Legendary C64 SID Music. Made in the past by Legends. Brought into the present by Legends.

“Eclectic. Diverse. Fresh. Different. These are the words that came to my mind right away when listening to this album. The mix of styles is eclectic, the list of source material remixed on this album is diverse, the approach of each remixer was fresh, and it all results in an album that is decidedly different.” – LaLa, Review on Remix64.com

Encore64 is a project I have been working on for most of my free time during all of 2021. On the 26th of January it was finally released into the wild. You can purchase your Digital Download copy and some ultra swanky T-Shirts over at Encore64.com .

It is a full length album featuring modern remixes of old Commodore C64 SID music. The album art, T-shirts, website and advertising material was designed by none other than The Sarge/Fairlight . Yes. THE The Sarge. One of the best C64 graphic artists of all time.

Legends Collaborate

The group of musicians on the album consist of some of the most legendary C64 music composers from back in the days, including Fred Gray and Peter Clarke from Ocean Software. In addition to that, veteran C64 remixers topping all the charts the past decade such as Musician Extraordinaire Glyn R Brown , veteran remixer and #1 C64 SID musician in Hungary Vincenzo and #1 newcomer Tomsk. Romeo Knight who arguably made the best Amiga MOD song in history is featured. And then there’s myself.

Moving Forward

Instead of remixing the same C64 SID songs everybody already remixed for 20+ years in the thousands, we opted for less known songs (except for some of the ubiquitous ultra famous original songs by Fred and Peter such as Mutants, Shadowfire, Bubble Bobble and Ocean Tape Loader III, that is) as well as more non-game tracks instead pulled from the vast catalogue of the C64 demo scene.

As a consequence, Encore64 is moving forward in time shifting focus from 1980s video game music to the Demo Scene .

I have a hard time finding any other C64 remix album ever released meeting the production quality of Encore64 across the entire track list. Having been offered the opportunity to work with all these amazing musicians, mixing some of their tracks, mastering the entire album…

Humbled.
Star-struck.
Flabbergasted.

It’s been a helluva ride, and I hope you will enjoy the album because this is some truly world class music.

Encore64 raised the bar for the entire C64 Remix Community.
I am so thankful to have been a part of it.

I am credited for making three tracks, original composer of two tracks, mixing a total of seven tracks as well as mastering the entire album. Music production aside, I acted as producer for the entire project, along with Peter Clarke who also had a major part in realisation of Encore64.

If you haven’t already decided by now to buy our album , I recommend reading the in-depth and very well written review by none other than C64 Remix Professor LaLa over at Remix 64 .

Online Live Interviews

In addition to that, we were interviewed on Online Radio- and Pod Shows such as SlayRadio , The Retro Hour and BozRadio. How about that.

Enjoy!

Encore64 Webstore
Encore64 Facebook Page
Encore64 Album Review by LaLa on Remix 64
Encore64 Album Rated on Remix 64
Interview with Peter Clarke and Myself on SlayRadio
Interview with Peter Clarke on The Retro Hour
Release Event on BozRadio
Encore64 Original C64 SIDs on DeepSID

Xmas64

“[Flex – Walking In The Air]I freaking love the tune.. so much depth. Good production.” – Steel @ CSDB

Why is there no proper Christmas Album on Spotify et al with some proper Commodore C64 SID Christmas songs?

Well, there is one now.

Xmas64
Years ago I told myself I should try and gather some friends so that we can compile a SID Christmas Album together, then nothing happened. Until a year ago, when enough C64 composers joined up on this project.

From this year on you can finally listen to fantastic C64 SID versions of traditional and contemporary Christmas Songs on your Streaming Service of choice, all mastered by me into glorious and vivid stereo!

The album contain SID songs by The Dungeon Master, Flex, Wiklund, Klegg, Miztluren, Vincenzo, TwoFlower and myself. The Album Cover is created using pure C64 PETSCII by tNG/Fairlight and Frida Katarina/STARZ, which means it’s entirely text character based.

Enjoy!

