As much as Boris' One Love One Love follows almost the exact same formula as Shalaka Boom and Ringtone, it's still extremely catchy and probably my favorite track by the artist by a small margin. The swift-traveling synth is a noted highlight, but Boris still gives it his all during the verse and chorus, too. I just wish that future tracks under the alias experiment with different key signatures and slightly different chord progressions because they all sound like variations of the same song.
I might actually prefer I'm Your Sexy Machine over Showdown, even though both tracks are excellent. The former is a little more out of the norm for Hotblade, but it retains the same testosterone rush that worked so effectively before, so this ends up working to the song's advantage. For those who haven't heard the track yet, the verse is especially effective and balances out the chorus perfectly.
I've listened to Mad Desire (Platinum Version) quite a few times, but it still doesn't match the quality of Nando or DeJo's other releases from this past decade. It's solid enough to be a good time-waster, yet too mediocre to really blow me away.
I'm still not feeling the rest of this CD, however. It's almost as poor an album as SEB 222. Motor Racing Master and King of the Century are the only remaining songs I didn't just mention that I'd listen to more than once, but coming from Delta, I would have expected far more originality. Motor Racing Master, despite its strong production, sounds especially desperate for ideas where other recent Luca tracks have not.
Super Eurobeat 228
I couldn't find it on iTunes... I need the HiRes cover for my iTunes library/iPod.Shawaazu wrote:Just got a reply from the SEB twitter, it's being released on itunes on the 21st.
By the way, I finally have got free time again after some stressing weeks. I've listened a lot to the SEB and will write an own review in the next days.
01 Hotblade – I'm Your Sexy Machine (11/15)
Time for a new SEB, yes! This one starts with a typical Hotblade song, very aggressive sounds. The vocals are on a high level and it somehow remembers me of “Disconnected”. All in all the song feels strong and has power.
02 Wildside – Get Somebody To Love Him (12/15)
The second song we get is the latest 3B/Asia release. As this song has been uploaded to juno, most of you guys liked this one. I only have heard the preview but I was amazed just by listening to that. And well, the song has something the last 3B songs hadn't have. I think we all couldn't hear any new Tipsy & Tipsy song, so a new alias with a minimally changed style it is. The vocals are catchy, the melody is nice. This definitely is one of the really good female-sung 3B songs.
03 Ultraviolet – You Belong To Me (13/15)
Next one. A new Ultraviolet song, oh yes! I was really looking forward to it because her debut song “Moonlight Hero” was wonderful, her second song on 226 too. While I was still waiting for my copy of this album I read this song wouldn't be good. So I was afraid this song wouldn't satisfy my expectations. Nevertheless, I started the first listening with this song. And it didn't disappoint me. Compared to her last songs, this isn't her best one, but the song still has that “Ultraviolet style”. Or I just fell in love with her vocals. Yet again, I must say: Thank you, Dima Music! And please keep this talented singer for a long time, I'm looking forward to new songs of her!
04 Mako – Mad Desire [Platinum Mix] (4/15)
This song... SinclaireStyle produced great hits last year. I'm still loving “Pull The Trigger”, “Prayer”, “Boys Gone Wild”, … This song is somehow different. With 150 BPM, this song isn't the slowest one but for SS standards it feels drearily. It just can't hook me and I've never been a fan of Mako. And then this highly pitched wah-wah voice singing “Mad Desire”...
05 Boris – One Love One Love (13/15)
Eurobeat meets Russian. A combination which fits. Every time. Period. I do love the dark voice of Boris, then the typical Delta sound and a male choir singing “Oooh” in the background. It feels like in a movie when Russians capture an area. Well, I can't really complain, all the positive things of this song are hooking me. Good work! Even if Boris broke a keyboard during production...
06 Dee Dee Wonder – Operation Casablanca (14/15)
I didn't expect much of Dee Dee Wonder, the preview couldn't hook me much. But well, almost no song can do this to me through a preview. The song remembers me of “Together” by Ciao Ciao (214) and this is one of my favorite HRG releases. Operation Casablanca first sounds a bit boring, the intro isn't very special, but then... those vocals. The chorus amazes me the most, this song is stuck in my head and I can play over and over without it getting boring.
07 Leslie Parrish – King Of The Century (13/15)
Delta track number 2 on this compilation. My first thought was “Maybe this song's similar to “My Kind Is You” from SEB 194.” And yeah, it's a typical Leslie song, it's all about love. But again, I can't complain. Leslie hooked me once again and this one's better than her last SEB entry “Overdrive”. I really like it.
