Eurobeat-Prime 3.0

Review of Super Eurobeat 170's

A year has passed by relatively fast again, eurobeat doesn't show any signs of slowing down and fans still desire to hear the newest the loved labels have to offer. During the past year a lot of things have happened in the eurobeat world and new labels have made their debuts both on SEB and outside of it. Akyrmusic, Blast, Go Go's Music & Dima Music are new names that have started to take foothold in the eurobeat land that was ruled for so long by the few big labels.

Compared to the last decade where Saifam was still present, we were presented with Go Go's Music, the new label put up by two big time eurobeat names Sandro Oliva & Alessandra Mirka Gatti. Go Go's Music or GGM as I tend to call them nowa days didn't get nearly as much space on Super Eurobeat as Saifam did, but since the label only appeared midways of this decade we can't expect them to become instant space hoggers I guess. Old familiar titles such as Mega NRG Man, Domino & Lolita already appeared under this new label and their songs had a huge effect on old eurobeat fans, since the label pushed forward very effective tracks that were a breeze of fresh air on SEB.

Where as the 150's and 160's were very experiemental and offered fans with new aspects of eurobeat, this decade has been maybe a bit more of a step back to the good old eurobeat most of us fell in love with in the first place. That doesn't mean that we weren't introduced to new and exciting styles of eurobeat during this decade of course, but compared to the last 20 albums, I'd say we were moving more on a safe territory. What made the 170's an exciting decade is the fact that some of the labels that hadn't been my favorites for quite some time made a very strong comeback and presented good songs time after time. On top of that most of the old favorites kept going strong and keeping the majestic eurobeat flag high. The level of the albums during this decade in general was rather high as we were introduced to a few really exceptionally good albums, but on the other hand we did get some albums that were way below the general SEB-level. Of course this is all controversial since there are as many opinions as there are people, but I'm strongly behind my words on what I said about each album specifically in their own reviews.

The way songs were offered to be bought as extended format from mu-mo's online service (music-master as well), made getting eurobeat slightly easier and cheap to foreigners, which is indeed a very nice thing to have. As a person who doesn't really understand Japanese it'd be very welcome to have the sites offer an English layout in the future. I'm just throwing this thought into the air if representitives from the above mentioned sites happen to read this: I'm quite sure that me, myself & I would all be very pleased to be able to understand and be sure of what we're actually doing on the site when we want to hear that new release by our favorite artist. The wonderful people on the forums have offered help on how to use the sites, but still English would be English. Yammering about the sites aside, the way songs were offered as radio-edits on the actual CDs and extended through mu-mo made it a nice experience to hear how different the songs can be in the end. Some of the songs I've heard as both versions have been magnificently cut on to the CDs from extended, where as others have failed somewhat miserably. I just hope Avex keeps on releasing the albums online in the future as well since the system works relatively well in the end (language barrier aside).

Super Eurobeat 170's were a pretty strong decade in the end and even though we don't really compete with the very best decades ever, we have one of the better ones for quite some time... And with these words I say the...

Average Grade for 170's : 8+

The thing is... If I count the average for all the albums together I get a much lower average for the decade, but in the end I've come to enjoy a lot of songs and albums more by time than I did at the time of the review. This decade offered fans with a lot of new and exciting changes in the shape of various bonus discs. The re-introduction of the Bonus Remix-discs was a very pleasant one and I sure hope Avex keeps this up since the 10 remixes we've so far heard have all been all around magnificent. The extended version bonus discs were also very welcome since this offers Avex a good way of releasing before unreleased extendeds for fans to enjoy, also a tradition I'd love to see in the future as well. The 9 Super Eurobeat albums all offered fans what they were waiting for and I'm sure every eurobeat fan has their own favorite album and favorite song this decade has to offer, so without any more delay I'll get down to the actual label reviews and also found below is the chart for the amount of songs each label had during the 170's.

