TIME for my review of what I think is one of the top notch musical cds of the year. Seriously if we were in the 80s, this disc would be heralded as one of the years best. Unfortunately, we are not and music now a days sux, but at least we still get quality Hi NRG/Italo classics from Eurobeat.
1.
Hotblade- Legendary Heart (SCP)
The cd starts off with the act that really impressed me with their first single. This song basically follows the same idea as
Plastic. It’s funny how
Jager sounds a lot better when he sings as
Hotblade. His vocals are not as hyped and they fit this style better. The song is energetic, and catchy and it showcases a few really standout parts with the soundworlds. Especifically right after the second chorus and synth riff. It has a rawer sound as the synths are being played. There is also a mini breakdown and outro. Unfortunately the song is way too short. It doesn’t even clock in at the 4 min line. I definitely would have given it a higher grade if one more couplet was added. It’s funny; but at first couple of listens, I really didn’t notice the TIME length; but once I put full attention, It just seemed a little incomplete. It’s still a great song.
9-/10
2.
Dejo & Bon- Wheel Power & Go! (Sinclaire Style)
Love the guitar in the intro. It’s really old school Sinclaire. The overall feel of the song sounds like it was produced for Bonini’s Style. I’ve been saying it for sometime, but it definitely sounds like Sinclaire has once again found his groove. There is good energetic melody in the verses and bridge. This is the parts of the song where I get the Bonini vibe. The Chorus has D- essex written all over it and the riff can go either way, but it’s definitely the guitars that steel the show. That, and Nando’s vocals sound very powerful. They kinda drown out D-Essex, but that’s ok cuz I prefer Nando’s laid-back vocals. There is a mind blowing part when the first couplet of the chorus is backed up by just guitars, Of course, that is followed by a rocking good guitar solo done Sinclaire style. I always wondered if Bonini has a hand in those guitar solos, since he does play a mean lead guitar in
Vosco Rossi band. Anyway, it seems Fernando Bonini was; in fact, the missing link to Sinclaire putting out incredible sounding Eurobeat once again. Eagerly waiting Bon’s next single.
10/10
3.
Vicky Vale- Sunday Morning (DELTA)
A song that has a kinda different intro than what we are accustomed from Capaldi. That’s actually a good thing. First of; its great to hear Clara doing vocals again. It seems we are hearing less and less of the classic Female Vocalists. The male counterparts seemed to be making a comeback, as we will later hear, but for now, DELTA releases a nice jumpy Aishu-ish song. The verses and bridge kinda go by unnoticed, as I have had to repeat it several x to get the vibe of the song. I think the chorus is the standout on this song. It also has the most upbeat feel to it. Actually I havn’t been too impressed with the female sung songs from DELTA since SEB 205 and it really has to do with the fact that the synth riff isn’t all that memorable. My favourite part clocks in at the 3:20 min mark. It actually features the bridge that wasn’t to great, but the way it’s done in accpela in that particular section makes it stand out more. A nice song, but I know DELTA can do better.
7+/10
4.
Francis Cooper- Cherry Lips (HRG Attack)
We are up to the label; that for the moment is on a roll. It’s definitely HRG Attack’s shining moment and they know it. All their latest productions sound very confident as they are digging deep into the Italo archives and trying out every effect and instrument style they can use. To me
Cherry Lips doesn’t really fall into the slower category. It does have it’s slice of Italo inspiration, especially in the melody used throughout the verses, but it basically uses the hard guitars and synth style of ,say,
Jungle Of Fire. I’m not playing it down at all. In fact; It’s great to see the lable showcase all three different styles on one cd. The vibe of the lyrics is very 80s Italo “
I can’t dream without you love, let me Be Your heart & Soul. Love and kiss me all night long, Oh baby Treat me right” Isn’t it great to actually understand HRG Attack lyrics and especially when they are this amazing? Now for my favourite part. Actually it’s a two part. It starts off at the 3;30 mark where the chorus is played instrumentally. To hear those synths and pianos in perfect synch is absolutely beautiful. Immidiately following is the chorus backed up by grungy guitars and trumpet like synths. This is all to set up the last mini break and chorus. Perfectly composed up to the last note and once again Festari sounds incredible as always.
10/10
5.
Jay Lehr- Falling In Love Again (SCP)
WOW!!! This is what I call music. Jay Lehr does it again! I wasn’t too thrilled with
Hi Love, cuz to me it sounded like a carbon copy of
Little Little Star, so I was won over when I first heard this preview. The Accapella like intro is so perfect it gives me chills. The riff melody is one of SCPs best to date. It Captures all the glory of the 80s pop NRG style and Frank sounds as great as ever. It will probly be hard to equal such a wonderful melody, but as long as he stays close to this; which to me is the sound Jay Lehr was born to sing, he will more than likely assure his place as my favourite SCP act ever. This song is one os those rare occasions where it’s 3: 30 min length, does not hurt it at all. It already follows a similar style to the NRG pop style of the 80s , so this song could have easily been on the radio. Yes it could have a great break like
Turn Off The Light from TIME records, but it’s equally as mesmerizing in it’s radio edit.
