Posted: 30 Jan 2013, 12:45
Full reviews aren't my forte, so I'll just leave a couple of my thoughts around.
SCP was okay. SEB 4 U was a fitting and explosive start to the beginning of a comeback of eurobeat, it unfortunately wasn't as memorable as I hoped for it be though. An-G's track has a J-Pop flavour to it while still retaining eurobeat elements to it, and is sort of what you'd get if you let loose a bunch of girl groups and started asking them to make eurobeat, I like it. Bamboo Bimbo's track was the most mindless track on the album, speedy, catchy and a great sounding post-chorus highlight the track. Fastway's track was Ennio pretty much being Ennio, heard it once, heard it all. Love the sirens, not the “Gos!”. Scream Team's song was a bit of a surprise, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought and it had some great sounding parts such as the operatic vocals and the vocal melody – especially on the chorus, but still not my kind of song though.
The biggest surprise on the album came from Sinclaire this time round, and I was never one of his label's biggest fan boy except occasionally. Never mind the dated sounding technical details, both of his presentations on this album were real treats for the ear – with “Loving Eurobeat” being the superior track of the two courtesy of it's meatier instrumentation. Dejo's track is a more traditional sounding effect laden yet very danceable and a great track to hum or sing along to.
Don't think I need to say much about the sole Saifam track. They are very much like eating McDs, sure they have new menus all the time, but at the end of the day, it's all the same crap anyways.
Sun Fire pretty much stuck to what they do best, exotic flavours that push boundaries, and as usual, their own brand of perfect ten intros that will sweep you off your feet in the first thirty seconds. Dave's track is probably one of the least edgy sounding one he released so far, only above the pseudo ballad Skylight. My only gripe is that the guitar solo could use a bit more meat and length to it but other than that, it's a great song in every aspect. Rich Hard's song has a great beat to it, and though his vocals sound somewhat in the down at times, I still like the dark and brooding feel that his songs seem to have. Tiranti's song was a letdown, but it shouldn't be a surprise at all, not when it wasn't too long ago that he released his best track ever.
Festari's track was Hi-NRG staying true to what they are known for, wild melodies with vocal melodies that sound drunk at times. The breakdown is something new sounding for the label and I liked that. Nothing else is particularly new but it works nonetheless. Daniel's track was push and pull, the song sounds great for the most part but I am slightly put off by the verses and bridges, it was pulling some Festari level of oddities. Not a bad intro too might I add.
Dima on the other hand, was a real let-down. Both of his presentations left no memorable impression whatsoever, even after repeated listens. “Power & Love” once again shows that Stefania seems to be slowing and watering down with each subsequent release, and is gradually losing the “oomph” that once made her earlier songs on the label such as “Fever Of Love” the perfect fusion of epic, energy and aishu. “Dance Eurobeat” was by and by, nothing but a 5 minute run of mediocrity. I really hope the label comes back with a bang on 222, because this sort of level just doesn't cut it.
I think that's pretty much it. Here are my scores for each individual track:
1. SEB 4 U / SEB All Stars (4/5)
2. Different Girl / An-G (4/5)
3. Loving Eurobeat / Dejo & Bon (5/5) - 3rd
4. Power & Love / Stephy (2/5)
5. Kiss / Bamboo Bimbo (2.5/5)
6. 1 Fire / Dave Rodgers (5/5) – Top track of the album
7. Down Down Down / Tipsy & Tipsy (1/5)
8. Born To Be Wild In My Car / Cy-Ro (3/5)
9. Kelly / Powerful T (2/5)
10. Wacky-Wacky-O / Scream Team (3/5)
11. Wild Boys / Rich Hard (5/5) - 2nd
12. Dance Eurobeat / Heather feat David Dima (2/5)
13. Super Driver / Daniel (3.5/5)
14. Hyper Super Powers / Fastway (3.5/5)
15. Boys Gone Wild (4.5/5)
Average Grade : 3.5/5 (Decent but not great)
SCP was okay. SEB 4 U was a fitting and explosive start to the beginning of a comeback of eurobeat, it unfortunately wasn't as memorable as I hoped for it be though. An-G's track has a J-Pop flavour to it while still retaining eurobeat elements to it, and is sort of what you'd get if you let loose a bunch of girl groups and started asking them to make eurobeat, I like it. Bamboo Bimbo's track was the most mindless track on the album, speedy, catchy and a great sounding post-chorus highlight the track. Fastway's track was Ennio pretty much being Ennio, heard it once, heard it all. Love the sirens, not the “Gos!”. Scream Team's song was a bit of a surprise, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought and it had some great sounding parts such as the operatic vocals and the vocal melody – especially on the chorus, but still not my kind of song though.
