Super Eurobeat 193

Everything that is eurobeat can be discussed here.
DarkSky
Euroheater
Posts: 1317
Joined: 26 Oct 2007, 09:48
Contact:

Post by DarkSky » 10 Jan 2009, 19:07

Man I really don't like this album... -5/10
Except for Go2's and GoGo Girls' songs..
And and I liek Dima's one too.

Shinraikan
Eurobeat Boom
Posts: 155
Joined: 22 Apr 2005, 10:28
Location: Reno, NV
Contact:

Post by Shinraikan » 10 Jan 2009, 19:15

I know I'm not alone when I say I feel like A Beat C didn't have anything ready for this album so they just threw crap together.

Maybe with the amount of time I spend working on music I somewhat notice the difference between how long and how much effort people put into music but it sounds like their tracks were pulled directly from their master recordings, sped up and horribly put some filler material they had floating around next to it. I hate Space Invader for the fact that it had no build-up and was truly a lazy song to make and that's why I hate this Space Boy remix too.

Everything else was fun though. :D

Nine
Mr. Domino
Posts: 1724
Joined: 18 Jun 2004, 18:37
Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Post by Nine » 10 Jan 2009, 20:53

Jion wrote: As for Space Boy, honestly if they took out the random piano after the Chorus the first time, the song wouldn't be a problem and would be epic. I honestly thing the problem this song suffers is more structure. I think I'm gonna re edit it and get opinions on my hypothesis. The guitar is killer in the song.
I made my friend at work listen to the remix (because I couldn't shut up about how pissed off I was about it.) I played it from the beginning... the piano went on and on, then all of a sudden blaring synths - she nearly jumped out of her skin! haha she was so pissed off that she got startled that she had me turn it off before the synth hook finished. lol
Image

WNight
Euroheater
Posts: 1346
Joined: 08 Oct 2008, 03:32
Location: Superfantastico Land

Post by WNight » 11 Jan 2009, 03:03

Nine wrote:
Jion wrote: As for Space Boy, honestly if they took out the random piano after the Chorus the first time, the song wouldn't be a problem and would be epic. I honestly thing the problem this song suffers is more structure. I think I'm gonna re edit it and get opinions on my hypothesis. The guitar is killer in the song.
I made my friend at work listen to the remix (because I couldn't shut up about how pissed off I was about it.) I played it from the beginning... the piano went on and on, then all of a sudden blaring synths - she nearly jumped out of her skin! haha she was so pissed off that she got startled that she had me turn it off before the synth hook finished. lol
Whoa,

Looks like I am really the only one who can appreciate the Grand Mix of Space Boy.
You and me like a fire tonight
Me and you 2 guardian angels
Now I feel your touch into my heart
A ray of sun~

- Guardian Angels / Oceania

valiant
Eurobeat Master
Posts: 595
Joined: 18 Jun 2004, 20:51

Post by valiant » 11 Jan 2009, 03:08

^
If you read a few posts back, I believe you are wrong.
Dima: The God of Eurobeat

WNight
Euroheater
Posts: 1346
Joined: 08 Oct 2008, 03:32
Location: Superfantastico Land

Post by WNight » 11 Jan 2009, 04:14

valiant wrote:^
If you read a few posts back, I believe you are wrong.
Yup, I AM wrong. :grin:

I must be drunk when I said that. :P
You and me like a fire tonight
Me and you 2 guardian angels
Now I feel your touch into my heart
A ray of sun~

- Guardian Angels / Oceania

drnrg
Eurobeat Guru
Posts: 6957
Joined: 17 May 2005, 07:18
Location: searching for missing Eurogrooves trax

Post by drnrg » 11 Jan 2009, 07:56

The main beef with Space Boy(grand Mix) is not the Piano. The Piano sounds great, but it just doesn't belong anywhere near The song. I don't know maybe Dave should give Dima a call and ask him how to insert raw piano keys onto Eurobeat, cuz when Dima does it ,it sounds stellar.
BTW, Dima certainly took honours on this cd as the best song. There is just no denying that Save a Prayer is definately among the best of the new year. I think a two song minimun is in order for Dima. Two Eurogrooves, Dima, HRG Attack and DELTA would be perfect for me.