10/10
6.
Dave Rodgers- The House Of Fire (Sun Fire)
Ah Diamond Dave. Why review it? Just give it a 10. Ah, but that wouldn’t be fair to Dave. Like I said earlier; if Dave sets it on Fire, than it will be a hit. What I’m really digging on is how imaginative the intros have been at Sun Fire. There is so much going on and the buildup as each new instrument is added on is amazingly suspenceful. Another thing I noticed is that Giancarlo is in top shape vocally. I can’t remember him sounding this good for a few years. The emphasis on each lyric sounds really passionate and especially the way he sings the bridge to the chorus. It’s really catchy and sets up that old school sounding chorus perfectly. The ever present guitar solo that has now become a staple in Pasquinni productions is used to introduce a riff that will blast you right into that last verse. The instruments are dropped and gives the melody a super epic feel that will continue up until the last note. Dave certainly chose the right logo to represent the power of his latest productions. Just keep staring at that logo and all your songs will be on FIRE!
10/10
7.
my apologize to Lilly for the mistake
Lilly- I Believe In Miracle(s) (HRG Attack)
This song has such a dream intro. It really builds up into the piano and finally the synths .which remind me of the same kinda passion played on the
Magic Of Sunshine. The melody in the verses also has that same kind of powerful feel. At x I can almost hear another vocalist and seeing that LMS has been ressurescting older artist names, this probably could have also been a good title for
Doll Sisters or
HRG United. It’s kinda difficult to describe the vibe of the verses, but it it also has a sort of 80s Italo feel. The chorus also sounds 80’s style, but more from the SAW style. It was also Concidered Hi-NRG, but more commercial and that’s only because it was accepted more on the radio than the faster Hi- NRG. The SAW style was best when incorporated onto Saifam songs and that’s the sound that this song carries. Not the commercial radio sound. It’s incredible ,but HRG Attack team just keep producing hit after hit and as long as the material is this great, I’m sold 100%.
10/10
8.
Speedo Gang- Jailhouse Rock (Saifam)
Oh No, what happened here? Actually ,I’d be lying if I said that I don’t sorta feel the groove of this song. What the preview failed to showcase was the incrediblely catchy intro. I don’t know, but I’m loving that percussion. It has the same style as Bad, but done with a bit more class and speed. The riff is damn good too. Not just synths, but rather synths lined with hard guitars. I like it! Everything sounds great, that is up until the vocal work starts. This is where the songs takes a major dump. It’s funny, but usually Saifam tries to mimic the artist’s original vocals when they produce these funky covers, so why not at least try for Elvis impersonators? I’m gonna go on a limb and just say that if Farina had rerecorded these vocals before releasing the song; I would probably give it a nice 8+. It’s really catchy and they did an exceptional job with the accompanying synths throughout the verses. Here is another song that doesn’t sound bad at it’s short TIME limit. It really isn’t to surprising, since I happen to really enjoy the original Elvis version, but why oh why did they have to choose that vocal work? I’m very bias when it comes to vocalists. I don’t know who this guy is, but he really puts a dent in an otherwise good cover of an Elvis classic.
7/10
9.
Destinee- Make Me Wonder (Dima Music)
So We are up to Dima’s entries on the cd. It’s odd for Avex to put them side by side when they have quite a few other labels showcasing songs on a cd. This first song is Destinee’s sophomore follow up to
Wonder Woman Dream. A lot of people gave a bad rap to her first song and seeing that this one is a tad less inspiring, I wonder how the Eurobeat community will receive this one? I like it. It remeinds me of Dima’s Euopanic days. I’ll go ahead and say that my favourite part is the Intro, which doesn’t say much for the rest of the song, but by using the old school Europanic formula, it basically plays it safe. What works nicely is her vocals and they sound best at either the verses or the chorus, which is shared by Dima. The most uninspiring part is sadly the synth riff, so that kinda hurts the song as a whole and it doesn’t seem to tie in the melody in the verses. Even the fade out sounded really uninspiring. Oh well, It’s a nice song, but nothing special.
7-/10
10.
David Dima- Don’t Wanna Be A Survivor (Dima Music)
I swear I get a heavy Erurogrooves feel from that intro. Infact if this was the early 2000s ,I would swear it was from TIME. That right there made me love the song at first listen. The great news is, that this song delivers on all levels. This to me is Aggressive Dima style. Those guitars are what an aggressive Eurobeat song should sound like. The Melody in the verses is what I concider flawless especially the part right after the first couplet. Mad wicked synth insertion. It’s parts like that that give a whole grade higher to a song. The chorus is classic Dima reminding me of songs like
King Of The World. it’s an uplifting chorus and David delivers it precisely with the right amount of power, but never drowning out the soundworlds. there are at least three different synth effects in the chorus alone and they all play at the right level. That is good mixing. My favourite part? You guessed it. The last verse. That accompanying synth gives it the epic vibe which completes the package. Another bomba for David to be super proud of.