Label	171	172	173	174	175	176*	177	178*	179*	Total
A-Beat C	5	4	6	7	2	6(1)	4	4(1)	4(1)	42
Delta	3	4	3	3	3	3(1)	4	3	3(1)	29
Go Go's Music					3		1	2	1(1)	7
HI-NRG Attack	2	2	2	2	2	2(1)	2	3	3	20
SCP	4	4	3	2	4	3(2)	3	2	3(1)	28
Time	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4(1)	36

* Remixes & Bonus disc new songs in brackets

Label Reviews:

A-Beat C
Like before A-Beat C still has the upper hand on the amount of songs on SEB. The relatively freaky 175 with only 2 A-Beat C songs is preceded and superseded by albums that were on the other hand very heavily A-Beat C influenced. The trouble with the label during this decade was the lack of originality and spirit. Many of the previously popular and exciting titles pushed forward songs that lacked a lot of the old A-Beat C energy. A few names that popped a lot during this decade from A-Beat C were Nuage, Dave Rodgers (with a total of 8 songs either under the solo title or duets), Mega NRG Man (both under A-Beat C and GGM), Powerful T. and Annalise. A good example of the level difference for some artists could be seen during this decade especially when Dave pushed out very unimaginative and boring songs compared to the powerful and memorable songs he did in the 160s. Also it's funny how the bonus song on 178 (V.I.P. Is JP) was a lot better than any of the actual Dave songs that made it to the main CDs.

We did get quite a few strong songs of course, but in contrast to the earlier A-Beat C glory, we can't really even speak of similar level anymore. Somewhat surprisingly A-Beat C only presented us with 2 new titles during this decade, maybe we need some new blood? I'm still rooting for the label since I was a big fan for years, but I'm also losing faith little by little if we don't start to get more thrilling and energetic performances by the label. We can hope for the best for A-Beat C during the 180s, but sadly this was not their best year definitely. Did the departure of S. Oliva & A. Gatti really have that big of an impact?

Three words to describe A-Beat C in the 170's: Repetitive, Stereotypical & Classic.

Label Grade : 7-

5 Biggest A-Beat C hits in the 170's

1. Neo - Midnight Love (Super Eurobeat - 171)
This track didn't actually earn the highest grade out of all A-Beat C songs (it was Mega NRG Man - In The Sunrise), but by time I've grown to like it even more and more (the remix on 176 did have an effect on it). This song was also the very first song of this decade but it hasn't lost one bit of its edge. Very effective, catchy and all around a good example of how I love my A-Beat C. It's a shame we didn't get as many Neo songs during this decade as in the 160s. Kudos also to the wonderful Takumi remix on SEB179.

2. Domino - Cooking Boy (Super Eurobeat - 176)
So if the rumors are true, this will be the last Domino song that A-Beat C is releasing. It's a shame though since she was always a strong vocalist and her unique happy style was what kept me coming back for more. This is a very glorious way of ending her career with the label. Excessively happy and bubbly, just the way we love Alessandra. Hopefully the future will bring lots of Domino songs through GGM.

3. Mega NRG Man - In The Sunrise (Super Eurobeat - 173)
We heard quite a few songs during this decade from Tomas. Mostly we were offered very high quality tracks that will remain in the fans' hearts. I myself fell in love with this song instantly when I heard it and it has remained on my playlist and probably will do for years to come. Very effective and aggressive type of quality music, any fan of NRG Man will surely be pleased by the song.

4. Nuage - Have A Nice Day (Super Eurobeat - 178)
It's sort of funny how during this decade we got again quite a few Nuage songs, but compared to 160s, many of these songs were really well done as well. I had a hard time picking out my favorite out of the many songs Denise sang during the 170s, but in the end I resulted with this track that fits the current sunny summer perfectly. Nicely calm, yet very catchy and nicely arranged sounds. I'm still waiting for some more energetic and aggressive performance by her since we already know that she does well on that field as well, but this kind of music works for me as well.

5. Ray Sun - Black Devil (Super Eurobeat - 172)
So out of the 2 new titles, this one was a whole lot to my taste. This new and mysteriously macho title reminds me of a younger version of Dave. Black Devil is a catchy and addictive song that worked well when it was released and still does. I know that I'm not the only one who would be eagarly waiting for some more material by this title. We can hope for the best in the future.

