Eurobeat-Prime 3.0

Review of Super Eurobeat 200's

This year in the eurobeat world has been fairly controversial. The general thoughts on the level of the albums has been varying a lot and truth be told, I do feel the year has not been exactly favorable for the SEB image. The year didn't technically bring in all that many differences overall. First of all Eurogrooves/Time slowly vanished from the albums and were featured only by a handful of songs this decade. The old legend A-Beat C also did some facelifting and changed to Sunfire Records. The impact of this change is still somewhat unclear, whether it means the same music is being published or not shall remain a mystery for now. Eurobeat itself has been adapting more and more global features which is making it sound a bit more modern, but fortunately the old roots are still intact and the music stays as bouncy and addicting as always.

This decade had a fairly solid theme going on. Unlike in the past few decades the same format kept on going through the whole 9 albums, which kind of amusingly this time around, could have changed... 14 songs per album, the last 2 generally remixes/remakes or J-Euro tracks. These songs at the end of each album do divide the audience pretty strongly. While others enjoy the output and different styles these remixes offer, the other half of the people obviously haven't been too fond of them. I at least can't call myself really a fan of the remakes, although the decade did have a few really excellent examples of good J-euro remixes and remakes as well. Generally though I do feel that SEB would be better off with the J-Euro tracks as a bonus disc or just an extra spice instead of hogging up the space from the 'real' labels.

Vocalist wise, these 9 albums didn't have all that many new names appearing. Delta presented us with 3 new names: The forum-goer Ken Blast appeared for the first time on a SEB with 2 songs and Corrado & Marika C. offered their fair share of new and interesting material. SCP brought in an another strong male vocalist under the title Hotblade. These 4 new names aside, the decade kept on pushing forward thanks to the golden oldies. There's naturally a chance that I'm just not recognizing the differences here again if some old title has been given to a new vocalist. The lack of new blood still does feel slightly disappointing, it would've been really nice to hear some really different and unique vocals for a change. Maybe next decade, maybe... Hopefully.

In general this decade wasn't in any way close to the higher tier of decades. The albums varied heavily, but the main problem was that too many of the albums just were way too average. There were some highlights here and there, but over all I can't really name any of this decade's albums as a favorite above the rest. This is mainly due to the fact that the songs just seem too easily forgettable. I could go on and on about the songs just seem to lack the soul that once made eurobeat tracks unforgettable and forever loopable. I'm not saying that these superior songs didn't exist this decade, but a few assorted individuals aside, I do feel there's not enough originality and variety around currently. Whether it's a question of producers running out of ideas or if the depression just affects everybody these days... I do not know, I am just trying to be optimistic that 211 and onwards would be higher in quality. Usually in the past if there was a bad decade, it was usually followed by a stronger decade, so keeping fingers crossed.

With a lot of new names and some variable producer combinations, the results do seem to be a lot more effective and catchy. It would be a fun little experiement to throw in all of the eurobeat producers to a mixing pot and randomly mix up a few of them to see what they could come up with. Too easily the same old pattern is repeated over and over again, which just doesn't work forever. Also the genre could really use some more producers and writers to really shuffle things a bit more. Albeit these little complaints, I do bow down to the magnificent italians working on this music. It does make my (and so many others') days more enjoyable. The positive attitude the songs have, is something that really often seems to be lacking in modern Western music. The influences of eurobeat should really be taken into modern pop-music as a whole so we could have more of that old 1990's feel good music available to the masses.

The balance on labels did shift quite heavily this decade. While the previous decade still had A-Beat C on the top together with SCP. This year SCP was clearly above the rest. Actually the labels did seem to be quite well balanced all together since A-Beat C/Sunfire Records, Delta, Dima Music & HI-NRG Attack all had a pretty equal share of the cake. The smaller titles this year were Sinclaire Style with only 6 songs, Eurogrooves/Time with 6 songs as well and Go Go's Music with 9 songs. The fact that Avex had 11 J-euro tracks featured on the albums says a lot, these tracks could just as well have been eurobeat and the smaller labels could've also had a longer time in the limelight.

