Super Eurobeat Vol. 168

[oresama-chan]

Is the popularity of Eurobeat/ParaPara in Japan on the decline anyway?

It always seemed to me that the megamix comps released every album decade (150,160,etc.) were much more popular than the in-between albums anyway, so maybe more and more people are sticking to just buying the decade releases now?

Para has coming to the fore again since around last year, but
the boom isn't tying in well with the sales of Eurobeat CDs in the present
circumstances unlike previous para booms.

On one hand those foregone booms doubtless made a huge contribution
to the sales of CDs, on the other they steered general listeners away from
Eurobeat due to the deterioration of the image of Eurobeat tightly related
to unpleasant youthcult like ganguro, yamamba, galkei, hot-rodder(this
one is a bit different, though) etc.
In result, quite a lot of people frown on Eurobeat, so that we are
sometimes ashamed to profess a love of Eurobeat.

[taQ]

and thats why avex is doing promotions in which you buy SEB and a Gazen!! CD and can win a parapara DVD

[DJ Mike]

On SEB they cut 15 seconds! Pfff... Why needs this??????

That may not be entirely fair - SEB 168 seems to run very close to the 74 minute mark - 73:23 in fact - and since 74 minute discs are the proper standard, I expect that's what Avex tries to adhere to (alright, a lot of discs do 80, but I guess professional distributors are urged to avoid it if they can) - so I guess Avex trims as much as it can to get below 74 minutes.

I'm not sure if I've even ever seen that many Avex discs go above 74 minutes in length - maybe some of the non-stop megamixes?

M;.

[cigy41987]

and thats why avex is doing promotions in which you buy SEB and a Gazen!! CD and can win a parapara DVD

Too bad most of them are won by lottery Makes it fair though.

And I'm surprised Avex hasn't done MORE tie-ins. Gazen has almost like...made the need to buy SEB non-existent, since all the popular songs are on the cds. Also, most of the DVDs have no new songs, which is stupid.

That's the way I look at it though. I think what they're doing with Techpara is smarter.

[Ricfiam]

On SEB they cut 15 seconds! Pfff... Why needs this??????

That may not be entirely fair - SEB 168 seems to run very close to the 74 minute mark - 73:23 in fact - and since 74 minute discs are the proper standard, I expect that's what Avex tries to adhere to (alright, a lot of discs do 80, but I guess professional distributors are urged to avoid it if they can) - so I guess Avex trims as much as it can to get below 74 minutes.

I'm not sure if I've even ever seen that many Avex discs go above 74 minutes in length - maybe some of the non-stop megamixes?

M;.

It is not acceptable for the cutting-thing. SEB usually around 72-73 min.
If now close to 74, why they don't chosen another song instead of Asya?
And for the other songs cutted before, there were 72-73 min. cds, so I think the problem is something else.

[drnrg]

Oresama wrote:

On one hand those foregone booms doubtless made a huge contribution
to the sales of CDs, on the other they steered general listeners away from
Eurobeat due to the deterioration of the image of Eurobeat tightly related
to unpleasant youthcult like ganguro, yamamba, galkei, hot-rodder(this
one is a bit different, though) etc.
In result, quite a lot of people frown on Eurobeat, so that we are
sometimes ashamed to profess a love of Eurobeat.

History seems to repeat itself. Remember what happened to High Energy in the states when it became closely related to the gay Community. Although the imahge of some of the artists, Paul Lekakis,DOA and Pet Shop Boys, did not help the situation.
But hey I live out in Baja California....and When I cruise the Revolution streets I pump out the Eurobeat LOUD & Fast!! Ignorant people think I just speed up the old 80's tunes? PLEASE

[DJ Mike]

It is not acceptable for the cutting-thing. SEB usually around 72-73 min.
If now close to 74, why they don't chosen another song instead of Asya?
And for the other songs cutted before, there were 72-73 min. cds, so I think the problem is something else.

Ah, but bear in mind - when they make the radio edits they probably deliberately aim for 4 minute runtimes. 18 4-minute songs adds up to 72, so that leaves 2 minutes of slack.

It's likely they make these radio edits well in advance of choosing which songs go on to the final CD, so they cut as much as they can to get it down to radio length - so some songs will lose just 15 seconds, while others will lose 1-2 minutes.