08 Paul Harris – Motor Racing Master (9/15)
Delta track number 3. I was looking forward to this one 'cause Paul Harris hits my attention every time. “Don't Forget” and “Dreamers” were awesome songs. And this one... It's okay. I'm wondering why this song has the Paul Harris alias, the vocals clearly sound like a Daniel song and the song's theme isn't fitting that much to Paul. I associate love songs with him. Okay, Delta's probably famous for their racing songs, so why not? Anyway, the song is pretty generic, I think, not bad, not good. Nothing I'd skip when played in iTunes.
09 Oceania – Learning Love (3/15)
Oh my god, a pitched Futura. Nope. Though this is so much better than those old Annalise or Norma songs, this still is boring.
10 Jeff Driller – Drill-O-Man (15/15)
Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Dapdap-dap-dap. The little brother of “Caterpillar Man” which is my alarm ringtone on Thursdays. Drrrrrrr. I like those crazy HRG songs (okay, which HRG song isn't crazy?), plus the machine sounds. I think nobody would listen to drill sounds by choice but mixed with Eurobeat it fits. The chorus is great, the melody typical but I love it. Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrill-O-Man!
11 Rich Hard – Catching The Fire (15/15)
“Oh no, again a boring Norma song... wait, what? This intro isn't a song of her? This is Rich Hard? Amazing!” Yeah, every time I hear this intro I think a Norma song is now playing. Besides of that, this song surprisingly hooked me. The last Rich Hard song was okay but he did some great songs lately. The preview couldn't catch me, my expectations weren't that great. I think every time I don't expect much I get something incredible. The chorus is so awesome, the voice a bit robotic but that doesn't bother me. Au contraire, I fell in love with this song. My personal ich Hard scheme currently is good song, not so good song, good song… But a minute more would be great. D:
12 Pamsy – Give A New Go (12/15)
Again, I wasn't expecting much. I liked her comeback song but I thought: “That doesn't mean you like each upcoming Pamsy song.” And what happened? I like it. Pamsy's vocals perfectly fit in the current SCP style, the refrain is great and the melody isn't forgettable.
13 David Dima – Liar (8/15)
Oh David... All your latest songs were just generic. Again, I could simply replace this song by another song of you which you've produced in the last two years. It's not good, not bad, just generic. Do you know what I'm wishing? A song which is like “Tsundere Night”. That was a powerful song, remarkable even. I hope Dima will make a song like that someday again. He's got much potential.
14 Leo River – Ready To Love (6/15)
I can't say many things about this song. It can't hook me, but that's my problem with most of the latest GGM releases. It's okay, nothing more.
15 Megan – The Winner Is Me (7/15)
I expected way too much of SinclaireStyle this year. It's not as bad as Mako's song, the chorus is nice. But the only part I really like is the bridge. And when the chorus isn't catchy it's pretty hard to like a song because that part is the most repeated one. “I feel good, I feel fine.” Not after this song... Sorry, Sinclaire, I hope your next songs are better...
It's a hard job to top the last SEB, 227 was one of the best Eurobeat albums ever. But 228 had pretty strong songs too. In the end, I'd say 228 almost reached the level of 227. And if not, at least it's extremely close. Great SEB!
Time for a new SEB, yes! This one starts with a typical Hotblade song, very aggressive sounds. The vocals are on a high level and it somehow remembers me of “Disconnected”. All in all the song feels strong and has power.
02 Wildside – Get Somebody To Love Him (12/15)
The second song we get is the latest 3B/Asia release. As this song has been uploaded to juno, most of you guys liked this one. I only have heard the preview but I was amazed just by listening to that. And well, the song has something the last 3B songs hadn't have. I think we all couldn't hear any new Tipsy & Tipsy song, so a new alias with a minimally changed style it is. The vocals are catchy, the melody is nice. This definitely is one of the really good female-sung 3B songs.
03 Ultraviolet – You Belong To Me (13/15)
Next one. A new Ultraviolet song, oh yes! I was really looking forward to it because her debut song “Moonlight Hero” was wonderful, her second song on 226 too. While I was still waiting for my copy of this album I read this song wouldn't be good. So I was afraid this song wouldn't satisfy my expectations. Nevertheless, I started the first listening with this song. And it didn't disappoint me. Compared to her last songs, this isn't her best one, but the song still has that “Ultraviolet style”. Or I just fell in love with her vocals. Yet again, I must say: Thank you, Dima Music! And please keep this talented singer for a long time, I'm looking forward to new songs of her!