So, even with the small amount of complaining, I do admit the 200s weren't an awfully weak bunch. There were a lot of songs I liked, there were some tracks I loathed, but the reality is, that most of the songs were just... mmhh okay. A lot of that going on, but an okay song still beats unbearable I guess. So the final grade for the whole decade and the review is...

Average Grade for 200's : 7-

I do sort of feel like I would be repeating myself over and over when I do these compilation reviews. The fact is that most of the tracks in the eurobeat world are pretty decent. The really clear highlights are scarse and the really unbearable tracks fortunately are too. Average for this decade would've been a bit higher than what I gave it, but the lower grade comes simply due to the fact that I feel there's not all that much going on in the eurobeat scene currently. What I do find positive is that Avex decided to ditch the silly nonstop songs they featured on 191-196. All of these extra lil' treats should in my opinion be put on a separate disc or offered in some other format, but not hog up the space that could be occupied by some good old fashioned eurobeat.

With a few of the albums this decade falling quite low in quality, they did drag down the better albums. The old trick of making the last album of the decade best, did work this year again. 209 was without doubt the best entry the 200s had. Yet it's still quite far from the level of per say 195, which is quite understandable since that level is really hard to outplay. Labelwise I do feel there could be more effort by all of them. While it's naturally impossible to please everyone, I do consider quite a lot of the songs released in 2010 to be quite lacking in quality. There were simply too many songs that fell in that elevator music category. Sadly this decade did not have all that many albums where the songs would grow on me over time, that effect seems to be missing entirely which is a real shame. Nothing's more pleasant than to suddenly notice a track you've been ignoring for so long and suddenly love it a whole lot. Well, this decade did leave me wanting for more in the end. I am hoping that 211 would start off a new page in the SEB world. Maybe even bring back the bonus discs or something entirely different. Also I do feel it'd be nice to have Eurogrooves back in the picture...

Label	201	202	203	204	205	206	207	208	209	Total
A-Beat C / Sunfire Records	3	2	2	1	2	2	1	1	1	15
Asia/Saifam	1	1	1	2	2	1		2	1	10
Delta	2	2	2 (3)	2	2		2	1 (2)	2	15 (17)
Dima Music	1 (2)	1	2	1	1 (2)	1	3	3	1	14 (16)
Eurogrooves / Time	1	2	1		1		(1)	0	1 (2)	6 (8)
Go Go's Music	1	1	1	1	1	1 (2)	1		2	9 (10)
HI-NRG Attack	1	1	1	2	1	3	2	3	1	15
SCP	2	3	2	4	2	3	3	2	3	24
Sinclaire Style	1		1		1	1	1		1	6

Avex	1	1	1	1	1	2	1	2	1	11

*Remixed J-Euro songs in brackets

Label Reviews:

A-Beat C / Sunfire Records
Another year and like last decade, Dave Rodgers is heaaavily present. If last year he had 6 songs, this year he decided to improve and put in 8 tracks with his vocals. I do feel this is quite unnecessary and the label needs to give room for other vocalists as well. With female vocalists present only on 5 tracks, the year was quite male dominant over all. I don't know why my feelings are so conflicted when it comes to the label these days. The songs in the end are fairly decent or even great, but I still am feeling quite discontent with them. That lack of soul I mentioned before seems to be heavily present with the productions in my humble opinion. The change in name did not actually do that much for the label, since I do feel the same style they have been trying to find for a while is still going on. It feels as if they are still unsure how the tracks really should sound like or what they want to produce. My highlights this year were mostly produced by people other than D. Rodgers, which does clearly speak for itself. I'm not that fond of his way of doing things. Alkogan presented us with the catchy and memorable My Dream, as well as the one song I do feel has slowly grown more and more on me over time I Wanna Run To You. Also the songs with Futura as a producer, I do feel there were nice sparkles of something better to come for the future. I do hope that they would all together stop making those silly rock remixes or covering other eurobeat titles. There were simply too many low grades for the horrendous performances by a certain Pasquini.

