Review of Super Eurobeat 150's
The whole review for the previous eurobeat decade is coming a bit late with 160's almost at the end, but better late than never. The 150's were a very contradictional decade to eurobeat listeners as the decade brought huge changes to the loved music that we've been loving for years now. Disco, trance, rock, pop and other musical influences were heavily present and the good old modern beat was threatened. After the very high quality 140's this decade was expected to keep the level high, but at some parts the labels stumbled on their own, where as big surprises were brought along in the shape of new names and some old names doing a totally new style.
This eurobeat decade will probably be remembered as an experiemental phase
between the old eurobeat and what the future has to offer, either way the year
brought us a lot of enjoyable moments and while it doesn't stand up to the level
of the 140's it's generally a very nice year of eurobeat.
Average Grade for 150's : 8+
A-Beat C, Delta, HI-NRG Attack, SCP, Time & Vibration kept doing what they have been doing for oh so many years and all of the labels had their highs and lows, but a few of the labels just over all performed better than the others. I'll evaluate all of the labels one by one and name their best performances this decade in order. Other labels will have a definitely better line up for the best songs when they have had 10x more songs on the albums than others, but the amount of tracks displayed will be adjusted by each label.
Label Reviews:
A-Beat C
The grand label of them all. This label has a way of doing their old style with a touch of modern sound to it without going too far overboard. The main reason why I value them so much. A-Beat C didn't introduce all that many new names during this decade which is a totally okay decision as their good old "classic" titles still keep going as strong as they have always been. A very nice year for A-Beat C in terms of big hits and variety.
Only things I was left a bit unsatisfied with was that Virginelle only appeared
once and Lolita's songs weren't no where the level of her previous masterpieces
(Don't You Want My Heart, Kiss 2 Kiss & Heart Attack).
Three words to describe A-Beat C in the 150's: Reliable, Energetic &
Memorable.
Label Grade : 9+
5 Biggest A-Beat C hits in the 150's
1.Go Go Girls - I Wanna Be Fat (Super Eurobeat - 154)
I Wanna Be Fat is one of the very few really old school eurobeat songs that A-Beat C put out in the 150s. The track has incredible impact to it when it explodes into action and you can just let the melody take you. Very self-ironic and unique lyrics also fit the Go Go Girls theme perfectly, so I can't really imagine them getting much better than this. Very classical eurobeat sounds combined with Elena Gobbi's amazing vocals and iressistible melody make this song my define highlight of the 150's over all. A song that deserves a place in the eurobeat hall of fame without a doubt.
2. Nuage - Let's Go Dee Jay (Super Eurobeat - 157)
Let's Go Dee Jay was one of the few songs that struck like 1000 volts the first time I heard it. Nuage has been doing a marvellous job since her debut and with such hits as Let's Go Dee Jay you really can't go that far off. The track is an excellent display of art that would definitely work in circles also outside the eurobeat circles. Perfectly produced, balanced dancepop that drills deep into your brain before you've finished listening to it for the first time. The DJ scratches, variable backgrounds, striking vocals and brilliant melody make this one of Nuage's strongest songs over all.
3. Mickey B. - Snowgame Fighters (Super Eurobeat - 156)
Our brilliant Mickey B. just keeps on improving and offering eurobeat listeners with songs that not only break the old formula, but introduce new elements into the genre without making it sound awkward. Snowgame Fighters is a brilliant metamorphosis of light rapping and aggressive male-type eurobeat. The track sounds very unique with completely pointless lyrics, heavy backgrounds and Michaela Capurro's great vocals. Snowgame Fighters is probably a song that doesn't please everybody, but those who like it will definitely adore it.
4. Manuel - Big Boy (Super Eurobeat - 151)
If we need to name the biggest name from A-Beat C it would definitely be either Nuage or her strong male competitor Manuel. These two just keep producing new hits to the market that become instant hits and will surely make it far in the future countdown albums. Big Boy is a perfect example of energetic and catchy Manuel: Wild, rough, a bit wacky and pure irresistible. A-Beat C male song at its best, this song was also a perfect opener for the 150's on 151.