10/10
11.
Sarah- Aloha- oe Until We Meet Again (Saifam)
This intro kinda follows the same idea of
Radirama’s- Always On My Mind. I loved that song. Once again we got a song that features a pretty cool intro. Even the Hawaiian riff doesn’t sound too bad when coupled with the intro. I’ll go ahead and say that her vocals are not half bad, it’s the rest of the song that blows chunks. I don’t know what inspired Saifam to produce this song, but for me it just puts a huge dent in Sarah's otherwise successful discography. Just having a pretty good intro doesn’t even get you a spot on my list. Saifam get a hold of yourself and get back in the groove. Please.
4/10
12.
Garcon- Go Go The Night (HRG Attack)
WOW!! Amazing! Best song of the year so far! This one has it all. Let me start off with that perfect intro. This one truly captures the intro style of the Italo sound of the 80s. The percussion is flawless. Actually the intro is only half a minute long. Clocking in at 30 seconds exactly, but it sets up the riff in only a way that HRG studios could’ve dreamt up. The riff has a Japanese vibe to it. Some people have said that it contrasts the rest of the song, but if you pay attention to the lyrics, it actually couldn’t have been more appropriate. First off, it captures the feel of the old school Japanese riffs used in 80s Hi NRG, so the listener, especially Japanese fans, will immediately be pulled into the familiar realm of yesteryear. For my review of this song, I will do something completely different and describe the image I get as the song is played through my speakers.The theme of the lyrics is all about going to a Japanese disco club where they can dance the music forever as he searches his Japanese girl for his perfect partner. The overall feel of the song is melancholic and haunting and the low bpms make it all come alive. The galloping bassline guides you into the club and you can get the feel of the style of music being played. The dancers swaying there arms in a slow hypnotizing motion as the blue and green lights flash making it impossible for Garcon to find his partner. He must push his way through the crowd ,but at the same TIME he is taken in by mesmerizing melody of the music and as the last verse and chorus arrive he is in fact pulled in by a circle of dancers where he finally is reunited with his Japanese beauty he was searching for all night. SomeTIMEs a song can come alive with images and a story by listening to the different instrumental effects and melodies and that makes for a classic Eurobeat production.
10+/10
13.
Futura- Lonely (Sun Fire)
We are up to Sun Fire’s second showing and another production of Futura style. This is another song that didn’t arise my interest when I first heard the preview. Oh how wrong one can be. Let’s start off with the intro, whome some might disregard as airy and weak. If you pay attention, you will actually pick up on the retro disco drum beats that are setting up the riff. The chimes are just the icing of the cake. It’s Futura’s vocals that apply the charm and she sounds great at her normal vocal tone. Is the song slow? Yes, but it’s all according to the melody. Those of you who are Old School AbeatC fans, will have no trouble accepting the melody. I immediately got the vibe that the song followed a slower style ,but was inspired by Nuage’s
Shine or
My Blue Sky. I love those two songs, so this one is high on my list as well. It’s a perfect example of a simple melody that goes along way by charm alone. She is sounding very relaxed and isn’t trying to fit in too many words into one phrase. Infact; if this song was using more primitive soundworlds, I could easily have heard back on the FLEA label. It’s great to see Futura progress into the new Style with such ease.
9-/10
14.
Ken Laszlo feat. Domino-
Let’s Get It Done Tonight (GGMs)
Wow this song practically starts off with a riff and a rather amazing sounding one at that. First off, Let me congragulate Mr. Laszlo on his return to Eurobeat. It’s been a long TIME overdue and I believe he can breath some fresh vibes onto GGMs, who. Let’s face it, were kinda losing it. It’s evident that the way to success now a days is to try out the Italo waters. Or at least slow the bpms down. This song does it extremely well and Ken’s vocals only add to the magic. The overall groove, and I mean groove is a 70,80s Disco vibe. I guess the last label to really capitalize on this style was TIME with it’s
Phil & Linda act, but only done at a much faster speed. I truly belive Disco is meant to be produced at a more relaxed bpms and this song seems to capture than just right. The song itself breaks away from the by the book formula and seems to emphasize more on the bridge than any other part. I’m not completely nuts over the chorus, but when it’s followed by such an epic sounding riff, it just hits the spot. Oh and check out the amazing outro.
9/10
This cd will undoubtably become one of my favourites ever. The amount of extraordinary tracks is higher than what I find on most cds. The best part is that all labels really put out their best efforts yet. The competition is at an all TIME high and it seems that the producers are more excited than ever to create some real classics. I can only hope their interest in the genre continues to rise so we can keep getting quality music like this.
