This is 6581 remix of TLN2. Not Richard's work. youtube: kb2fJQlSkCc

Wow this kicks ass............Great stuff.

Superb you rock man.....................................

Well I have to say Richard, first time listener to your music mate, and what a track to start with, just seen this posted on FB by Mr. Barclay and am sure glad my good friend David posted it up. This is one hell of an excellent piece of work I have to say. Top notch production and very much a big FACTOR 10 in my book for such blinding work and a blinding bit of music that rocks the house down. Superb stuff Richard, and I for one absolutely loved it to bits my friend.

This tune is one of my all-time favourite chip tunes.  Always the one that I tout you'd do a good job of if I could convince you to do it.  Glad you did :)

thats what i always imgangined it should sound like... DAMN GOOD WORK

8 Bit

Auf Wiedersehen Monty (MIDIbox SID Remix)

This was the closing track on the original issue of Lovessence. On that album each song explored a different aspect of love as I understood it at that point in my life. This particular song is about 'first love' and was written for a specific person.
From one angle, it is the epitome of an 80s pop song with orchestra hits and thick analogue synth chords, from another, it is a track influenced by the electro tracks of the 80s underground as evidenced by the funky Moog bass and rhythmic sequencer lines.
Hardware - Yamaha RX17, Moog LP, Roland Juno 106, Roland JP8000, Kawai K3, Korg Prologue 16, Korg Minilogue, Doepfer Dark Energy, Roland Alpha-Juno 1, ARP Odyssey.
Software - Halion.
Written, Arranged, Performed & Produced by R Cook 2021 (1998).

(Love Is) The First Cut

Jon Paul - Lead Vocals
Richard Braithwaite - Bass Guitar
Richard Cook - Synthesizers, Drum Machine, Guitar and Backing Vocals

A new version of Lover In Mind. We recorded the original in 1997 and it featured lots (and lots) of programmed slap bass and guitar courtesy of our Dr Synth module). This time around, the technology we have (and the time given by the intervening years to practice!!!) has allowed us to play the instruments for real so Rich B has provided yet another brilliant bass line which locks in to the minimal funk groove of my main guitar riff. Jon nails this vocal with a swagger and what was ( in my opinion) the 'slightest' of the original Lovessence songs is reborn for the 2020s as a leaner, tighter and funkier affair. Whereas the other Lovessence songs were about specific people, this one is about the lover as a 'concept'. 

Hardware - Kawai K3, Yamaha RX17, Roland JP8000, Roland Juno 106, Korg Minilogue, Korg Prologue 16, Moog LP, Cort 5 String Bass, Tanglewood Semi-Acoustic Guitar.
Software - Halion (orchestra hits:))
Written, Programmed and Produced by R Cook 2021 (Written 1997)

Lover In Mind

The song that started it all for us. This song's composition marked our transition from Cinema Dreams (through a year as 'The Loved One') to Thieves Like Us and now Milano Rovente. 

Three years at Uni obsessively listening to Scritti Politti, Aztec Camera (Love), Prefab Sprout, ABC, Jam and Lewis and 70s/80s era Prince led me to a new direction. Intricate arrangements, precise / sequenced synths, funky bass, soulful vocals and big choruses - these aims all came together in Thieves Like Us. Jon was really finding his identity as a vocalist and our resident tech-genius Rich B was able to facilitate the sessions with his Atari ST running Pro24 before we graduated to Cubase. Our equipment list consisted of two Fostex X26 four track recorders, one SM58 microphone, a Boss Dr Synth Module, a Yamaha DX7, two Fostex monitor speakers, a bass guitar, the Atari ST and the recording software. Rich B was also stepping out as a deeply impressive bassist having served his apprenticeship with local youth music groups and many gigs with his bands. 
This new version of Blue For The Girl (originally Blue 4 The Girl with a nod to the little Purple One :))features a fantastic bass performance from Rich B who also plays the tight and funky rhythm guitar lines. Jon gives a bravura vocal turn and I got to enjoy myself far too much using lots of synthesizers to make sure that one of our key songs could be re-launched sounding its best... I even dug out hardware orchestra hits from the JDXa as they were an integral part of the original; you can never have too many orchestra hits!
Written(1997)and Mixed (May 2023)by R Cook 
Produced by R Braithwaite & R Cook
Performed by Milano Rovente - 
Jon Paul - Vocals
R Cook - Synthesizers, Drum Programming, B Vox
R Braithwaite - Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, B Vox

Synthesizer Hardware - Korg Prologue 16, Roland JDXa, Roland JP8000, Roland R8m, Roland Juno106, Casio CZ1000, Roland D50, Kawai K3, Yamaha RX17.

Blue For The Girl

An Academy of Saints song.

This song is unashamedly influenced by the songwriters of the 'Great American Songbook' and some of the favourite artists such as Hue and Cry, The Bathers and Gary Clark (of Danny Wilson!).
The arrangement features voice, piano, guitar, drums, flute, muted trumpet, double bass, harp, a string section, a glockenspiel and an ARP Odyssey synthesizer.

The lyrics are about how sweet memories of first love / infatuation are dulled and stolen by the passing years. In the song, the person who held that particular torch for all those years (me;)) is told by the singer to rest now as no amount of revisiting of those treasured memories will change the outcome and each day they are farther gone. The love that you long for will never shine in those eyes whose image is being reclaimed by the past... it looks like the polka-dot girl is finally going to run away. Time has claimed her and all that's left is the keepsake of those first feelings.

Quite appropriately for the first (proper) release from my long-intended orchestral pop project the subject of the song is someone I met through playing in the local youth orchestras sooo many years ago! I never seemed to have the right words.

Written, Performed and Produced by R Cook August 2023

Keepsake - Academy of Saints

Tim Follin - Led Storm 1

Die aus dem Let's Play Minecraft, ultra alt.

Auf Wiedersehen Monty (Remake Gronkh)

Based on "Monty on the Run" theme by Rob Hubbard from Monty on the Run for the Commodore 64

Shoutouts to @Metatronlives. I promised him I would make this when I was drunk, and I'm glad I stuck to it. Normally I'm pretty minimal with my arrangements but I tried seeing what would happen if I take the opposite of that approach. I had never heard of Monty on the Run or this song prior to this, but thanks Rob Hubbard (not to be confused with L Ron Hubbard of Scientology fame)

the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93nIljXpqUY

THANK YOU FOR 593 SUBSCRIBERS!!!!!

I don't think Monty Mole from Monty on the Run is the same Monty Mole from Super Mario World. But they share the same name.

Made with C700

Monty's Revenge (Monty on the Run for C64 theme + Nelward sauce) 593 SUBSCRIBER SPECIAL

This is my version of the classic C64 track Last Ninja 2 - Central Park. I put it on you tube a while ago and got a great response, so thought I'd put it here as well, as the audio quality is better on soundcloud.

Spent a lot of time trying to emulate the C64 sounds, used quadrasid to do this. Also thought it could really do with some kick-ass guitar and drums, so put them in as well. Used a lot of different reverb and delay - quite hard to blend SID sounds with live. I tried to keep the spirit of the original though, so no fancy stuff here, I just tried to imagine what it would have sounded like if the tech was better back in the 80s. Feel all nostalgic now...

Last Ninja 2

This is one of the more atmospheric ones recorded in these sessions. It's a real place not some poetically named construct!  All noises are either Roland SH-101 or a Korg Volca Beats.
Written and recorded 28/2/20.
Written by R Cook 2020.

Last Ninja 2

Richard Braithwaite

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