5. King & Queen - Boogie Boogie (Super Eurobeat - 153)
A SEB decade without a big King & Queen hit is no proper decade at all and my what an impact Boogie Boogie had on me. The track follows a similar path as I Wanna Be Fat did: Good old elements, awesome vocals, perfect production and a killer melody. A track that manages to make me move every single time I hear it and it just has this athmosphere to it that makes me feel good no matter what. Absolutely brilliant song over all and is high on my all time favorite K&Q tracks.
Honorable Mentions:
- Nuage - Carry On Carry On (Super Eurobeat - 151)
- Lolita & Mickey B. - Dancing Around The World (Super Eurobeat - 152)
- Giacomo Caria - Light My Fire (Super Eurobeat - 155)
- Virginelle - Love Is... (Super Eurobeat - 155)
- Mega NRG Man - Supertonic Lady (Super Eurobeat - 158)
Delta
Delta as a label was probably the one who brought the biggest changes to
their production in the 150's. The old aggressive Delta was no longer to be
found when smooth pop ballads and disco influenced songs crowded Super Eurobeat.
Multiple new names were introduced, some of them very interesting where as
others had a lot of space for improvement. The label produced quite a load of
killer hits that will surely live through the years and remain favorites for
many, but the label on the other end produced quite a big load of rather
melancholic and boring pop-type tracks that couldn't keep up my expectations I
had for them. Some of the musical experiements Delta did worked perfectly, but
it's sad to say that for the most part I was hoping for them to go back to the
old energic ways. My last impression of Delta in the end was very
contradictional as I loved the great songs they produced, but quite a few titles
I would rather end up skipping everytime they pop on an album. When I was trying
to pick out the top 5 songs and 5 songs for Honorable Mentions I noticed I was
having difficulties naming 10 songs all together which is what pretty much said
a lot more than 1000 words could.
Three words to describe Delta in the 150's: Disappointing, Slow & Variable.
Label Grade : 7½
5 Biggest Delta hits in the 150's
1. Queen 26 - Inside Your Heart (Super Eurobeat - 158)
It is sort of intriguing how I complained about Delta's musical experiements
going wrong for the most part, yet I place a very un-eurobeat-like song to the
first spot. Inside Your Heart is a good example of how magnificently the label
can manage off doing disco-flavored songs while most of their productions are
pure eurobeat. The track had a huge impact on me from the very first time I
heard it and after a year it still fascinates me in ways that most eurobeat
tracks never do. Perfecto vocals, incredibly beautiful backgrounds and a melody
to die for make this track one of the best Delta productions in years.
2. Niko - Pilot Is The Hero (Super Eurobeat - 158)
Where as Queen 26 was far from the typical eurobeat structure, Pilot Is The Hero
is a flashback to the good old past. Niko is a title that nobody would expect to
hear anything but pure energy from and that is just what the song offers. Energy,
action and the typical driving themed lyrics, these ingredients should please
the typical Initial D fanboy. A sure hit that joins the lineup of other hits
Niko has had during the years.
3. Pretty Woman - Sweet Heart (Super Eurobeat - 155)
Yet an another song that is rather far from generic eurobeat makes it to Delta
top 5? Well what can I say: They also know how to produce perfect pop tunes.
Sweet Heart is an incredibly beautiful track that flows on a bit dream-like, the
vocals are the clear highlight for the track as they are also what makes it so
catchy. The chorus with its übercute lyrics sounds just perfect and the great
c-melo just keeps the smooth track going on. A track that is far from my typical
eurobeat preferences, but it just shows that when a track is well done it is
well done and nothing to say about it.
4. Za-Za - Wanna Be With You (Super Eurobeat - 154)
Another old school title from Delta that keeps on going steady with catchy songs.
Wanna Be With You is a more common Delta with bubbly sounds, fast melody, great
female vocals and a giddy mood to it. The track doesn't break the good old
pattern, but it's one of its strong points. Eurobeat at its purest form is
catchy as hell when it's done well and that's exactly how Wanna Be With You is
like. Not much to say about the song, other than it should've deserved a
slightly better grade than I gave it originally.
