Super Eurobeat 206

[vinyl12]

So far, it really looks like I'm going to be the only person aside from Javy (if even him) who likes the SinclaireStlye song. I wouldn't be surprised if most people compared it to Leonardi's material from the 150's, to be honest (though I actually enjoyed quite a few of those songs). I guess I just happen to love the synth hook + production of I'll Remember Why I Love You, and I happen to really like the tone of Nathalie's vocals.

I like the song too

I'll remember why I love you reminds me of Love as a weapon, so I love it.

[drnrg]

Jay

Sun Fire? I don't know enough about them, but I very much doubt it. HRG? No; I think they call their own music "wacky" and "crazy." And, yes, there is a difference. Calling a song "chaotic" is hardly complimentary.

yes I meant HRG Attack. Must've have been a personal conversation I had with Riminoti years ago when songs like Spiderboy and Black Vampire were out. That's how I aquired those two promo cds they released years ago.

Jay

Interesting. Weren't you saying in the other thread that aggressive eurobeat is dying and not going anywhere?

I did say that I noticed less & less Aggressive Eurobeat on the current SEBs, but I never said it wasn't going anywhere. besides I'm totally against that happening. I am still a bit concerned and That's the very reason I'm 100% hyped when A super aggressive song like Louder & Faster that I can identify with shows up.

jay

Anyway, I seriously hope this is not the direction that aggressive eurobeat is headed in. I'm not happy with the current state of aggressive eurobeat by any means, but personally, I don't think sheer chaos like 'Louder & Faster' is the way to go. What kind of new listeners will that draw in to the genre? Not many; it'll probably scare them all away. That would be going against Avex's new philosophy of bringing eurobeat back to its roots to try and draw in new listeners, which I think is the right move. You'd probably beg to differ but I can't see how songs like 'Louder & Faster' are healthy for the future of eurobeat.

Oh comon now, If anything is gonna scare away listeners; it's gonna be songs that stray too far from traditional Eurobeat sound and I seriously doubt that any Dave Rodgers production hardly falls under "Scare listeners away" catagory.

Anyway, I believe that as long as Eurobeat progresses either to the Exrteme, Eurdance or pop style; that we are always gonna have that group of devoted listeners.

[Vadim]

I'll remember why I love you reminds me of Love as a weapon, so I love it.

LAAW is an absolute classic with a killer chorus.
Sinclaire wrote some very powerfull tunes in his hay day.

Notably, present SCS offering has had a potential, but came short with somewhat underpowered chorus. Verses and vocals are
amazing though..!..(I think Bratt needs to work on getting it together
with Choruses - such tunes need stronger hooks on a chorus!)

[liptos]

Mmm, I'm liking Freedom Ride, It's Like a Fire, and Me and You, but I'm biased towards faster aggressive songs.

And I love the racing songs by Dave. Race is the Game was one of my favs of his. Looking forward to Race of the Night!

[Brisk]

Haha. Louder & Faster is just one big joke. Never heard something this stupid and chaotic since the Space Boy remake abortion. Other than that, this seems to be the first album in awhile where every HRG song was tolerable instead of a straight-a-way for the skip button. SCP was the highlight of the album yet again, especially with Me & You. I can definitely here the pop influences just like in I Won't Fall Apart. Labyrinth of Love is pretty good but not as good as Eternity. Thank you original bias.

Top 3:
1. Ace - Me & You
2. Momo - Flash & Love
3. Kate Project - In My Arms

Bottom 3:
1. Powerful T. - Louder & Faster
2. Music for the People [Rock Mix] - Dave Rodgers
3. Boy Meets Girl [GoGo Mix] - TRF

[the_ditz]

As ever, I won't be reviewing the remixes as I don't even purchase them on iTunes, so here's my full critique of the 12 new tracks:

01 AAA / HAWAIIAN ROLLER COASTER RIDE
Hey AAA! Kiki & Fancy want their backing track back!! Seriously, this is like a little hit of sweet summery sunshine. There's not a lot of depth to the song at all, but with a title like that I'm sure that no-one really expected that. The hook is probably the best part of the whole song to be honest, which probably reveals how I feel about AAA's vocals (when the guy chants that section in Hawaiian, I honestly thought he was single-handedly trying to take the rip out of every person of Hawaiian descent - it just sounds a bit ridiculous!) I find it hard to really comment a lot on this song since it's quite repetitive, but thankfully the super-short cut stops it from sounding too old. In the absence of the more established "kiddy" Eurobeat names, this song acts as a welcome break from the more serious tracks (and the endless debates about the state of the Eurobeat scene as whole!) and for that, you really can't hate this song too much. Still, be sure to brush your teeth thoroughly after each listen, or they could be rotting and falling out quicker than you can say "Tuttifrutti Lollipop!"
Score: 8/10

02 THE SNAKE / FREEDOM RIDE
Speaking of teeth - what is with the lyric "I got a taste under my teeth"? Excuse me?? Bizarre lyrics aside, this sample was the SCP entry that had me most excited for the full version, and I'm happy to hear that for the most part I am contented with the finished product. We have the trademark testosterone fuelled guitars all the way through, but I like the added synth dimension in the background of the hook that gives the melody a little more substance. The intro is pretty much what has me hooked to this one, as I love the arpeggios on the guitar and the simple chord structure. If anything, the vocal sections of the song seem to find it hard to keep up with the quality of the production - I've heard more passion and conviction in songs like Queen of Mean and The Snake Around. They sound a little tired here, like they were the second choice to perform this track (I'm sure someone has already mentioned how much this sounds like a Fastway track, and I definitely feel that his boundless energy would have worked wonders here). All the same, this is still a very listenable track with a good balance - not too many guitars trying to over-power the vocals like certain A-Beat C productions to surface of late. Love those guitar solos!
Score: 8.75/10

03 KAIOH / IT'S LIKE A FIRE
This one left a lot to be desired from the poor sample, and to be honest I was more than a little worried when I heard the intro of this full version. The really obnoctious "FAAAAIIIIYYYYYYAAAAARRRRR!!" drones do nothing for the song at all, and I almost stopped it to save my ears. I'm glad I pushed through this rocky section however, as the hook is an absolute peach - a nice degree of controlled aggression with a trademark bouncing melodic flow; this is good work from Sandro and I hope to hear more hooks like this in the future. Kaioh's vocals are developing, but I'm really undecided as to whether they are going in the best direction or not - he seems to have a tendency to sound a little sharp during the verses especially, and he lacks the raspy bass tone that older more established male vocalists have that help to set the tone for this kind of song. Having said all that though, he does a sterling job of putting everything into that final "FIIIIIIIIRRRRRRREEEEEE!!!!" of every chorus, which sets us up nicely again for that awesome hook line. The production towards the end of this song is really excellent - I love the sparse synth lines accompanied by just the anguished screams of Kaioh, and the final hurrah with the segmented chorus lines interspersed with the hook really helps to bring the whole song together. A very nice surprise and hopefully the start of good things for Kaioh.
Score: 8.5/10

04 LOUISE / SCREAMING OUT THE POWER
This one has been torn a little, as there was something in the sample that really appealed to me which I am now failing to hear in the full version. In an attempt to find this "thing" again, I'll list the sections of this song I really dig, The bass and beat seems to have a bit more "beef" than a lot of other speedy female HRG tracks (which suffer from a sense of bad treble-heavy mastering for me). Also, I enjoy the little synchopated synth lines running behind the verse that give the song a bit of verve and punch. Oh wow...hang on...that breakdown!!! How awesome is that breakdown around the 03:17 mark?? The way the saw-style synth dances around the toy-piano is just soooo cute - I could easily listen to that section over and over again. But hang on - that section wasn't in the sample that avex released! Man, this is difficult, as I do feel that there is something slightly more special about this track than all the bog-standard run of the mill HRG female tracks that have had the audacity to invade the SEB series of the years with their blandness. Sadly, I just can't put my finger on it. In terms of negatives, the major one is probably the tone of the vocals - they have very little power to them and sound like they are on helium. Now that, my friends, is classic Hi-NRG Attack right there!
Score: 8/10

05 GARCON / ON THE TOP AGAIN
Is Garcon growing up? The melancholic string melody through the intro suggest that he may be. Gone are the ridiculous grunts and frantic speeds of Super Kaiser (which I loved actually), and instead we have a far more melodic and musical Garcon. My iPod has a habit of choosing this track either first or second any time I put it in shuffle mode, so it's normally one of the first tracks that plays on the way to work in the morning. Whether that helps gain it some brownie points in my affections I'm unsure, but I definitely love that hook line - it's a bit more restrained than the epileptic fits heard in the likes of "Control Alt Delete And Blow" and "Super Kaiser", but it has a lot more melodic merit to my ears. I am also really digging the breakdown section of this one - a whole 20 seconds of almost exclusively instrumental Hi-NRG that showcases what I love about the labels productions and writing. Having said that, I do find that upon hearing the chorus for around the fifth time towards the end of the song, I have started to grow a little tired of unique Garcon vocals and the melody - if ever there was a case for the labels all doing the 4 minute cuts again, this could be it. Nevertheless, Hi-NRG Attack continue a strong run of form.
Score: 8.5/10

06 NATHALIE / I'LL REMEMBER WHY I LOVE YOU
I'll try to be restrained and polite about this track as possible as I do still want to take what I say about this song seriously. My first thought during the intro is "hey, that sounds like "Waiting For A Star To Fall"..." - my next thought (as soon as the hook starts) is "damn, I really wish I was listening to "Waiting For A Star To Fall"". Two things really irritate me about SinclaireStyle's modern productions - firstly, he over-uses the ugliest, most watered-down synths you could find. However, and perhaps more importantly here, he relies too strongly on really ordinary sounding vocalists. From the moment the first verse begins, I already find my face frowning at the really annoying way that Nathalie seems to over-pronounce the start of almost every word. You probably notice it most in the chorus - I do wonder whether the sheet of A4 paper that had the lyrics on it actually read "In my HAnd THose LOneLY DAys" (lyrics probably aren't correct because they are mastered pretty badly...) For those that know me well, you will be aware that the most important thing for me in any song that I listen to is a good melody delivered clearly and effectively, and this song has none of those things. I could look really hard and possibly find certain sections of the song that hold some value to me (the middle 16 measures with the 4th beat synths is cute and reminds of music from DDR), but I would be hard pushed to find a lot to right about. The overwhelming desire I get when this song comes on is not to sing-along or bop my head to the beat, but rather to reach for the skip button pretty quickly. And another thing Sinclaire - please quit the gratuitous key changes that are just there because you have run out of inspiration and you don't know what else to do to jazz up the production... Oops, so much for remaining restrained and polite...
Score: 2/10 (for the middle 16 measures from 02:43)

07 POWERFUL T. - LOUDER & FASTER
I've been a fairly loyal advocate for Powerful T recently in the face of criticism from the die-hard fans who believe he is perhaps past the peak of his Eurobeat career. For me, he can still present a competent (if fairly generic) style of Eurobeat that has slowly died out since the first half of the SEB 100's. This track had a certain degree of fanfare in the community being sort-of the "debut" of Sun-Fire, so the expectations were high. The intro is a mish-mash of ideas and styles, which in a way is comforting as we know that Pasquini hasn't deserted his old style completely! For me, the marmite quality of the main synth hook - most people either seem to the love it or hate it - has come as a bit of a shock, as I think it has a really great old-school feeling to it. The stuttering muted saws dance frantically over a wailing sea of guitars - only Powerful T could really pull that style off. However, the verse is another story. I'll never understand why anyone thought it would be a good idea to take a fairly tuneful (if slightly unremarkable) melody and then let a group of 5 year olds thrash guitars, pots, pans and anything they can find in the background! Seriously, it's just a mess, and it's quite unsettling listening to this part of the song, as you just want to march right to the Sun-Fire studios and make them re-do that whole part of the song. The bizarre thing is that as soon the bridge begins, we have none of the awful racket in the background that blighted the verse. The chorus and hook are definitely where this song shines though, and it is probably the second catchiest song on this album (using my office scale - the more I find myself singing or humming the melody while I'm in work, the higher a song will place on my catchiness list). Still, I find it really hard to forgive the really poor effort that went in to the verses - especially as this is supposed to showcase to the world what Sun-Fire is all about. More effort please Grandpa Dave - and keep the grandkids out of the studio next time when you're recording!
Score: 6/10

08 MOMO / FLASH & LOVE
Send Me An Angel was always going to be a tough act to follow, but I never expected Momo to struggle as much as she has here. Even with all of the best twinkles and whooshes that the SCP production team could find, this song was never going to allow her to reach the lofty heights of her previous release. Everything is very polished - you wouldn't really expect anything less from the label nowadays really - but what you have is a really weak song itself. The melody really doesn't go very far - from the simplistic piano based hook, to the descending scales during the chorus, I just feel that everything was a bit half-hearted. It also really exposes Momo's vocals as being really quite normal - Irene has her unique twang, Pamsy has the overflowing emotions, but what does Momo have from this track? An inability to carry off adlibbing? (Listen to 02:48 to hear what I'm talking about! A-SEELEET-EENY-UUUUHH-WWWWHHOOOOOOO???) Really, this song is probably a great example of a very rare occurence - an SCP song that I really don't like at all. Bland, uninspiring, and just....meh! Next please...
Score: 4/10 (for production quality only)

09 MICHELLE ROSE / HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY
WOWWW!!! Okay, I'll get this out the way quickly since I want to get to the good parts, but has anyone else noticed how much the very start of the intro with the piano sounds like the style of songs produced for Wii Music?? Anyway, moving on... this is what SAW tracks would sound like if they still had an ounce of talent and the desire for the genre left. The deep galloping bassline is mesmerising, the cutesy little "Whoa-Whoa-ah!" is adorable, and the overall production just seems to have this really strong melodic quality. The vocal melody from start to finish is wonderfully written, and the lyrics actually tell a coherent story (no mean feat for the Hi-NRG Attack writers!) I adore the way the piano chord triplets back-up a lot of the vocal sections - I also love the fact that the background layers are all complimenting one another rather than competing for attention. I'm actually listening to the track as I am writing this review, and I am really finding it difficult to concentrate on what I'm writing as I just find the whole song so enchanting and captivating. I don't think anything I can say can express how much I really am starting to adore this production. Perhaps I could compare it to another Hi-NRG Attack song which I didn't really think much of (which seems to be the case with this track in some peoples' eyes) but that others thought was their best production in years - Stargate. This track, to me, is what Stargate was to a lot of people when it was released - just a magical combination of melodies, synths and beats to create an amazing aural treat! P.S. on the vocal front, I actually feel that another vocalist would ruin the feel of this track. The slightly coarse and squeaky nature of the vocals seems to add to the track's overall appeal to me, but hey - I was already sold on it anyway before I even heard the vocals.
Score: 10/10

10 KATE PROJECT / IN MY ARMS
I noticed that mistake in the intro the first time I heard this song (the backing singers singing "you" and the lead vocalist singing "I") but it was only after it was actually pointed out that it really started to stick out. Anyway, on to the song behind the error - and what a song it is! The melancholic intro gives way to the gradual build-up of synths and beats punctuated by tom-tom blasts as the vocals wistfully dance alongside the approaching storm. The anticipation that the full intro of this track creates is just awesome, and by the time the main hook drops I am already taken in by its charm and contained power (more about that in a second). The hook, as others have mentioned, has its roots firmly in the Eurodance world which isn't really a surprise considering that's how this song started out life, but the Asia production is given that little bit of added verve and oomph to give it the necessary attack of a Eurobeat song. The vocals throughout are awesome - I think I said previously that Mari-San should really learn a thing or two from this girl if she wants to be a true diva! This is where the contained power comes in - whereas Mari-San can lose control and almost shout phrases when she gets a bit too excited, this girl just takes everything in her stride - the power and volume increases without you ever feeling like she is going to lose control. Melodically, this track does sound quite familiar and comfortable - like an old pair of slippers. I'm unsure of how close it is to other tracks released in the past, but what I do know is that with this track Saifam have shaken off their generic samey style that has blighted them over the past few years and they have really brought themselves to the forefront of the series. The debates of the styles will rumble on, but what will remain is a perfectly crafted tune (almost) impeccably delivered!
Score: 10/10

11 ACE / ME & YOU
This track sounds so much like sibling rivalry. That young whipper snapper Jager bursts on to the scene with a track that borrows heavily from the pop-world, and next thing we have is one of SCP's big brothers jumping on the band-wagon with his own crossover track. This one seems to straddle the ground between what is probably Ace's last masterpiece - Wait For You - and a lot of my favourite slower SCP tracks of the past - Switch!, Wanna Be With You and So Fragile. Great, you must think, what can go wrong?? Well, that's certainly what I thought, but the more I listen to this track there is that niggling thing in the back of my head telling me that something is missing. It isn't the vocals - Ace's trademark style is present and correct and he does his best impression of a middle-aged crooner during certain parts of the verses that had me laughing. It isn't the production either - as ever, SCP creates a wonderful soundscape that draws the listener in and instantly puts them at ease. Perhaps it's the fact that SCP's male line-up is becoming more diluted that Ace just doesn't sound as special anymore - he has lost some of the spark that made Futureland such a massive winner for me back in the 170's. I can't really find a massive amount of faults in this song - it's easy to listen to, has a pleasant melody and is well delivered both vocally and in terms of the production itself. But much like Screaming Out The Power where I'm still deperately trying to find what makes me want to love it, I just feel compelled with this song to find that one thing that just makes me feel slightly indifferent towards it. It reminds me a lot of From Heartache To Heaven by Momo for some reason (which of course was trying to be a Pamsy track at a time when Pamsy was dominating the female side of SCP), so maybe Ace is just a victim of male competition at the label. I'm sure he'll produce a new masterpiece soon, but for now, this track is just really good - and I'm sure he'll be disappointed with that.
Score: 7.75/10

12 ALEKY / LABYRINTH OF LOVE
It makes me laugh how when after the samples were released and I claimed that this was pure bubblegum Eurodance, hardly anyone took a blind bit of notice. Now that the full version is out, it seems to be the hot topic... catch up people! Anyway, let's look at the song itself. The very start of the intro does irritate me as it sounds really mono - not sure whether it's the hi-hat sound used or the mastering of the track overall, but it just doesn't sound quite right to me. Thankfully, things improve when the beat kicks in. We have so many different influences in this sound - from the disco-esque Donna Summer bass riff in the intro to the synth bass in the verse and bridge, that remind me of Evacuate the Dancefloor by Cascada. Then of course we have that classic Eurodance style chorus, which is still the highlight of the whole song for me. I could easily loop that chorus over and over and not get bored. There are a few more points to add though that surprisingly stop this track from claiming the top spot on this album. First of all, Aleky really needs to work on her English pronunciation, as I cannot make out half of the words she sings, which is a big deal when it's a track that really makes me want to sing-along! Finally, I just can't help but feel that there could have been a big synth hook that would have added some extra depth to the song rather than the cutesy flute hook (which is nice, but it doesn't really add anything to the song). Overall, this is another very strong track from Dima, but I'm becoming more critical of the tracks as I have such high expectations, and although I reckon this one is up there with the best, I can't quite give it a perfect score.
Score: 9.5/10

TOP 3:
MICHELLE ROSE / HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY
KATE PROJECT / IN MY ARMS
ALEKY / LABYRINTH OF LOVE

BOTTOM 3:
NATHALIE / I'LL REMEMBER WHY I LOVE YOU
MOMO / FLASH & LOVE
POWERFUL T. / LOUDER & FASTER

There were a lot of really good tracks here, with the top 3 rising just above them to take top honours. Of the bottom 3, only the Nathalie & Momo tracks have true skipping qualities for me, which shows that overall this is a pretty decent album. Definitely one of the best in the new century, with Saifam and Hi-NRG Attack continuing with their strong reinventions, and Dima taking a bit of a breather before hopefully unleashing 3 storming masterpieces on 207! Sinclaire and Dave should take a long hard look in the mirror to try and recapture their past glories, as they are both sounding pretty tired.

[Megan188]

Excellent review, ditzy! You always describe things quite elaborately in your critiques, yet keep it fun at the same time. I agree with your ratings for the most part, though I'd probably rate Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride a bit higher; I'll Remember Why I Love you, I guess, is just sort of an acquired taste that I appreciate a lot more than you do.

[thejti]

1. AAA - Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride - 5/5

An absolute blast of a song to play. Perfect for the summer and full of energy and pretty good vocals. A song that was available on iTunes Japan for a while but still one of my favorite songs of the past year.

2. The Snake - Freedom Ride - 4/5

A solid song but nothing you didn't expect from The Snake. Full of energy. The style of the song reminds me a lot of old school Nick Mansell with The Snake style.

3. Kaioh - It's Like A Fire - 5/5

Besides the overuse of the word "fire", you can't deny the energy this song has. Probably the catchiest synth hook since "Ready Forever" by Chris Stanton.

4. Louise - Screaming Out The Power - 1/5

I don't like HRG songs that much and this one didn't offer me anything that I haven't heard in previous outings.

5. Garcon - On The Top Again - 2/5

I'm torn because I want to enjoy this song a lot but I find myself turned off by Festari singing. Because of the singing and how annoying I find the backup singing to be, I can't give this song higher than 2/5. I think if Rimonti sang this song instead, I'd give it a 5/5.

6. Nathalie - I'll Remember Why I Love You - 3/5

This wants to be the Eurobeat remix of "Waiting For A Star To Fall". Reminds me a lot of old school Sinclaire songs and is for the most part rather enjoyable. I'm turned off slightly by the speed. I could see this song being on a megamix and them sampling in the singer from "Waiting For A Star To Fall". That would be really cool.

7. Powerful T. - Louder & Faster - 2/5

Is it just me or does this song sound busier than any other song on this CD? The synth hook is especially distorted and busy. It sounds like there is buzzing. A decent effort but very flawed song.

8. Momo - Flash & Love - 4/5

Momo sounds A LOT like Clara Moroni in this song. The way she sings in this song is how I would expect Clara to sing for Stefano. Very catchy a good mix of aishu and energy in a strong package.

9. Michelle Rose - Hard To Say I'm Sorry - 1/5

Another HRG song that is brought down by poor singing. But the production sounds bored and tired. Anyone that knows me knows I love the slower discoey stuff but this is just bad and boring.

10. Kate Project - In My Arms - 5/5

Old School SAIFAM mixed with new instrumentation and STRONG vocal work. A good mix of house and eurobeat. In my opinion, a good successor to Karen in terms of vocal quality if they keep the singer around to sing eurobeat for the label.

11. Ace - Me & You - 5/5

The perfect mix of Eurodance style synth hook with the clubby eurobeat that Stefano and Christian have been working hard on over the past few months not just with this song and Jager, but others. My favorite track on the album.

12. Aleky - Labyrinth Of Love - 5/5

Perhaps the best Dima song released thus far. At first it doesn't sound eurobeat-ish until you hear the synth hook and thing fall into place. Very close second to me next to Me & You. Great singing, great energy.

13. TRF - Boy Meets Girl (GoGos Mix) - 2/5

I'm not a huge fan of this song or J-Euro to begin with so my score may not be a proper representation of this but after hearing so many remixes of this song, you would think they would try something new besides just putting GoGos synths on it. Nice try.

14. Dave Rodgers - Music For The People (Rock Mix) - NA

Not Eurobeat, not worth grading on a Eurobeat website.

[Air]

I liked this album alot, but I'm still waiting till Sinclaire goes back to the style of ''MOVE ON NOW BABY'' and ''LOOKING FOR LOVERS''

What they're making now is OK, but cannot be compared with what they made in the past. This is not a good evolution I think, go back to the old style and try again to create something experimental out of that style.

[Lebon14]

Like last album, I won't go into great details.

01. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride (Eurobeat Remix) by AAA (Avex/SCP)

Holy fucking cow! That's what I call Eurobeat! Great synth hook, funny lyrics although I don't understand Hawaiian. Too bad that the song is too short

10/10

02. Freedom Ride by The Snake (SCP)

Oh man, that chorus! It's absolutely amazing! The riff is simply power-fulled. Love it. The vocals are AMAZING! The usual guitar solo is short but yet, AMAZING.

10/10

03. It's Like A Fire by Kaioh (Go Go's Music)

The intro isn't much to talk about. The synth hook isn't the best but I guess it works. The verses and bridge are pretty good. But the chorus... oh god... my ears... they bleed. The way he says "FIRE" isn't the best way to sing it I think The song is good but isn't the greatest of all time.

8/10

04. Screaming Out The Power by Louise (Hi-NRG Attack)

The song is OK but would sound MUCH better if it would be a male singing it instead of a pitched-up female.

7.5/10

05. On The Top Again by Garçon (Hi-NRG Attack)

The intro is simply yet, works. The riff is pretty good. Unusual Hi-NRG Attack. I think the whole thing is pretty good. Every thing works very well together.

9.5/10

06. I'll Remember Why I Love You by Nathalie (SinclaireStyle)

Reviving old aliases is awesome but... THIS... is really not my cup of tea. The synth hook is... not good. Bonus points for the bridge though.

5/10

07. Louder & Faster by Powerful T. (Sun Fire)

Intro is the usual A-Beat-C/Sun Fire fare : smooth and calm. Then the usual Powerful T. stuff in a second part of the intro. The synth hook is OH GOD... very good! The rest of the song is a breeze. It sounds very good. I love it!

9.5/10

08. Flash & Love by Momo (SCP)

OK, at first, with SEB 201, when I heard that Yo Shine was Irene, I was OK with it. I also know that Momo is Irene too. But, damn! They are over-using her. I would love more Pamsy. Anyway, beside that, the intro is good, the riff is calm and sweet and the rest is OK. Over so-so but isn't the best either.

8/10

09. Hard To Say I'm Sorry by Michelle Rose (Hi-NRG Attack)

Surprise! An original song! Very slow BPms here but it feels the song very well. The melody is pretty nice and the vocals too. Very unusual from Hi-NRG Attack. Love it but not quite perfect (because of the tones in the chorus can be quite annoying)

9/10

10. In My Arms by Kate Project (Saifam/Asia)

LOL @ Mistake. Anyway, the song is amazing and is on par with "You Are Always On My Mind". So, needless to say : the is VERY GOOD!

10/10

11. Me & You by Ace (SCP)

OMG... this song is simply so beautiful and reminds me so much of "Wait For You". So beautiful, so amazing... can't get enough! The vocals are simply stellar! Great work from SCP!

10/10

12. Labyrinth Of Love by Aleky (Dima)

Intro reminds me of a trance song structure and soundworld. Love it. I simply love the vocals, the soundworld used... so... stellar. I can understand why Nanae is stuck with Dima!

10/10

13. Boy Meets Girl (Go Go's Remix) by TRF

I have nothing against J-Euro but THIS SUCKS SO FUCKING BAD. The alternance between energy and no-drum ballad soundworld is crap. Really not worthy, should have been refused by Avex.

3/10

14. Music For The People (Rock Mix) by Dave Rodgers

I love rock and hard rock but this is... very special sounding. I think that Dave's rock tracks keeps WAY too much of its original Eurobeat sounds. The chorus, especially, sounds pretty bad... the song is below so-so.

6/10

I don't know what to think of the current SEB direction : more Dima, SCP and Hi-NRG while dissing Time/Eurogrooves, A-Beat-C/Sun Fire and Delta. There's also more Saifam/Asia. Variety takes a hit when this happen. It's not that I don't like Dima or SCP; I love them! I would just want to get more of the other labels, more variety, y'know. The album itself is surprising. While some tracks ARE surprising, some other are simply... ugh... so-so and downright bad. But overall, looking at my ratings, it would seem that I still like that album quite a bit; more than I anticipated.

Overall : 8.5/10


Top 5 :
Me & You
Labyrinth Of Love
Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride
Freedom Ride
In My Arms



Honorable Mention
On The Top Again



Bottom 3
Boy Meets Girl
I'll Remember Why I Love You
Music For The People

[Air]

Lebon14, good review.
I agree with most of it!

But people stop thinking that Momo = Irene.

[Nine]

I am going to try a new way of "reviewing" the album. Instead of giving grades I'll just rank each song in order from most preferred to least preferred.

1. IN MY ARMS / KATE PROJECT
2. FLASH & LOVE / MOMO
3. IT'S LIKE A FIRE / KAIOH
4. I'LL REMEMBER WHY I LOVE YOU / NATHALIE
5. SCREAMING OUT THE POWER / LOUISE
6. BOY MEETS GIRL (GOGOs MIX) / TRF
7. ME & YOU / ACE
8. LOUDER & FASTER / POWERFUL T.
9. FREEDOM RIDE / THE SNAKE
10. HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY / MICHELLE ROSE
11. HAWAIIAN ROLLER COASTER RIDE / AAA
12. ON THE TOP AGAIN / GARCON

I omitted Labyrinth of Love and Music For The People as they aren't Eurobeat, but I did enjoy them.

[Shawaazu]

Is it just me, or are these Eurobeat albums getting suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow...

AAA gets points if only for their attempt at singing in English

Labyrinth Of Love belongs on Ultra Dance

Nanae needs to give labels NEW songs to remix

[Densetsu13]

Is it just me, or are these Eurobeat albums getting suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow...

The average BPM of each album this decade is definitely lower than it has ever been in years. I don't even think the 150s reached this low in terms of BPM. This shouldn't come as a surprise though as rumours have been hinting at a change in speed post-SEB 200 for over a year now .

Nanae needs to give labels NEW songs to remix

I'm pretty sure this has to do with what her Superiors allow her to use. For all we know there's a TRF revival in Japan at the moment? Other than that, she may be simply trying to cater to the older Japanese crowd. I remember when the clubs would play J-Euro sets TRF tracks still got played often and it would mostly be the older paralists rocking out to them

This album was very average for me. I appreciate HRG stepping out of their comfort zone and going back to slower melodies but I think it's going to take them a while to find what works for them after years of primarily fast aggressive tracks. I only enjoyed Hard to Say I'm Sorry from them this time around. Screaming Out The Power made me go WTF upon listening to it for the first time. This has happened multiple times this decade so far :S

Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride is ridiculously awesome. Just waaay too short, even by SEB edit standards.

While tracks like Going Crazy @ Queen 26 and Because I Need U @ Renoir are songs in their own respective genres that have nothing to do with Eurobeat, I feel that tracks like I Belong to You @ Stephy and Labyrinth @ Aleky are the exact opposite. In other words, they are Eurobeat trying very hard to emulate the sound of other genres while sticking to the Eurobeat basics and they do this very well! Whenever I'm not sure about whether a track is Eurobeat or not I revisit it in, let's say, 6 months to a year and all of a sudden I can hear the eurobeat influences that much more easily. This is mostly because the general Eurobeat sound has evolved in that time and the black sheep tracks don't seem so outlandish anymore.

I will say that it hurts not having all the labels every month. When they initially brought on as many labels as possible I was expecting at least one track per label each SEB, not this game of tag every month where some get on and some don't. If this is the format that's going to be starting then I much rather have a sister series like in the golden days to better showcase the different styles of Eurobeat. At the very least, having some variety is better than none

[Megan188]

Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride is ridiculously awesome. Just waaay too short, even by SEB edit standards.

For some reason, I actually think the 3:11-long cut isn't too short for that song. It may possibly be the shortest track in SEB history, but the song structure packs so much variety in such a small amount of time that I'm already left satisfied by the time it's over.