Super Eurobeat VOl. 166

[the_ditz]

I loved the Eurobeat Flash series, so it would be good to see it return. I generally associate it with HRG productions, so they would probably make a good starting point for labels to congregate around. Akyr should definitely be taken up by someone to have regular commercial releases of their excellent tracks.

[drnrg]

Oresama wrote:

Fantasy is a Japanese Eurobeat label and the chief producer, Masaha Suzuki
is now Japanese agent for Akyr Music, so you can hear a sample of their music (Minamijuji no hoshi) on Akyr's website.
Japanese-made eurobeat isn't my cup of tea, though.

Thanks Oresama. The Japanese eurobeat is not really to my liking iether. That is why I was a bit ignorant to thier existance. Good to know

[euro up north]

Reveiw of Euro up north

Hello everybody!

I am back – with another review with critical ears.

This time it is the SEB 166 – in my opinion one of the best SEB-albums in a long time, with many strong melodies.

1. Fastaway – Shock Out 5/10

Maleside rarely has something to offer. This song is mainstream eurobeat, that passes by. Boring – every day refrain – and no verse to remeber. Ordinar is the keyword.

2. Alvin – Domino 6/10

Alvin is a male artist with potential. He has definatly had a few hits over the years. Dominos intro and vers is ok. Tough nice going start. But the refrain is an “every day” history. Pretty ordinar, and the word “Domino” is stamped to your mind. A step better than Fastaway.

3. Candy Taylor – Destiny 6/10

First female song. If you play the intro, you could think it is another genre, than eurobeat. It is a tougher song with much guitar in the intro. But the song soften up and the refrain reminds of a eurovision song contest melody. And than we have the Cherpitch. The refrain alone is worth a higher grade, but in total the song is ordinar.

4. Brian Ice – Take care of my heart 7/10

Mr Ice is a male favorite. He has had one dynamitesong from early SEB in Hearbeat. It is a kind of remake of the SAW and Cliff Richard song “Just dont have heart” – but a good one. This is a soft song, and Brians voice has that nice and sweet 80-s eurodisco sound. The song is a soft sweet thing, and best so far. After a few listenings, you feel the song is catchy.

5. Symbol – Forever love me 8-/10

The intro remindes of techno and tranz, mor than eurobeat. But after a while the signficantive sound of eurobeat appers, and the verse is pretty good, and the refrain is really nice. The refrain is definatly the best so far, and makes you really happy. It is a moodrefrain. After the first refrain you really start like the verse too. It is above average...
You can´t complain about the album – it is just getting better.

6. Kelly T – I need somebody to love 7-/10

Kelly T is eurobeat from the first second. A soft song and robust verse and refrain. I really like a part here and there, but the hole song is a little bit of an everyday song. But som introriffs is defintaly taking the song from the ordinar songs.

7. Valery Scott – Now and forever 10-/10

Saifam is together with Hi-nrg attack the number one of the eurobeat and euroworld. This is eurobeat. A top song and the verse is 10. Marvollous. This is the best song, since 7th heaven on 139, I think. After a few listnings it is clear – a topsong. GREAT – it was a while since last time.

8. Mark Gillian – Love is like a fight 8-/10

Unbelivable. After the monstersong of Valery a great male song just turns up. This song of Mark Gillian is a happy, soft song – with a strong refrain. A really moody song that is a great exemple of a great eurobeatsong. This is one of the best SEB-album in their history in my point of view.

9. Mel Rose – Burning Highway 6+/10

A little dip, with a more ordinare song. But it is a good listen too – but never peak.

10. Lou Lou Marina – Who´s making love 8+/10

Lou Lou has tengraders from the euromach-era. So the expactations were thereafter. Lou Lou is one of the big ones – from Hi-nrg attack. And this is good. You won´t get disapointed. It feels a little slower than avarage eurobeat from Hi-nrg attack, but you really recognize the monstercompany. Wonderful to here. More female songs from Hi-nrg attack to SEB now.
Nine points on the verse a little lower on the refrain. Very close to 9. GOOD WORK Hi-nrg

11. Melissa White – Lay your love on me 7/10

Melissa White surprising a little bit. It is a poppy song, with a strong and good refrain. One song you defintaly will listen to once in a while. It is on repaet together with a couple of songs from this album. A robust song.

12. Neo – King of chinatown 6-/10

The first 10 seconds could have been from a deathmetalband. Than it turns to be eurobeat and than a quite typical malesong with a sound that i average for the maleside. Like parts of the refrain – but this is very ordinar in the end.

