If You Were the Director of SEB: 2016 Edition

[Anthony McBazooka]

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[drnrg]

Everything sounds like a go, except modernizing Eurobeat. If you modernize it, It will sound like just some EDM dance music and guess what? it's no longer Eurobeat.

[Anthony McBazooka]

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[Darkholme]

Everything sounds like a go, except modernizing Eurobeat. If you modernize it, It will sound like just some EDM dance music and guess what? it's no longer Eurobeat.

Sometimes I think of eurobeat as the Dead Marshes from LotR. During the Second Age it was the site of the Battle of Dagorlad, a huge battle between the Last Alliance and Sauron's armies.
So how's that relevant to eurobeat? Well back in the day it was a pretty big deal, and now all you'll find are the ghosts of past fame, the "candles of corpses"

Yes it's harsh, but don't take it too seriously, I'm really into LotR right now

The point is that as it looks right now, eurobeat will not benefit from business as usual.

[Crockett]

Do something with BPM, total maximum 140 - 145. Let people feel no fear to the music, because of beat tempo, among which even good vocals and melodies loose its value.

Thank you Japan, but it's enough. Thank you Avex Trax, of course another record companies, when Eurobeat existed much before SEB, but maybe time for some change for the whole world?

I won't pretend, that I'm a japanese guy, and I've listened something else than italian genre before. Dear Italians, back to the own reality and show your talent to rest of the world, even you must stay on the japanese records.

Why good music, previously known in many countries must eternally conform to the specifed type of japanese dance, their cartoons or something else? These artists deserve for more.

Boom boom boom, head and brain go haywire, but it isn't already the same sound, fit only to ParaPara shows. Even Italo Disco, old Eurobeat (about 120 - 130 BPM) are used to this kind of performances, which all can be really danced in the traditional way and always were wherever else, because that typical beat rate didn't require any special "techniques". Higher tempo became just the pop trend.

And maybe a brand new series? Diversity was always the advantage of Eurobeat. Many projects always were more interesting than one the same name many years. That was the point. Now we have the legend of SEB, but this legend won't never die. Just stop count it in hundreds, because it doesn't look good anymore. Make the diversity again for CDs series.

Everything is possible, but must be for this right reality, and a lot of willingness.

[eXtaticus]

-redacted-

[Crockett]

Do something with BPM, total maximum 140 - 145.

*vomits*

I like japanese culture and people, but music from Italy should stay music from Italy and has a chance to back everywhere. It's just a good wish for all of them. To back again, be noticed outside of Japan must be some basical changes in this genre, like BPM and all fast playing aggressive instruments.

However reading the rest of comments in that topic, it seems that doesn't care anyone to make Eurobeat as the worldwide music. It's obvious, that only in Japan nowadays nobody won't give the significant place for Eurobeat again.

Records can be easy imported like in the past from Japan, but the sound of professional musicans still since ~20 years as the background for only japanese different kind of entertainment won't never rebuild it as the widely known genre. Eurobeat should be friendly, and I'm sure, that each day much of worldwide music comes to Japan as well, and doesn't have to be like extreme Eurobeat to be liked

[Bonkers]

Do something with BPM, total maximum 140 - 145

*vomits as well*

Eurobeat has progressed nicely with its 150+ bpm. Honestly, I miss those 160 BPM tracks. Even if eurobeat is a sub-genre of Italo-Disco, Eurobeat in itself has its own identity and characteristics. I don't think slowing tracks down is going to help it's popularity. Has it worked before? Not well. Hi-NRG Attack tried the slower tracks in 2010-2011. I can think of only one track I truly liked "Nikita Jr.-Touch Me"

Eurobeat is an energetic genre, played out to an energetic crowd. It's not mainstream club music.

[Anthony McBazooka]

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[Lebon14]

Do something with BPM, total maximum 140 - 145.

*vomits*

+1 Let it vary between 140 and 180 like we are used to. Geez. There are some genre that are even faster than Eurobeat and it does not destroy vocals if the singer sings at that pace (or half bpm). And I've seen a 185 BPM eurobeat track. You want to hear it? Sure! But if you are not open minded or don't like "anime vocals", stay away:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-DDuMnrUqI

Most of "Eurobeat's life" BPM always as been over 150 BPM. Especially after the 100s. So I don't see why changing it is an issue when it's charateristic.

