for artistic expression. 😊 But I think that ending it with the same around-the-campfire feeling would've been better.

All in all, a very impressive piece, I really like it!
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Rastan - arranged by Glyn R Brown

Review by LaLa, 03/10/2004

Very good Gladiator-esque movie soundtrack-style remix, great production, Hans Zimmer would be proud of it for sure - but it uses a bit too many musical cliches for my taste, thus my lower score for "artistic impression". Other than that, it's a pleasure to listen to, it's definitely a work of love!
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Rastan - arranged by Glyn R Brown

Review by infamous, 01/10/2004

glyn.

dissapears for over a year after gracing us with gordian tombs and firelord to do other things.. like have a family.

comes back and then bitch slaps us all with this.. just to remind everyone just who the boss really is.. and what a reminder.

Beautiful flute begins the remix.. slowly fading about with harps and strings to build a real celtic feel.. then it really gets all irish on us with the clannad esque vocal work.. very inspired and it may have come out of a box but it still sounds very believable.. she fades away and..

WOMPTH!! .. its like that scene in gladiator where he is being carted into rome to face the gladiator ring in the mighty colloseum.. its every epic anchient sword and honour film you've ever seen mixed with a little bit of the club beats of today to keep it all in check.. kinda like a knights tale but without that gurning ponce heath ledger to annoy you.. this is the perfect film acompanyment music.. the perfect lounge music.. maybe its even the perfect song? … no that'd be going to far.

thats not been done yet.. and definetly aint been done here either but what you have got.. is definetely the BEST remix at rko to date.. and i challenge anyone to a horseback duel that contests it.

truly a class remix and true evidence that glyn is a talent going to waste as he languishes away in his neat house.. he needs to be signed up.. needs to be writing music for films etc.. if there is any justice in this world before he dies he will leave a legacy far greater than the one he leaves here… theres a big world out there and glyn and his talent could conquer it.. and again i dont think many would be inclined to disagree.

all hail glyn. and his half finished remix's
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The Eidolon - arranged by LMan

Review by mahoney, 30/09/2004

Hey? Isn't this Depeche Mode? I think LMan got all the good parts from Depeche Mode's glory days, and put them in this remix. Well done, and clearly enjoyable!
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Ocean Loader 3 - Rockin' Mix - arranged by Stafford and Clayton Marsland

Review by retrovertigo, 27/09/2004

I'm well impressed with this one. Only niggles are the mix could be better and the drums just don't seem to sit very well in the mix. It's balls out, total rock and extra marks have to go for putting so much energy into what would be a technically difficult arrangement to play. Especially on guitar! Short, sweet and to the point. More please!
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Alibi (steady-state remix) - arranged by Patrick [Major Minor] Ceuppens

Review by vernest, 13/09/2004

Thanks for doing one of the classics. Laxity has always been one of my favourites, and too few people look in the direction of the demo-scene and non-gamemusic.

I think you captured the mood very well, and I enjoy this version as much as I enjoy the original. Very balanced sound, though not especially original. But then again, many of Laxity's tunes are close to perfect. So why alter them just for the sake of doing it? You've managed to make this tune sound better than it did on solo sid, without destroying the melody and feel. That's an accomplishment by itself.

After listening to this for a long time now, I have to give full marks on grounds of the nostalgic impression and balanced sound. This is wonderful listening!
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Sweet (My Sun Shines On) - arranged by Lagerfeldt

Review by Tomsk, 02/09/2004

Oh dear… what's going on here. An absolutely fantastic tune not even reaching the top 100 on RKO. WHat can I say but… This is the finest tune you've done so far. Great additional lyric and keeping the sid sound alive are big pluses. The composition is professional beyond words (for me anyway!), and as a dance track there's no doubt that the way you've combined the original sid with the smooth chords at the start would make this an instant hit! Oh, and the drums are so varied and fresh - rather than just your normal lazy and placid bass/snare/superfast hi-hat efforts that normally accompany your average hit dance record. Brilliant stuff - rapidly becoming one of my favorite remixes of all time!
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R-Type (Doppelganger Summer Remix) - arranged by Lagerfeldt

Review by Tomsk, 02/09/2004

I've got to say I didn't like the original of this. The main reason for downloading was because of Lagerfeldt previously high quality mixes. And this must be a good mix because I started enjoying it alot more than the original. It's possibly the guitar melody that helps gives this tune a bit more purpose and interests me. Great track - and as always Lagerfeldt, so professional in the sound dept.
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Dutch Breeze/Robocop 3 (Progressive Uplift) - arranged by Lagerfeldt

Review by Tomsk, 02/09/2004

Hugely crisp and fresh dancey version which I enjoyed enough to vote one of my favorites on Remix 64 last year. Extremely toe tapping beat, with a professional sound to boot. You can't argue with quality like this… thanks again for a great sounding mix.
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Sweet (feat. Elsa & Karin) - arranged by Markus Schneider & Mahoney

Review by Tomsk, 02/09/2004

Original tune? Oops, never heard of it. I suppose that's my novice values coming into play. What I can do though, is still review this piece. Originally downloading this I wasn't sure what to expect… and one thing's for sure, I never expected this.
On first listen… a little weird… perhaps a bit too brave… not that keen on the parody
Three to Four listens… getting to really like this now, beautiful instruments, excellent singing, and odd but strangely enjoyable voice overs.