Link to Xmas64 on Spotify
Link to Xmas64 on Apple Music
Link to Xmas64 PETSCII Album Cover on CSDB

The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 6

“The 6th volume in the popular The Sound of SceneSat compilation series is out now, featuring such well-known musicians of the scene as Dafunk, D4XX, Danko, Jeroen Tel, LMan, BeeZerk, Jogeir Liljedahl, and many-many others on a total of 73 (!) tracks that will sure to keep your ears busy for a while.” – Remix 64

Web Radio phenomena SceneSat Radio have released their sixth compilation album in their iconic series, The Sound of SceneSat, Vol.6 . The list of featured musicians reads like a who’s who, including legends such as Chris Hülsbeck, Jeroen Tel, Jogeir Liljedahl and Turbo Knight.

The album is out now on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

I am featured on two tracks.

Danko – Den Sista Ninjan 2 Går På Disco (feat. Maskinpop)
Den Sista Ninjan 2 Går På Disco is a collaboration with Maskinpop based on his original Amiga MOD that won the music competition at Edison . The lyrics and certain elements are based on the Narrative from the much beloved C64 video game Last Ninja 2 .

Teo & Danko – Neon Prime Westfalen
Neon Prime Westfalen is another collaboration with Teo/Rebels . We’ve been talking about for a while about making music together and suddenly this Retrowave track appeared out of nowhere.

In addition to this, I also mastered Teo – Red October .

Enjoy!

Link to Den Sista Ninjan 2 Går På Disco (feat. Maskinpop) on YouTube
Link to Teo & Danko – Neon Prime Westfalen on YouTube
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol.6 on Spotify
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol.6 on Apple Music
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol.6 on YouTube
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol.6 Announcement at Remix64
Link to SceneSat Radio

Raindancer – Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix)

“Raindancer announces Phoenix, the first single from our upcoming album. The release includes remixes by Blume and Lebenskraft together with the “B-Side” 1984.” – Raindancer

Now available on a Streaming Service near you:

Lebenskraft Remix of Phoenix, the latest single by Raindancer taken from their upcoming album due in 2021.

Lebenskraft’s journey across the genres is now complete, and we are firmly back on Future Pop ground.

Enjoy!

Link to Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix) on Spotify
Link to Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix) on Apple Music
Link to Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix) on YouTube
Link to Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix) on Bandcamp

Demoscene the Amiga Years Volume 1 1984-1993

“Demoscene the Amiga years reflects the making of the best demos as well as the history of the most emblematic and best known groups of the demoscene. ” – Editions 64K

Christophe Boucourt of Editions 64K recently dropped this beautiful work of art and significant historical document. The quality of the print, paper and assembly is fantastic. The combination of the tactile feedback from the book’s texture, the intense smell of a freshly cut and glued hard copy book and considering the gorgeous pictures and legendary content from all those Amiga demos I grew up with and loved made my heart race.

So much more than merely a book, it’s an experience of nostalgia and pride.
A historical document of the Pioneers of Multimedia.

When I first ordered the book I had no idea I was featured in it, but for some reason I am represented across two pages with something resembling an interview and some pictures. I am honored and humbled to be in the same book as my childhood legends.

This book comes highly recommended.

Go buy it!

Link to purchase the book from the publisher Editions 64K
Link to the publisher Editions 64K

CERT-SE CTF2020

“CERT-SE är Sveriges nationella CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team) med uppgift att stödja samhället i arbetet med att hantera och förebygga IT-incidenter..” – Karl Selin, CERT-SE

The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) is responsible for issues concerning civil protection, public safety, emergency management and civil defence as long as no other authority has responsibility. Responsibility refers to measures taken before, during and after an emergency or crisis.

This year the focus was on Cybercrime Attacks. As part of the initiative to create awareness CERT-SE created a Cypherhunt online, where the final clue was to be found within a Commodore C64 demo .

My music was credited in this demo. An old Amiga MOD song that turned out to become the most spread Amiga song in history, more so they used my personal cover on the C64.

