Super Eurobeat 206

[sonique]

005 ON THE TOP AGAIN GARCON
009 HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY MICHELLE ROSE
010 IN MY ARMS KATE PROJECT
011 ME & YOU ACE
012 LABYRINTH OF LOVE ALEKY

My favourites are these.

[para_rigby]

Mini-Review of SEB 206

5/5: Crank It
4/5: Good, but Not Great
3/5: Average
2/5: Take It or Leave It
1/5: WTF?

1. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride <Euro>/ AAA
Perfect summer euro! Short, but has alot of variety!
5/5

2. Freedom Ride/ The Snake
Fun synths and vocal work. Good aggressive eurobeat from SCP without the shouting and rap
4/5

3. It's Like A Fire/ Kaioh
Freddy's greatly improved on vocals--still has the vocal charm of a garage band. Not too keen on the synth line though...
4/5

4. Screaming Out The Power/ Louise
Thank God chipmunk vocals are absent on this track, but it definitely is missing an extra punch. Good try though, HI-NRG ATTACK
3/5

5. On The Top Again/ Garcon
Haven't ever hated a Garcon and this is no exception. Slower BPM work well for this track!
4/5

6. I'll Remember Why I Love You/ Nathalie
Out of all SS from this decade, this is on the bottom rung. I'm a bit disappointed after Nat's comeback track from 201. Doesn't have the energy I'm looking for in the vocals, but the synths remind me of Sinclaire's work in the 140s & 150s.
4/5 for synths
2/5 for uninspired vocals and meh lyrics

7. Louder & Faster/ Powerful T.
The melody in the intro (not the bleh melodic part at beginning) reminds me alot of "Dance" from 181 (Middle Eastern soundworlds?). Powerful T always has a great operatic voice, but the song as a whole sounds muddled and frenzied.
3/5

8. Flash & Love/ Momo
I can't get enough of the Irene/Momo/Yo Shine vocalist. She's whoring out the decade much like Pamsy did in the past. The slower BPMs fit well for this track. Someone said she sounds like Clara in this song...I can totally hear it. And the wailing in the c-melo is wonderful! 80s influences too?
5/5

9. Hard to Say I'm Sorry/ Michelle Rose
Reminds me alot of early eurobeat songs for some reason...the only reason I give this song a lower grade is her annoying accent on the lyrics. Eurogroove and HI-NRG artists, to me, are notorious for their accents (not being xenophobic, but they grate on me)...
2/5

10. In My Arms/ Kate Project
haven't listened to this track enough to make judgement

11. Me & You/ Ace
Wait for You, Part II? I love Ace's slower tracks. This is a great male aishu track!!! He has the sexiest vocals next to Paul Harris
5/5

12. Labyrinth of Love/ Aleky
I don't care if people argue if it's eurobeat or not...it's still a tremendously great, wonderful song. I wish she would enunciate her words better--I was left in the dark a bit with some of the words. The b-melo and sabi are eargasms!
5/5

[WNight]

My take on 206 :

01. Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride - AAA
Ciao! Super Eurobeat 206, Konichiwa first song of the album. It's the summer season! Time for a celebration by going aboard the sigh ... Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride. Without a doubt, This song can easily be catchy in the amusing way. The summery melody actually works kind of okay here, It's not trying to be overly cute like some other songs in some other SEB and it doesn't take itself too seriously. The vocals, While making AAA - THE suave, Beautiful and powerful pop group of japan look like total goons here, Actually works well here too, Could anything get better than that ? I guess not. The female vocals especially adds many points to this song. Overall, I won't say this is a bad song but to truly get the full enjoyment out of it, Being chipper is definitely the way to go.
Grade : B

02. Freedom Ride - The Snake
The Snake is fast becoming sort of like an indirect successor to Go 2 at the rate they are going. In fact, I actually prefer The Snake a lot more because the appeal of their songs don't wear out as fast (If at all) as most Go 2 songs for me. Powerful guitars and vocals are like a must-have for every snake song so there's nothing too experimental here. What really made this one stand out among all the other snake song is it's killer melody that is sure to make snake fans cream. Blend all these elements together and the result : Freedom Ride! Best song from The Snake so far and also the best damn thing SCP released this decade. One of the best songs this decade and is definitely highly recommended!
Grade : A**