Did anyone else notice David Dima...Duran Duran? I wonder if he thought of this when he chose the song :grin:

Jion
drnrg wrote:
9. Dejo / Too Young To Fall In Love
I bought this because I wanted to see how Sinclaire takes on a Gino Caria classic. Messege to Bratt: stay away form Gino's classics.


But the thing is the original was written and produced solely by Bratt sinclaire. I agree though that this remake was terrible compared to the original. The backing female (or male a la Festari style) high pitched would even make HRG Attack say "you really pitched that too high". Along with the sped up feel of the song and it's not special. I will say that De Jorio singing in Caria's style was an excellent touch and should be explored by that alias (Dejo) for more songs.
I wouldn't mind if Bratt took a stab at some of those not so classic Gino songs, like Rock N Roll Superstar and Stranger and added proper Eurobeat synths, but I prefer Bratt tried some Maurizio classics like Love & celebration and or Victem Of Love instead. I even think Burning Love would have worked better. One thing I will say for Bratt is that his recordings are sounding a lot more powerful volume wise and that's a good thing.

Jay
God of Romance
Posts: 955
Joined: 01 Jul 2004, 12:59

Post by Jay » 11 Jan 2009, 10:05

drnrg wrote:BTW, Dima certainly took honours on this cd as the best song. There is just no denying that Save a Prayer is definately among the best of the new year. I think a two song minimun is in order for Dima. Two Eurogrooves, Dima, HRG Attack and DELTA would be perfect for me.
Dima doesn't produce enough for two songs per disc to be possible...this was also true back when Vibration was around.

The main reason why I enjoy Dima's music is because he doesn't appear often on SEB. He doesn't have that many tricks up his sleeve, and granting him more space on the SEB series would grow tiresome quickly. Besides, Dima isn't under ubiquitous pressure to maintain a two-per-disc threshold like other labels, which could factor into why all his songs are usually high in quality. Dima's productions are a novelty and it should remain that way.

para_rigby
Euroheater
Posts: 1624
Joined: 17 Sep 2005, 18:50
Location: Wichita, KS, USA
Contact:

Post by para_rigby » 12 Jan 2009, 13:21

Okay, I don't have the time right now to do a full blown review, but I must say VKTRS is my favourite track from this album. People are talking about A. Gordon being the vocalist, but it sounds like a very pepped up Annie...but that's just me.

Harkened me back to the Euromach days for some reason. I'm beginning to see the big difference between Eurogroove and TIME in only two albums.

10+++/10

DJ Mike TJG
Eurohero
Posts: 847
Joined: 10 Feb 2007, 12:44
Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom

Post by DJ Mike TJG » 12 Jan 2009, 14:46

Yeah, I must confess I also didn't really hear Annerley in VKTRS. The vocals in the song have that same "hummm" sound that is quite common to Annie in all her productions (particularly No Borders and To The Stars), so I'm more inclined to believe it's her.

WNight
Euroheater
Posts: 1346
Joined: 08 Oct 2008, 03:32
Location: Superfantastico Land

Post by WNight » 12 Jan 2009, 15:38

para_rigby wrote:Okay, I don't have the time right now to do a full blown review, but I must say VKTRS is my favourite track from this album. People are talking about A. Gordon being the vocalist, but it sounds like a very pepped up Annie...but that's just me.

Harkened me back to the Euromach days for some reason. I'm beginning to see the big difference between Eurogroove and TIME in only two albums.

10+++/10
Yeap, It's not just you, The song just oozes of Annie from start to end I could almost swear it isn't Annerly.