13. Baby Gold – The Night is party 8+/10

The comeback on SEB 145 was a great disapointment. Why? Because Baby Gold has deliverad more than a handfull topsongs.
But this is PARTY. This is Hi-nrg attack hitting the spot. This is success and Hi-nrg attack shows why they are the best. If you like Baby Gold and attack, you love this song.

14. Leila – Stop of loving you 6/10

Leila has a history of sun and ocean – or top and bottom. This is middle between. Maybe a few steps under. This is an average song and it is just passing by.

15. Sara – Summer, spring, fall 6/10

After the lightpop intro the song turn to be more eurobeat, but it has a boring refrain. An averagesong without any peaks. But the melodic part after the refrain is nice.

16. Cherry – Bang, bang 7/10

Cherry has many hits, and bang bang is a robust Cherry song. It is not a topsong, but defintaly better than average. I like the verse, but the refrain is quite average. But I love the voice of Cherry.

17. Lupin – Black UFO 5+/10

Every rose has it´s torn. And this album has too. Lupin and black Ufo is an averagestory that has nothing extra. You can let the song pass, but just waiting for the last song on this album.

18. Dave Roders feut Kiko – Ring of fire 5-/10

Maleside with too much guitars. This is one step worse than Lupin. Close to hit the failmark, but it stays on the right side.


Total: 7/10

Summary: Three songs that hit eight or higher is definatly close to uniqe for a SEB-album. A good SEB-album has two songs that hit 8 or higher.
Valery Scotts song is an sensation at the moment. Hopefully more songs of the femaleside from SAIFAM and Hi-nrg attack will be on the SEB in the future. I really recommend this album. This is a great mix of songs.

[jeurobeat]

I would definitely hope that Akyr could be added in without the expense of another label (considering adding in another label would FORCE SEB to only use the best of the best from each label as there would be less space for songs with another label in there).

And that is the exact problem here. Who has the honour of deciding which one is the best of the best? Read on...

However, compared to the rest of the labels, Hi-NRG Attack is the weakest. I'm not saying this based on the fact of whether they deserve it or not due to their years of being in the business, but rather based on the fact of what it is that they're producing right now (or at least what i've heard on the 160s thus far).

Even though we all seem to like/love/whatever Eurobeat music here on board, we all have our favorites and our dislikes. Choosing the best of the best of HRG is could be Maid Attack for example for drnrg (judging from his post), while you hate it. The other way round I would scratch the latest Dave Rodgers off my cd copy if I could. It is nice to see lists of favorites, and with some I'll agree and others I won't. But we all have that. At least SEB provides some good stuff for everybody here.

[drnrg]

8)You have a strong point in mind! All the different Eurobeat labels appease each one of us differently.
5 stars to Euro Up North for his review. He has courage to shoot down the favs , in this case Lupin and Fastway and also is able to look beyond the bad production sound of HRG's two songs and review them on overall SONG quality. I also think ; aside from bad recording sound; that they were actually two of my favs songs on cd.
If I had too choose my top five, those would be in there along with Lupin, Mark Gillian ,Symbol and Sara. Oops that's more than 5, but you get my point

[the_ditz]

But how can you get past the terrible production quality of those two songs? The production is core to the overall sound that the song has, and if it doesn't sound good the song is never gonna sound good. Sure, you can try to imagine the vocal melodies being transplanted into a better production, but you have to judge the songs with the production they are given IMO...

[drnrg]

8)At first the production vocal value was barely listenable, but I got into the melody and overall pace of the song and accepted them. As I guess so did AVEX?

[Jion]

To me I have to look at the whole package and how the song comes out. Again I'm not trying to convince anyone to my side, I just didn't enjoy the songs because I felt like it was reused eurobeat and the extremely high pitched female vocals hurt more than helped the song. Personally I felt that HRG could have done better as Who's Making Love sounds like a rejected Rick Castle song and The Night Is Party is feels like a remake of songs from the Euromach era.

[drnrg]

It's scarey how these "Bad" HRG songs have totally taken over the topic and have gotten this much attention. Pretty Funny

[Densetsu13]

lol, I would have to agree with that. Maybe it's because out of all the labels, HRG has always had the most distinct and unique sound, therefore it grabs people's attention more easily?

I know for me personally, it's just a shock considering when I first started listening to Eurobeat, HRG was my favorite label and I couldn't get enough of them. It makes me wonder what has changed over the years...

One thing for sure is that it's impossible to completely satisfy a Eurobeat fan with any single SEB, because as this thread has shown (and the boards in general), our tastes vary wayyyyyyyyyy too much