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Last Ninja Remix - Loading Theme - arranged by SolknightReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 A rare remix from an HVSC Crew member (Andreas and myself also tried remixing SID tunes). He chose one of my favorite LN tunes and did a respectable job of bringing it to a more modern sound environment. I like the choice of sax (?) for the lead, but unfortunately some of the slides seem to drift off-key at times. This cover would sound even better with a purely acoustic treatment. |
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M.U.L.E. (Aerobics in the jungle mix) - arranged by MahoneyReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 I am a bit mystified about why people rate this tune so high. It's a mixed salad of jungle samples, an electronic lead, some samples from Jarre's Zoolook, and even a female a capella performance mixed with males shouting Hey! found its way into this remix. Sure, it's a quality recording, it sounds like a great production, it's even funny at times, but its musical value is not exactly outstanding. |
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Spy vs Spy (electrormx) - arranged by O-FiREReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 A very nice chill-out cover. Sometimes keeping it simple is better than overcomplicating it. |
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Firelord - Symphonic - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 This is one of the best (if not *the* best) symphonic covers I've ever downloaded from RKO! This is probably the closest one can get to that orchestral sound without actually hiring one to perform a tune. It also has a soundtrack feel to it, probably because of the fast moodswings that is typical of film scores. I don't know how much Glyn worked on this tune, but it was sure well worth it. The only enhancement I can think of for this tune is a better placement of the various sections of the virtual orchestra in the stereo space - everything seems to come from the middle, which is not realistic. But that is just splitting hair over this awesome work! |
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Indiana Jones (Non Vocal Ethno Revenge) - arranged by Thomas Detert offlineReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 This is basically the same thing as the first version, but I like this one a bit less due to the missing vocals which give life to and spice up the other version. Still sounds bloody awesome to me. |
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Indiana Jones (Ethno Revenge) - arranged by Thomas Detert offlineReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Reminds me a lot, a _LOT_ to the style of Deep Forest - and it is fantastic! Although I do question its place on RKO: after all, it is a remix of the Indiana Jones theme.😉 (But then where should we stop: what about Delta, Zoids and others that are also covers of covers?… …) Anyway, this remix is bloody awesome and you have to be deaf not to notice that. |
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Hades Nebula - arranged by Thomas HillebrandtReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 This cover has lots of potential, unfortunately most of it is not used fully. The ambience it tries to create is a good idea, but is disturbed by brushy drums - those should've been marching drums, anyway. The cheesy bass further destroys the ambience. Again, not bad, but could've been a lot better. |
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Ducks Ahoy! - arranged by Stello DoussisReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 This is superb, it's really, really awesome! It may be short, but it's very effective at capturing the feel of those merry-go-round tunes at fairs! My only problem with it: it cuts off abruptly. (And to overcome its shortness, play it twice. 😊 |
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Cybernoid (for hammond organ) - arranged by plasm303Review by LaLa, 04/02/2003 I don't think most SID fans can appreciate how authentic this cover is: Leslie effects, cheesy drums, electronic sounds generated by tubes - it's a typical Hammond organ! Very good! (My Dad is a big fan of these beasts, he has a similar electronic organ, so I know exactly why this cover is spot on.😉 |
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Pooyan (subtune 1) - arranged by WolkReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 This is a happy little tune! I can easily imagine it in a children's educational TV program, where it'd be a favorite for sure. |
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Cauldron - arranged by RezistahReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 This tune sets a _very_ scary mood - which is quite appropriate for Cauldron. If this remix was a movie, I would be really frightened now! Highly recommended to be played at full volume on Halloween to scare off trick-or- treating kids (so you can keep the candy for yourself, moohahhah!). |
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Last Ninja III (qso-mix) - arranged by CirdanReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 A bit of a mixture of styles, both oriental ambient and pop, and it features some nicely selected instruments. A unique mix that works very well. I am also impressed by its production. |
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Last Ninja 2 - Central Park (unfinished rock mix) - arranged by Isaac AbrahamReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Who is this guy? This is not bad at all! It may be unfinished, but it sounds pretty good to me even in its current form. |
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Boulder Dash (Funky Pebbles) - arranged by RauliReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 The famous little tune played (well, sequenced) on an acoustic guitar - I quite like it! Sounds surprisingly good. |
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Hardcore Hubbard Mix - arranged by Jogeir LiljedahlReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 I find the rhythm section somewhat of a yawn, dare I say, lackluster, but that is my only gripe about this remix: awesome guitaring (performed by Øyvind Vik) and the great arrangement of Hubbard classics more than make up for it. This is a great trip to nostalgia-land! |