Anyways, I agree with you. Eurogroove is amazing at the moment and I am quite satisfied with all their productions so far, At the very least, Much better than what Time mostly has to offer only a while back (The 180's.). In particular, VKTRS and Euronight pretty much sums up the whole thing.
You and me like a fire tonight
Me and you 2 guardian angels
Now I feel your touch into my heart
A ray of sun~

- Guardian Angels / Oceania

the_ditz
Euroheater
Posts: 1942
Joined: 04 Nov 2005, 22:25
Location: Hunting down Pamsy!!

Post by the_ditz » 12 Jan 2009, 21:33

Review time - as with my review of Eurobeat Masters, 10 will be the highest grade I will give. Grades in between will be differentiated with a + or -

SUPER EUROBEAT VOL. 193

01 NONSTOP MIXED by DJ BOSS - SPECIAL MEGA-MIX "Revival Hits" [Various labels] (09:58)
DJ Boss always creates your classic nonstop Eurobeat mixes, with the trademark stutters and cuts. I like the way this one introduces all of the tracks during the intro by playing a clip of the chorus. The balance between tracks could have been better (too much time is given to Space Boy as one example).
Score: 8+

02 LOU HUNTER - THE NEVER ENDING STORY [Eurogrooves] (05:29)
The intro to this track took me by surprise, as it featured lighter synth sounds than I would have expected from Eurogrooves/Time. This isn't a bad thing, and the high whistle sounds create a dreamy atmosphere in keeping with the song itself. Around 00:40, we are in more familiar Dall'ora territory with the strong bass but in line with the subtle changes made on the 192 appearances, the layers have been stripped down to give a less full-on sound. I enjoy this a lot more as it allows each individual part to shine without being suffocated by bass and rushing effects. The hook is light and happy, and the vocals dance playfully on top of the backing. I absolutely adore the key change halfway through the chorus (more Eurobeat tracks need to have key changes) and it adds another dimension to the storytelling in this track. The interlude halfway through with the piano and muted electric guitar is also very unique. I'll be honest - I was a little burned out from sooooo many covers of this track, but this cover most definitely reignites my love for it.
Score: 10

03 DAVID DIMA - SAVE A PRAYER [Dima] (05:28)
The haunting brass sample from the original welcomes us to yet another Dima masterpiece. Never has a pop song been more suited to Eurobeat producer as Save A Prayer is suited to Dima. The dramatic broken beats and guitar bursts lead us beautifully into a trademark Dima hook. I agree with what someone else said about this production sounding a little like SCP's productions - perhaps it's the beats or the synth setup - but when you hear those growling guitars (especially just before the chorus) you can be in no doubt that you're listening to Dima. The original of this track is one of the slightly more understated and under-appreciated Duran Duran tracks, and Dima's vocals sound right at home stepping into Simon le Bon's shoes. I can't explain how much I adore this track - the melodic structure and production values employed by Dima are just bang on the money, and I strongly believe this is the best track from Dima since his reappearance on the SEB series during the 180's.
Score: 10

04 TIPSY & TIPSY - HUNG UP [Asia] (05:14)
The intro to this track suprised me, as it was a bit darker and more menacing than I was expecting. When the beat fully drops around 00:24, we are in much more familiar Asia territory. The echoing synths and layers create that trademark wall of sound that classic Asia tracks have, and we are eventually given that classic Abba whistling hook which sounds like it has been lifted straight out of the Madonna track. Personally, I would have liked to have heard a more traditional Eurobeat synth improvising the main hook just to give it that edge that this production is slightly lacking. The vocal delivery cannot be faulted (although it is like listening to a Madonna tribute band) and I do still enjoy the song. I just wish that there could have been something more interesting done to the arrangement or the synths used.
Score: 8