Honorable Mentions:

- Annalise - Promised Land (Super Eurobeat - 172)
- Dave Rodgers - V.I.P. Is JP (Super Eurobeat - 178)
- Kelly T. - Take Me To Heaven (Super Eurobeat - 174)
- Nuage - Give Me A Sign (Super Eurobeat - 174)
- Manuel - Countdown To Destination (Super Eurobeat - 172)

Delta
What can I say? Really, I have to say that I'm more than extatic about how damn good Delta were during the 170s. Nearly every single album during the 170s offered me with a perfect hit that I've been heavily playing ever since I heard them. Delta has been doing solid work but the last 2 decades I think they maybe did a bit too much experiencing with different styles and now to me it seems they've found a very good way of mixing Disco flavors, slower beats and classic eurobeat to an effective and catchy form. The discoball title Queen 26 has been appearing quite a bit during this decade with songs that work very well and show us how variable and different eurobeat can be. The Delta team also did quite a few cover songs again, some didn't work all that well, yet others worked marvellously. Also the introduction of some old favorite titles brought back some nostalgic tones to our Delta-beat.

Three words to describe Delta in the 170's: Moody, Energetic & Memorable.

Label Grade : 9

5 Biggest Delta hits in the 170's

1. Delta Queens - Damn Damn My Heart (Super Eurobeat - 178)
If we look back into eurobeat history we can notice how Delta Queens have been appearing on SEB nearly every decade with a very strong track that has become a favorite either by fans (through countdown albums) or otherwise popular. This decade Damn Damn My Heart steals the spotlight with an insanely catchy and memorable performance. The song title is unique and it unveils a very perfectly balanced eurobeat production that doesn't suffer from any kind of problems. Awesome vocal work is highlighted during the strong chorus that will get stuck in your head for quite some time.

2. Daniel - Frontal Impact (Super Eurobeat - 179)
Daniel is one of the new wave artists that Delta brought to us during this decade. The debut track might not have been the strongest performance but the 2 songs on 179 were catchy and well produced. Frontal Impact is a mesmerizing song with fantastic vocal work and a great arrangement. If you want to hear a soothing voice in an aggressive Delta production, then this is definitely your pick. Rawr.

3. Paul Harris - Mira La Luna (Super Eurobeat - 173)
I might not have been the biggest Paul Harris fan in the past, but the few hits he released during this decade finally opened up my eyes. Mira La Luna is such an unique piece of eurobeat art it's not easy to explain with words. The mixture of old classic elements, English, Spanish and powerful vocal work make this a track that can not be skipped. Vocal work deserves a huge round of applauds since it's them that make the song so memorable and effective.

4. Pretty Woman - Cherry Girl (Super Eurobeat - 173)
If I were new to eurobeat and heard this song without any background knowledge on the genre I could easily place this song years back, as it really doesn't sound like a song made in 2006. But by that I don't mean anything negative since this song reminds me of the super eurobeat years where many of the big classics were released. This song could be the long lost cousin of the catchy Drive Me Faster Now! from SEB125 since the songs are so much alike. A bouncy feel-good song, the kind I love the most.

5. Cherry - Rain (Super Eurobeat - 175)
Considering how this song got a very good grade (10+++) it feels somewhat odd to be placing it "so far" away from the very best, but that just shows how damn good Delta tracks were during the 170s. Rain is a cover from the 1980s hitband The Cult. As far as very well done eurobeat covers, this is maybe the best one we've heard. Wickedly catchy, energetic and hard to resist piece. What is notable though with this song is how the extended song on mu-mo sounds strangely a lot worse than the radio edit on the actual CD. If only all covers were like this one.