And now… Well it's on in the car CD compilation and I'm so bloody glad it is. I think people will miss out on this perhaps because it's a bit 'way off theC64' mark, but I love it. Fantastic orchestration and Mahoney is guilty as ever of trying something a bit differnet. I works great for me. I hope others don't miss out on this great track by disregarding it on first impressions. Thanks guys and gals - a favorite of mine!
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Comic Bakery (Larger than Pop Boyband mix) - arranged by PRESS PLAY ON TAPE

Review by Tomsk, 02/09/2004

Gosh - I haven't written a review of this… Hmmm. I'll start by saying I'm not really a fan of the pop music genre, but am prepared to accept the odd catchy pop ditty that takes a fancy for me. On first hearing it my thoughts were "very professional" and "they've done a great parody". But the more I listen the more I enjoy, and it's got to the point now where I laugh at the lyrics of the original because they sound 'wrong'. I often like to take a while to write a review because opinions can change, and that is certainly true of this tune. Brilliant stuff boys, even without the brilliant video this is still a superb and hugely professional piece of pop - and it has everything and more to make a great catchy track… Now IS the time to say how much I really love this!
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Gordian Tomb Adventures - arranged by Glyn R Brown

Review by Tomsk, 02/09/2004

I suppose it's hard not to mention Glyn's other Symphonic work of the same period, but I have to say that I do prefer this amazing piece of work. I love the depth and warmth the version has to offer, from the quiet and mellow string sections, to the brilliant (Enrico Moricone) voices and the climactic finish. As always, lavish attention has been paid to this tune, and it shows. Hugely professional composition and good instrument quality to boot. Thanks for a wonderfull mix Glyn!
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Mindsmear (Orchestral Mix) - arranged by ACP

Review by Jackal, 02/09/2004

Excellent stuff!!! I thought I was never gonna see one of my tunes remixed on here😉 Thanks for taking the time! You made my day 😊
I liked the brass runs in the background, its a hard tune to remix, the original was such a ramble in the first place.. You did well not ending up playing Pachabel's Canon..
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Great Giana Sisters - arranged by Dr Future

Review by Bjorn H., 31/08/2004

And I am glad that author did not change the style to the umpa-techno-umpa. Original Giana intro music is nothing special (on contrary to the in-game tunes), but this remix is just brilliant. This is not just a remix, it is a new tune - Dr Future developed original "muzaga" into real music. Two (even three) thumbs up!
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Great Giana Sisters - arranged by machinae supremacy

Review by fenghus, 25/08/2004

Too good to be true 😊 It maintains original sound despite completely different instrumentation. I recommend looking to www. machinaesupremacy. com for more songs (esp. sidology tunes)
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The Last Ninja (clouded mind version) - arranged by mymessedupmind

Review by westerling, 17/08/2004

This version is very different from the original song. A slo-mo version. It is a very clean and simple arrangement and the man who has done it underlines the agony of being the last ninja. I like it a lot. One of the best!!!
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Deflektor (REMIXED-3v1-) - arranged by Dees

Review by floaf, 17/08/2004

I don't know why, but I really like this remix. I think it must be all the improvisation. And it's unpredictable nature 😊 A worthy remix of the original!
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R-Type (Doppelganger Summer Remix) - arranged by Lagerfeldt

Review by putzi, 14/08/2004

The lead is really "ouch" while the rest is so clean and tidy. Maybe have some beta-listeners hear the track before releasing it next time. It helps big time, I know myself. I like the guitar, it makes the groove. The trancey synth could do a little more in the track.
And if you want to use German words… it is spelled "Doppelgänger" 😉


(I really don´t like to write reviews on other ppls remixes when my own remix is in the weekly charts at the same time because it looks like wanting to say "my remix is better than yours, but this time I can´t help it…)
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Calm - arranged by Juha Kaunisto

Review by franky, 13/08/2004

Fantasic Work, perfect arranged and played. A outstanding Guitarline, good Rock´nRoll. One of the best ever!
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Delta+ - arranged by Weebl

Review by franky, 13/08/2004

Very interesting remix, solid drumline that is the base of the song, swirly sounds and a good vocal line at the end.
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Wizball - arranged by Slumgud

Review by c64rules, 13/08/2004

well what can i say this is fucking fantastic lol i love this tune to bits probley my all time favoure now even better with the kick ass beats nice one slumgud u rock man
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Thrust - arranged by JB

Review by _steve_, 07/08/2004

This remix is one of the most unusual for the game that I have heard, but it works awesomely. The sax lead is very jazz like but fits in with the setting of the tune perfectly.
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Stormlord (Senecas Marble Pack Edit) - arranged by N-JOY

Review by Mayhem, 06/08/2004

I said to myself, many many years back before the cover scene even really started, this track could be so damn good in a professional music sense with someone overlaying vocals onto it. It may well have taken 15 years for it to actually happen, but the waiting is the best part of it. The result in itself is absolutely brilliant. Notwithstanding this is one of my favourite MoN tracks to begin with, but it retains the sparkle and altruistic impact of the original melody all of the way through.

The fact in the end the lyrics are not in English was a little surprising. Either way, they work, and that's the most important thing. The actual meaning of the words, given the handy translation here, are also of a similar theme to which I would hope they would have been given all that time ago.

If this is to be N-Joy's last work, then what a work to finish on…
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Lightforce 2k theme - arranged by mladen

Review by condor, 02/08/2004

I like this remix in some reasons, like quality of it, but then again, i don't like it so much - it's not realisitc! (if you know what i mean).
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