05 TINA RAY - VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR [Eurogrooves] (05:28)
Much in the same vein as Never Ending Story, I have grown quite tired of this track over the years with so many dance cover versions watering down the quirkiness of the original, so let's see if Eurogrooves can turn it around again. The main thing that jumps out at me is that the main hook sounds really goofy - almost straying into bubblegum SCP territory - but I reckon it's a wise choice from Dall'ora as this tongue-in-cheek track doesn't need a super epic or serious hook to carry it along. Vocals are pretty cool, and I am particularly taken by the unison singing on the "oh-wa-oh-wa" parts as it has a really cute punch. The chorus is the part of the song that ends up sounding somehow flat and a little lifeless. Perhaps it's just the balance between the high main vocals and low backing vocals, but it really sounds like there is a middle element missing. However, this is a small niggle. Once again, I am super-impressed by the new techniques employed by Dall'ora to distance himself from the samey and lazy Time productions of old. If this is the shape of things to come, I'm really hyped to see what Eurogrooves will produce in the future!
Score: 9+

06 MARK FARINA feat. F.C.F. - BAD DESIRE [Asia] (04:49)
Asia's second appearance on this album, and could it be one of the most unnecessary remakes of recent times? Don't get me wrong, I love Bad Desire and I could happily listen to it numerous times. The thing that annoys me about this remake is that we have already had A New Bad Desire released on the Saifam website, which essentially took the original track and updated it with new synths, beats and vocals. So why on Earth did Farina ever see the need to create yet another remake with slightly never synths (that, I must say, aren't a patch on those used for A New Bad Desire), slightly different beats and slightly altered vocals? It screams laziness to me, and I can't help but feel that the inspiration for new tracks is very, very thin on the ground for Farina and Asia at the moment. I can't really say much else about this track - it 's still fundamentally a great song, but the remake adds nothing groundbreaking to the formula and personally, I would probably substitute this version on my 193 iPod playlist with A New Bad Desire.
Score: 7-

07 KEVIN & CHERRY - DOCTOR LOVE 2009 [Delta] (04:44)
Much has already been written about this track after its appearance on the Eurobeat Masters MySpace page and volume 20 of the series itself, and I generally agree with the people expressing concerns about the hook. I don't quite feel as strongly as some about it, but what I will say is that there is clearly 1 or 2 supporting sound layers missing from the main hook in this remake. The synth sound chosen sounds a bit crass and needs more than just some high pads and beats to support it. Anyway, as for the rest of the song, Kevin & Cherry's vocal work here far outshines their performances on Chemical Love for me, and I think they make a very strong lead duo for Delta on this form. I haven't actually listened to original of this song much, but I like the rising chord progression in the chorus and the more agressive verses work well. It's still not the best work that Delta has produced (at least we have the evidence of certain tracks from the recent Eurobeat Masters series to show that they can still produce tracks worthy of a 10/10) but I do still enjoy this song a lot.
Score: 9-

08 LOLITA - TRY ME (Platinum Mix) [A-Beat C] (04:32)
What's with the Casio drum loop at 00:13?? Aside from that bizarre break, I'm pleased to hear that A-Beat C are gradually learning once again how to create introductions that have some sort of relevance to the song they are attached to. The hook also sounds much more sprightly than the original and I think it also benefits from the slower BPM, giving it a little more time to fill the speakers with each individual note (the original hook had a tendency to blur the individual notes). As for the vocals, I am with the camp that is a bit disappointed that we don't have Gobbi's vocals, but Annerley still does a decent job with them and maintains the spirit of the original without sounding too dated. I definitely prefer A-Beat C when they bring the BPM down and experiment with more varied synth sounds - Magical remains once of my favourites from the label in recent times - and on this evidence, I hope to hear more "platinum" style productions in the future.
Score: 9-