04 Mako – Mad Desire [Platinum Mix] (4/15)
This song... SinclaireStyle produced great hits last year. I'm still loving “Pull The Trigger”, “Prayer”, “Boys Gone Wild”, … This song is somehow different. With 150 BPM, this song isn't the slowest one but for SS standards it feels drearily. It just can't hook me and I've never been a fan of Mako. And then this highly pitched wah-wah voice singing “Mad Desire”...
05 Boris – One Love One Love (13/15)
Eurobeat meets Russian. A combination which fits. Every time. Period. I do love the dark voice of Boris, then the typical Delta sound and a male choir singing “Oooh” in the background. It feels like in a movie when Russians capture an area. Well, I can't really complain, all the positive things of this song are hooking me. Good work! Even if Boris broke a keyboard during production...
06 Dee Dee Wonder – Operation Casablanca (14/15)
I didn't expect much of Dee Dee Wonder, the preview couldn't hook me much. But well, almost no song can do this to me through a preview. The song remembers me of “Together” by Ciao Ciao (214) and this is one of my favorite HRG releases. Operation Casablanca first sounds a bit boring, the intro isn't very special, but then... those vocals. The chorus amazes me the most, this song is stuck in my head and I can play over and over without it getting boring.
07 Leslie Parrish – King Of The Century (13/15)
Delta track number 2 on this compilation. My first thought was “Maybe this song's similar to “My Kind Is You” from SEB 194.” And yeah, it's a typical Leslie song, it's all about love. But again, I can't complain. Leslie hooked me once again and this one's better than her last SEB entry “Overdrive”. I really like it.
08 Paul Harris – Motor Racing Master (9/15)
Delta track number 3. I was looking forward to this one 'cause Paul Harris hits my attention every time. “Don't Forget” and “Dreamers” were awesome songs. And this one... It's okay. I'm wondering why this song has the Paul Harris alias, the vocals clearly sound like a Daniel song and the song's theme isn't fitting that much to Paul. I associate love songs with him. Okay, Delta's probably famous for their racing songs, so why not? Anyway, the song is pretty generic, I think, not bad, not good. Nothing I'd skip when played in iTunes.
09 Oceania – Learning Love (3/15)
Oh my god, a pitched Futura. Nope. Though this is so much better than those old Annalise or Norma songs, this still is boring.
10 Jeff Driller – Drill-O-Man (15/15)
Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Dapdap-dap-dap. The little brother of “Caterpillar Man” which is my alarm ringtone on Thursdays. Drrrrrrr. I like those crazy HRG songs (okay, which HRG song isn't crazy?), plus the machine sounds. I think nobody would listen to drill sounds by choice but mixed with Eurobeat it fits. The chorus is great, the melody typical but I love it. Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrill-O-Man!
11 Rich Hard – Catching The Fire (15/15)
“Oh no, again a boring Norma song... wait, what? This intro isn't a song of her? This is Rich Hard? Amazing!” Yeah, every time I hear this intro I think a Norma song is now playing. Besides of that, this song surprisingly hooked me. The last Rich Hard song was okay but he did some great songs lately. The preview couldn't catch me, my expectations weren't that great. I think every time I don't expect much I get something incredible. The chorus is so awesome, the voice a bit robotic but that doesn't bother me. Au contraire, I fell in love with this song. My personal ich Hard scheme currently is good song, not so good song, good song… But a minute more would be great. D:
12 Pamsy – Give A New Go (12/15)
Again, I wasn't expecting much. I liked her comeback song but I thought: “That doesn't mean you like each upcoming Pamsy song.” And what happened? I like it. Pamsy's vocals perfectly fit in the current SCP style, the refrain is great and the melody isn't forgettable.
13 David Dima – Liar (8/15)
Oh David... All your latest songs were just generic. Again, I could simply replace this song by another song of you which you've produced in the last two years. It's not good, not bad, just generic. Do you know what I'm wishing? A song which is like “Tsundere Night”. That was a powerful song, remarkable even. I hope Dima will make a song like that someday again. He's got much potential.
14 Leo River – Ready To Love (6/15)
I can't say many things about this song. It can't hook me, but that's my problem with most of the latest GGM releases. It's okay, nothing more.
15 Megan – The Winner Is Me (7/15)
I expected way too much of SinclaireStyle this year. It's not as bad as Mako's song, the chorus is nice. But the only part I really like is the bridge. And when the chorus isn't catchy it's pretty hard to like a song because that part is the most repeated one. “I feel good, I feel fine.” Not after this song... Sorry, Sinclaire, I hope your next songs are better...