When I compare this decade with the previous one, I do feel the label did improve. There still were quite a few tracks I wasn't too pleased with and especially the horrible horrible All Around The World could very well have been left out. But on the other end of the scale, the label did put out quite a lot of songs that were quite nice. A lot of the songs got a grade of 8½ which is nothing to frown at. Only a few selected songs managed to get a great grade though. I do feel that although the producers aren't exactly sure of the direction they are heading for, they still got some hunch on how they want things to be done. I am positive that the next decade will offer some real treats, maybe new vocalists or old favorites. A bit less of Dave though...

Three words to describe A-Beat C / Sunfire Records in the 200's: Testy, rocking & Pasquini.

Label Grade : 7+

3 Biggest A-Beat C / Sunfire Records hits in the 200's

1. Ace Warrior - My Dream (Super Eurobeat - 203)
This song is so very generic it's not even funny. But when generic music is done with the right attitude and a great melody you are still treated to an awesome song. Although my initial feelings have slowly turned for the worse when it comes to this very song, I still feel it's definitely the best offering the label put out this year. Great vocals and a great chorus make this track easily addictive. The guitars and such are a necessity by now so they're heavily present and add in a bit of extra flava. A song that might not become Ace Warrior's biggest hit ever, but from the better end definitely.

2. Powerful T. - Louder & Faster (Super Eurobeat - 206)
I was slightly amused by the top 3 this time, since it seems to be like a replica of the 190s on many levels. Same names, same style of tracks and pretty identical grades as well. Roberto Tiranti was named as a favorite last decade and he is here again with a similar song as before. Louder & Faster is a track that takes a while to heat up properly, but it manages to dazzle the listener by a catchy chorus and nice vocal presentation. A song that will fit perfectly on a JGTC compilation in the future.

3. Mickey B. - I Wanna Run To You (Super Eurobeat - 202)
The initial grade for this track wasn't something that would've qualified it into the top 3, but time has done wonders for it. I'm not sure why the Mickey B. songs just get so much better with time, like good wine. These tracks are often quite simple, yet still have very unnoticable features that make the song seem so much deeper and complex than one initially thinks. I Wanna Run To You has a great structure that only suffers from a rather boring intro that often makes me want to skip it, but if you bare through the initial 30 seconds the song really shows its true self.

Honorable Mentions:

- Rich Hard - Tell Me Why (Super Eurobeat - 208)
- Dave & Futura - Super Eurobeat (Super Eurobeat - 201)
- Dave & Futura - Just Another Day With You (Super Eurobeat - 209)

Asia/Saifam
Oh wow, this decade was not favorable for Saifam. I can right out say that there was basically only one song that I could really call a favorite by them. This is something that I'm fairly certain that most people don't agree with, but I do feel the label really pushed out some really horrible tracks this year. While there was a balanced amount of male and female presentations, it seems that they also quite equally sucked. To me it seems as if the label has really stopped trying properly and they recycle old tracks way too commonly or cover others. I was quite positive after the end of the 190s with the label since they managed to offer a lot of good quality tracks and even a real bull's eye. This time around the only song I do feel worth giving praise is In My Arms, and even it wasn't Ivanhoe quality. Well I do sort of hope they could bring back that old flame the label had previously. In this form I would rather skip most of the tracks and give more playtime to the older Saifam songs.

Three words to describe Asia/Saifam in the 200's: Depressed, mellow & unimaginative.