The biggest surprise on the album came from Sinclaire this time round, and I was never one of his label's biggest fan boy except occasionally. Never mind the dated sounding technical details, both of his presentations on this album were real treats for the ear – with “Loving Eurobeat” being the superior track of the two courtesy of it's meatier instrumentation. Dejo's track is a more traditional sounding effect laden yet very danceable and a great track to hum or sing along to.
Don't think I need to say much about the sole Saifam track. They are very much like eating McDs, sure they have new menus all the time, but at the end of the day, it's all the same crap anyways.
Sun Fire pretty much stuck to what they do best, exotic flavours that push boundaries, and as usual, their own brand of perfect ten intros that will sweep you off your feet in the first thirty seconds. Dave's track is probably one of the least edgy sounding one he released so far, only above the pseudo ballad Skylight. My only gripe is that the guitar solo could use a bit more meat and length to it but other than that, it's a great song in every aspect. Rich Hard's song has a great beat to it, and though his vocals sound somewhat in the down at times, I still like the dark and brooding feel that his songs seem to have. Tiranti's song was a letdown, but it shouldn't be a surprise at all, not when it wasn't too long ago that he released his best track ever.
Festari's track was Hi-NRG staying true to what they are known for, wild melodies with vocal melodies that sound drunk at times. The breakdown is something new sounding for the label and I liked that. Nothing else is particularly new but it works nonetheless. Daniel's track was push and pull, the song sounds great for the most part but I am slightly put off by the verses and bridges, it was pulling some Festari level of oddities. Not a bad intro too might I add.
Dima on the other hand, was a real let-down. Both of his presentations left no memorable impression whatsoever, even after repeated listens. “Power & Love” once again shows that Stefania seems to be slowing and watering down with each subsequent release, and is gradually losing the “oomph” that once made her earlier songs on the label such as “Fever Of Love” the perfect fusion of epic, energy and aishu. “Dance Eurobeat” was by and by, nothing but a 5 minute run of mediocrity. I really hope the label comes back with a bang on 222, because this sort of level just doesn't cut it.
I think that's pretty much it. Here are my scores for each individual track:
1. SEB 4 U / SEB All Stars (4/5)
2. Different Girl / An-G (4/5)
3. Loving Eurobeat / Dejo & Bon (5/5) - 3rd
4. Power & Love / Stephy (2/5)
5. Kiss / Bamboo Bimbo (2.5/5)
6. 1 Fire / Dave Rodgers (5/5) – Top track of the album
7. Down Down Down / Tipsy & Tipsy (1/5)
8. Born To Be Wild In My Car / Cy-Ro (3/5)
9. Kelly / Powerful T (2/5)
10. Wacky-Wacky-O / Scream Team (3/5)
11. Wild Boys / Rich Hard (5/5) - 2nd
12. Dance Eurobeat / Heather feat David Dima (2/5)
13. Super Driver / Daniel (3.5/5)
14. Hyper Super Powers / Fastway (3.5/5)
15. Boys Gone Wild (4.5/5)
Average Grade : 3.5/5 (Decent but not great)
Sadly, the pitch control with pitch lock isn't all that great. It has to resample the song and the quality goes down immensly. The same happens if you use MixMeister, by the way.