Honorable Mentions:

- Queen 26 - Popcorns & Sex (Super Eurobeat - 171)
- Paul Harris - Every Night (Super Eurobeat - 172)
- Madison - Love And Rage (Super Eurobeat - 176)
- Daniel & Cherry - Bach Is Back (Super Eurobeat - 179)
- Eurofunk - Running Ninja (Super Eurobeat - 175)

Go Go's Music
With only 7 songs (plus 1 remix) it feels somewhat weird to write a lot about this label, but I do think they really deserve all the attention and credit. GGM started off brilliantly at 175 with their 3 songs and they kept going strong for the rest of the decade as well. The old favorite titles who released songs under GGM were overly catchy and even though they had "that old feel to it" they also sounded new and unique. Lolita & Domino brought back the fun to eurobeat with their performances and Mega NRG Man & Manuel were as macho as ever, yet with a new spice to it all. A really strong start for this label and I sure hope they get a solid amount of songs per album on the next decade since they really presented themselves so magnificently already. Can't really say much negative about them at all, excitedly waiting for new songs. I have to give them a grade as good as I can, since they really offered such variable songs, yet they were time after time memorable and catchy.

Three words to describe Go Go's Music in the 170's: Fun, Catchy & Variable.

Label Grade : 10

3 Biggest Go Go's Music hits in the 170's

1. Lolita - Stop The Time Tonight (Super Eurobeat - 175)
I honestly can't describe how much I was waiting for Elena Gobbi to release a song as powerful and happy as this one. The song brings me so much joy and really became my favorite song out of all the magnificent songs the 170s offered. The track is the perfect example of what I want my eurobeat to be like. Awesome vocals, catchy and unique sounds, powerful melody and "that Lolita feel to it". Maybe even the best Lolita song out of all of the wonderful songs she has ever released, I dare GGM to beat this!

2. Domino - Go Go Where You Wanna Go Go (Super Eurobeat - 175)
So yeah, this doesn't probably come as any surprise either. My 2nd favorite female vocalist released such a fun faire it only lost due to my love for Elena. Go Go Where You Wanna Go Go is an exceptionally strong and rough diamond from Domino's array of songs. The song has powerful sounds backed by a very solid arrangement that does justice to her fun style perfectly. The track is very unique especially how it has that good old Domino charm in it, but it also sounds fresh and different. Just what one could expect to hear on a "new" label.

3. Mega NRG Man - Red Light And Sex (Super Eurobeat - 179)
Had a very hard time deciding on this third favorite since there were a few competitors who all were about as strong in my eyes. In the end this fresh track from 179 stole the show due to insanely powerful melody that I assume is loved by nearly every eurobeat fan. Even those bouncy paraparabunnies who love weird and bubbly eurobeat. Tomas Marin is doing his job perfectly with this song and I'm fairly certain anybody would say "No" to the "question" he asks in the beginning... I know one fan at least who wouldn't.

Honorable Mentions:

- Manuel - Ready Steady Go! (Super Eurobeat - 177)
- Mega NRG Man Feat. Kiko Loureiro - Rock Me (Super Eurobeat - 175)
- Betty Beat - My Heart Goes Boom Boom (Super Eurobeat - 178)

HI-NRG Attack
One thing that comes to mind about HRG during the 170's is how they've somehow managed to renew their image and become maybe just a tad bit more mature (if that is possible and makes sense). Their songs still have the unique and fun feel to them, but they've stepped a bit further away from the totally bizarre world of insane synthloops and wacky lyrics. I'm more than happy about this change and also was really happy about the introduction of some really "serious" tracks that were presented to us during the 170's. Hearing some of the female vocalists that aren't overly pitched is also nice and I sure hope we'll get more of that in the future. A good step forward from HI-NRG Attack and their songs varied a lot in quality as before, but over all I'm pleased with them during the 170's.

Three words to describe HI-NRG Attack in the 170's: Renewed, Fun & Interesting.

Label Grade : 8+

3 Biggest HI-NRG Attack hits in the 170's

1. Ciao Ciao - Shadow In Your Smile (Super Eurobeat - 174)
I think I speak for many of us when I say: Thank You HI-NRG Attack! This song really showed a different side of the label without losing their natural charisma. The song has a very interesting arrangement that won't probably please every eurobeat fan but people who already enjoy HRG should like this unique performance as well. A not so highpitched vocalist makes a world of difference and the track works marvellously on other fields as well.