5. Robbie Grain Feat. Name - All The Love Of My Heart (Super
Eurobeat - 151)
This track was one of the very first pop type eurobeat songs Delta put out in
the beginning of the 150s and at that point I was still totally amazed by the
production values and beautiful melodies. And by no means has this song gotten
any worse than it was when I initially heard it. The song has a very positive
mood to it and it's easy to start humming along without noticing it much
yourself. A very nice pop tune from the Delta carage.
Honorable Mentions:
- Oda - Speed Demon (King Of Kings) (Super Eurobeat - 151)
- Delta Queens - Blue (Super Eurobeat - 154)
- David "Off" - Imagination (Super Eurobeat - 156)
- Eurofunk - DJ Is Playing My Song (Super Eurobeat - 156)
- Vicky Vale - My Body Sweat (Super Eurobeat - 159)
HI-NRG Attack
Our lovable high energy label still keeps doing their own thing even though
other labels seem to be adapting a lot of new styles and new vocalists. HI-NRG
Attack didn't as far as I know introduce any new vocalists and even if there
would have been a few new names they would probably be the same old vocalists
under new titles sadly. The label did try their wings on a few slow songs such
as Rick Castle's Fly To The Star which wasn't a half bad attempt, but the label
would need to work on these songs a bit more to make them as appealing as the
major labels do. At best times the label still produces brilliant eurobeat that
is easy to fall in love with, but the label just has been sounding a bit like a
broken record for a while now. With a few new names to work on their materials
and some new vocalists the label could really enchance their image. Over all the
label did pretty alright during the 150's with only a few completely bad songs,
but considering the fact that they usually only get 1-2 songs per album I'd
still expect to get quality.
Three words to describe HI-NRG Attack in the 150's: Repetitive, Fast &
Masculine.
Label Grade : 8
3 Biggest HI-NRG Attack hits in the 150's
1. Franz Tornado - One Night With Bazooka Belly Dancers (Super
Eurobeat - 154)
Good old Franz keeps producing wacky and senseless eurobeat that is easy to get
hooked on. One Night With Bazooka Belly Dancers is a good example of the
randomness that is HI-NRG Attack. If you put aside the pointless lyrics, you get
an energy packed track that will surely make you feel giddy. Catchy chorus and
nice vocals all around, just what you can expect from the label.
2. Franz Tornado & Bazooka Girl - Motto Motto Inamoto (Caballero Remix)
(Super Eurobeat - 159)
Originally I was thinking of putting this track as the number one, but due to
the fact that it's just a remake of the old classic Caballero With Sombrero
I decided to lower its position a bit. If you know the original from Euromach
then you can just imagine it with even more impactful vocals and the usual wacky
lyrics. A real highlight from the label but of course a totally new track
would've been even better. Either way you can't deny the fact that this song is
HI-NRG Attack at their best and they're totally in their element with the
thrilling speed.
3. Jeff Driller - Stop And Go (Super Eurobeat - 158)
More energy and more male vocalists, just like HI-NRG Attack has been all around
this decade. Stop And Go is one of the more hyper tracks the label has put out
with a irresistible melody that is clearly what makes the song as memorable and
catchy. The song starts with pure raw energy and keeps pushing forward with
insane pace. A simple track, you already know what you are getting when you hear
HI-NRG Attack either way.
Honorable Mentions:
- Tam Arrow - Fire To The Eurobeat (Super Eurobeat - 151)
- Jeff Driller - Control Alt Delete And Blow (Super Eurobeat - 153)
- Tam Arrow - Rambo Demolition (Super Eurobeat - 155)
SCP
What would this decade have been without the young SCP? A very dull place I
bet. The label has been improving year after year and they keep bringing out new
faces time after time which keeps their image fresh and interesting. It's a very
interesting fact that SCP is willing to show and tell us so much about their
artists on their page, where as most of the other labels keep very quiet about
their artists, I'd imagine this is one of the reasons why the label has become
so popular and fast. The other fact is that the label has mastered the
versatility that the eurobeat scene has been looking for so long: SCP puts out
raw energy, slow ballads, trance-flavored beautiful tracks, bouncy kiddy
eurobeat and pretty much anything you can hope for. I'm backing up my review on
the label with these few reasons to start with, but I'll also add that SCP did
not only manage to produce a ton of incredibly catchy and well produced eurobeat
songs during this decade, but they also managed to do all of this with such
class that it's simply breathtaking.