Label Grade : 6

3 Biggest Asia/Saifam hits in the 200's

1. Kate Project - In My Arms (Super Eurobeat - 206)
There's something very serene and calming about this song. The beautiful piano backgrounds combined with the every day generic eurobeat elements usually doesn't function too well, but In My Arms manages to pull just the right strings. A simple song with a very soothing melody and it even works on its various incarnations (such as the remix on The Best Of 2010). A nice example of how even calmer type of eurobeat works out well.

2. Orlando - Memories Of You (Super Eurobeat - 208)
This year all of the better songs that Saifam released were ballads, which is definitely out of the ordinary. Then again it does say that they have talent to write catchy and pretty slower songs. Memories Of You is a track which doesn't probably please a lot of eurobeat listeners due to its aishu-flavored pace and less impactful appearance. A song that will remind you that even slow dancemusic works if it's done properly. A song that has grown even more on me over time, yet I do admit I'm more of a speedy speed boy.

3. Radiorama - You Are Always On My Mind (Super Eurobeat - 205)
Radiorama as a title is such a legend, one really hopes to hear something as spectacular and memorable as the earliest tracks were. Yet some of the recent songs have worked out fine, some not so much. You Are Always On My Mind is also a slow song which works due to the great chorus and simple yet effective vocals. Saifam could really use some stronger female vocalists who could bring out even more raw power into these songs. The song itself works out fine, but with a stronger performer it could've been a rough diamond.

Delta
In the past Delta has been the label that has been keeping the high level up constantly without bigger notches down in quality. This year brought forth some changes in the picture. While the label still manages to push out some really addictive and catchy songs I am noticing some changes in the level of the tracks. It feels as if there just haven't been as many tracks that would instantly dazzle all of the masses listening to eurobeat. While this decade was anything but bad for Delta, I still feel they did go down clearly as opposed to the previous years. Year after year the Queen 26 tracks bring forth much of that joy I get from eurobeat, so it's definitely worth looking forward to the newest entries. Also I am starting to notice that in general I have a huge fanboy boner for M. Rizzi productions, they just seem to frequently please my ear a whole lot. What I do feel is Delta's biggest strength is that they have multiple producers that have their unique styles and also adopt things from others. I just hope they keep going on with this same style, it's really refreshing when the songs by the label are so different from eachother time after time. Props to Delta for bringing in new vocalists yet again, it's a nice change of pace to hear more variety from the different singers. Here's to an another great decade, just strip out the few rather uninspiring tracks and 210s will be even better.

Three words to describe Delta in the 200's: Mature, variable & energetic.

Label Grade : 8½

3 Biggest Delta hits in the 200's

1. Queen 26 - You Are My Wonder (Super Eurobeat - 201)
I do remember how I initially wasn't that fond of the Queen 26 title, but time has really made me notice that this title is close to the same tier as Delta Queens when it comes to quality. You Are My Wonder is an exceptionally well produced song. The sounds are very punchy and beautiful at the same time, the track just oozes of finalization. Vocals, sounds, melody... it all falls into place with the song. I have played this song to a few friends who aren't familiar with eurobeat and they all loved the song instantly and from there on I've introduced more eurobeat acts slowly, yet none of the others have quite managed to please them like Queen 26. That speaks for itself. The title is quite global and boundrybreaking.

2. Ken Blast - When The Sun Goes Down (Super Eurobeat - 201)
So Travis, yes. You've become quite the eurobeat celebrity after making it on SEB. A feat very few non-italian western vocalists/writers lately have been capable of. When The Sun Goes Down is a great example of how someone outside the usual circles showcases a bit of diversity into the genre. The song features very strong and typical eurobeat sounds, but it still sounds fresh and unique. Vocals are catchy and very memorable, a shame the 2nd track by Ken wasn't quite as infectious.