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Thrust - arranged by JBReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 F---ing awesome! Unusual style for Thrust done to perfection with lots of fantastic improvisations (on piano, on sax - you name it) that fit in seamlessly. This tune would not be out of place on Reyn Ouwehand's Nexus album. Absolutely superb! Two thumbs up! My only problem is that my vocabulary doesn't have enough superlatives to describe this remix… |
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Lightforce (Unstable Asteroid Mix) - arranged by Rob SteptoeReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Some interesting new twists on this oft-remixed tune make this cover worthy of download. Like the drumless break. Like the piano and the strings talking to each other. |
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Lightforce 2002 - arranged by Allister BrimbleReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Was this uploaded just recently? Because I have the exact same remix on one of my RKO CDs and it's dated 2000. Sept. 3… If you haven't heard it, yet, you should: it's a very good cover that's faithful to the original. |
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Wizball - arranged by SlumgudReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 A fairly unique take on this oft-remixed tune - I quite like it. I find that bit raspy analog lead captivating for some reason. |
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Paperboy (R&B) - arranged by Jonathon StrikerReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 I am starting to like this Striker dude! Another nice style that is not represented very often on RKO. And it's not just the style that's good in this cover. Well done! |
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Lightforce - arranged by Puffy64Review by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Usual high-quality stuff from Puffy, this time with what sounds like quite a lot of improvisational parts, which makes it very personal. Has a great flow to it and despite the monotone style of the original, Puffy manages to keep it interesting throughout (although he did shorten it). This is the kind of stuff RKO was created for! |
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Flash Gordon (Synth Mix) - arranged by Chris Abbott and Marcel DonneReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Pretty good, although I prefer the orchestral version on BIT3. (Yes, I know this was an early developmental version for BIT3. Its various moods are obviously the same.) |
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BMX Kidz (5th Dream About Happiness) - arranged by THC FlatLineReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 THC Flatline's remix is a fine piece of work, but after LMan's remix it's apparent that it is further removed from the spirit of Yip's composition. Flatline attempted to cover Yip's famous hiscore tune here, but IMHO it was a big mistake even to think about covering this tune. It sounds just perfect on the SID chip itself, thank you, there's no need to ruin it with ugly modern samplers, workstations and virtual analog synths. =) With that said, Flatline gave it everything he could to try to create a faithful cover, and while I'm sure that in the future virtual analog synth manufacturers will use his tune to demo the capabilities of their instruments, it still falls short of Yip's amazing original. On a scale of 1-10 this cover gets 10 for effort and 10 for implementation, but since I gave Yip's SID tune a 100 to begin with… (Yes, I am being too tough on Flatline, but hey - this is what I think! 😉 It's very hard to cover tunes that exploit the capabilities of the SID chip so well.) |
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Commando (StayAwhileForever) - arranged by Eitan TeomiReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 This remix has some nice touches, like the backing choir somewhere in the middle that I like a lot in it, and those improvisations on the guitar(-like) lead towards the end. |
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Times of Lore 1st Part ('99 mix) - arranged by Chris AbbottReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Wonderful guitar, and the original is so good that it'd take a genius to screw it up, but: should've used flute at the end instead of that weak pad, and pitch bend at the subtle note ends, eg. at 1:08. |
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Furycalypse Now (feat. Tuomio) - arranged by AxemanReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 The most impressive thing in Axeman & Tuomio's Remix64 compo entry Furycalypse Now is definitely the guitars. Other than that it's a bit weird for my taste with its haphazard arrangement and senseless speech samples. Although I dig its drums, too. |
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Sigma Seven (Chariots of Fire) - arranged by Thomas DetertReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 As a huge Vangelis fan, of course, I am very impressed by Thomas Detert's Sigma Seven (Chariots of Fire remix), which cleverly fuses the now classic Vangelis theme with Julian Breeze's composition. Like his Spellbound remix, I find this one very good, too, but also like his Spellbound remix I find it short, too. |
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Mahoney - BoulderDash (Commodore 69 mix) - arranged by MahoneyReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 A vocoder-galore a capella piece by Mahoney - it is a fun little cover, I quite like it! |
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Parallax (feat. Latin Loverman) - arranged by MixerReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Superb beginning, except for the portamentos and the pitch shifted samples that completely destroy the realism of the otherwise fantastic sounding choir. Yuck! Okay, so maybe the beginning is not so superb. But the saxophone is (or whatever that lead instrument is) - it makes a positive impact, then the trumpet sounds good, too. Unusual style coupled with the melodic part of Parallax - a sure winner. |
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Spellbound (reduced) - arranged by Thomas DetertReview by LaLa, 04/02/2003 Ohmegod!!! This is bloody awesome! I want the rest of it, too! If this is an aborted project - it should be finished ASAP! |
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