09 DEJO - TOO YOUNG TO FALL IN LOVE [SinclaireStyle] (04:47)
Woooo, Sinclaire's male presence has grown some balls after the the decidedly watery Let's Go Wild. My main gripe - and I'll get it out the way now - is that Sinclaire still insists on making his vocalists sound muffled and slightly mono, giving the productions amore amateur quality than the other labels (Hi-NRG Attack at least balances the backing). That aside, I love the synth hook in this track, and really hook that Sinclaire remembers the settings he used to create the power and energy in this track, as I'd hate to hear him slipping back to the airy fairy rubbish we heard in Power Of Loving You. The song itself is nothing special if I'm completely honest - the vocal melody sounds quite cliched in Eurobeat terms - but I think I'm one of the only people that isn't majorly freaked out or irritated by the backing vocals in the chorus. Sure, they sound odd, but I think they actually balance (in their own way) with the lead vocals. I know no-one will agree with me, but I'm getting used to that!
Score: 8

10 GO 2 - HOT VAMPIRE [SCP] (04:31)
It may shock many people, but I don't actually recall what the Go Go Girls version of this track actually sounds like, and I'm quite glad about that as it means I can judge this track with the objectivity it deserves. First of all, this is a true classic Go 2 style track from start to finish. The beats, the vocal interplay and the synth sounds (especially during the hook) could only really belong to an Ace & Fastway collaboration, and I feel that the duo may finally be heading along the right track again. Listening to the vocal melody closer, the verses and bridge sections in particular actually sound very melodic for a Go 2 track (that's bound to be the Go Go Girls effect) but I wonder whether Ace & Fastway have made an effort to slightly tone down the aggression. The delivery is assured without being scary, and I think they got it just right. My only gripe about this track is that it didn't show up around Hallowe'en - this would have been perfect on an October release!
Score: 10-

11 GO GO GIRLS - LOOKA BOMBA [GGM] (05:06)
Looka Bomba has grown to become one of my favourite Go 2 tracks since it was released, so this remake already had a big mountain to climb. Sadly, it wasn't long before clouds were obscuring the summit - there is no intro, and the vocals from Oliva and Gobbi just don't have the power needed to do the original delivery justice. The hook itself sounds weak and a bit uninspiring considering the rich productions that GGM has given us recently, and overall the track just felt awkward and uncomfortable. I reckon had the girls been asked to remake the likes of Funky Funlover, that track - with its cheeky and bouncy vocal line - would have suited GGM's style a lot more than such an agressive testosterone-fuelled track as Looka Bomba. It's a shame as I desparately want to like this remake, but the combination of singers and song just isn't right in my eyes.
Score: 6+

12 FASTWAY & CHRISTINE - NUMBER ONE [SCP] (04:37)
The original of this track remains one of Fastway's shining moments, and having listened to the sample I initially wasn't that impressed with the effort that had gone into updating this Eurobeat classic. Happily, the full version actually adds a richer and more complete atmosphere to the song that brings it screaming and exploding right into the year 2009. I adore the new main synth sound during the hook, and Christine's vocals have thankfully been brought down from the stratosphere so she no longer sounds like she is auditioning for the next Chipmunks movie. The structure of this track is probably the most traditional of all the remakes on this album, in the sense that it almost follows the standard SEB 4 minute cut, save for the interlude around 03:45. The producers, vocalists and everyone involved in this track really sound like they enjoyed updating it and I can jsut picture them all having a killer party after finishing it off!
Score: 9+

13 PISTOL GIRL - IKE IKE [Hi-NRG Attack] (05:05)
Now, if the remake of Bad Desire was misjudged and completely unnecessary, this is just a complete waste of Hi-NRG's precious album space. For a start, the structure has been messed around with too much - there are too many interludes and I can never really settle into the track properly. However, this issue pales into insignificance when you consider the awful vocal work. God knows whose decision it was to make the vocalist try to add emotion and perform it like an American Idol contestant, but whoever it was should hang their head in shame. The whole production just sounds uncomfortable, like a dodgy karaoke rendition of that excellent Tri-Star/Hinoi Team track. And that's another thing - this song is one of the few that actually sounded better after being covered by Hinoi Team, and you cannot even attempt to match the cuteness or energy that they injected into it. For that reason, this remake fails badly.
Score: 5