It's a hard job to top the last SEB, 227 was one of the best Eurobeat albums ever. But 228 had pretty strong songs too. In the end, I'd say 228 almost reached the level of 227. And if not, at least it's extremely close. Great SEB!
With 229 just around the corner, I figured it's time to throw my way overdue 228 review out there.
1. I'm Your Sexy Machine / Hotblade
This track's production gives me a huge pre-210 GGM chills, and I am getting a fever because of that. On the surface, this track is energetic, and sure looks like a potential fan favourite. Musically, this is easily the weakest of all Hotblade melodies, as it has none of the 'edge' that make his tracks stand out in an instant - when it was revealed that Manuel had a part to play in the song, it was truly an a-ha moment (Dude makes great songs, but his style just doesn't resonate well with the more powerful Hotblade). As a result, the only part of the song I was very impressed with is Hotblade's vocal abilities, but he was never weak in that department in the first place. I was initially very dismayed with the sample, but repeated listens so far has seen the growing on me, albeit very slowly. Doesn't help either that the far superior 'Showdown' was released just one album ago. I think I'll stick with that one instead.
2/5
2. Get Somebody To Love Him / Wildside
Considering Saifam's track record and the unimpressive title. I was very tempted to give this track a miss. I did not, thankfully. The production side is standard Saifam but musically, this track has one of the most memorable melody ever since their hey-day of the 160s. The track's high in energy, very catchy and has a great beat. The vocals are a little weak, but ironically my favourite part of the track also happens to be the softest - during the "Will you set me freeeee, set me free" end of the bridge. Then again, I can't remember a time when the label has ace female vocals anyways. I also love the small doses of ingenious instrumentals being throw into the mix - my favourite is the mini guitar solo followed by a small piano section during the break at 3:40. It's the spice that makes the main dish taste even better. Bottomline, this would be a bullseye with better vocals, but other than that, this easily deserves an excellent rating.
4.5/5
3. You Belong To Me / Ultraviolet
When I see an 'Ultraviolet' track, I usually think 'Sweet voice, everything else is sub-par'. Not this time round though. The music is a huge improvement over all her other stale sounding tracks, it's got a higher groove and it's just a very catchy track overall. The missus here though, has reached new heights on this track too with a much more pleasant sounding vocalwork. I believe what made me like this track even more was a China "So you think you can dance" video where a contestant and well known HK Para-ist Aaron Kwok were dancing to this track and the other judges and audience just couldn't help but be carried along with them and my thought was "Wow, what an amazing sight!". I think that as far as Ultraviolet's tracks go, it certainly cannot get any more A-class than this.
5/5
4. Mad Desire (Platinum Version) / Mako
If this is the 'Platinum Version", then it's bad for the heart just to imagine how ridiculous the original version would have sounded on such a new SEB. I am not against seeing old tracks on new SEB but might I suggest keeping the limit to a five year span? Anything outside just sounds wayyyy out of place. With that said, it has a nice opening, the melody is pretty good and has a nice groove to it with retro Bonini themes splashed all over. The track isn't inherently bad, but I would highly prefer to listen to the more recent tracks over this.
2.5/5
5. One Love One Love / Boris
The european theme of Boris tracks just keeps on getting more and more interesting with every song. I didn't quite have the feel for his previous two tracks as they sound a little too generic. This track sounds a lot more diverse and dynamic, and the little things such as the violins, pianos and a small drum section somewhere in the middle counts for a lot of brownies. The melody is all over the place, but is highly engaging and energetic and lastly, an incredible chorus that is far too catchy not to get pulled along with it. I still don't think that Boris's voice necessarily fits eurobeat per say, but that's just an individual preference. Objectively speaking, this is my favourite Boris track so far and definitely deserves no less than a perfect score.
5/5
6. Operation Casablanca / Dee Dee Wonder
So ... where's Laura Vox when she's most needed?
3.5/5
7. King Of The Century / Leslie Parrish
Any Leslie Parrish track with the word 'King' in it is a bonafide hit. The best way I can describe this track is that it's the complete opposite of the mediocre 'Overjoy'. In 'Overjoy', I stated that it lacks the Leslie Parrish 'charm' to it and borderlines annoying because of it sounding like a kid's song. This track IS the definitive Leslie Parrish track of the 220's. The pleasant sound is here as usual, but it also takes care to not neglect the energetic yet 'epic' aspect that should be in EVERY Leslie Parrish track, period. As a result, the synth riff is definitely my favourite portion of the track. As for the vocals, well, it's Clara, enough said. It was quite a long wait from 'Skyline', but as it is, this song's great!
