Reviews by putzi |
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Displaying Reviews 1 - 30 out of 32 |
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Tusker (Into the Heart of Darkness ft. Anna Black) - arranged by K8-bitReview by putzi, 30/05/2011 Technical: mixage is brilliant, EQ is especially rockish, overall soundscape is tight but not drowned at all: perfect.Artistry: this is one of the few remixes where you get both the original bits and more stuff added by the remixer. I recognise Matt Gray's bassy synth sound and at the same time it is Kate's rock-sound like in the earlier City Bomber-remix. A rare blend of artistry and nostalgia. Anna's narration supports the adventure-idea of the whole track which lets you forget that it is 8 minutes long! Nostalgia: yes, it is a remix of an original SID by Matt Gray. And more! Some SID-bits at 2:19 which then fade into the rock-sound: very cool, I love this part. |
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Double Density Commercial (In-Da-80s-Mix) - arranged by AmokReview by putzi, 30/05/2011 technical: some too strongly seperated channels or compressor too strong (when the base-drum kicks in from 0:58 to 1:14). Bass far too loud (I recommend Lagerfeldt's R-Type-remix as technical reference on a perfect mix), while synth-line drowned by the bass. The synths are very sweet sounding and well chosen.Artistry: true to the original. Nostalgia: close to what I imagine when listening to the original SID-tune, so perfect nostalgia here. |
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Kikstart II (Kik-It Mix) - arranged by Sonic WandererReview by putzi, 17/04/2005 The intro reminds of the mod-style in the Amiga-AGA demo-days, some goa-trance-alike. Very nice to hear this in Sonic-perfection. The compression sounds a bit like it pumps when you listen for the first time, but later this feeling goes away 😉Not sounding like the average dance-tune, thats for sure. Playing it again and again. |
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Mask III - Venom Strikes Back (20Hz Mix) - arranged by ZuckerfreiReview by putzi, 24/03/2005 For some reason the melody sounds like Last Ninja… oh shit, it´s a Ben Daglish composition! 😉I don´t like the snare drums which sound too much "frontal" and artificially crunched, but the bass lines are nicely worked out and the organ is cool. After all, not bad at all. |
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R-Type (Doppelganger Summer Remix) - arranged by LagerfeldtReview 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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Grand Prix Circuit - arranged by Dr FutureReview by putzi, 29/05/2004 I love the original SID very much, and this remix is a clean transfer into techno/dance. Some car-sounds make it clear Dr Future also played the game,even if it not an F1-car sound 😉 Clean is a very good word to describe this remix, very detailed audible synths fx and even an orchestral patch for the right part of the chorus. Artistic impression is not so high since it is quite the SID. Technically very good, except for the bass not loud enough to be perfect. Doc´s best remix so far, technically. |
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Grand Prix Circuit (Medley Mix) - arranged by MakkeReview by putzi, 25/02/2004 Starts off with the original sample-playing from the SID for a few seconds and seamlessly continues in a modern pseudo-Rock-sound, more Electronic than Rock.The best remix of a sample-driven Hatlelid-SID Accolade-theme. Preserves the spirit of the original 100 precent. Well mixage. Wonderful. |
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Great Giana Sisters (OJ Osc's dig dub mix) - arranged by OJ OscillationReview by putzi, 24/06/2003 Finally a remix in a style I never heard on RKO: dub style.Deeeeeep bass and a fresh sound. Where is the sun and the Barcardi-mixed-drink? |
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Wizball (Ball Of Wiz jazz mix) - arranged by Jesper Jakobsen (Tusc)Review by putzi, 24/06/2003 The well-known tune from Wizball, which was jazzy and relaxed in it's SID-state,is now where it belongs: Jazz. Nice lifely piano and drums. I love it! |
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WOW Reggae (Chilln Out) - arranged by Joe [Stainless Steel] BarwickReview by putzi, 31/05/2003 A classic Laxity tune covered in Laxity-relaxed style.Chilln Outis the right subtitle for this mix. Arrangement is OK. Some sounds are maybe SID (or emulated), but good. Starts off with some clicks, delayed in stereo, and ends before the last note is faded out: not that impressive technical work. |
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The Great Giana Sisters (trance-like mix) - arranged by AnDras PosztReview by putzi, 31/05/2003 Trance without the rhythm that I'd expect for such a remix-style. Sounds very interesting and relaxed, but not boring at all. The piano is nice, the filters not over-used. Very good mixage.Maybe the best remix of this SID, it has everything from the original except for the rhythm that we know already too good. |