[Densetsu13]

Well yesterday made me a very happy boi. I get home and my Para Club Videos had arrived so I was like whut! Then SEB 168 came and and I was pleasantly surprised by the new packaging that is sex, and then even more surprised that I have next to NO complaints about this SEB! The only slight disappointment is This Love and even that was better than what Delta usually churns out. Kudos to HRG for not making me want to cry, and Little Don and Hurricane are WINNAR

and thats why avex is doing promotions in which you buy SEB and a Gazen!! CD and can win a parapara DVD

Too bad most of them are won by lottery Makes it fair though.

And I'm surprised Avex hasn't done MORE tie-ins. Gazen has almost like...made the need to buy SEB non-existent, since all the popular songs are on the cds. Also, most of the DVDs have no new songs, which is stupid.

That's the way I look at it though. I think what they're doing with Techpara is smarter.

Well my only problem with the lottery is that they don't give out enough =\ Also the Gazen series usually has songs that are mostly 9J's choreos which irks me a bit, and then there's the DVD problem like you said with re-used microwaved routines we've seen a dozen times XD

[cigy41987]

Also, I just thought I'd post that most non-Eurobeat Avex Dance cd's are OVER 74 minutes. Some Cyber Trance cds as well as I think the new Gazen cd are over 74.

I may be wrong...but I doubt that's part of it, the 74 minute CD thing.

Personally, I think they release too much as it is, and not enough quality stuff. Look at some of the recent albums, they have GREAT songs. But compare to some of the albums from 2001 and 2003 and even much older, like SEB 38, which are full of songs that are awesome. Of course that's my opinion.

[jeurobeat]

Be warned, this might be a somewhat controversial message.

Maybe it's about time to start something new. The music has become more and more format style. If it is possible wikitize such a precise description of a style, the style really has a problem. I see a great difference between the transition periods 1987-1997 and 1997-2006.

1987-1997: more experimental music, many different sounds, beats, changes, song structures... in the first years of a beat c for example (since 1990), the diversity was huge, and the style made very important changes every year. Decent extended versions.

1997-2006: songs sound alike, no notable changes, some labels use the same sounds and beats for at least 200 songs (a beat c and time have become the kings of reuse), less diversity (within labels). No real changes over years; a SEB of 1997 does not sound much different from a recent one. No extended versions due to format change of SEB.

The only labels that are an exception to all this are SAIFAM and DELTA, which are still very original.

It won't be a surprise that I like the first transition period much more than the current period.

Maybe it's time for a SEB spin-off:

- songs created by (some of the) current SEB labels.
- no more than a couple of issues a year (compare with That's Eurobeat)
- maybe even a completely new name (if the eurobeat name is polluted)
- experimental, creative, original, little/no reuse of sounds
- no strict format as it has become now

This is how I look at it. I'd rather buy 4 CDs a year with 12 top quality songs than the current stuff.

EDIT: I may sound very negative about the current situation. But I still like some of the new songs very much!

[UQ100]

Maybe it's time for a SEB spin-off:

- songs created by (some of the) current SEB labels.
- no more than a couple of issues a year (compare with That's Eurobeat)
- maybe even a completely new name (if the eurobeat name is polluted)
- experimental, creative, original, little/no reuse of sounds
- no strict format as it has become now

No reuse of sounds?! Eurobeat producers aren't sitting at a modular Moog.

I probably have more favourite songs from the "transition" period too, but then again, I do think in many ways production has become quite well refined and optimized, and some of the production seem to be first-rate.


I think it is important to balance new directions alongside strong styles that are recycled. Also, sometimes the problem isn't finding a "new" sound but it's really just lazy and uninspired production. I don't think "Kiss Me Baby" (Virginelle) is very original but the track has quite an intricate arrangement (e.g., with all those sequences) and moreover it breathes, not just looping over the same stuff without fills or a pause.

Trouble is, though, when there's less money in something there's less scope for risks. Also, don't many here complain when Eurobeat producers try different styles?

In the end, though, isn't the important thing right now just that Eurobeat is still being made?

[Mikaeru]

I'd strongly disagree with SAIFAM being very original. Yes, they're different from what else is out there, but I find their songs to be very similar. I mean, play a song from the EuroPanic era and the stuff out now, and I have a hard time telling the difference.