03. It's Like A Fire - Kaioh
Highly anticipated and perhaps, Even dreaded by some. Kaioh's comeback track has finally arrived with such fire and anger that it melts and swallows everything in it's path - WHOOPS WAIT, DOES NOT COMPUTE!. Heck, Even R U Ready had tonnes more fire than this so there's not really a whole lot of excuse that can cover up the lack of energy here. Despite that, This song isn't actually too bad so to speak. It has a weak but at least decent melody for sure. There's one big issue here, Kaioh's vocals, I can't exactly describe in detail but just know that it is not something I would actually give praises to, He just goes a bit too over at times for his own good, Average song at best but Kaioh definitely has room to improve considering his age and I strongly believe he will. Next comeback soon I hope.
Grade : B-

04. Screaming Out The Power - Louise / 05. On The Top Again - Garcon
The Garcon song is the best thing from Hi-NRG this decade but the other song isn't too far behind. While vocals are rather lacklustre in every Hi-NRG song, The overall melody actually works extremely well and heck, Nice intros too. Applys to both songs.
Grade : A

06. I'll Remember Why I Love You - Nathalie
To err is human, To have a song this bad from SS is truly disturbing. Do yourself a favour - Either skip or fast forward through this song, I personally recommend skipping. One might ask, How bad can it get ? Well, For one thing, This song is review proof, That means I could fly into a rage, Yell and throw things around like a little girl who drops her sweets about how bad this song is but would it make a difference ? No!. For those who need more, Everything about it (I mean EVERYTHING) stinks to no end and there are probably more ways to spend precious five minutes, Have some food and drinks while waiting for the next song to start - or just closing your eyes to rest - would be a better, More beneficial thing to do, Just remember to press the mute button while at it. One of the worst songs this decade.
Grade : F

07. Louder & Faster - Powerful T
There are many good songs throughout SEB, So much that it could probably fill an entire olympic pool or perhaps more if they are objects. On rare occasions, One may get a song that is on such a different level of awesomeness that it blows your socks off and makes you feel like you're in heaven, In short, The kind of good song that appears 1 in every 500 or so. Well, I hereby proclaim Louder & Faster as one of them. It has honestly been sometime since a song of this calibre hit me as hard as this one did so imagine my excitement. To begin with, The title is extremely apt (Maybe, Just maybe, Louder, Faster and chaotic should be the correct title), So if for some reason you have an enmity with the style, Do yourself a favour and move on to the next song. Lovers of the style, Rejoice, Because this WILL be the epitomy of everything done right in one song - Killer melody at hyper speed, The very good sounds thrown in, Powerful vocals and super effective verse and chorus etc etc - I simply don't see why you won't love this song. If this is to be the new Sun Fire, Then they have really nailed it big time. Adrenaline is surging and you defeat them all. Best song on the album, Best song by Powerful T and is a definite inclusion into one of the best eurobeat ever made! A big thanks Dave, Futura and last but not least, R.Tiranti himself for this epic masterpiece!
Grade : A***** and beyond

08. Flash & Love - Momo
If there's one thing this song teaches me, It is that you can always count on Momo to deliver either a mediocre song or an outright tasteless one. This one, Is just about as bad as one can imagine. It's possible that the song was thought and conceived over a toilet bowl that hasn't been washed in weeks. There's nothing very interesting here so the song just sort of trots along till it reaches the end with no apparent positivity. The overall melody is very bland and the vocals, While not seriously bad, Aren't anything to praise about either - It won't save the song from it's fate anyways. Speaking of which, What on earth is going on at the 2:50 mark ?, That's horribly ear pricking. Flash & Love isn't a top neither is it a bottom, But that's probably because it is the kind of song that is probably forgotten after a while.
Grade : D

09. Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Michelle Rose
Good news everyone! It's All Up To You has officially been beheaded by this magnificence of a Low BPM song, Never thought I would say that but the truth has to be made known that this song is just brilliant. For a start, The vocals here are actually pretty good so I'll slap myself here for the general comment I made in the earlier two Hi-NRG song - Take heed, Only for this one song. The verses and chorus are perhaps the most effective things here since they give off a very soothing vibe but the overall melody works very well so no biggy there. For karaoke fanatics, Here's another one for your singing pleasure since it's so easy to. Bottomline, It's another hit for Hi-NRG and SEB 206, Not the best though.
Grade : A

10. In My Arms - Kate Project
Most Saifam tracks usually seem like they are going to be great, That is, Until you start looping the CD more than five to ten times. Listening to this song, Fast forwarding to the riff probably isn't too bad an idea. No wait, Let me rephrase this a little : It IS a good idea and should be the only way one should seek any enjoyment out of this song. While the riff is quite good, The rest of the song just sort of falls behind. Vocals going beyond irritating at some points of time especially the ohs near the end of the chorus and the lacklustre chorus itself are just some of the very examples that could be finger pointed at for being the culprit. Perhaps Saifam is trying to create an epic feel to the whole song but still, The result is anything but that.
Grade : D