3. Marika - Stay With Me (Super Eurobeat - 207)
The new female vocalist under Delta does remind me heavily of their other women, which is a bit of a shame since it'd be better to have someone completely different. Voice similarities aside, there's no room for complaints. Stay With Me is a track that puts all of the pieces of a midpaced eurobeat track in place. The song features a fat synth that fits that perfectly, but at the same time sounds fairly out of place, since women rarely get treated with this sort of rougher styles. The small differences in the styles make the track stand out and remain very memorable. Also the chorus with the high pitched synthline sounds simply magnificent. A great great track, I just hope the future will bring forth more of Marika.

Honorable Mentions:

- Cherry & Luke - Go Shinkansen! (Super Eurobeat - 202)
- Elisa - Fly (Super Eurobeat - 209)
- Paul Harris - Dreamlover (Super Eurobeat - 202)

Dima Music
Rollercoaster, a good word to describe how this label handled the 200s. The label provided some excellent tracks that showcased variety and imagination, but at the other end there was an exceptionally high number of low grades. Overall it slightly feels like the label pushed out their better tracks when they entered SEB and the b-sides were reserved for later. Simply too many of the Dima Music songs this year were quite literally boring. Out of the 16 entries only 6 tracks have remained as my favorites, which is not quite as much as I would've hoped. The actual average for the label would've been higher, but I do feel the label really hasn't been doing the best they are capable of and therefore get a lower grade. Yet with these complaints out of the way, I do have to admit I've found myself loving the slightly nonconventional songs like Labyrinth Of Love & I Belong To You, both of which are simply beautiful and mesmerising. Also props to Dima for being one of the few who also managed to remake a J-euro song into something exceptionally functional with Climber's High. These sparkles of hopes are something I do wish to see more often though. Producer wise there could be some more variety and would be interesting to see more names taking part in the production of songs. Then again, would it be Dima Music, if he wasn't doing it? Well, maybe just give some extra room for others as well. Hopefully the mediocore songs will be less frequent in the future.

Three words to describe Dima Music in the 200's: Sleepy, sparkly & hopeful.

Label Grade : 7-

3 Biggest Dima Music hits in the 200's

1. Aleky - Labyrinth Of Love (Super Eurobeat - 206)
Labyrinth Of Love has divided the listeners pretty strongly. The song is definitely outside the box with a different structure and unique sounds and styles that make it sound way more modern than its counterparts. A beautiful song with a chorus that spares no ammunition. Vocal work makes the song sound so much more mature and memorable, wouldn't mind hearing more of Aleky since these tracks seem to commonly rise above the rest. Definitely one of the best entries that the label has released so far.

2. Stephy - I Belong To You (Super Eurobeat - 203)
Eurobeat ballads seem to be more common all the time, but that's not entirely bad since the level also seems to have gone up a lot from certain other entries in the past. I Belong To You could easily work as a ballad for any western female singer if the sounds were just toned down a bit and less electric elements were used. In its current form though it shows nicely how strongly a slow song fits together with general eurobeat styles. The track sounds like a fusion of pop and eurobeat, without breaking any of the golden rules. A strong synth, great sounds and powerful vocals bring forth one of the prettiest ballads in the eurobeat world.

3. Girl Next Door - Climber's High (Dima Remix) (Super Eurobeat - 201)
Sort of questionable whether this song should've been named as one of the best tracks since it's not entirely a Dima Music song, but I do feel it deserves the attention. Unlike the majority of remakes, this track is so perfectly balanced and catchy you just can't pass on it. After searching for a while I heard the original and surprisingly it has practically none of the edge this remake has, which is definitely a merit for the label. The synth works out surprisingly well with a song that initially was miles away from the dancier style in the remix. A strong contestant for the best J-euro remixes ever.