En Svensk Han Tiger. And a Swede is Honored to Help the Country.

So for my music to be part of this is amazing.

FAIRLIGHT

…then there’s the thing with Fairlight. Which as so happens is the C64 group I am still very much alive and active in.

We cracked it

Way before people solved the Cybercypher.

Sorry all.

We are Fairlight.
We do not forget.
We do not forgive.
We crack.

Expect us.

Link to Fairlight Cracked version of CERT-SE Demo on YouTube
Link to C64 Disc Image of Fairlight Cracked version on CSDB
Link to C64 Disc Image on CSDB
Link to MSB Cybersecurity Conference
Link to Follow-Up and Solution for the CERT-SE Cypher Challenge

Raindancer – Perfect Balance (Lebenskraft Remix)

“Last in line from the revival of the 2007 album, Response Remixed features 5 remixes from Lebenskraft, K.Langwerk, Mattias Brian and ourselves.” – Raindancer

Raindancer is a classic Swedish Synth Band. Thirteen years ago they released one of their most celebrated albums, Response .

This year they remastered the album completely and recently also released a Remix EP consisting of various remixes by K. Langwerk, Mattias Brian as well as a remix by me and my Lebenskraft project.

The track I chose to remix is called Perfect Balance and with this release, Lebenskraft is returning to Future Pop and Synth after having explored Psytrance aesthetics on Lebenskraft – Scherben .

Expect more in this direction next year.

Enjoy!

Link to Perfect Balance (Lebenskraft Remix) on Spotify
Link to Perfect Balance (Lebenskraft Remix) on Apple Music
Link to Perfect Balance (Lebenskraft Remix) on YouTube
Link to Perfect Balance (Lebenskraft Remix) on Bandcamp

Vandalism News #71 Edition

“ I’m especially digging the tunes by Mibri & Danko, very nice!” – Burglar/SCS*TRC

Anyone interested in the old hacker scene should spend the time to read through a whopping eight 5.25” floppy disk sides worth of this digital magazine published on the Commodore C64. Vandalism News is the definite disk magazine on any 8-bit platform.

It so happens there are some great songs you can listen to in the magazine from several legendary musicians, and I am humbled to be credited for one of those songs which I call Vandalism Electronica .

I made the song for the Commodore C64 8580 SID chip using Goat Tracker 2.

Link to MP3 of Vandalism Electronica track
Link to Vandalism #71 on CSDB
Link to Vandalism #71 Intro and Menu on YouTube
Link to Vandalism News Website

Ubisoft “Blue Byte” Düsseldorf

“For the first time, Ubisoft is bringing two of their biggest franchises to VR with new chapters in both the Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series. Announced at the Oculus Connect virtual event, the two games will be launching exclusively on Oculus VR.” – Ubisoft

I decided to shift focus from the craft beer industry and do something more AAA for my family. 50% Startup VR and 80% Danko Beer Craft Brewery did not really add up in the long run.

Brewing beer consumed my entire being for the last six years, although I’ve already been professionally active in the industry for longer than that. And brewing beer is still happening. Danko Beer is far from over. However, it was time to do the other thing, which to everyone who knows me well comes as no surprise.

Making video game audio, to the highest AAA standard.

Assassins Creed [VR]

So I agreed to the position(s) as Senior Voice Designer, Direct Manager, Product Owner and Department Core Member within the Centralized Audio Services Department at Ubisoft Düsseldorf.

I guess when you’re senior, you’re senior.

Besides being part of developing a Global Audio Service within Ubisoft, meaning 55+ studios and 19000+ colleagues, with focus on all things dialogue, narrative and real-world recording personally, I also get to work on some of the largest Game Franchises in the history of mankind.

My current IP is three times bigger than Battlefield which I worked on for five years, which puts things in perspective to me. Really, Battlefield wasn’t exactly peanuts. It was, and is, huge. Perspective.

Recently, in a short time period we have grown to become one of the biggest autonomic departments owning full mandates within the global company that is Ubisoft. The biggest Game Development Company on the Planet.