11. Me & You - Ace
Ace is back although things are a little bit different this time. The epic feeling coming from songs like In The Fire Of Victory and Futureland are clearly nowhere to be heard and in it's place, We get something that is moving scarily close on eurodance territory. Is this necessarily a bad thing ? No, Not exactly. While the verses aren't exactly praise worthy, The rest of the song works very well and is definitely listenable no matter what. It's not his best but expecting that would be pretty unrealistic.
Grade : B+

12. Labyrinth Of Love - Aleky
I never really cared for Eternity to be honest, And as such, Never really thought much of the Aleky alias. Evidently, The time for a change has come. Labyrinth Of Love has all the similar elements that made the Powerful T song an instant classic for me except the intro and for the fact that this is like the total opposite of that song. Still, I am not at all deterred, It's the kind of feel good, Fantasy-esque melody song that would put a smile on most listener's face and make them groove to the beat as well, It did for me at least. Aleky's vocals are really good here too, In short, Everything works well here. Dima's best song to date and also one of the songs here I would most certainly list as "Highly recommended"!
Grade : A**

13. Boy Meets Girl (Gogo's Mix) - TRF
Grade : B-

14. Music For The People (Rock Mix) - Dave Rodgers
Grade : A


Top 3 :
Louder & Faster - Powerful T
Freedom Ride - The Snake
Labyrinth Of Love - Aleky

Bottom 3 :
I'll Remember Why I Love You - Nathalie
I'll Remember Why I Love You - Nathalie
I'll Remember Why I Love You - Nathalie

HM :
Screaming Out The Power - Louise / On The Top Again - Garcon

[drnrg]

01. AAA- Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride (SCP)
I guess AVEX thought it was TIME to insert a new song that would totally annoy the hell out of me. Once again we have what I concider a joke of a song. The Kika & Fancy level is high on red and it's heard all over the this song. I'll go as far as to say that SCP purposely speeded up this band's vocals to a semi chipmunk level just to aggravate those who don't like this style of SCP Eurobeat. The song itself has a pretty decent riff, but that hardly wins it any points as the rest just sounds dissastrous to me on every aspect. The vocals have got to be the worst example of hyped distortioned vocals I've heard in a while. Now here is my beef with most of you. I see all kinds of complaints about Italian Eurobeat vocalists. Their accents, their pronounciation of words and yes thier tones, but what of this band? They are Japanese, right? They sound horrible trying to sing in English... and it's not just this band. I've heard some Japanese Pop and when they try to insert that one English phrase; it's just eeeewwwww! I don't know how anyone can complain about Italian accents and at the same time be able to stomach the vocals on this song? To top it off this song doesn't even run the length of a radio song. Terrible just terrible.
2/10 (for the riff)

02. The Snake- Freedom Ride (SCP)
SCP just can't seem to reach the 4:30 TIME length for a song on this cd and as a result it doesn't help them to compete with some of the other better songs. The Snake has allways been a good releable artist for SCP. Songs like Queen Of Mean and The Snake Around are perfect examples of a hard core testoserome driven song for for SCP and this song is no exeption. It has all the right elements for a ...Fastway or Go2 song. and that's really the bottom line here- I mean at first listen you can almost hear Enio in the backround. It sounds great for the first two or so TIMEs on the player, but then I noticed that it just sounded too friendly to be a Snake song. Thier wasn't enough of the heavy metal vibe for it to truly contend with Queen Of Mean. A good song , but not for really heavy airplay.
8/10

03. Kaioh- It's Like A Fire (GGMs)
We are to GGMs. For me they have always been a hit or miss label. More misses than hits, but still nice to once in a while have on the series. So here is the song that mostly everyone thought it sounded like a chiklet song with male vocals. Upon hearing the song in its entirety; I would have to partly agree. Somehow when I heard the clip I thought it would somehow have a more aggressive tone to it. Wnight said it best when he said R U Ready had more Fire than this song. I think the problem is that usually GGMs' synths have a light sound to them and that almost always takes away from the agreesivness of say, the same Eurgrooves song, in the end it actually sounds like a Lollita style sang song delivered by Freddy Rodgers. The intro really does nothing for me and goes by pretty unnoticed. Not to say it's a bad song. I actually enjoying the melody throughout the verses. I can't say nothing about the bridge, beacuse GGMs really puts no effort in those, but the chorus is very uplifting, almost sounding like some other early 90s Eurobeat, that I can't remeber at the moment, but its really the reason I can listen to the song and feel quite satisfied with this GGMs entry. Especially when he yells out Fire! The part after that would be the mid break. GGMs really has to put more effort in their intros and breaks, but what helps it is that second breakdown right at the 4:00 mark. It's still too short to be amazing, but I like it and it adds to the songs replay value. A nice song that shows Kaioh is getting better vocally, but please give him a more Aggresssive song.
8/10