Three words to describe SCP in the 150's: Versatile, High-Quality & Rewarding.
Label Grade : 10
5 Biggest SCP hits in the 150's
1. Lisa Lion - Wonderful' Feelin (Super Eurobeat - 157)
Lisa burst into the eurobeat scene with her catchy Big On Emotion and after
that she kept it quiet for quite a while before we first got Lionheart and then
after the masterpiece called Wonderful Feelin'. If you combine heavy male-type
eurobeat backgrounds with female vocals you get the rare eurobeat sub-genre that
this song represents. It's very rare to hear such heavy tracks with female
vocalists which makes this track so unique and impressive. The song features a
lot of Trance and Rock elements but they have been proportioned perfectly so the
song still sounds like eurobeat, and that is also one of the best parts about
the track. Pure energy in a female form, this kind of eurobeat I would really
love to hear more. A direct shout out to SCP!
2. Pamsy - Livin' In The Night (Super Eurobeat - 152)
I am gonna say that this is probably one of the most groundbreaking songs in a
while. If you don't start humming along to this song after a while you're either
tone deaf or clearly in the right place. The track is a pure ingenious mixture
of trance, pop and eurobeat, really worth the spot it had on the SEB160
countdown. Hopefully the song will become one of the memorable hits from this
decade as it really does deserve its spot among the other big hits like Night Of
Fire, Fantasy and Yesterday.
3. Pamsy - Hello (Super Eurobeat - 155)
Another Pamsy song follows right after. This girl just keeps doing quality
eurobeat that makes you feel good. Hello is a breathtaking track that has rather
amusing lyrics and a to die for melody. Trance elements are present as they have
been on about every single Pamsy song, yet this time around the track sounds
more like good old eurobeat. Not much to add if you read the review for the
previous song, just as wonderful and catchy as Livin' In The Night.
4. Fastway - Make Or Brake (Super Eurobeat - 152)
Fastway has been one of my favorite eurobeat acts for ages, yet for a while I
had been feeling he was getting repetitive with the constant flood of new tracks...
Make Or Brake really broke the pattern and brought me back to Fastway-fanboyland.
The track features impressive "scat"-rapping by Ennio that is clearly the
highlight about the song, and it also sets the track apart from the generic
eurobeat. Perfect production values yet again by SCP and also impressive amount
of little tricks and gimmicks here and now in the song.
5. Irene - Dancin' Baby (Super Eurobeat - 153)
Now I am going to be pretty certain that about nobody will agree with me on this
one. The track is a clear follow up to the brilliant Kiki & Kika title round-up.
Cheery, bouncy and very bubbly track that just makes me feel fuzzy inside every
time I hear it. If you're not a friend of happy girly eurobeat then this is not
your pick for sure, but for the fans of Lolita, Virginelle, Kiki & Kika or
HI-NRG Attack females then you will surely adore Irene.
Honorable Mentions:
- Go 2 - Funky Funlover (Super Eurobeat - 159)
- Nick Mansell - Feel The Power (Super Eurobeat - 153)
- Sticky, Tricky & Bang - Sticky, Tricky & Bang! (Super Eurobeat - 157)
- Melissa White - Fine (Super Eurobeat - 159)
- Kiki & Fancy - Big In The Night (Super Eurobeat - 156)
Time
The good old Time did manage to surprise me a lot during this eurobeat year.
For a long time now I have been complaining about how they have been going
around in circles without no real direction at all. The label lost a lot of the
wonderful vocalists and producers that used to work there in the past, but
during the 150's Time also proved that they still have the talent there if they
only just showed it more often. The label produced quite a few surprising tracks
during this year, but on the other hand they released a load of tracks that
follow the very generic Time formula that just doesn't inspire you a lot. Either
way, the direction Time is heading now seems to be for the better as they
released a few rather breathtaking tracks for a change.