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Cybernoid II (trance-like mix) - arranged by AnDras PosztReview by putzi, 31/05/2003 Generic drums from Rebirth, not so bad synth-sounds for the lead, even some breaks where they should be, good mixage, but:a bit of missing a good idea and a nice touch all over. DHS' remix of Cybernoid 2 (Cyber Pede) is still the best around, but if you're looking especially for some trance-alike mix, get this one. |
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Crazy Comets (Live at The Gathering 2003) - arranged by PRESS PLAY ON TAPEReview by putzi, 31/05/2003 Played live and very lifely, and even sounding very good. One of the few mixes with very well-done EQed guitars. Groovy and it is has thatplay it again-feel to it. One of the few remixes that is hard to fit into words, so just take my word and have a listen. |
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Giana Sisters (4th level) - arranged by troubyReview by putzi, 31/05/2003 A pan-flute playing the lead: ok, good idea.The sub-bass on the drums is killing me softly… too much of it and the rhythm itself is surely also not very inventive. |
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Tai Pan (Jumpin' J Remix) - arranged by Sonic WandererReview by putzi, 31/05/2003 Sonic in freestyle-mode, and what starts Asian-sounding ends up in piano-house,and you also get some beautiful guitar-notes. A real remix, but not dumping the ideas of the original. Mixage is high quality, so this is something I can't dare to only call very good |
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Last Ninja Wastelands (again) - arranged by QReview by putzi, 31/05/2003 THE classic tune of all Last Ninja-tunes, this time very close-to-life done withthe sound of a pan-flute and some other rather authentic-sounding of what we Europeans think is Asian 😉 This is not a remix, is it a cover-version and I have to think about if I should do myself a new version of this SID since this version is really good. The only negative aspects to me are: - sub-bass far too loud (and this is only the bass of the bass-line, not the drums) - a good mix, but encoded in only 128K/Bit |
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The Last Ninja 3 Intro - arranged by IceXuickReview by putzi, 26/03/2003 A very close remix of the original, and with it's more powerfull synths and bassy base I like it more than Markus Schneider's orchestral approach of the same SID, which is a bit thin sounding compared to this one. The original SID samples are quite fitting here, especially the SIDed fade out of the end of the mix. A Last-Ninja-fan-pleasing-remix! |
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Hunters Moon (Annikas Mix) - arranged by ifadeo offlineReview by putzi, 26/03/2003 This is a remix that has to grow on you, and will therefore not wear off as other tracks. It feels like electro beats, some sweetness from OMD's work in the early 90s (choir-sounds) and something from The Cure (rhythm and the way the sounds are beingbend) to me. It does not sound like Matt Last Ninja 2Gray anymore and that is absolutely OK. |
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Human Race - arranged by Markus SchneiderReview by putzi, 26/03/2003 This remix is a ride into dreamland. I love that short appearance of the female voice again and again (German Captain Future-title-track-alike), and there are someside-soundsin the background you can discover if you listen closely. The sum of sounds and rhythm makes it addictive. The only negative to me is the slightly too present midrange sometimes. |
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Defender of the Crown - arranged by Sune Munkholm PedersenReview by putzi, 23/02/2003 Defender of the Crown in the best instrumentation that I can think of!No synth-like sounds, but sounding of what I think is ancient middle-age music, giving it the authentic touch. The drums sound a bit too bassy and deaf, but anyway: this cover will bring up the loading screen of DotC in a flash! |
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Last Ninja Remix - Sewers (soft mix) - arranged by CytexReview by putzi, 22/02/2003 A very relaxed tune that you play when you are fed up of Enigma and want something more pop. The original tune was some 80s synth hit, AFAIK.The instruments used do not sound cheap and the synths are sweet. Really a chill-out tune, adds nothing special to the original. Good mixage. |
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Savage (Boom!Tsk!Fz!) - arranged by FeekZoidReview by putzi, 21/02/2003 Close to the original SID, and one of the remixes where the use of SID samples makes a lot of sense, it preserves the magic of the original. Niceclub-sounddrums, right balance of bass, simply perfect. The synth lines are singing! I love it! |