04. Louise- Screaming Out The Power (HRG Attack)
So suddenly the level of the cd is gonna skyrocket. I don't know ,but for me HRG Attack is one of the lables that can always guarantee an NRG filled song. A song like this will just take me to another world. Vocals, music, melody,riff ect.. all go up to a higher more powerful level. Right from the intro, the song spells out POWER and AGGRESSION. It has that HRG Attack old skool sound and the Synths sound like The sounds they used back at TIME studios. The melody could easily be sung by Clara Moroni back in the TIME. I think 5:40 and up is great length for an extended song. this way you a chance to hear all the instrumental parts being showcased. You can hear the melodies of the choruses and verses without vocals, dropped instruments, and you can allways bet you will hear two breakdowns. One main breakdown and one mini breakdown towards the end. Speaking of Breakdowns; this song features one of the best I've heard this decade. Not only is the music completely dropped at the 4 min mark, but the breakdown itself chants the word breakdown. now that showcases a perfect breakdown. Everything about the song spells out a perfect 10, but thier are three other songs that merit a perfect grade, thus causing me to give Screaming Out The Power a point lower.
9+/10.

With that I will take a breather ,since the next portion of the cd takes SEB to a superhigh level that it's only able to achieve once ina while, but i will continue tommorow.

[Jay]

03. Kaioh- It's Like A Fire (GGMs)
... I think the problem is that usually GGMs' synths have a light sound to them and that almost always takes away from the agreesivness of say A Eurgrooves song, in the end it actually sounds like a Lollita style sang song delivered by Freddy Rodgers ...

I agree with you on this one. I mean, seriously, 'My Lucky Star' has a far heavier synth than 'It's Like A Fire', haha!

In fact, all of GGM's earlier songs had a much heavier synth than now, which is the main reason I loved just about every single GGM song released back in the 170s and 180s. Something changed in the 190s, starting with 'Hurry Up Hurry Up', and I don't think I've enjoyed a single GGM song released since then. Even 'Nightrain', which is basically the only GGM song since the 180s that boasts a relatively heavy synth, didn't pack the punch I expected it to. I really wish I knew the reason why GGM has moved towards lighter and fluffier soundworlds, or why Avex is encouraging it, since I don't think it's working in their favour at all. All of their recent songs just about put me to sleep.

Also, it's funny how GGM's recent songs are on an entirely different planet to the earlier gems they were pumping out just 2-3 years ago like 'Red Light & Sex' and 'Stop the Time Tonight'. You can't even begin to compare those songs with the snorefests they've been putting out recently. If GGM ever decides to go back to their roots, I'll be one happy camper.

Anyway, onto a more positive note, I don't know what's happening to me but I'm actually enjoying all three HRG songs on this release, hah. The Louise song, which I didn't think much of at first, has slowly crept up on me. I still can't really get into Michelle Rose's song due to the horrible vocalist, but everything else is bearable, which is more than I can say for nearly all the other songs HRG have released this decade. And the Garcon song is my second most played song on the album behind 'Labyrinth of Love' according to last.fm. A sign of great things to come, I hope.

[Vadim]

1. AAA - Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride - rating: crap

I suspect they inserted this piece mainly to get to Doc..
Way too many of those recycled non-eurobeat cheepies find their way
on our single existing proper eurobeat compilation...


2. The Snake - Freedom Ride - rating: bad


it is triying too hard to be noizy an' to raise all 'em snakes in San Fernando valley, but all this commotion has got no good notion..
an thatz 'cause this be just a typical generic repetitive *shouter*...


3. Kaioh - It's Like A Fire - rating : not good

Prods here are a bit mashed up and overloaded with unpleasant trance sounds.
As such the song is rather unispiring and happily forgetable..
(Still itz a bit more imaginitive than previous *shouter*//).


4. Louise - Screaming Out The Power - very good.

Good songwriting, nice vocals, and absolutely amazing chorus supersede an otherwise not-too-pleasant sounding prodz.


5. Garcon - On The poT Again - rating: bad.

Generic stuff..alas poor *waiter*..