5/5
8. Motor Racing Master / Paul Harris
Delta has really hit a home run on this album, and really, I won't stand for anything less with such a title and credentials behind it. "Dreamers" and "Don't Forget" were two variations of sheer boredom under different cloaks. 'MRM" is a Delta Hi-Energy track in it's truest glory and sets itself apart from it's previous tracks for the fact that it's neither euro-hotel-lounge-music nor does it kill itself off via being anti-climatic by flatlining amidst powerful elements. The intro and riff are good as they are, but the best part of the track is by far the verse, it's a superb transition from the riff, has a good vocal melody, and the piano backdrop was a real treat. On top of that, Delta even did one of their finest job ever with the break this time - it's essentially the verse without vocals but using my favourite part of the song as a 'break', it works super effectively. Altogether, THIS is the
Paul Harris track I've been waiting for since 'Dreamlover'. Nice job!
5/5
9. Learning Love / Oceania
SEB's most polarizing alias in a while makes a comeback. A soothing piano intro starts the track off, and then explodes into the main synth riff in an instant - a true 'WTF' moment as I liked the piano intro. Still, I found myself liking this track quite a bit. The vocals of Oceania still creates friction in me - sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. However, the meat of this track is that it has a great beat, and that cute upbeat melody brings a smile to my face. The verse is one of my favourite part of the track, but the break is where I fall head over heels in love with this track, it's gimmicky for sure but somehow hits the right notes for me. Again, like 'Dance Dance Let It Go', it's sure to polarize the listeners but I personally fall into the 'sort of like this song' crowd.
3/5
10. Drill-O-Man / Jeff Driller
This is classic wacky Hi-NRG at it's finest, and while I certainly have no problems with that (it's just Hi-NRG being themselves), I also dislike this style of music the most. The opening to this track is all it took to give me a feeling of irritation. The synth riff is fine, but everything after that just goes downhill. Despite that, I've got to at least give them credit for being very imaginative with their production. The Hi-NRG fans will certainly rejoice but I'd skip this.
1.5/5
11. Catching The Fire / Rich Hard
This track probably took me more listens than all other male Sun Fire tracks before I warmed up to it. From my point of view, the song is weakest at its verses and break. The intro is good, but doesn't sound as innovative as most of the other male tracks. The verse is the slowest part for me to get into, and still isn't great, it doesnt have the sheer catchiness of a track like 'Money Money Money' per say, and the worst part of all, Rich even sounds like he's about to cry on the second verse, it doesn't affect me anymore after a couple of listens but I do have to wonder what's really going on behind the scenes. The break though, is where hell breaks loose, it basically has the same issue as the 224 Norma track in that it repeats those one word syllables ahns-ahns-gets=gets etc - Well thanks Sun Fire, that certainly isn't distracting at all! *rollseyes*. The chorus and synth riff on the other hand are excellent, easily my favourite parts of the entire track. Overall, it isn't the easiest song to pick up and enjoy especially with some small stumbles, and depending on individual, will actually require a lot more listens than an average track for it to sink in. For those who do, you might just end up with a pot of gold.
4/5
12. Give A New Go / Pamsy
'Crazy & Free' was good, but could be easily performed by just about any other SCP female. This track on the other hand, is THE PAMSY SONG that most veteran eurobeaters would instantly identify with. The melody is a massive throwback to the earlier Pamsy tracks with it's trancey and fervent soundscapes. The star of all these has got to be Pamsy herself, the way in which she handles every single vocal parts of the song, especially the epic chorus, were excellent and truly reminds me of why she was the reigning queen of SCP a few years ago. My only wish for SCP though is to pay attention to the small stuff like the intros and breaks, though they haven't actually did it a lot over the years, I know they have the capacity for it - euroextended 'Disconnected' is a shining example of the song that had everything done right. Other than that, this is a 5 star track.
5/5
13. Liar / David Dima
'Liar' is a standard Dima track. Like any other Dima track out there, it's as generic as it can get, but nearly impossible to fail the label altogether. The opening is pretty impressiveThe synth riff is just another alter ego of a 'Dima riff', but serviceable as it has a certain 'charm' to it. Vocals by Dima are great as usual, and I probably liked the 'LIAR!!' parts more than anyone else, which also transitions into an awesome chorus. There's also a mini guitar solo which is crazy good, but a little too short. Overall, it's a generic good Dima track.