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C64 Turrican 2 Summer Remix - arranged by Markus SieboldReview by putzi, 20/02/2003 This is my last game for the C64Manfred Trenz wrote in the end titles of Turrican 2 when the original SID of this remix played. Ok, it wasn't his last game (-Enforcer). The man who created the SID also made this remix, Markus Siebold himself. He extended the song to it's full glory with synthy violins and Italo-dance snare drums. The arrangement is great this way. The mid-frequencies are too low while you get a lot of bass and hihats in this mix, and it sounds not much stereo. It is still a remix that makes a die-hard-Turrican-fan smile Good ol' times! |
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Grand Prix Circuit - arranged by AmpReview by putzi, 19/02/2003 On the real C64 this was one of the few games that had a music with sample-sound added not only in the intro screen, but also in some game menus. It was really something unusual to hear this sound out of a C64, especially if that SID-machine was connected to a Hifi-amp. Yes, I loved the E-Guitar andrealdrumsound. So what has Amp done to this jewel of SID-music? He added some intro that the original missed (a fast car driving by), and then it is a very good 1:1 cover of the original, with the E-Guitars now being electronic-sounding, and the lead a melancholic piano, more sad than ever (needless to say: this would also make a great symphonic remix…), and some choir at the right time. Amp loved this SID on the C64, and so he was able to make this one a top remix for Kris Hatlelid-fans, also painfully reminding me how old I am now… Pretty good cover! |
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Ocean Loader 2 (Dance X-Periment) - arranged by Sonic WandererReview by putzi, 18/02/2003 Comparing this OL2-remix to the first C64-remix that I heard from Sonic Wanderer (which wasC64-Revisited, his first remix of Beyond the Zero, done with DreamStation back in 2000), I think it is safe to say that Sonic has kept his good taste in going for a powerfull disco-sound, now with better music equipment. And if I was forced to do a comparison to Instant Remedy, I'd say that it's out of question because SW already was a sure arranger for well-balanced disco-tracks 3 years ago. The song got an intro now, so you're not jumping into the action from the start, which makes it a bit of a hymn, considering the wall of sound the song builds up using all the new modern synths and some vintage SID-sound. It even reminds me of the N-Trance sound in Set you free(synths and thunder). You can play this track to some not C64-sound-aware but disco-sound-loving personand this person will like it! No C64- pling-plang-plong-bleep-sounds in here. Oh, and maybe another fact important for a dance-remix: this one is not boring at all. |
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Beyond The Zero (Re-Entry) - arranged by Sonic WandererReview by putzi, 31/01/2003 Laserdance meets Markus Schneider, but more powerfull than the original Laserdance sound was. More technoid, but not techno. The deep voice sayingBeyond the Zerohelps the remix not to be lost as instrumental only and marks the stations the BTZ-rhythm-train is visiting. The original SID is different, Sonic has skipped a boringpart if I remember right. |
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Street Surfer - arranged by QReview by putzi, 31/01/2003 My absolute fave of Q's remixes! The James Last of C64-remixing is Q.I never imagined Street Surfer could be done this way, with synth-trumpets and this pseudo-big band sound, but it is the ultimate solution. Good sound quality, volume is a bit low, nice stereo field. The hammond-organ completes this track, and usually I hate the sound of this organ, but this track makes it sound good. The reference remix in I wanna be like James Last😉 |
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They Stole A Million - arranged by QReview by putzi, 31/01/2003 This is the first remix of Q appearing on RKO that has aJames Last-touch. The piano playing the melody sounds real, the background is easy. One of the non-dance/disco-tracks that I like from the artistic aspect. Good sound quality, good mixage. |
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Comic Bakery (Jazz mix) - arranged by Noviello PippoReview by putzi, 31/01/2003 This is anEasy listening jazz mix, but not a bad one at all. Minimalistic and somehow authenticsounding. No quality flaws. |
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Comic Backery (Larger than NO Remix) - arranged by DHSReview by putzi, 30/01/2003 This is a masterpiece in terms of vocal-FX, directly connected to the heart-beat of the song. You can hear everything that commercial productions feature: phasing echoes, selective auto-de-tuning (theCher-effect), and vocals partly split up into some kind of pizzicato to play a sequence. Bass and beats are well-done disco, not too fast. Maybe I would listen to the Backstreet Boys if they had DHS do their dance-remixes. And DHS loves his mobile phone 😉 The reference remix in dance-track featuring vocals. |
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