Reviews by Tomsk |
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Tetris (C64 Orchestral Mix) - arranged by Bastian DornbachReview by Tomsk, 09/02/2024 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 thisnewcomerknows 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 ! |
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Emerald Mine - arranged by LaLaReview by Tomsk, 31/12/2023 Cracking synth pop remix here, in what is now becoming a bit of a (TM) style for Imre. Nails this tune and takes it into it's respective era, with great attention to detail, and well chosen instruments to complement the original. Everything is here from the original, and the pitch pends are perfection. A solid and varied drum track keeps your toes tapping along the way, and nods to the original SID help remind you of this tunes' origins….However, it's now impossible to listen to the original SID without hearing the vocoder 😊 Another very satisfying remix, well done. |
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Green Beret (live at The Church Transmission 64) - arranged by Reyn OuwehandReview by Tomsk, 09/12/2023 There are musicians, there are SID artists, there are remixers who grace this site with their artistic efforts….and then there is Reyn…the complete package, which will never be bettered. How lucky are we that this immense talent still finds time for the scene. I'm in awe, wonderful stuff. |
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Mr Danko's Opus - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview by Tomsk, 02/11/2023 Hard to know where to start….superb choice and usage of varied and often unusual instruments. That intro man…god's sake! I've never heard such an uplifting piece as this for a long time, it's simply staggering. Incredible movement and flair throughout, with a semi-classical feel at times. This is next level orchestration, even for Glyn. Just simply stunning…STUNNING. I suspect even Danko will be floored by this tribute. |
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Hades Nebula (Quinque annis post) - arranged by LaLaReview by Tomsk, 11/10/2023 I've always loved this remix. The additions add extra layers, and the new tighter timings also add improvement. The new subtle nods to Ben's other tunes for the most part fit nicely. Overall its the choice of soundscape and style that have always elevated this remix for me. It's dreamy and evocative, and I encourage you to give it a whirl. Great stuff! |
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California Games - arranged by LManReview by Tomsk, 01/10/2023 About time you got you finger out Markus 😊 Thumping remix, with lots of sonic ear candy cleverly mixed to keep this sounding fresh. I especially like the break drum sequence at 1:26, and those smooth pitch bending synths throughout. I do long for some snares in the drums later, rather than the four on the floor, to add variety, but all in all it's just good to have you back. |
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Parallax Mini EP - The Past, Present and Future - arranged by Tim ForsythReview by Tomsk, 28/05/2022 Wow…a master class in beautiful synthetic soundscapes. 19 minutes of pure beautifully mixed arps and nods to TD, a real opus. It's truely blissful to listen to, and you can absolutely appreciate the effort that must have gone into this work. That said, only 194 stems ? phhh…Honorabili used to use 200+😉 My only minor feeling is the drums could have benefitted from a bit more variety/fills, but that's just me being picky. This is a synthetic work of art, crafted to exceptional standards. We are indeed lucky people 😊 Thank you . |
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Spy Vs Spy (Spy Disco Spy Remix) - arranged by Stello DoussisReview by Tomsk, 26/02/2022 Put a smile on my face when I heard it. Although disco is not a genre I'm a big fan of, this has clearly been cleverly crafted to create an authentic 70s disco track sound. A tad repetitive due to the shortness of the original, but the filtering and vocoded lyrics help extend its life… Overall a banging effort, authentic feel, and great fun to listen to. Well done. |
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Driller (Impendeo Capitulus I) - arranged by SlaygonReview by Tomsk, 02/04/2021 Simply loaded with atmosphere, this is exactly what driller should sound like.. For a repetitive tune, this has cleverly been arranged to offer something new at each turn, ensuring it never sounds stale. I love the opening sound, which always puts me in mind of the tripods from war of the worlds. The drums stay fresh and mixing them up /making additions to the beat drive the mix along. Its fantastic. |
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Dragon's Lair II - subtune 4 (Renaissance prelude) - arranged by Fabio MarinelliReview by Tomsk, 22/02/2021 After a few listens, I decided to review this (instead of a shout out), and up the rating from Grey to yellow. Reason? It's a nice clear mix and even though it's a simple 1:1 the instrument choice is good and perfectly suits. I still feel it's a slightly missed opportunity and is crying out to be given more feeling and emotion. A really good idea, but free it from the 1:1 cover and take us on a journey. Potential is there Fabio… |
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Ocean Loader 3 (21st Century SID Remix) - arranged by Peter ClarkeReview 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 ClarkeReview 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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Tales of Boon (The Collaboration Mix) - arranged by Peter Clarke, ziona & SlaygonReview by Tomsk, 03/09/2020 When I first heard this in the compo I found it difficult to appreciate fully… a tune often takes a few listens before you begin to appreciate it, and I didn't know the SID either. So now it's a remix 64, I've managed that, and have to say it's beautiful. A lovely intro is followed by some absolutely perfect synth n bass. The bassline in particular is tremendous, and the drums suit perfectly. What a great SID tune and amazing remix. My only critique would be the join between the orchestral and synth part… and the cut short ending… surely this epic deserves a proper ending. Brilliant effort by all involved. |
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The Recovery - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview by Tomsk, 20/11/2005 Errm, I don't know how to put this, but I'm not too keen on this. It's pretty good in places, but I don't think there's a great deal to the original tune - and hence an strange choice of SID to attempt to remix.I always like to give tunes a 'spin cycle' in the car (i. e. hear them quite a few times) before writing a review, and all of Glyns previous work has blown me away. However, despite the excellent qulaity of samples I still found this remix quite standard up until about 4:40 when there seems to be an injection that brings it to life. The guitar at 1:37 for example is just so plain and boring. I could predict the notes before they were played. There's none of the 'instrument excitement' from previous mixes. It's nice to hear the mandarin sure, but it's not inspiring in the way Glyn normally introduces an instrument. I really do think the original has a lot to answer for, and I'm suprised Glyn saw anything in the SID This was a hard review for me to write, and normally when I'm not fussed with a tune I don't bother, but I know Glyn pretty well and if he does read this I know he won't have a problem with this. Nice to see a new direction, but this particular tune is not for me. |