2. Mara Nell - Hot Gal (Super Eurobeat - 178)
This song is one of the tracks that really suffered injustice by myself on the original review. I didn't like the song much when I heard it for the first time and during the first few weeks of 178 repetition. But somehow by time it lurked itself into the back of my brain and I slowly noticed playing it more and more and suddenly noticed I love it a lot. The track is all around typical HRG with no real surprises, it just works effective and deserves more attention than I gave it originally. Fun, brief and simple.

3. Martina Dry - Get A Boom (Super Eurobeat - 172)
If the previous decades have been mostly male dominant from HI-NRG Attack, this decade was a real funfaire for the female vocalist lovers. I myself noticed enjoying the songs a lot time after time and even though quite a few didn't earn a very good grade I still liked them more than the macho perfromances. Get A Boom follows the footsteps of the effective and bouncy HRG songs from the Euromach era. A brilliant performance that doesn't lose its edge even with heavy airplay.

Honorable Mentions:

- Mika La-Do - I Am Your Barracuda (Super Eurobeat - 173)
- Franz Tornado & Mozzarella Girls - Sucka Sucka Pizza (Super Eurobeat - 179)
- Cy-Ro - Intercooler (Super Eurobeat - 171)

SCP
After looking through all of my reviews for SCP songs during the 170's I was sort of dumbfound. When I started doing my full review for the 170's I was already ready to say how I was unhappy and disappointed by SCP, but in the end I noticed I gave them quite high grades in general and didn't notice all that many bad slumps. Maybe the fact that every single song didn't earn a 9 or better made me feel slightly unhappy, but the fact is: SCP are still doing strong. 170's just as a whole weren't as perfect and strong as the previous decades. We still got lots of effective and powerful songs from both the male and female performers. One thing I did notice though is how a lot of the grades for SCP songs during this decade were around 8, which means I enjoyed the songs but didn't feel they were unique or special in the end, this is also probably the reason why I was feeling slightly turned off by SCP in the 170's. Even my little disappointment aside they did good this year, this just leaves room for improvement in the 180's.

Three words to describe SCP in the 170's: Strong, Girly & Summery.

Label Grade : 9-

5 Biggest SCP hits in the 170's

1. Ace Feat. La Gatta - One Touch (Super Eurobeat - 176)
Choosing the best song out of all of the SCP performances was as difficult as ever since I had a lot of favorites from various styles the label has. In the end I chose this unique piece of music since it is probably the most memorable song out of them all. The duet introduces the new rap-stylish female who adds an insanely catchy spice to this already powerful song. A track that truly deserves to be on The Best Of Super Eurobeat 2007, and also I'd love to hear a remix of this in the future. Perfect eurobeat, simply perfect.

2. Irene - Let's Fly Together (Super Eurobeat - 179)
Just like the first song, it was hard to pick out the 2nd track. Irene gets the honor due to the fact that I was so damn surprised by the song in the end. I was expecting a bouncy song � la Kiki & Fancy, but we got a very serious and cool song that reminds me of the best Melissa White tracks. A truly wonderful arrangement boosts the wonderful vocals a lot and this track turned out to be one of my favorites out of all of the songs we got during the 170s. I just somehow have a feeling that it will remain a "one hit wonder" (won't appear on other albums), I hope I'm wrong though, since it deserves more attention.

3. Christine Feat. Elvis El Latino - Viva La Noche (Super Eurobeat - 174)
If you were wondering about the word "summery" in the description for SCP I'll present you: Viva La Noche. SCP had a lot of songs with a heavy summer feeling to them and it was mostly this track that started the trend. A very excotic and summery sort of song that is just as unique and special as One Touch due to the 2nd rap-style guest star. Christine has had a lot of "nice" songs in the recent years, but not one song that would have been as much of a direct hit as this one. The track is produced so close to perfection it's hard to think of anything else to improve about it. I hope Christine brings back her fun and wacky self more with similar songs in the future.

4. Kiki & Fancy - Tuttifrutti Lollipop (Super Eurobeat - 175)
As much as I'm surprised myself, there wasn't a K&F song at the very top this decade. It doesn't mean that the fun and bouncy SCP would have vanished anywhere since we got quite a few fun songs, the best one being Tuttifrutti Lollipop. If Roly Poly Rock was the embodiment of everything fun last decade, it's this track now. Irrational lyrics, catchy sounds, fun vocals and a irresistible chorus, isn't that what Kiki & Fancy have always been about? This song is definitely one of the best tracks from this duo ever and also deserves to be on the Best of 2007 surely.