We intend to stay that way.
Let’s make audio nobody heard before.

I tend to stay this way.
The Düsseldorfer way.

RIP DAF and Kraftwerk.

Link to Ubisoft Website
Link to Ubisoft Düsseldorf aka “Blue Byte” Website
Link to article at The Verge on VR projects

3/7 00:00 DJ act: Danko aka Lebenskraft – Scherben Mega Mix

“Danko aka Lebenskraft will throw together a Mega Mix of his latest EP, Scherben. Featuring tracks by Wiklund, Mattias Brian and Dyrgrip among many others.” – Edison 2020

Updated: Watch the DJ set stream here, recorded by Scenesat Radio

On Friday the 3rd of July at midnight 00:00 I will perform a DJ set at the Edison 2020 event. The plan is to pull off a half hour long Mega Mix with assorted material and remixes from my latest EP, Lebenskraft – Scherben .

This year the annual institution that is Edison will take place online due to the ongoing pandemic. Previously I usually attended the physical event where I submitted music and demos for the various competitions. Edison is the largest old school*-only *computer event in Sweden.

Enjoy!

Link to Edison Party Website
Link to Edison Event on Facebook
Link to Lebenskraft on Facebook
Link to Lebenskraft Scherben on Spotify

The 8-Bit Guy – Tech from Texas Part 2: Midway, DeLorean, Compaq, NASA

“David these episodes are fantastic!! Cruising around state, cool background music and all these amazing historical facts.. this is going to be a priceless tech documentary!” – Lazer Hawk on YouTube

Some of my music can be heard in the latest episode by Internet fame The 8-Bit Guy .

A while ago I found the YouTube channel and started binging through the entire backlog because it touches on several interests of mine such as vintage 8-bit computers, old keyboards and synthesizers as well as the ubiquitous Commodore C64.

Long story short, I thought it might be fun to hear my own music in the background for an episode or two since some of it would be a great fit in style so I made some music and sent it to David who runs the channel. He happened to like it and the next thing my music appeared in an episode shortly thereafter.

The track in question was made using the original sounds from 1980's drum machines such as Roland TR-505 and TR-626 as well as synthetic instruments from the Commodore C64 and the Nintendo NES sound chip.

Link to the Episode on YouTube
Link to The 8-Bit Guy YouTube Channel
Link to The 8-Bit Guy Website

Wiklund – Decade

“The album/EP is called Decade because it’s been 10 years since i released my first album. I hope it was worth the wait. I’m very lucky that the amazing Mizucat was able to make this beautiful cover art for me. The album was mastered by one of my C64/video game heroes, Tomas Danko.” – Wiklund

The Swedish electronic music artist Wiklund has released what will probably be his last chip music record after ten years of touring the world with his Gameboy. I am credited for mastering both the vinyl- as well as digital releases.

The vinyl release of Decade sold out in 24 hours, there will however be newly pressed records for sale in addition to the digital release of the EP.

It is not every day someone ask you to master a vinyl album, so this was a real treat getting to dig up my usually deprecated knowledge regarding analog mastering, elliptical equalizers and the loudness aesthetics of yesteryear.

Furthermore it is also hard to believe all the tracks were made using only a Gameboy and nothing more

We’ve obviously come a long way since Super Mario.

Enjoy!

Link to Wiklund Decade on Bandcamp
Link to Wiklund on Spotify
Link to Wiklund on SoundCloud
Link to Wiklund on Facebook

Lebenskraft – Scherben

“The term Lebenskraft was coined by the physician and botanist Friedrich Casimir Medicus (1736-1808) and gained widespread use in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. German scientists – […] demonstrated a firm belief in a vital, organicist, unifying life force.” – John A. McCarthy

Lebenskraft is my new Electronic Music Project.

It begins with the release of Scherben , a Remix EP consisting of twelve tracks spanning over 51 minutes featuring talented remix artists such as Dyrgrip, Wiklund, Mattias Brian as well as remixes by other music artists including Connection Closed and Kilbuck.

Besides having written and produced the title- and bonus tracks, I have also made one remix (Zeitgeist Ficken Remix ), mixed several of the other remixes and mastered the entire album.

Lebenskraft can be whatever I set it out to be, with different collaborations from different vocalists and artists each and every time. The only known direction for the future of Lebenskraft is that you can expect it to move heavily towards Future Pop, away from the current Psytrance influenced beat.

Enjoy!

Link to Lebenskraft Scherben on Spotify
Link to Lebenskraft Scherben on Apple Music
Link to Lebenskraft on Facebook

Spelar Det Någon Roll Vem Som Äger?

“Jättebolagen som köper bryggerier har olika intentioner. Den stora boven är ABInBev som försöker döda all konkurrens, man köper för att lägga ned eller laka ur värdet i lokala bryggeriers produkter. Det är sabotage. Andra förvaltar varumärkena så att de fortfarande gör bra öl, som Duvel Moortgat med Boulevard.” – Myself quoted in c/o HOPS

In the latest issue of c/o HOPS I am one of several brewers interviewed in the cover article.

We discuss the matter of ownership in the brewing industry. Does it matter if you are independent or not? Myself being owner of a small craft brewery and fully independent got a lot of opinion in the matter, leading to numerous quotes in the article. Some of them are perhaps not as anti-corporate ownership as you’d think.

The article can be found starting on page 42. The magazine is in Swedish and distributed in hard copy.

Link to c/o HOPS website
Link to purchasing c/o HOPS issue #24 from Humlegården

Kilbuck – Blackened Feathers

“I wanted to thank you specifically, both for the obvious – your mixing, mastering and your remix – but also for helping me find a direction and identity in this endeavor. [My daughter] may have been the inspiration to make the song, but you helped sculpt it into reality, and make my childhood dream, part 2, real.” – Kilbuck

The Danish electronic music artist Kilbuck has released the first single under his real name, I am credited for producing, mixing, remixing and mastering the original track.

In addition to this, I have also delivered a psytrance remix as Psycophant.

1. Blackened Feathers
2. Blackened Feathers (Psycophant Remix)

Kilbuck has a discography as remixer under various obscure aliases the past few years, often treading into unusual genres of the darker kind. This is the first time he let his inner voice come out, and the result is a modern future pop take with a nod towards New Order if you ask me.

We have collaborated on numerous records already, and first got to know each other through the production of the late KeX3 remix projects.

Enjoy!

Link to Kilbuck Blackened Feathers on Spotify
Link to Kilbuck Blackened Feathers on Apple Music

Porträttet – Danko Beer – Välkänd ölarbetare gör comeback

“Sverige har exploderat av nya bryggerier. Vägarna för att nå ut med sina öl är få och konkurrensen stenhård. Ändå väljer många att satsa. En av dem är Tomas Danko vars Danko Beer har gått från tillverkning hos andra till en egen liten anläggning. Men egentligen var det en slump.” – Robert Lagerström, Maltesen

In the latest issue of Maltesen Magazine my brewery Danko Beer is featured in a four page article.

The article can be found starting on page sixteen. The magazine is in Swedish and distributed in hard copy and prescription only although members of Svenska Ölfrämjandet can download the magazine in PDF-format. However, you can buy Maltesen over at Humlegården .

Link to Maltesen
Direct link to issue 2019-1 and the article in PDF-format
Link to PDF archive of the magazine
Link to Maltesen at Humlegården Webshop

Brewed in Sundbyberg, Sweden

“Danko Beer is quite simple really, some friends brewing beer. At our own micro brewery in Sundbyberg where we also live, in Stockholm, Sweden. This is what we do. At friends places. At brew pubs and breweries world wide. We brew beer.” – Tomas Danko (i.e. myself)

It’s taken several months of rebuilding the brewery and brewing beer, but now it’s finally time for you to drink it!

We’re having a release event 18:00 on Wednesday the 13th of March at our closest craft beer pub, Bishops Arms Sundbyberg, situated 500 meter from our brewery. That is as local as drinking beer gets.

Event on Facebook here

Danko Beer Stefans Lager

Stefans Lager is a modern take on an unfiltered keller bier, at a modest 4.3% abv so that you can have more. We’ve dry hopped it every so slightly with Mosaic and Citra. Stefan is the bar manager at the pub. His name is Stefan Lager. Yes. Really.

Please drop by to hang out with us and drink some beer together.

Enjoy!

Link to Release Event on Facebook
Link to Stefans Lager on Untappd
Link to Stefans Lager on RateBeer
Link to Bishops Arms Sundbyberg
Link to Danko Beer Website
Link to Danko Beer on Facebook
Link to Danko Beer on Instagram
Link to Danko Beer on Twitter

The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5

“8-Bit Boys. We make the hits. We’ll make you party like it’s 1986.” – SAM, 8-Bit Boys

To celebrate the ten year anniversary of SceneSat Radio they have released their fifth compilation album, The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5 . I am featured with a track, Danko – 8-Bit Boys .

It is an honor to find myself among such great musicians, not to mention legends such as Jogeir Liljedahl, Mark ‘TDK’ Knight, and Jeroen Tel.

Danko – 8-Bit Boys (3:15)

“What if there was a boy band in 1986 consisting of only digitally created virtual band members?”

8-Bit Boys is the answer to that question.

All rap and vocals were rendered using speech synthesis software from the 80’s (rap by [SAM Reciter] on the Commodore C64, as an example) and vocoders.

All drum sounds were created from data digitally extracted from the old Roland TR-505, TR-626 and TR-707 drum machines from the 80’s that nobody used after that era as opposed to the legendary and ubiquitous TR-909 and TR-808.

FM synthesis as found in the otherwise unloved Yamaha DX7 digital additive synthesizer and of course sounds from the 6581 SID sound chip in the Commodore C64 make up the rest of the sound scape.

Enjoy!

Link to 8-Bit Boys on Spotify
Link to 8-Bit Boys on Apple Music
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5 on Spotify
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5 on iTunes
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5 on Bandcamp
Link to SceneSat Radio

Rebentisch Kindertotenlied – Psycophant & Danko Remixes

“Mein Song 2018 <3" - Andrea Gutsch

My Psycophant remix made it to fourth place on the yearly charts 2018 at both the Synthesize Me radio show on Israeli radio station Radio Plus as well as German underground radio station No Rest

What blows my mind is that the track finished two positions above VNV Nation – When is the Future , the group that in my opinion have written the best song on the planet; VNV Nation – Gratitude

There will most likely be a sequel to my collaboration with Rebentisch

Stay tuned.

Kindertotenlied Psycophant Trauer Ist Tanzbar Radio Cut (3:55)

Enjoy!

Link to Radio Plus Synthesize Me Website
Link to No Rest Radio Website
Link to Rebentisch Kindertotenlied on iTunes
Link to Rebentisch Kindertotenlied on Spotify
Link to Rebentisch Website

Brewed in Sundbyberg, Sweden

“Danko Beer is quite simple really. Three people brewing beer. At our own micro brewery in Sundbyberg where we also live, in Stockholm, Sweden. This is what we do. At friends places. At brew pubs and breweries world wide. We brew beer.” – Tomas Danko (i.e. myself)

Danko Beer Sundbyberg Website

Long story short, we have a brewery. Very close to where we live, in Sundbyberg. Did I mention we have a brewery?

It’s a tiny micro brewery with a 3 hl brew system and an annual capacity of around 150 hl. But it’s ours.

Imagine this; We take a six minute bus trip or a twenty minute stroll from home to our brewery, where we can brew beer any time we choose. All permits are in place already, we can sell beer on keg and bottle to restaurants, bars and even Systembolaget.

We have a brewery.

Stay tuned.

Link to Danko Beer Website
Link to Danko Beer on Facebook
Link to Danko Beer on Instagram
Link to Danko Beer on Twitter
Link to Danko Beer on RateBeer
Link to Danko Beer on Untappd