4/5
14. Ready To Love / Leo River
This is the 'I'm Your Sexy Machine' equivalent of Leo River. It's the 'sissiest' of all his tracks but thankfully, it's neither a flop nor a bullseye. On paper, there's nothing spectacular about this track, it mostly plods along on medium level energy, has a lounge music feel to it, the synth riff is serviceable at best and I certainly believe there are better 'sounds' to employ. What I found most likeable about this track are some fairly nice ideas, like how about the beaty backdrop during the verse? It's a nice little tidbit on an already dangerously mid level track. With that said, the breakdown is of course an equally awesome portion of the track that I look forward to in this track the most. The chorus was also very well thought out, and Leo delivers a fine job on the vocals. In all, I'd still go with 'Far From The Light' as the better track but this track certainly has it's own merits as well.
3.5/5
13. The Winner Is Me / Megan
Not really a winner. I basically share the same sentiments as KiraTM in that the bridge was the only part I like about this track. This is basically the type of track that sounds like it was made during the Sinclaire drought period of 2010, where every song he made - which can be counted on one hand - sounds completely insipid. Thank goodness it's a Grana track though, because I love her vocals, but that's as far as it gets. Every alias has it's duds once in a while, but considering how excellent Sinclaire has been so far during this SEB decade, this is an all time low and is easily the worst track so far.
1/5
Top 3:
King Of The Century / Leslie Parrish
Motor Racing Master / Paul Harris
One Love One Love / Boris
Bottom 3:
The Winner Is Me / Megan
Drill-O-Man / Jeff Driller
I'm Your Sexy Machine / Hotblade
Honorables:
Give A New Go / Pamsy
Catching The Fire / Rich Hard*
*Despite having a clear top four (if you include my HM), the track I actually listened to the most was 'Catching The Fire', but I can't exactly include it up there as it has some pretty obvious flaws compared to the top tracks on this album so I just decided to slot into the HM section.
1. I'm Your Sexy Machine / Hotblade
This track's production gives me a huge pre-210 GGM chills, and I am getting a fever because of that. On the surface, this track is energetic, and sure looks like a potential fan favourite. Musically, this is easily the weakest of all Hotblade melodies, as it has none of the 'edge' that make his tracks stand out in an instant - when it was revealed that Manuel had a part to play in the song, it was truly an a-ha moment (Dude makes great songs, but his style just doesn't resonate well with the more powerful Hotblade). As a result, the only part of the song I was very impressed with is Hotblade's vocal abilities, but he was never weak in that department in the first place. I was initially very dismayed with the sample, but repeated listens so far has seen the growing on me, albeit very slowly. Doesn't help either that the far superior 'Showdown' was released just one album ago. I think I'll stick with that one instead.
2/5
2. Get Somebody To Love Him / Wildside
Considering Saifam's track record and the unimpressive title. I was very tempted to give this track a miss. I did not, thankfully. The production side is standard Saifam but musically, this track has one of the most memorable melody ever since their hey-day of the 160s. The track's high in energy, very catchy and has a great beat. The vocals are a little weak, but ironically my favourite part of the track also happens to be the softest - during the "Will you set me freeeee, set me free" end of the bridge. Then again, I can't remember a time when the label has ace female vocals anyways. I also love the small doses of ingenious instrumentals being throw into the mix - my favourite is the mini guitar solo followed by a small piano section during the break at 3:40. It's the spice that makes the main dish taste even better. Bottomline, this would be a bullseye with better vocals, but other than that, this easily deserves an excellent rating.
4.5/5
3. You Belong To Me / Ultraviolet
When I see an 'Ultraviolet' track, I usually think 'Sweet voice, everything else is sub-par'. Not this time round though. The music is a huge improvement over all her other stale sounding tracks, it's got a higher groove and it's just a very catchy track overall. The missus here though, has reached new heights on this track too with a much more pleasant sounding vocalwork. I believe what made me like this track even more was a China "So you think you can dance" video where a contestant and well known HK Para-ist Aaron Kwok were dancing to this track and the other judges and audience just couldn't help but be carried along with them and my thought was "Wow, what an amazing sight!". I think that as far as Ultraviolet's tracks go, it certainly cannot get any more A-class than this.