6. Nathalie - I'll Remember, Bratt, I Love You - not yet rated

aor\pop rock classics feel in verses is very pleasing, but god knows why it
still resulted in a song getting kinda generic chorus.

Regarding vocals: I love Natalie vocals and she fits Bratt's style perfectly.
Aaaaarts sounds like no one else, she is a very recognizable vocalist.


7. Powerful T. - Louder & Faster - rating (song): not bad. rating (prod/arrange): very bad.

Song/vocals make a basic passable *shouter*, but the chaos outta prodz just runs amock, and it is not supporting the vocals much at all here.


8. Momo - Flash & Love - very good

Enjoyable though an unispiring piece. vocoders were used well, which is rare (usually SCP make 'em sound like a drunk plumbers' nightmare).



9. Michelle Rose - Hard To Say I'm Sorry - very good

Decent song with some amazing hooks. Prodz are more pleasant than with Louise's tune. Awesome chorus. Lower BPM wasn't a surprise..



10. Kate Project - In My Arms - song: not bad. prod/arrange - crap.

to find any eurobeat here, get a magnifying glass..it's like an eternal saifam techno-cheese garage sale on Avex...


11. Ace - me and you. rating: good.

such songs can serve as a departure from boring generic *shouters*.


12. Aleky - Labyrinth O Love - rating:
song: good.
arrange: a proper eurobeat arrangement could suffice, perhaps..


13. TRF - Boy Meets Girl (GoGos Mix) - crap..

soh icky iz dis *stuff*///


14. Dave Rodgers - Music For Dave's Wixens (Rock Mix) - crap

There are almost no listeners for
such *stuff* among typical dance music buyers- what is their(Avex) point on shoving it on SEB..?

[drnrg]

jay

Also, it's funny how GGM's recent songs are on an entirely different planet to the earlier gems they were pumping out just 2-3 years ago like 'Red Light & Sex' and 'Stop the Time Tonight'. You can't even begin to compare those songs with the snorefests they've been putting out recently. If GGM ever decides to go back to their roots, I'll be one happy camper.

If you ever hit the nail on the head it was on that very quote.I'll go as far as to say that I completely forgot that songs like Red Light & Sex and Adrenaline were indeed GGMs. I precisely remeber Megan correcting me when I would credit AbeatC instead of GGMs for those two songs.

but anyway, back to my review.. and we start off with a mega chart buster from HRG Attack.

05. Garcon- On The Top Again (HRG Attack)
It's funny ,but usually HRG Attack are at their best when they showcase more than one song. AVEX thought it was TIME for a new Garcon song and I couldn't be happier with Festari's new song. The song is Aggressive style which the label excells in, but the intro itself isn't entirely form the aggressive side. It's actually kinda mellow especially with the added piano beats. almost a hybred intro from Dima world and LMS. By the TIME the riff kicks in ,you will immediately be taken back to songs like Hot Girl and Baila Pistolero. I use these examples, because the song itself is less frantic than your usual HRG Attack fare. Festari is singing in Aggressive tone, but not as angry as usual. His backup sngers are there simply for backup and not screaming at an annoying tone. All these factors actually add to the song's charm, since we are indeed feeling a mid 90s mesmerizing effect. Probobly one of the first examples that pop into my mind that isn't a TIME song ,would be Boom Boom Sexy Lady It's nice to have an aggressive song that doesn't have to go oevr the top to get it's point accross. Don't get me wrong, I love the chaotic Aggressivness of HRG Attack songs, but this one hits the perfection level just the way it is. there is a part at the 3:55 min that plays the first part of the bridge in the old style progressive trumpets style, which I absolutely adore. It's short, but oh so hitting my Eurobeat heart. BTW, these are all still new songs that don't even appear on HRG Attack catalog, so I'm anxiously awaiting what other trick they will pull out of a hat.
10+/10

06. Nathalie- I'll Remeber Why II Love You (Sinclaire Style)
I think Bratt is getting alot of uncalled slack for this song. It's really not as bad as some of you had me thinking. I don't recall that Pop song you guys mention, but I know I've heard that intro. Perhaps, since I don't identify it with that said song, could be the reason I accept it a bit more than others. It does have that one weak point that we all seem to agree on and that's the vocals. I don't hear an ounce of passion in that vocal delivery and for someone like me, that spells out trouble. Eurobeat needs NRGetic vocals and ,sorry to say ,but someone should have fed poor Nathalie some speed before she sang this song. The rest of the song is uplifting and bouncy and I actually think her vocals brings down the peppyness one notch lower than intended. It's a fact that in Eurobeat; vocals can either make or break a song and I really think Bratt should be a bit more demanding on vocal delivery, especially when he creates an otherwise uplifting fun song like this one. Once again at the 2:44 mark starts a wonderfull instrumental breakdown, which pushes this song up one grade level. Thank goodness for cool breakdowns.
8/10