14 DAVE RODGERS feat. MIKE GARSON - SPACE BOY (Grand Mix) [A-Beat C] (06:55)
For the purposes of this review, I am going to base my comments starting from 01:29 only, as the piano introduction is a very beautiful and haunting passage but holds absolutely no relevance to the main song, and as Grandpa Dave failed to even attempt to link the two sections, I'm not going to class them as the same song. The beats and reverb in the production of this track do add a sort of "grand" feel to proceedings, and things start off well with Dave sounding quite sprightly. However, the production soon becomes quite stagnant with no effort to effectively break up the various sections with varying synth patterns or pads. The piano becomes quite dischordant with the main hook at times, and I don't think it really fits as well as it could have. In a pop song, great - no problems. But in an electronic song that has a strict BPM and no room for expressive slowdowns, it just sounds like I've got crossed frequencies on my car radio. Disappointing.
Score: 6+

Top 3:
DAVID DIMA - SAVE A PRAYER
LOU HUNTER - THE NEVER ENDING STORY
GO 2 - HOT VAMPIRE


Bottom 3:
PISTOL GIRL - IKE IKE
DAVE RODGERS feat. MIKE GARSON - SPACE BOY (Grand Mix)
GO GO GIRLS - LOOKA BOMBA


Major props go to Eurogrooves, as their song choices really didn't excite me at all, but they managed to turn around my lukewarm feelings toward the songs with highly inventive productions. Dima is a legend and his track is the big highlight of the CD for me. A-Beat C continues on its rocky road - if only Dave would stop being so self-indulgent, as it's always his tracks that sound like they try way too hard. SCP are bouncing back with power and energy, and SinclaireStyle is even showing signs of life after Move On Now Baby. Delta were steady but still need to try harder to astound.

Hi-NRG Attack should quickly try to forget about 193...

#Infinity
Euroheater
Posts: 1992
Joined: 21 Apr 2007, 04:44
Location: San Diego, California

Post by #Infinity » 12 Jan 2009, 21:53

the_ditz wrote:08 LOLITA - TRY ME (Platinum Mix) [A-Beat C] (04:32)As for the vocals, I am with the camp that is a bit disappointed that we don't have Gobbi's vocals, but Annerley still does a decent job with them and maintains the spirit of the original without sounding too dated.
Surprisingly enough, contrary to popular belief, those are in fact the original vocals - Try Me was originally recorded by Annerley Gordon! :razz: Elena Gobbi, far more famous as Virginelle at the time, never assumed the Lolita alias until the release of Come On Baby from SEB 58 in 1995.

I'm also glad that someone else finally agrees with me that Ike Ike 2009 is an absolute trainwreck, especially for the vocalwork. The sad thing is though, I think it's actually Melody doing the singing! :(
ImageImage

Nine
Mr. Domino
Posts: 1724
Joined: 18 Jun 2004, 18:37
Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Post by Nine » 12 Jan 2009, 22:11

the_ditz wrote: 11 GO GO GIRLS - LOOKA BOMBA [GGM] (05:06)
.....and the vocals from Oliva and Gobbi...
Sandro is a Go Go Girl? :!:

Sorry for pointing that out, I just had a good chuckle over that. hahaha
Image

Gorgia_v
Eurobeat Boom
Posts: 153
Joined: 21 Jul 2008, 03:08

Post by Gorgia_v » 13 Jan 2009, 00:05

I am with the camp that is a bit disappointed that we don't have Gobbi's vocals, but Annerley still does a decent job with them and maintains the spirit of the original without sounding too dated
I would have to say if Annerley did NOT sing this i would not like it as much, annerley was the true lolita and even though i do like Gobbi as she added to lolita what annerley couldnt in th pitchy screams that arent out of tone, in any remake by the same artist/alias i would think that the original singer would have to be there, if there was a different singer there should be a name change...thats just me, i know it is annerley singing it and yes i beleive it is the original vocals as they sound too close to the ISD remix vocals of her the "try me" album i think it was a bonus track or something

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests