ReMix:Xenon "Xoldin' Out for a Xero" 4:42

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, AMIGA!!

I only ever owned a C64 (and later a C128, with TWICE the memory! 128KB!), but I remember drooling at screenshots of the luscious Amiga HAM mode with 4,096 COLORS (was HAWT at the time) and thinking that Sword of Sodan looked almost photorealistic... to celebrate the big THREE-OH for a great computer with a lasting legacy, we've got an uptempo, chip-laden EDM arrangement of Xenon from Binster (Martin Binfield), who wins the award for "X-iest Mix Title," hands-down:

"Here is my new remix. I hope you like it. Finished it on Amiga Day as well, apparently. Appropriate, seeing as it's a remix of the Amiga classic "Xenon" - a stompin' bit of high-energy game music which I've transformed into some all-over-the-place madness. It was produced in Reason 7 and Ableton, and I named it "Xoldin' Out for a Xero" in tribute to the classic Bonnie Tyler song of almost the same name (from which I took thunderclap inspiration). Enjoy!"

Xe's gotta be strong, and Xe's gotta be fast... you get the idea. As a side note, I can't hear that song now without thinking of the ending action sequence from Short Circuit 2, which managed to conjure deep, rousing emotions about the fate of a robotic stage prop in ways that only the 1980's made possible. As another side note, it might interest you to know that xenon is a noble gas. Back to the music, I like that Martin kept in the oddly-syncopated hits from the source material, and the overall arrangement is actually relatively conservative, but the energy level's been amped up considerably & production modernized while keeping some prominent chiptune roots in place. Larry writes:

"Much like 8-bit music, a lot of Amiga tracks are on the thin side, leaving them very open for personalization. Binster's executed nicely through a more energetic electronic + chippy spin on David Whittaker's in-game theme. The source tune's tempo being increased was an excellent move, and I liked the way the beats cut through; this track pushes forward with a nice driving energy. I think Martin should have varied up the core beat/kick pattern more, but that's my only real nitpick. This flows really nicely for me otherwise, with good intensity and excellent variation of the instrumentation and textures to keep the piece from ever getting stagnant. It's a detail that n00bs often overlook, but constantly varying up the lead sound is usually an effective tactic to keep the listener engaged in where the piece is going. Fun use of Vincent Price's "Thriller" laugh at 3:25 for the ear candy. If you're holding out for a hero when it comes to Commodore love on OCR, Binster's currently your man. He's also got more in the hopper, so this isn't the last Amiga tune you'll hear from him. Much love to Binster for his continued representation of Commodore's platforms on OCR!"

Well said; happy 30th to a classic computer & props to an artist who has done a great job representin' Commodore in general on OCR!