07. Powerful T.- Louder & Faster (Sun Fire)
So we are up to one of the most controversial songs on the cd and ironically enough it comes from one of Eurobeat's most celebrated artists. Usually artists will get slack from fans for going the pop or low BPMs road, but this TIME Powerful T. is getting slack for taking his style of music to the next level. See, to fully appreciate this song, one must remeber that R. Tiranti doesn't sing your average Eurobeat song. His songs always go that extra mile to impress. Weather it be vocals, melody or as in this case; a rather chaotic sounding riff, that I for on, think is the route his musical style would infact go if he was striving for the next extreme level. Louder And Faster is the title of the song and as far as titles go, it delivers. I'll go as far as to say that this is my new favourite Powerful T. song. Like I said, the first couple of notes remind me of Night Of Fire, but in the off key melody. The part right before the riff tricks you into thinking you might actually get a friendlier sounding riff, but that is not the case. What you actually get is a riff so full of adrenaline that if you do not hold on tight, you will definately fall off the ride. I was hanging on for dear life on this rollercoaster of pumped up agressivneess and loved every minuite of it. Wether you want to admit it or not, this is the equivalent to that Super pumped Eurgrooves song that is missing from the cd....and really; for all the choatic, loud, and angryness it showcases, the song is pretty damn catchy as well. I say that if it didn't get you from the start, that it should grow on most of you in about a few weeks TIME. I'm really hoping Sun Fire will indeed strive to bring us Eurobeat to the next extreme.
10+/10

08. Momo- Flash & Love (SCP)
Here is another song that is getting some rather uncalled slack. Again ,The only problem I really have with the tune is the shitty length it runs. Not even 4 mins. How good can your song actually be if it fails to hit a 4:00 mins mark. I realize SCP is notorious for making the right edits and comming up with better SEB edits than say; Time ever did, but damn this TIME they are really pushing their luck. Anyway, this song really gives me an old skool feel. Not only the melody, but also its intro and especially, outro. Someone should tell SCP that those exploding outros are a thing of the past. Not much thought went into that effect. It even sounds as if it was purposely made to sound longer with that explosion and that just spells laziness to me. What does do wonders for me, is the riff played on light piano beats, but overall the song does sound like if it just injects new vocals into a rehashed melody from another song. SCP can do way better in musical productions and I know I'm not alone in this thought.
7+/10

09. Michelle Rose- Hard To Say I'm Sorry (HRG Attack)
We are up to one of the best songs HRG Attack has ever produced. It's amazing how after 1000s of songs a label can still come up with a masterpiece. Just when you thought every melody, soundworld and idea had been used; along comes something 100% fresh. The iceing on the cake is that it comes from one of my favourite Eurobeat labels ever created. This is exactly the same feeling I got when I first heard TIME's Touch & Go, A Perfect Hero or The New Heartbreaker. The only difference ifs that this song is 0% agressive. At least not in the same style as the next HRG Attack song uses, but it's very very powerful in melody and overall deliverance, Where to start? How about that intro? Cowbells and galloping bass galore. I always knew HRG Attack had buisy sounding songs for a reason and here at this slowed down effect ; the listener can really hear each instrument in it's own glory. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Claudio Accantino had a bit more percentage in the song's composition, than Rimonti & Festari. If any of you rember Accantino's works at Asia label, then you hear what I mean. There are a few songs that come to mind like Running Over The Night and Joy And Sorrow, but neither of those can compete with the amazing melody found in the riff. Wow! Tremonouz talent showcased by the label. Perfect 10s across the table.
10+++++

10. Kate Project - In My Arms (Saifam)
Here is a song that I have been playing heavy, not beacuse I think it's astounding nor anything, but becuase I have been trying to force myself to accept her eurodance style of singing. The riff and meoldy are perfect Italo style taking me back to my Sophie and Rose days, but those vocals sound so out of place on a Eurobeat song. At least to me they do and it's gonna take light years for me to accept that C.O.R.O.N.A could actually do vocals for a Eurobeat song. This is mainly the reason why Mari-San sounded so unapealing to me. Poor vocal quality. Once again the song receives a point higher for melody and sweet sounding percussion and that part at the 4:30 mark hits the spot as well.
7+/10