Honorable Mentions:

- Mr. Moog - Stardust (Super Eurobeat - 207)
- Manuel - Mad Man (Super Eurobeat - 209)
- Mr. Moog - Say Goodbye (Super Eurobeat - 201)

Eurogrooves/Time
This year was not very favorable to the S. Dall'Ora team. Whether their disappearance is due to the label itself or Avex, the reality is that the label didn't exactly get to showcase a lot of their potential this year. Last decade had the label showcasing some really memorable and catchy songs, but with only 8 tracks this year there's not really all that much to choose from. Also quality wise I do feel there hasn't been any of that old flame visible with their productions. Sort of funnily the best entries the label pushed out were the 2 'remixes' in the end of SEB209. Bye Bye Japan has been a favorite of mine for a very long time so I do admit I was feeling quite unsure on how the remake would work out. Fortunately the healing remix actually did justice for the song and even with the change in vocalists the edge of the original song hasn't been lost. It just reminds me of how much I miss hearing Emmanuelle Gubinelli... If one vocalist could be brought back to the genre it would definitely be her. Either way, the future is a mystery for the label. Will they be around during the 210s at all? What happened that caused them to vanish from the SEB-train after being present for so long. Maybe some day we will finally know the reason, or maybe they'll reappear after a brief hiatus, who knows. I do wish the label does come back in the end, even if I am not the biggest fan I do admit they occasionally manage to take me by surprise.

Three words to describe Eurogrooves/Time in the 200's: Invisible, desperate & sad.

Label Grade : 6½

3 Biggest Eurogrooves/Time hits in the 200's

1. Alexis - Bye Bye Japan (Eurogrooves Healing Remix) (Super Eurobeat - 209)
Healing remixes have hardly been something I've praised often, but there's always an exception to the rule I guess. Bye Bye Japan was an instant hit in the 90s when Emmanuelle Gubinelli performed this beautiful song that sounds hopeful and sad at the same time. A nice mixture of feelings that makes the song feel really emotional and also like something that mattered a lot to the writer. I was hardly expecting that this remake could sweep me off my feet like it did. The sounds are inspiring and really beautiful, something about the production just makes this a perfect song to listen to on a dark winter night in a candle lit room. A very strong song that only gets better by time. I just want my Emmanuelle back *sniffle*

2. U☆Scream - Kiss Me (Eurogrooves Remix) (Super Eurobeat - 209)
There weren't exactly a whole lot of good J-Euro remakes during this decade, but it's times like these when I do get surprised. Kiss Me is a very strong track that has the similar attitude and mood as the most passionate Eurogrooves entries have had in the past few years. Sounds are very loud which at first is slightly distracting but they also manage to hide some of the more quiet elements pretty well. This style of production does offer the song some extra longetivity since it's enjoyable to notice all these small sounds here and there that make the song unique. Fun vocals that would probably be even more pleasant if they were entirely in English.

3. Christian - Take This Way (Super Eurobeat - 203)
That often mentioned loudness is this track's speciality definitely. My relationship with this song has been a bit of an on/off thing. Initially I loved it a lot, then I started to think it sounds too upfront and aggressive, like it's out there to get you. Then after a long break I found it again and noticed I love it again. The song is so masculine and oozing of testosterone I can imagine the majority of eurobeat listeners liking this song due to the attitude that just forces you to pay attention to it. Great driving music and a song that just needs some time to cool off before it's replayed again.

Go Go's Music
Times are rough even for the Go Go's Music. The 200s decade featured quite a variable level of songs that ranged from upbeat and bubbly girly material to aggressive and loud masculine music. With the variety the label offers, I'm fairly sure there are fans for all of these different styles. Manuel & Mega NRG Man offer more of that good old masculinity the label hasn't been showcasing all that much lately. In the opposite end of the table Domino & Lolita showcase what highpitched girly fun is all about. And in the midgrounds we had Mari-San with her strong vocals. Due to the high level of these certain songs I have a hard time complaining all that much. Yet I do admit the label didn't quite manage to keep up the incredibly high level they have been doing previously. I do feel that production wise A. Gatti & S. Oliva know exactly what I like, since they seem to manage to razzle and dazzle me with all of these different styles. Yet their style of producing synths and sounds is not something that naturally pleases everyone, but at least Eurobeat-Prime is a supporter of GGM. Maybe the future would bring in more duets and some more of Elena Gobbi (now that's a request I'll never stop asking...) A decade that doesn't quite compare to the previous ones, but still a fairly strong one.

