2019-04-01_Retro_Gamer

There was

a dedicated

fanbase just

waiting for

Rob Hubbard’s

flagship tracks

Chris Abbott

01 SANQUINOXE

MARCEL DONNÉ

FROM PROJECT SIDOLOGIE:

1.!#$9ɟ5.

“The sonic identity of Jean-Michel Jarre’s

flagship track Equinoxe 5, with the musical

content of Rob Hubbard’s flagship track

Sanxion Loader/Thalamusik. This track,

complete with full-length spine-tingling

solos, is the best example of what Maniacs Of

Noise alumni Marcel Donné was aiming for in

Project Sidologie, which is a project that took

four years to complete, including a year to mix

the surround-sound versions, and ended up

as an eight-disc boxset.”

02 COMMANDO MATT GRAY

FROM REFORMATION 2

“When Matt Gray’s Reformation project

started in 2015, no one knew what to

expect from it – least of all Matt himself.

The project started to come together with a

well-received cover of Sanxion, proving there

was a dedicated fanbase just waiting for Rob

Hubbard’s flagship tracks to be explored

in Matt’s signature style. This version of

For volume two of our music CD series

we’ve teamed up again with C64Audio.

com, the pioneering label that has been

creating and publishing game music

remixes for over 20 years. For this

compilation – a tribute to Rob Hubbard,

who created the original tracks on which

these remixes are based – we aimed to

include a broader range of musical styles

than before, ranging from John Carpenter

to surf rock, with even a dollop of big band

along the way. All of these pieces originate

from albums available at C64Audio.com;

here, founder Chris Abbott gives us the

inside track on each one:

Commando is the flagship track of Reformation 2,

and kicks some mighty militar y butt.”

03 SPELLBOUND

BARRY LEITCH

%1.,É/1.)$"3É'4!! 1#É

'4!! 1#É1$,(7$#

“While the title of this remix is Spellbound, to

me it’s called Hubbard Is God – the Rob Hubbard

version of Jogeir Liljedahl’s seminal remix

of Green Beret/Rambo loader Galway Is God.

Both remixes featuring sparkling arpeggio-

happy synths, a dramatic structural remix and

gorgeous use of the original iconic sounds. Barry

is a Rob Hubbard superfan, as well as being his

friend, and you can hear the love here.”

04 CASIO 12 INCH MIX

ROB HUBBARD & JASON PAGE

%1.,É/1.)$"3É'4!! 1#É1.!É1$341-

“Wherever Rob does, Casio follows. Originally

a synth track composed when he had studio

access in the early Eighties, this made its way into

the Compunet demo Synth Sample III. Rob and

Max Hall then reworked it for the Bedrooms To

Billions soundtrack, and now it’s back to SID in

expanded form for Project Hubbard. As the first

SID in the project, and a proof of concept, it was

Jason Page who realised it in Sidtracker64 to

show Rob what was possible.”

05 ONE MAN AND HIS

DROID UNCLE AND THE BACON

%1.,É/1.)$"3É'4!! 1#É

ROB AND THE BACON

“No one does big band like the Bacon. He could

find the big band vibe in the Death March.”

06 DRAGON’S LAIR II

̪2)6%2 ̈#!6%3 ̈352&̫ ̈

JOHAN ANDERSSON

%1.,É/1.)$"3É'4!! 1#É

'4!! 1#É1$,(7$#

“Some remixes come out of left field because

they say as much about the remixer as the music

being remixed. This works perfectly – and it’s

water-based, so I’d claim that it’s still relevant!”

07 ̈ ̈+%.4),,! ̪̈%8#%204̫ ̈

MARK ‘TDK’ KNIGHT

%1.,É/1.)$"3É'4!! 1#É

ESCAPE FROM NEW ROB

“Mark’s original brief was to reimagine four

Rob Hubbard mega-pieces as vintage John

Carpenter, and boy, did he succeed.”

08 CHIMERA CHRIS ABBOTT

& ALISTAIR ‘BOZ’ BOWNESS

FROM KARMA 64

“After the ‘am-so-serious’ of Back In Time 3,

the Karma 64 album was created mostly on the

Korg Karma between pub lunches with friend,

collaborator, remixer and radio star Boz. The

album was a strange mix of dance, organic

progressive stuff and reworks from Back In

Time 1. A fun time was had by all.”

09 MONTY ON THE RUN

35)4% ̪̈02%6)%7̫ ̈

ROB HUBBARD

%1.,Éɟ!(3É28,/'.-

“This is an early version of the finished

arrangement of this iconic piece. Rob poured

himself into this arrangement – you can tell by

the astonishing detail. It will be premiered at the

8-Bit Symphony concert in Hull on 15 June. It’s

like the C64’s Woodstock. Recorded mostly using

the Orchestral Tools sample libraries, this will be

a life-changing experience live. Don’t miss it!.”

10 ̈ ̈#/--!.$/ ̪̈()'( ̈

3#/2%̫ ̈FASTLOADERS

%1.,É/1.)$"3É'4!! 1#É1."*É'4!! 1#

“Remix of the year 2019 and number one at the

venerable remix.kwed.org site, Rob described

this remix as “tasty”. This piece means a lot to

many, and the guitar solos that Jarle H Olsen of

FastLoaders conjures up are magnificent. Being

an Amiga fan, Jarle’s next task is an Amiga-

based Kickstarter: the first all-rock tribute to the

Amiga. You heard it here first.”

ROB

HUBBARD

REMIXED

» [C6 4] Our last CD prompted a lot of requests for

Monty On The Run, so we’re delighted to include it here.

» Chris Abbot t is working with Rob on various projects.

» [C64] One Man And His Droid could be quite tricky in places, but the score

that accompanied it was incredible. The remix is just as good.

» [C64] Rob’s Commando tracks are legendar y and our latest CD has t wo tracks dedicated to

the game, including its excellent high score composition.

on 2

»[C[C64]64]OOur llasttCDCD promptedted a ltlotoff reque

stst ffor

»

MMontty OOn ThTheThRRun, soo we’e’re ddelilighthted dtto iinc

nn ldlude iitht here.

»»[C[CC64]64]4]OneOOOneMaManAn AAndnd dHiHisHisDrDroidoidicocoulduldbbebeququiteitetrtrickick

dd yiy iin pnplaclaceses,bubuttt the hehscoscorere

Th i i just as good

y g

Rob’s Commando tracks are legendary an

thegame,includingitsexcoellent d our latest CDhas twotracksdedicatedto

high

»»[C[C64] R

the game

»ChChrisiAbAbbtbott itis workkingingwiithth RbRob onva

rioius proojjectts.

»

RETRO GAMER | 15

ROB HUBBARD: PROJECT HUBBARD AND 8-BIT SYMPHONY