11. Ace- Me & You (SCP)
There really are some amazing songs on this cd and as a result some other songs suffer a great lack of replay value. The Snake, Momo and this Ace song fall in that catagory. It's not a bad entry at all and I'll just go ahead and say that the bridge and chorus are the reason I could listen to this song nonstop, but everything else just sounds so light. Once again I'll use the term Eurofriendly. Not only in Soundworlds, but also his vocal delivery play it too safe to be a certified Ace classic, like Play The Music or T.V Hero(Damn I miss that old skook sound). Anyway, for me this song also fails miserably in delivering a memorable melody in the verses. i won't even mention the breakdown, because SCP seems to think they are not needed in a song. Maybe if they put more effort in the breakdowns, they could actually acheive the 5 min mark for a proper extended. Anyway, the song has "Grow on me value", but just how long before it kicks in is anyone's guess.
8/10

12. Aleky- Labyrinth Of Love (Dima music)
I'll be the first to admit that I gave Eternity about 2 spins before writing Aleky off as a one hit wonder...and that wasn't even a good song for me. Now comes this new Labyrinth Of Love. This song seems to have split up the Eurobeat community. Some say it's Expirmental Eurobeat, while others argue it would be better placed on a compilation with Gaga and Spears. I think it very much fits the Eurobeat style. The melody in the verses is really the only part I would concider radio , but the rest has a cool Italo vibe and I can't specify how much that intro and 4:15 mark sounds like something from Giorgio Moroder's School of Midnight Express would. Especially in the break, cuz it immediately begins after she says Labyrinth Of Love. I think even Donna Summer herself would recall one of her Disco classics. It's really giving the song that incredible Hi-Energy power that I love. The flute would also fall under the expiremental catagory. In fact is great to see Dima inserting Moogs and flutes onto his productions. I think A sytar or harp would also prove a winning step in a Eurobeat production. Every song has that one iceing on the cake and for me it would have to be the short drum intro before the chorus. It just gets me pumped up every TIME. After about a week of replay; I would have to agree; that Eurobeat or not, this Dima production is simply epic.
10/10

This pretty much ends the cd for me, since at this point ,I'll either replay one of my favs or just repeat the cd from track 2.
Dave's track isn't abysmal, but his vocals are so off, that I feel quite embarressed listening to the whole song through. The TRF song is just crap to the nth degree.

This cd is actually very good on many levels. There are not too many 10s , but overall nothing under a seven, except for that Hawiian FINAL DESTINATION Rollercoaster ride, which I hardly concider a Eurobeat song. Not to say a real song at all. All the rest of the songs; for lack of a better phrase, do their part, but I'm still really feeing the absence of DELTA and especially Eurogrooves. I'm hoping Sergio Dall Ora will dream up some 90s style TIME masterpiece for Dahny or Elena, but sooner than later.

Top 3 songs.
Michelle Rose- hard To Say I'm Sorry
Garcon- On The Top Again
Powerful T.- Louder & Faster

Bottom 3
Hawiiian Rollercrapster ridex3

[the_ditz]

Hey dr - you forgot to Give Labyrinth of Love a grade

[para_rigby]

08. Momo- Flash & Love (SCP)
Here is another song that is getting some rather uncalled slack. Again ,The only problem I really have with the tune is the shitty length it runs. Not even 4 mins. How good can your song actually be if it fails to hit a 4:00 mins mark. I realize SCP is notorious for making the right edits and comming up with better SEB edits than say; Time ever did, but damn this TIME they are really pushing their luck.

There have been a plenty of eurobeat radio edits hitting under 4 minutes. "Imagination" by David Off, "Snowgame Fighters" by Mickey B, and I think "My Sweet Banana" clocked in around 3:30. I just noticed that some extends are ridiculously long...take "What Is Real" by Mike Freeman: 7:10! I love the song, but the quality, for me, goes downhill when it's stretched to that length. As long as you get the good quality, I have no gripe or bitch with the length. Man, if "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" went past 4 minutes, it could have been bad...but that's just my opinion.

[jeurobeat]

I just noticed that some extends are ridiculously long...take "What Is Real" by Mike Freeman: 7:10! I love the song, but the quality, for me, goes downhill when it's stretched to that length. As long as you get the good quality, I have no gripe or bitch with the length.

If you think 7:10 is long, you probably never heard Hills Of Katmandu by Tantra which is 16:20

[drnrg]

para_rigby

take "What Is Real" by Mike Freeman: 7:10! I love the song, but the quality, for me, goes downhill when it's stretched to that length.