Three words to describe Go Go's Music in the 200's: Justified, necessary & cuddly.

Label Grade : 8½

3 Biggest Go Go's Music hits in the 200's

1. Domino - One-O-Nine (Super Eurobeat - 203)
This kind of music is just too rare, even in the eurobeat world these days. The upbeat attitude and mood this song provides is just something out of this world. No other song during the 200s has managed to make me feel as happy and energetic as this one. The song is just infused with everything positive so it's impossible to resist. Excellent Japanesey lyrics that are actually fairly simple to sing along to, even with my limited skills in the language. Awesome vocals, incredibly catchy sounds and .... that magnificent c-melody. I do wish with all of my heart that the labels will never stop doing this sort of positive music the world really needs. ICHI-MARU-KYU!

2. Mega NRG Man - Japanese Girl (Super Eurobeat - 209)
As a counterattack for Domino's upbeat material, Tomas throws in an upfront macho song with songs about girls, what else? Japanese Girl is like a revisit to the ever memorable Red Light & Sex that showed what the label is capable of. What I do find surprising is that in reality this is only the third solo piece by Mega NRG Man under Go Go's Music, am I the only one who feels as if there really would've been a lot more of them in the past? Even though there has been 3 years between this and the previous solo piece, it's obvious Tomas hasn't lost any of his attitude and raw power. A great catchy production that earns extra brownie points due to Alessandra's backing vocals that add in that extra little bit of edge.

3. Manuel - Limousine (Super Eurobeat - 207)
Well, I do admit that there are certain songs that I just feel everyone should love. Limousine in all of its silliness and unnecessary proud attitude is a song that shows what eurobeat is all about. It's not afraid to be different, the genre actually seems to be proud of its roots and silliness. Manuel showcases such strong vocals in this track it's not even funny, the screeching and shouting fits the song perfectly and all the wackly lyrics just enforce the attitude all the way. I knight thee Limousine the as the messenger of the eurobeat message. Play this song to all of your friends who don't know eurobeat and see how their eyes roll in their sockets.

Honorable Mentions:

- Mari-San - Change (Super Eurobeat - 209)
- Lolita - Good Love & Mystery (Super Eurobeat - 204)
- Go Go Girls - My Hot Guitar (Super Eurobeat - 202)

HI-NRG Attack
As opposed to most of the other labels, HI-NRG Attack actually managed to improve their performance clearly during these 9 albums. The initial albums didn't exactly seem very favorable for HRG, but time has really brought in winds of change that have managed to change the direction entirely. New influences and different styles have given the label a long needed refreshing direction. The songs feel really unique and original after all of these years when the songs simply sounded like clones of the past hits. With a lot of great songs to go, the overall feeling I got from HRG is that they are really giving it all they got and it does show clearly as well. Songs have variety and even the female vocalists finally sound normal occasionally without the need to be highly pitched every single time. I have a certain fear that this newly adapted style is just something that will be very heavily present in the future, which might not last for a very long time as the novelty wears off. Still, this decade was definitely one of the strongest ones by the label, as long as a certain Princess F. song remains unmentioned. The future will hopefully offer some more normally singing vocalists and duets.

Three words to describe HI-NRG Attack in the 200's: Grown, upbeat & soulful.

Label Grade : 8

3 Biggest HI-NRG Attack hits in the 200's

1. Laura Vox - Jungle Of Fire (Super Eurobeat - 208)
This song has definitely earned all the attention its been getting lately. The song is a HI-NRG Attack song at heart, but it brings forth such a mature attitude it feels like a direct step forward from the label. A strong melody that is accompanied by good vocalwork and a very fitting sounds. The song doesn't necessarily bring out anything exceptionally different but it's all of the subtle changes to the song structure and style that make it memorable.