As this topic is about what you would do if you were the director of the SEB series. Why should a Japanese label that mostly works for the Japanese music market which is the best selling market in the world at the moment take the very high risk to change the whole music to try to gain popularity in the rest of the world and abandon the Japanese market?
Nobody can expect a thing like this from Avex. So if you care so much about the music and how it is seen in the rest of the world, maybe you should make the alternative by yourself or find people with the same interests and start something.

Totally agreed!

While Eurobeat seems to be more and more on the edge of dying,

I disagree. It's Avex' "strategy" (if they have one) that doesn't adapt to the times. If you look at the doujin market in Japan, especially A-One, they are THRIVING. Toho Eurobeat IS popular for a series that pretty much covers ZUN's Touhou songs into Eurobeat (and adds original vocals & lyrics). The underlying problem is NOT eurobeat itself, it's how it is managed and marketed.

But there is one thing I definitely won't to: I will never change the sound to non-Eurobeat just to be compatible to the European or American market. If Eurobeat has to be not Eurobeat anymore to become popular than there is no sense in trying to make it popular because pop EDM is already popular.

That's why adding "Dubstep" or "Electro-House" or straight up "(progressive) house" elements to Eurobeat would pretty much kill it.

[Darkholme]

I disagree. It's Avex' "strategy" (if they have one) that doesn't adapt to the times. If you look at the doujin market in Japan, especially A-One, they are THRIVING. Toho Eurobeat IS popular for a series that pretty much covers ZUN's Touhou songs into Eurobeat (and adds original vocals & lyrics). The underlying problem is NOT eurobeat itself, it's how it is managed and marketed.

No doubt Avex handles SEB like the DNC handles democracy, but you could always ask the question whether Toho Eurobeat is popular because it's eurobeat to a fresh audience or because it's Touhou. I honestly have no idea, I mean there are definitely solid tracks on those albums but it's far from mass-market appeal that we seem to be striving for.
I'd be fine with a fanbase large enough to support the labels. That's not too much to ask for I hope

[Anthony McBazooka]

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[Crockett]

Of course, there aren't anymore 80s and 90s. So maybe it's more difficult to reach the same by the same methods and sounds.

But in fact moving Eurobeat in 100% to Japan resulted some obvious changes, to conform to their very special needs, being just disliked anywhere else.

Pay attention, that neither famous worldwide band, even one hit wonder artist never got popularity with very high BPM. They are mostly from Germany or UK, and after years their music is still alive in many radiostations and TV musical channels, just because of their style and melody. The generation of Italians, after old-school Eurobeat is already totally unknown everywhere, only in Japan or for the very small community. The last italian pretty popular musicians come from middle 80s, because noone of them from all these listed above countries didn't focus on the japanese market, as the main target.

Comparing those all, in the scale of fame for the niche of italian dance, only previously european and early Eurobeat sounds stayed as quite known and liked until today.

Italo Disco was a some niche, but also some of these songs became international timeless hits. Old Eurobeat still is considered as some good italian period and isn't dropped by the fanatics of Italo Disco vinyls.

So if the modern pop artists are just seasonal trend, how to call the niche of Eurobeat in Japan with their style, if even such Dave Rodgers is pretty out of favor in Europe?...... The 2nd biggest music market rather doesn't work in this case at this moment. What means SEB series today there in Japan, how many thousands copies are sold without any albums, singles of that genre, and what mean there the talented artists, which are unknown even in their home country? I remember when I asked on my previous group, where are duets in Eurobeat after A.Beat-C. disappeared. The best answer was "All is about money". And it's I'm sure the true. These all single producers or reduced labels haven't money for such simple thing like long term male-female duet, or even they would have, they haven't possibility to release them once per quarter. For me it's "all about" the "good" situation thanks to be closed in Japan with contracts, where Eurobeat is "good" today this way, which we see.

Actually it's nothing more to say and discuss, if the actual reality and market works on totally different rules for dance music and pop as well. It will be just theoretical wish, can't be implemented, because these producers can exist only yet as the one group for 2-4 monthly compilation. Without chance to be even typical niche music, but also outside of Japan.

Artists do what they want and should, but how long on that position? To SEB Vol. 300?...

[Anthony McBazooka]

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[drnrg]

BPMs is not so important for me as long as it fits the atmosphere of the song and most important the synthesizers.

I do expect a song to be longer if it is faster so it doesn't end too quick. that's all.

There is way to keep the BPMs fast and vocals normal, so there is no need for chipmunks anymore.