Not only that, but some rock and pop songs have taken TIMe limits to a new level. Stairway To Heaven, Hey Jude, Another Brick In The Wall. How many people prefer the extended as opposed to the radio edit?

hmmm...but you have to have noticed that back in that era, no song was a cut and paste job. The intros and breakdowns were at least 40% different from each other. What is Real was realized with the slower bpms for songs like Turn Off The Light, Give It Up ect... Another song that runs a long course is It's Allright, but that's due to its low bpms as well. Have you heard Victoria's- I was Born To Your Angle or Starlett- Without Your Love? Those are from the Eurobeat era and run a good lengthy course. Make them any shorter and you would be tearing away at thier very essence.

I wonder if you ever liked 80s Freestyle or 80s Hi Energy? Johnny O, Noel, Covergirls, DOA, Mike Mareen. Those extendeds ran up to 8 mins with breakdowns lasting well over a minuit and a half someTIMEs. If you really think about it; it's all about the BPMs.

para_rigby

There have been a plenty of eurobeat radio edits hitting under 4 minutes. "Imagination" by David Off, "Snowgame Fighters" by Mickey B, and I think "My Sweet Banana" clocked in around 3:30.

There were some SEB edits that I myself agree were of great value. "Shy Gun" and most of DELTA's edits were simply amazing, because somehow The edits included the intro, breakdown and many x the outro. I never understood why TIME couldn't do the same? When Pernicci was on board, the songs did somehow sound good on edit form, but even with all this said, when EXtenededs starting falling from the sky. I started deleeting the SEB edits off my p.c. just to make more room for more extendeds. So yeah, I'm one hundred percent for the extended.

the_ditz

Hey dr - you forgot to Give Labyrinth of Love a grade Razz

Thanks for the heads up. Fixed


On a different note: I was listening to "It's Like A Fire" Kaioh and, while I'm no Eurobeat producer, was thinking this song, with it's light and fluffy synths(apt, but bad metaphore for Eurobeat synths)wouldn't sound half bad had it been a duet with say; Lollita? Maybe she could have even added a little screaming here and there to provide that aggressive tension that this song seems to be missing? It might have sounded something like Back To 80s

[Jay]

On a different note: I was listening to "It's Like A Fire" Kaioh and, while I'm no Eurobeat producer, was thinking this song, with it's light and fluffy synths(apt, but bad metaphore for Eurobeat synths)wouldn't sound half bad had it been a duet with say; Lollita? Maybe she could have even added a little screaming here and there to provide that aggressive tension that this song seems to be missing? It might have sounded something like Back To 80s

That possibly would've worked well, but good luck trying to make Lolita scream in any song these days. ;)

Well, you wouldn't believe it, but the Powerful T. song has grown on me. Oh no! I'm not sure what it is, but after I listened to the album with some decent headphones, that song actually sounded decent and stood out from the rest. Having said that though, the song still sounds like utter chaos coming through my laptop, so it's quite incredible what a decent pair of headphones can do.

[drnrg]

Jay

Well, you wouldn't believe it, but the Powerful T. song has grown on me. Oh no! I'm not sure what it is, but after I listened to the album with some decent headphones, that song actually sounded decent and stood out from the rest. Having said that though, the song still sounds like utter chaos coming through my laptop, so it's quite incredible what a decent pair of headphones can do.

I'm really not surprised here. I've tried listening to Eurobeat on Laptops and it sounds aweful. My desk top has better speakers, so that's a different story. You know, it's tru what you say about certain songs heard on earphones.
I try not to review SEB untill I hear the full Earphone effect and in pitch dark ,so as to not let anything distract me. It's quite an expirience



vadim

5. Garcon - On The poT Again - rating: bad.

Generic stuff..alas poor *waiter*.

OMG! I just noticed this Pulp Fiction reference

[UFOPOLI]

Why does this bother you? It shouldn't. Half of the eurobeat produced these days are covers or rehashes of older songs; it's a defining feature of the genre.

Because it resembles such an iconic song that the comparison is unavoidable.

It's getting better, though. Namely, since last week, I've been totally obsessed with Labyrinth of Love and looped it day and night, so that it has developed more of an identity of its own. May even have danced in the street a bit... It's been a long time since a EB track has impressed me this much... probably have to go back all the way to Yes I Will...

[Bore]

Finally got around to hearing bits and pieces of this album. Slightly surprisingly I have to say that I'm loving Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride, much more enjoyable than the 'proper' eurobeat on this album at least. Not a terrible album by any means, just not sure if I have the passion to really get into it fully currently.