ReMix: The Human Race 'Bando alle Seghe'
Download MP3
Play Preview
- Game: The Human Race (Mastertronic, 1986, C64)
- ReMixer(s): DHS
- Composer(s): Rob Hubbard
- Song(s): 'Chapter 4'
- Posted: 2005-07-26, evaluated by the judges
From Carlo Demichelis, alias DHS, who like fellow Italian countryman N-Joy is also a member of The Soundwavers, comes this decidedly euro coverage of a relatively obscure C64 title called The Human Race. The company, Mastertonic, put out quite a few budget C64 titles way back when, including the tantalizingly-titled "Bionic Granny" and wonderfully instructive "How to be a Bastard"; Carlo writes:
"After being taking dust in my HD for at least six months, I released that remix of subtune 4 of Rob Hubbard's The Human Race. The track is reminiscent of Jarre, Vangelis, Deep Forest and.... Enigma :) The vocals samples are little pieces taken here and there from various sources, mainly sample cds. The Enigma drumloop has been taken from the record ("Sadeness Part 1"). The Djembe drums are from some sample cd. The other sounds are mainly from my Access Virus KC. Everything has been worked on Nuendo 2 on an Athlon 2500xp pc. Utilized plugins for the track and mastering are from my TCElectronic Powercore. Mixing has been done on a Yamaha 01x digital mixer."
Virus, Powercore, Nuendo... it's good to be DHS, at least in the gear department, and he puts it all to good use here. We had some initial concerns about the usage of the easily identifiable Enigma drumloop, but while we would've preferred it been original and more varied, there's enough action elsewhere to compensate. Plus it's a common enough beat and wasn't strikingly original even when Enigma themselves used it - just a good groove, very laid back and appropriate for this style, which is definitely in the same vein as the artists Carlo enumerates. The usage of vocal samples reminds me timbrally of Halcyon and On and On by Orbital, but there's definitely a Deep Forest quality to them as well. Shimmering EP-like synth textures intro, with a brassy analog sweep pad entering along with the diced-and-spliced vocal fx and djembe - it's weird to use words like "nostalgia" when talking about the 1990's, but this will definitely have you recalling the glory days of Enigma's monk-injected electronica and Deep Forest's pygmy and world music-flavored beats. Synths are strong, especially the lead, and the sound is very full and enveloping, just as it was with those artists; everything that was to like + dig about the type of music that inspired this mix is also present here. You even get a cheesy-but-cool "Ahhhh" vocal effect (think just-took-a-swig-of-refreshing-beverage-on-hot-day) around 3'10" to complete the atmosphere. Source melody really works fantastically with this specific genre adaptation, and the piece concludes with the same Blade Runnery analog pad that it intros with, albeit more exposed, for a nice round robin effect. Brandon Bush sayeth:
"This has a great clean sound throughout. The vocal samples are wonderfully used and the instrumentation is very engaging. It's euro stylin' all the way and some of the arrangement feels like something a favorite conductor/composer of mine Paul Schwartz would create. The composition is standard yet interesting, the arrangement is creative and the sounds are enveloping. Great work Carlo."
Fortunately the Sadeness influence wasn't a prohibitive factor and there was more than enough work elsewhere to compensate for the derivative percussion track, as Carlo's mix is soothing, an excellent study in genre work, accessible, and should be enjoyed by many - don't let the potentially obscure source material stop you, it was still composed by Rob Hubbard, a musical giant from the C64 era, and is a fantastic re-envisioning on DHS' part.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the - Nutritious on December 5, 2009
The bassline and other tuned rhythmic instruments overcome the loop's curshing sameness.
Nice celebration of just having a refreshing beverage at 3:10.
Overall a pretty well done mix with some good ideas, but it's brought down by that single drumloop. Still very listenable though. :-)
- OA on December 4, 2009
It's different and original. Very, very well done!
- Loning on July 9, 2009
this is not bad
a little too new-agey for me
but very well put together
- Radiowar on April 22, 2007
Kakumei, Father Titan wrote: Heard this on VGM, and immediately fell in love with it--this is easily one of the better songs I've heard in a LONG time. Excellent work. :nicework:Exactly the same situation for me, I do not know how this one skipped me, for gods sake make more remixes sir
- ILLiterate on October 10, 2005
- Halberdier on August 19, 2005
- bladiator on August 12, 2005
My only complaint would be regarding the simpler part of the song, around 3:02, but it's almost worth it just to hear the song kick in again, full force, at 3:49. Man, that flute...
- AquaDoctorBob on August 9, 2005
- playingtokrush on August 5, 2005
That was... in error. I listened to it, and something made me listen to it again. I don't know what, or why, but I desire to hear it again, and so I repeated it. The second time through, I again thought it was a poor piece, but I started liking some of the parts which I thought were out of place at first, and by the end of it, I actually thought it was a relatively acceptable mix, though perhaps not quite a style I preferred.
I repeated it again.
It was odd... That is the best way to put it. I've stopped listening to it as I do with many mixes, stopped turning a critical ear towards it to listen for the good and the bad, and have simply let myself hear it, which is something I find difficult to do with music.
The music, the vocal samples, even the "ahh" at 0:45 and 3:10, which I at first thought to be a terrible addition, especially as the music seems to nearly stop, it all flows so well together.
DHS, you've put together a wonderful piece. It is both simple and complex at once. There are so few different vocal samples in it, but I feel that there is nothing which could replace them without, at the very least, changing the piece in its entirety, if not ruining it completely.
DHS, excellent work.
Be Well, and Blessed Be.
- Iron Cross on July 29, 2005
DarkeSword wrote: YES! I loves me some DHS. Subtune 1 (Infected Edit) from Apidya is one of my favorite songs, and this song right here looks like it's going to join the ranks.
Such a sweet beat; feels slightly indian, which is always nice for a guy like me. Groovy beats, awesome soundscape, perfect production. I love it.
In other news, I've removed two posts from this review thread. I ask that forum members only post their comments about this mix, rather than taking a potshot at the judges panel or providing a rebuttal thereof. :roll:
Any further discussion can be taken to PM.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. Shael and Liontamer both: take it to PM and keep it there. Two sets of posts have been moved to Abuse.
- DarkeSword on July 29, 2005
Such a sweet beat; feels slightly indian, which is always nice for a guy like me. Groovy beats, awesome soundscape, perfect production. I love it.
In other news, I've removed two posts from this review thread. I ask that forum members only post their comments about this mix, rather than taking a potshot at the judges panel or providing a rebuttal thereof. :roll:
Any further discussion can be taken to PM.
- DarkeSword on July 29, 2005