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Game Over - arranged by WesterlingReview by Tomsk, 20/11/2005 Wow! I really loved this remix - albeit slightly flawed as it is. Hyped up drums, brilliant sounds and a bit of SID pumped in there to add to the feeling. My only gripe is that after the brilliant opening (complete with blazing guitar and superb drums) and the superb way Westerling handles that awkward 'quiet' section of the original between 1:52 - 2:44 it all returns to being a bit average. None of the pumped up feeling that we were treated to at the start of the track. It just kind of returns to a pretty good remix of Gameover, and then fizzles out.I still love this tune to bits though and have to say a huge well done to Westerling - I do hope you can see what I mean about the end part of the mix going a bit flat. |
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Last Ninja III (qso-mix) - arranged by CirdanReview by Tomsk, 19/05/2005 Another tune to pass me by - but I've had plenty of time to hear it over and over, and I happy to report that it hits the spot. Production is nice and choice of instruments good too (except the ahh-choir at the start… which sounds like a tracker sample). Everytime I hear this I picture a movie's opening credits - which I think it would sound great in. Very very good stuff! |
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Game Over - arranged by KenzReview by Tomsk, 19/05/2005 Gosh - this tune must have been out for ages before I finally managed to hear it (on a slay radio show - no less). Yeah I know there's a whole load of the original chucked in there, but it's very well balanced. To be honest, there's nothing I don't like about this - and lots of things I do. The Sid lead sounds fresh - as do all of the drums… and that bass line is superb.This is one that nearly passed me by, and I can't really remember being a fan of the original, but this is a great little cover. Bang on stuff - and a current fav on my compilation at the moment. A bit of a shame that lovely bass and main theme couldn't have lasted a bit longer - but all in all I really love this. |
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Arkanoid (SID No More Mix) - arranged by MakkeReview by Tomsk, 30/10/2004 You've got you hand it to Makke - when it comes to crazy vocals he's hard to beat. This parady of 'The Real Thing' by 'Faith no more' couldn't have been easy to fit around the arkanoid sid, just damn it he's just about pulled it off. Great singing by the way - a funny and lyrically clever mix from the goooood man himself. |
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Rastan - arranged by Glyn R BrownReview 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 DonnéReview 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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Sweet (My Sun Shines On) - arranged by LagerfeldtReview 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 LagerfeldtReview 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 LagerfeldtReview 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 & MahoneyReview 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 TAPEReview 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 BrownReview 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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Cauldron II - I am a Pumpkin Man - arranged by traumaReview by Tomsk, 24/11/2003 When I first listened to this, I must admit it was a little too 'strange' for me. Original and with an incredibly unique approach the tune soon began to grow on me, and as I listened more I slowly became hooked. The whole thing gells together so well, and this is a testiment to the artistic quality of trauma - he really has created a genuinely original and hugely listenable remix of a fairly weak C64 tune. The lyrics help enormously, but the musical merit of this remix should not be overlooked. If you've downloaded this and found it (as I did) a little to 'odd' - please give it a chance. Sometimes the finest tunes are the ones that you grow to love - and not just instantly like.This is indeed, a fine tune! Top rated Trauma - showing his individual class - well done. |
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Commando (2001 mix) - arranged by Jarno BeumerReview by Tomsk, 11/10/2003 There's something about this mix. Ask me if i'd thought the style suited commando and I'd have said no way. But this tune just bops along, and soon you'll bop with it. Special mention to the drums and bass, very original and I suspect they hook a lot of people into this jolly version. It's old now, but still it gets a play from time to time because it's one of those tunes that I can't help but enjoy. In 2001 this would warrant an orange smiley, but standards have increased so much - maybe I should have reviewed this back then. Having said that I'm still listening to it - that's a great acheivement as a lot of tunes show their age with-in a year or so. Good work! |
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Lightforce (Existenz Mix) - arranged by MistaDistahReview by Tomsk, 11/10/2003 I luv Lightforce me! Reet luv it. Which I why I felt compelled to write this review of one of my favorite sids. If you took all of the good stuff out of this mix and cut it down to a more respectable length then I don't think this would be half bad. As it is, it's certainly not unlistenable - there are well done bits, but not enough to make this a smiley i'm afraid. I have to pick on the drums in particular which do sound… well, crap.Most of the synth in this tune is quite good, but the remix element (i. e. the original non Hubbard bits) sound like they were thrown in as an after thought. A shame really. Oh, and the samples at the beginning/end add nothing - perhaps another after thought? Loose the midi stuff and get more creative MistaDistah, I'm sure you'll crack it in the end, as there does seem to be potential there. |
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Suicide Express - arranged by BaRReview by Tomsk, 11/10/2003 Most professional and most pleasing to listen to. What suprised me most is that this really isn't my type of music, but the whole package is so sweetly put together it's difficult not to like it. The backing in particular, stands out for me as a high point of the tune. This could have easily been 'overdone' and spoiled the mix, but it's perfectly placed, with varying effects so not to become tedious.Suicide express like you're never likely to hear it done again - and if you don't like trance type music, have no fear. It's quite mellow and melodic despite the style suggesting otherwise - I think you'll enjoy it as much as I. |
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