Three words to describe Time in the 150's: Unsurprising, Promising &
Repetitive.
Label Grade : 7½
3 Biggest Time hits in the 150's
1. Big Town Guy - John 'N' Mary Dance (Super Eurobeat - 155)
If I didn't know better when I heard this track I could've sworn we're not
listening to a Time production. The track is simply outstanding with great
production values, great vocals, marvellous melody and over all it just seems
that everything clicks with this track. The nice mixture of instrumental
elements and classical Time sounds works perfectly here. The lyrics don't really
make much sense but did it ever bug anyone? Who listens to music for the lyrics
is just a hypocrite lying to himself. A very great example of what Time can do!
2. Lou Turner - Superguy (Super Eurobeat - 158)
Lou Turner is a title I rarely have found very interesting, but Superguy really
breaks the formula as the label presents one of their most well done songs in
years. Time has worked out a rather typical eurobeat song into a irresistible
speed masterpiece that sounds great time after time. The use of electric guitars
in the track earns a lot of extra credit as they sound amazing every time
they're brought to the background. Nothing groundbreaking from the label but a
nice example of how well they can work if they get a good melody to work with.
3. Stylophones - Hold On To Love (Super Eurobeat - 152)
Wow, this track was something I was totally not expecting for. A slow ballad
from Time that sounds great from the first time you hear it, is not something
I've gotten used to. The song features both male and female vocals which sound
rather harmonius and the track really sounds like a love ballad you could listen
to when you've just fallen in love for the first time. Very impressive song and
fun to hear time after time.
Honorable Mentions:
- Mary Lane - Love Me Forever (Super Eurobeat - 151)
- Rose - Supernatural (Super Eurobeat - 152)
- Jackson O' - Shock (Super Eurobeat - 156)
Vibration
Our poor Vibration hasn't been really getting as much attention as they
really deserve. The rumors said that the label had been a bit behind of schedule
when producing new tracks and it was causing them to be stuck with their typical
1 track per album. So considering there was 9 albums and the label got 1 track
per album, they managed to pull of a few rather impressive displays of art. Like
HI-NRG Attack, Vibration has been rather loyal to their good old style and
they're still sticking with the 160bpm speed which is refreshing in this decade
of slow pop-type music. A nice year for the label, yet not much of new or
special around the door 1.
Three words to describe Vibration in the 150's: Wacky, Energetic & Loyal.
Label Grade : 8
3 Biggest Vibration hits in the 150's
1. Betty Blue - Changes (Super Eurobeat - 159)
This track surprised me big time when I originally heard it, the comedic
fastpaced action we heard from the same title in the beginning of the decade is
gone and we have a very mature sounding track with even a slightly melancholic
tone to it. Very nicely produced track that still keeps me coming back to it,
nicely produced track that just doesn't get old.
2. Dee Dee & Regina - Beautiful Day (Super Eurobeat - 155)
Duets in eurobeat world seem to get more attention than solo tracks for some
reason, but I have also noticed that for the most part the duets sound better
than the average eurobeat song sounds like. Beautiful Day is indeed a beautiful
track that just sounds good every time I hear it. Nice mixture of female and
male vocals that blend together nicely making the track really harmonius. A very
typical Vibration production by the sounds, but it still reveals a jewel inside
when you start listening to it more closely.
3. Betty Blue - Lollipop Banana (Super Eurobeat - 152)
If you know anything about wacky, crazy, girly eurobeat then you know Lollipop
Banana. A very mindless ride that will make half of the audience feel nauseous,
where as others will feel perfectly at home with this overdose of happiness. The
song is overly energetic and the sexually suggestive lyrics will amuse for a
while, but in the end they become slightly annoying. Either way a nice track
that kept me feeling good for a long time.
Honorable Mentions:
- Max Ducati - Valentino Samurai (Super Eurobeat - 151)
- Captain America - Space Fighter (Super Eurobeat - 154)
- Elisa - The Way You Love Me (Super Eurobeat - 157)