5. Pamsy - Once Upon A Time (Super Eurobeat - 172)
Can it really be true, no Go 2 in top5? Well believe it nor, I had a long inner fight with myself whether to place this song or Go 2 on the last spot. In the end I felt that Pamsy and her unique performance with Once Upon A Time deserved to be noted. If trance-esque elements have been a common visitor in SCP presentations, it might just be this song that uses them the best. An over all nicely balanced production that seems to suffer from the same fate as the other powerful Pamsy songs, lack of attention.

Honorable Mentions:

- Go 2 - Power (Super Eurobeat - 171)
- Lisa & Ace - Getting The Fever (Super Eurobeat - 172)
- Dana - I'm OK (Super Eurobeat - 171)
- Fancy - Cover Girl (Super Eurobeat - 172)
- Fastway - Rockin' Hardcore (Super Eurobeat - 174)

Time
It's always fun to notice how the current mood regarding certain acts, labels, be it whatever at all, matters much. I was having a very positive look on Time and their productions in general during the 170's, but then I looked through all of the songs and noticed they still had a long list of tracks I didn't like. Although to balance the bad songs out I noticed that Time probably had more very good songs during the 170's than during the other recent decades. Time has kept doing lots of remakes which I enjoyed quite a lot during the 160's, but I have to admit there were a lot of remakes now that I disliked, even loathed (*shoots Melodies Of Love*). Every single SEB had a Time remake on them, which I find totally pointless since they presented very strong new songs as well, and many of the tracks I disliked were remakes. All the complaints aside I will admit that I was also surprised by Time during the 170's since they did a lot of very powerful songs. While there were still a lot of tracks with the old copy-form, Time did some interesting new experiements with different styles and these also seemed to work very well. I'm eagarly looking forward to a slightly different Time if the end of 170's are showing that direction.

Three words to describe Time in the 170's: Covered, Surprising & Experiemental.

Label Grade : 8

3 Biggest Time hits in the 170's

1. Erika - Fever & Music (Super Eurobeat - 179)
It really has been quite a while since Time experiemented with the bubbly parapara style that they were very fluent years back. During the 170's they presented 2 very upbeat songs that both shot to my favorite slots right away. This wonderful track that borrows a brieft loop from the classic Music Fever song became my favorite from the label due to the exceptional production. A wickedly interesting direction for Time, I just hope these sort of tracks will keep appearing more instead of the boring type I know a bit too well.

2. Barbie - Parapara Girl (Super Eurobeat - 172)
I don't mean this in a negative way, but if a Time song from the 170's earns a remake, I'm very very happy it's this type of new-wave-Time. When I initially heard this song I was thinking it must be some other label as the vocals weren't instantly recognizable and the production was just so different from everything else Time has done in the past few years. Parapara Girl is just what the name promises: hyper, upbeat, fun and catchy. If you're not a fan of this type of EB you won't probably feel too much at home, but if you were big on Euromach then this is for you.

3. Lisa Johnson - Doctor Doctor 2007 (Super Eurobeat - 173)
Due to making a comment about covers being bad, I just had to include one of the better remakes here as well. Doctor Doctor is definitely one of the more well known eurobeat classics and it really deserved to be remade over again (while I disagree about many of the other ones). This remake was a good execution of renewing an old classic and creating it all over with new rules. The catchy melody is the base for a very effective new soundworld and vocals by none else than Clara Moroni. Again I just hope the remakes would slowly wither away or at least become less frequent.

Honorable Mentions:

- Annie - DD Dance (Super Eurobeat - 171)
- Dany - Love Is Like A Fever (Super Eurobeat - 179)
- Chris Stanton - Saturday Time (Super Eurobeat - 176)
- Dave Simon - Speedman (Super Eurobeat - 173)
- Toby Vale - Heartbreaker 2007 (Super Eurobeat - 179)