Syntax Era
Hits of the '80s remixed in the style of the Commodore 64.
Date: 31 March 2008, for immediate release.
The Remix64 series returns to its roots with its third volume, Syntax Era. Channelling top Commodore 64 tracks through the sounds of 1980s chart toppers, leading remixers in the C64 music scene have joined forces to create an inventive, vibrant album that showcases a huge range of talent and styles during its 70-minute two-pronged trip down memory lane.
During the 1980s, many C64 owners listened to chip tunes influenced by the tracks of the day, but with Syntax Era you can finally hear what Depeche Mode might have produced had Rob Hubbard ousted Alan Wilder, how Matt Gray’s influence could have rubbed off on The Sisters of Mercy and The Shamen, and what Martin Galway would have sounded like as one of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. And coming full circle, the album concludes with an entirely C64-originated cover of Yazoo classic Only You with vocals by Eliza Zoot.
Produced by Markus ‘LMan’ Klein (Remix64) and with contributions from Marcus ‘Makke’ Nilsson (It’s Binary, Baby!), Thomas Detert (Remix 64 V2: Into Eternity) and Chris Abbott (Back in Time), this unique release, available in CD and digital formats, is a must-have for fans of retro music, chip-tunes, and 1980s chart-toppers alike.
Tracklist
Note: All sounds on the album were reconstructed from scratch!
01. BMX Kidz ("19")—Thomas Detert/Rob Hubbard
02. Jethro Walrus (Speak ’n’ Spell, Depeche Mode)—Makke/The Mighty Bogg
03. Comic Bakery ("Broken Wings")—Ziphoid/Martin Galway
04. Flight Path 737 ("Moments in Love")—Boz/David Dunn
05. Ghouls and Ghosts ("Billie Jean") —Binster/Tim Follin
06. Why Me (Herbie Hancock)—Moog/Drax
07. GemX ("Girl, You Know it’s True")—Skitz/Chris Huelsbeck
08. Formula One Simulator ("Two Tribes")—LMan/Rob Hubbard
09. Tusker (Sisters of Mercy)—Romeo Knight & ifadeo/Matt Gray
10. Sanxion ("I Feel Love")—Tron/Rob Hubbard
11. Crazy Comets (Laserdance)—Sonic Wanderer/Rob Hubbard
12. Arkanoid ("The Message")—Tron/Martin Galway
13. Ace II ("Strangelove")—Makke & Sonic Wanderer/Rob Hubbard
14. Blackmail (Black Box Meets Disco)—PowerTrace & Chris Abbott/Reyn Ouwehand
15. Dominator ("Move Any Mountain")—Tonka/Matt Gray
16. Aspar GP Master ("Too Shy")—Romeo Knight/Jeroen Tel
17. Only You—Monotron/Vince Clarke
Syntax Era is released on C64Audio.com on April 7, 2008. For more information, review copies, to order the CD, or to download the digital version of the album (in DRM-free MP3 format or FLAC), visit www.c64audio.com.
About C64Audio.com
C64audio.com (founded in 1996) is the only record label and publisher dedicated to the interests of Commodore 64 music and its performers and composers, with a sizeable back catalogue of releases. It also represents Commodore 64 composers such as Rob Hubbard and Martin Galway, and has signed numerous licensing agreements in film, music and games.
About the Commodore 64
With over 20 million units sold and a lifespan measured in decades, the Commodore 64 home computer is the biggest selling single computer model of all time. Its characteristic sound has since been used as inspiration by many contemporary artists such as Timbaland, Britney Spears and 50 cent, and Zombie Nation's 2000 anthem "Kernkraft 400" is another example of its sound. The popularity of the machine has also spawned an underground remix scene mostly based in Europe, a radio station or two, and a series of live events ("Back in Time Live"), the next of which is in Stockholm in September ( http://www.backintimelive.com). Commodore 64 sound, while often vilified as "blip-blop" music in the same way as other computers of the time is surprisingly rich due to the specialised synthesizer inside it, and the unique way it was programmed.
Product page:
http://www.c64audio.com/productInfo.php?cat=R64SE
Graphics:
http://www.c64audio.com/press
Previous Remix 64 releases:
http://www.c64audio.com/productInfo.php?cat=R64
http://www.c64audio.com/productInfo.php?cat=R64IE
Contacts:
General: Chris Abbott, chris@c64audio.com, 0208-464-2295
Germany: Markus Klein, lmanic-news@gmx.de
Sweden: John Carehag, info@ziphoid.com