5/5
4. Mad Desire (Platinum Version) / Mako
If this is the 'Platinum Version", then it's bad for the heart just to imagine how ridiculous the original version would have sounded on such a new SEB. I am not against seeing old tracks on new SEB but might I suggest keeping the limit to a five year span? Anything outside just sounds wayyyy out of place. With that said, it has a nice opening, the melody is pretty good and has a nice groove to it with retro Bonini themes splashed all over. The track isn't inherently bad, but I would highly prefer to listen to the more recent tracks over this.
2.5/5
5. One Love One Love / Boris
The european theme of Boris tracks just keeps on getting more and more interesting with every song. I didn't quite have the feel for his previous two tracks as they sound a little too generic. This track sounds a lot more diverse and dynamic, and the little things such as the violins, pianos and a small drum section somewhere in the middle counts for a lot of brownies. The melody is all over the place, but is highly engaging and energetic and lastly, an incredible chorus that is far too catchy not to get pulled along with it. I still don't think that Boris's voice necessarily fits eurobeat per say, but that's just an individual preference. Objectively speaking, this is my favourite Boris track so far and definitely deserves no less than a perfect score.
5/5
6. Operation Casablanca / Dee Dee Wonder
So ... where's Laura Vox when she's most needed?
3.5/5
7. King Of The Century / Leslie Parrish
Any Leslie Parrish track with the word 'King' in it is a bonafide hit. The best way I can describe this track is that it's the complete opposite of the mediocre 'Overjoy'. In 'Overjoy', I stated that it lacks the Leslie Parrish 'charm' to it and borderlines annoying because of it sounding like a kid's song. This track IS the definitive Leslie Parrish track of the 220's. The pleasant sound is here as usual, but it also takes care to not neglect the energetic yet 'epic' aspect that should be in EVERY Leslie Parrish track, period. As a result, the synth riff is definitely my favourite portion of the track. As for the vocals, well, it's Clara, enough said. It was quite a long wait from 'Skyline', but as it is, this song's great!
5/5
8. Motor Racing Master / Paul Harris
Delta has really hit a home run on this album, and really, I won't stand for anything less with such a title and credentials behind it. "Dreamers" and "Don't Forget" were two variations of sheer boredom under different cloaks. 'MRM" is a Delta Hi-Energy track in it's truest glory and sets itself apart from it's previous tracks for the fact that it's neither euro-hotel-lounge-music nor does it kill itself off via being anti-climatic by flatlining amidst powerful elements. The intro and riff are good as they are, but the best part of the track is by far the verse, it's a superb transition from the riff, has a good vocal melody, and the piano backdrop was a real treat. On top of that, Delta even did one of their finest job ever with the break this time - it's essentially the verse without vocals but using my favourite part of the song as a 'break', it works super effectively. Altogether, THIS is the
Paul Harris track I've been waiting for since 'Dreamlover'. Nice job!
5/5
9. Learning Love / Oceania
SEB's most polarizing alias in a while makes a comeback. A soothing piano intro starts the track off, and then explodes into the main synth riff in an instant - a true 'WTF' moment as I liked the piano intro. Still, I found myself liking this track quite a bit. The vocals of Oceania still creates friction in me - sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. However, the meat of this track is that it has a great beat, and that cute upbeat melody brings a smile to my face. The verse is one of my favourite part of the track, but the break is where I fall head over heels in love with this track, it's gimmicky for sure but somehow hits the right notes for me. Again, like 'Dance Dance Let It Go', it's sure to polarize the listeners but I personally fall into the 'sort of like this song' crowd.
3/5
10. Drill-O-Man / Jeff Driller
This is classic wacky Hi-NRG at it's finest, and while I certainly have no problems with that (it's just Hi-NRG being themselves), I also dislike this style of music the most. The opening to this track is all it took to give me a feeling of irritation. The synth riff is fine, but everything after that just goes downhill. Despite that, I've got to at least give them credit for being very imaginative with their production. The Hi-NRG fans will certainly rejoice but I'd skip this.
1.5/5
11. Catching The Fire / Rich Hard
This track probably took me more listens than all other male Sun Fire tracks before I warmed up to it. From my point of view, the song is weakest at its verses and break. The intro is good, but doesn't sound as innovative as most of the other male tracks. The verse is the slowest part for me to get into, and still isn't great, it doesnt have the sheer catchiness of a track like 'Money Money Money' per say, and the worst part of all, Rich even sounds like he's about to cry on the second verse, it doesn't affect me anymore after a couple of listens but I do have to wonder what's really going on behind the scenes. The break though, is where hell breaks loose, it basically has the same issue as the 224 Norma track in that it repeats those one word syllables ahns-ahns-gets=gets etc - Well thanks Sun Fire, that certainly isn't distracting at all! *rollseyes*. The chorus and synth riff on the other hand are excellent, easily my favourite parts of the entire track. Overall, it isn't the easiest song to pick up and enjoy especially with some small stumbles, and depending on individual, will actually require a lot more listens than an average track for it to sink in. For those who do, you might just end up with a pot of gold.
