The Early Days of Eurobeat and the Modern Era

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Wataru Akiyama
Eurobeat Master
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The Early Days of Eurobeat and the Modern Era

Post by Wataru Akiyama » 11 Apr 2008, 18:47

Comparing the old track "Heart Breaker" by Mike Hammer and the new remix by Toby Vale, I have to say that the old song had a bit more vitality to it despite its slower pace.
There was a certain organic energy to old Eurobeat, possibly carried over from Italodisco, which endeared it to me back in the days of SEB 70-120, before it slowly began to grow more convoluted and machine-like.
I realize now that if I had listened to modern eurobeat I might have dismissed it as being the bastard child of Euro Trance and Happy Hardcore, solely from the lack of "spirit" it has. Nowadays, it seems mass-produced and engineered to keep people buying the records.

Maybe I'm just really high. Your thoughts?
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#Infinity
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Location: San Diego, California

Post by #Infinity » 11 Apr 2008, 19:44

I don't really like older eurobeat as much, mostly because the production tended to be really dry, dated, and lacking the fast energy of modern eurobeat. Saifam was really the only label whose italo songs sounded nearly just as good as their newer productions. While I can point out some major classics from this era, for the most part it kind of bores me when compared to anything made in 1993 or newer.

Anyway, to add to this thread, I'll post some of my favorite SEB 001-029 era tracks:

- Divine / Mike Hammer
- Bad Desire / F.C.F.
- Power Of Magic / Alphatown
- One, Two, Three / Max Coveri & Radiorama
- Cha Cha Cha / Mark Farina
- Boom Boom Body Talk / Johny Bomb!
- Mystery Of Our Love / Christy
- Dancing In The Fire / Dave Rodgers (The Big Brother)
- Come On (Baby) / Tension

Yeah, I don't even really like King & Queen that much (which has more database appearances than Night Of Fire).

drnrg
Eurobeat Guru
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Post by drnrg » 11 Apr 2008, 21:20

Old Eurobeat is sush a stale title. It was known as ItaloNRG back then. It might have been slower, but there were quite a bit of soundworlds backthen ,that if used nowadays cannot be appreciated to the fullest. I think I loved every song from that era as much as the next. The slower as much the fast.

Some of my gems.

Dr. Money- Let it Go(TIME)
Tension- You Got Me Going Crazy(TIME)
Alan Barry- Love Is Like A Dance(High Energy)
Mike Hammer- Heartbreaker(TIME)
Superlove- You In My Heart(ASIA)
Queen Of Times- Love Love(AbeatC)
Angelo Maria Morales- Lat's Go Back Into My Room(Radiorama)
Luck Boy- I Need Your Love(Early HRG Attack)
Toby Ash- Go Go Rock Me(TIME)
Simon Westly- Hot Stuff(?)

.....and many many more

KitsuneStar
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Re: The Early Days of Eurobeat and the Modern Era

Post by KitsuneStar » 12 Apr 2008, 06:28

Wataru Akiyama wrote:There was a certain organic energy to old Eurobeat, possibly carried over from Italodisco, which endeared it to me back in the days of SEB 70-120, before it slowly began to grow more convoluted and machine-like.
I realize now that if I had listened to modern eurobeat I might have dismissed it as being the bastard child of Euro Trance and Happy Hardcore, solely from the lack of "spirit" it has. Nowadays, it seems mass-produced and engineered to keep people buying the records.
I kind of agree with this. It seems to be getting crazier and faster for the most part, and kind of feel that it's gone quite far away from its 'Italo' roots in order to sell better to the Japanese and Otaku crowds out there.

Before, it felt like something the average person could listen to without having someone look over at you with a "WTF?" look if they heard it, but as time goes on, it definitely gets more and more out there, and continues to do so.

Even a lot of songs from the 130s and 140s, when I listen to them now, don't sound quite as nuts as a lot of the ones that came after (though to be fair, the 130s and 140s have their share of songs the average person would find to be "out there", like "Fly Into the Moonlight" (though I personally like that song), and the 170s had some fairly benign songs, like "Fly").

The longer the series goes on, the more Avex is going to pick stuff that sells, and the more labels are going to try to fit the mold of what Avex is picking.
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Wataru Akiyama
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Post by Wataru Akiyama » 13 Apr 2008, 17:42

high and listening to Max Coveri - bye bye baby is pure epic
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zoupzuop2
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Post by zoupzuop2 » 13 Apr 2008, 18:02

I dunno... to be honest, I hear a few attempts to buck that trend. As much as we all thougt Kiss Me from HRG on 185 was bland and unoriginal, it had an older-school flavor to it, even if its production values were newer. Also, can you really tell me that NONE of the newer Delta productions on Eurobeat Masters (or even SEB itself!) seem at least a LITTLE like older-school Eurobeat? In fact, a good few Delta songs lately have had some older-school... "feels" or "auras", if you will.
TBH, I think Japan would want that back. Something about Eurobeat back then seemed almost... a bit more genuine. Like they weren't TRYING for hits but they still came around. Not that the way things are now is bad (though EB could stand more popularity in its market country), but... perhaps some nostalgia is a good thing? Healthy, even...
A lot's changed in the decade and a half I've been here.
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drnrg
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Post by drnrg » 14 Apr 2008, 04:30

Wataru Akiyama
high and listening to Max Coveri - bye bye baby is pure epic
You know Nando(Mike Hammer, Mako) Bonini helped to compose that song :)

lightsol
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Re: The Early Days of Eurobeat and the Modern Era

Post by lightsol » 15 Apr 2008, 01:27

Wataru Akiyama wrote:Comparing the old track "Heart Breaker" by Mike Hammer and the new remix by Toby Vale, I have to say that the old song had a bit more vitality to it despite its slower pace.
There was a certain organic energy to old Eurobeat, possibly carried over from Italodisco, which endeared it to me back in the days of SEB 70-120, before it slowly began to grow more convoluted and machine-like.
I realize now that if I had listened to modern eurobeat I might have dismissed it as being the bastard child of Euro Trance and Happy Hardcore, solely from the lack of "spirit" it has. Nowadays, it seems mass-produced and engineered to keep people buying the records.

Maybe I'm just really high. Your thoughts?

I love the old school stuff. Love Italo Disco. And the older SEB's maybe up until around 100 seemed to retain some special older energy that now is not there. Of course now we have updated synths and such... It is growing on me. But Italo Disco has a very special sound... simple but chalk full of energy.
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