I also disagree with the 1997-2006 comment. Personally there's a gradual change around 100. I mean, at the latest BoB battle, I was kinda surprised Ale Japan was in there, because it felt older than the rest of the songs.

And there does seem to be a change going on right now. A lot of the labels seem to be experimenting. A few of them have tried some SAW-sounding materials. Some have gone a bit more techno/trance.

The trouble with a spinoff now, I see, is that eurobeat isn't popular enough FOR a spinoff. Look at when it was last huge, there was EuroPanic, Euromach, Dancemania's Happy Paradise series. Now it's pretty calmed down. Maybe the whole techpara movement is the new spinoff...

I don't really have a point here, but I don't know sales figures, the contracts each label has, the finances. *shrugs*

Trouble is, though, when there's less money in something there's less scope for risks. Also, don't many here complain when Eurobeat producers try different styles?

Yeah, I was thinking that too. I mean (not to pick on Delta), but I got the impression a lot of people really didn't like stuff like Right Now or songs from Queen 26 at first, complaining that they weren't eurobeat. They seem a bit more accepted now. It's hard to find that middle ground.

In the end, though, isn't the important thing right now just that Eurobeat is still being made?

Yes.

[Jayveemon]

Saifam is as original as Speedcore is slow.

[Vadim]

I also disagree with the 1997-2006 comment. Personally there's a gradual change around 100. I mean, at the latest BoB battle, I was kinda surprised Ale Japan was in there, because it felt older than the rest of the songs.

I enjoy the pre-SEB 101 eurobeat sound a lot more.
It was essentially still an 80-s sound with lush tastefull sound palette.
EB got a lot more generic since 100, as integrity of style got to crumbling and all sort of musically unrelated stuff got thrown into the mix as by some dimented dj.Still,most of pre-SEB-71 songs were boring a lot.I can pretty much only stay awake to Bratt's girl tunes from that period. U have to give it to Bratt, he never wrote a really boring song,ever,whether u dig the S-man or not.

And there does seem to be a change going on right now. A lot of the labels seem to be experimenting. A few of them have tried some SAW-sounding materials. Some have gone a bit more techno/trance.

It's experimenting of a variety that someone does in college when
at a party and there are so many wonderous things to toss da cookies from. Avex may get bored with all that blatant cluelessness and lack
of a consistency in music, and simply close that flea market.
EB should be about making enjoyable music not maximizing profits.

[drnrg]

I disagree with everyone. Surprise?

I seem to go with the flow of Italo- Eurobeat transition with no problem what so ever.
In early 90's when TIME, FLEA and ASIA were in the frontline, I thought that was the best sound ever.
Then came ABeatC and HRG Attack. Faster and Diferent vocalists really got my blood pumping.
late 90's I kinda had problems and so did the record labels since there was more fueds. Also the period of speed changes was not yet mastered by TIME. I listen to songs like "Pump Pump Pump"- Virgin and clearly they were not too confortable in the speed zone.
When SEB format 3:45-405 min songs came out, I was exstatic. More music and more new labels DELTA and VIBRATION

I guess my point is I'm currently enjoying Eurobeat style and formatt. I for one, I love all the new aliases that the labels throw at us...and that my friends is the difference.
Listen to these artists! there songs thogh familiar in Label style. have different distinctive sound. ..and I hear it most in TIME!
Pride,Idol,Jon & Mary Dance,Speedcar,Touch & Go...all got a different sound. I also miss Jean Love,De La Vega and Volta & Gabbana.


I think the quality is great! Keep my bi- monthly SEBs comming out like hot potatos. It's just such a rush to recieve that new cd and pop it into my cd player for the first TIME!! ... The cure is, I skip around the trax ! I Play TIME, HRG and Saifam first, because I know those will be graet!, but imagine my surprise when I heard Manuel-"Sun In The Rain"( that was the third to last trax)...and I loved it. It's these surprises that keep my interest in Eurobeat Alive & Pumping

For the record...I just heard Joe D. Toaster- Sex Gun. and even though it sounds exactly like some other HRG song, it's different. That is the hidden Talent of the labels! That would never work with stale top 40 radio or crappy ass Techno