4/5
12. Give A New Go / Pamsy
'Crazy & Free' was good, but could be easily performed by just about any other SCP female. This track on the other hand, is THE PAMSY SONG that most veteran eurobeaters would instantly identify with. The melody is a massive throwback to the earlier Pamsy tracks with it's trancey and fervent soundscapes. The star of all these has got to be Pamsy herself, the way in which she handles every single vocal parts of the song, especially the epic chorus, were excellent and truly reminds me of why she was the reigning queen of SCP a few years ago. My only wish for SCP though is to pay attention to the small stuff like the intros and breaks, though they haven't actually did it a lot over the years, I know they have the capacity for it - euroextended 'Disconnected' is a shining example of the song that had everything done right. Other than that, this is a 5 star track.
5/5
13. Liar / David Dima
'Liar' is a standard Dima track. Like any other Dima track out there, it's as generic as it can get, but nearly impossible to fail the label altogether. The opening is pretty impressiveThe synth riff is just another alter ego of a 'Dima riff', but serviceable as it has a certain 'charm' to it. Vocals by Dima are great as usual, and I probably liked the 'LIAR!!' parts more than anyone else, which also transitions into an awesome chorus. There's also a mini guitar solo which is crazy good, but a little too short. Overall, it's a generic good Dima track.
4/5
14. Ready To Love / Leo River
This is the 'I'm Your Sexy Machine' equivalent of Leo River. It's the 'sissiest' of all his tracks but thankfully, it's neither a flop nor a bullseye. On paper, there's nothing spectacular about this track, it mostly plods along on medium level energy, has a lounge music feel to it, the synth riff is serviceable at best and I certainly believe there are better 'sounds' to employ. What I found most likeable about this track are some fairly nice ideas, like how about the beaty backdrop during the verse? It's a nice little tidbit on an already dangerously mid level track. With that said, the breakdown is of course an equally awesome portion of the track that I look forward to in this track the most. The chorus was also very well thought out, and Leo delivers a fine job on the vocals. In all, I'd still go with 'Far From The Light' as the better track but this track certainly has it's own merits as well.
3.5/5
13. The Winner Is Me / Megan
Not really a winner. I basically share the same sentiments as KiraTM in that the bridge was the only part I like about this track. This is basically the type of track that sounds like it was made during the Sinclaire drought period of 2010, where every song he made - which can be counted on one hand - sounds completely insipid. Thank goodness it's a Grana track though, because I love her vocals, but that's as far as it gets. Every alias has it's duds once in a while, but considering how excellent Sinclaire has been so far during this SEB decade, this is an all time low and is easily the worst track so far.
1/5
Top 3:
King Of The Century / Leslie Parrish
Motor Racing Master / Paul Harris
One Love One Love / Boris
Bottom 3:
The Winner Is Me / Megan
Drill-O-Man / Jeff Driller
I'm Your Sexy Machine / Hotblade
Honorables:
Give A New Go / Pamsy
Catching The Fire / Rich Hard*
*Despite having a clear top four (if you include my HM), the track I actually listened to the most was 'Catching The Fire', but I can't exactly include it up there as it has some pretty obvious flaws compared to the top tracks on this album so I just decided to slot into the HM section.
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SuperEuroJimmy
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SuperEuroJimmy
- Mudkip Fan
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Wataru Akiyama
- Eurobeat Master
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- Joined: 19 Nov 2005, 04:33
- Location: New York, United States Of America
Gave this release a quick listen. Honestly didn't finish most of the tracks because I lost interest in them. Only songs I thought were good were:
Get Somebody To Love Him
You Belong To Me
One Love One Love
Drill-O-Man
Catching The Fire
The Winner Is Me
And out of those, I would only give The Winner Is Me a 4 out of 5. The rest were 3.5
Get Somebody To Love Him
You Belong To Me
One Love One Love
Drill-O-Man
Catching The Fire
The Winner Is Me
And out of those, I would only give The Winner Is Me a 4 out of 5. The rest were 3.5
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