2. Michelle Rose - Hard To Say I'm Sorry (Super Eurobeat - 206)
I loved this song when I heard it originally for a lot of reasons, by time I've just grown to like it even more. There's just something serene and catchy in the way this song has been built. A beautiful melody with the good old elements with just a pinch of SAW-elements in the mix. A good chorus help this track remain a favorite and the way the vocalist leaves out certain letters unpronounced just makes me love it more. Why such a small detail adds up to the songs merits, well I don't know. Why some people love onions and some don't?

3. Francis Cooper - Pretty Woman (Super Eurobeat - 208)
The small and simple elements can occasionally produce a very effective song. Pretty Woman sounds a lot like the initial slower tracks by Rick Castle in the 140s, but with such a long time gap in between, these features just seem fitting and unique yet again. A love song coming from HRG is not all that common as we've mostly gotten used to hearing them sing about all sorts of winky wonky wanks and such. This sort of calm and relaxing material is definitely welcome in my ears.

Honorable Mentions:

- Louise - Screaming Out The Power (Super Eurobeat - 206)
- Garcon - On The Top Again (Super Eurobeat - 206)
- Cy-Ro - It's All Up To You (Super Eurobeat - 205)

SCP
Well this label definitely is not showing signs of waning inspiration. SCP provided quite a load of awesome tracks this year again, but on the other side of the coin there also were quite a few boring entries that didn't quite manage to catch my attention the way I would have hoped for. The label was also the one with the highest number of songs out of all of the labels, which naturally gives them some more leeway to showcase the real hits. Yet no other label was able to pull of 5 perfect 10s, which says enough. Although there were also more 6s than ever before for the label. Quite a few of the more boring entries just lacked real punch and well, a few of these low numbers were remakes of old songs that just didn't do it for me. Yet as a whole the decade wasn't quite as high level as the 190s were. The best entries the label pushed out were definitely memorable and worth the praise, but I sort of feel like there's a problem when the label has to push out as many songs as this. Previously with a fewer entries Avex could pick the best out of the bunch. But the future does seem to be very heavily SCP dominated and I don't wonder at all why. The variety and high level of their better productions really showcases the label's talent. One of the best features about SCP is the fact that they have started offering their material internationally through iTunes. It's definitely worth checking out since there are per say unreleased songs by Hotblade and remixes of the awesome Jay Lehr & Jager tracks.

Three words to describe SCP in the 200's: Professional, waning & bubbly.

Label Grade : 8+

3 Biggest SCP hits in the 200's

1. AAA - Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride (Eurobeat Remix) (Super Eurobeat - 206)
Well this J-Euro track isn't exactly even an SCP song fully, but none the less it was remixed by none other than Stefano Castagna. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride is a song that stands out in the 200s as one of the most memorable tracks and definitely alongside One-O-Nine, the best eurobeat released in 2010. The upbeat mood and funky vocals make the song so unique and fun to listen to. I'm actually amazed how I haven't gotten bored with this song, considering I've been looping it for hours and hours. Excellent eurobeatization of a song which even itself works out magnificently. It's quite amazing really how different this track is from the original Disney track, but for the better definitely. Also if you want to give yourself an instant facepalm, go youtube the song and put in the performer as Jump 5, then come back to the eurobeat version and feel blissful.

2. Yo Shine - Power Of My Love (Super Eurobeat - 201)
This song is just amazing. Simply amazing. There's something peculiar in the way the song remains in your eardrums for hours even after you've listened to it. The upbeat and happy mood makes you smile constantly and the vocals will just suck you in instantly. Great production values and a good melody make this song one of the highlights of the 200s definitely. A song that should be featured on multiple future non-stop SEBs without a doubt. With the slightly rougher and phatter sounds, this track should also please people who enjoy more masculine kind of eurobeat. HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!

3. Momo - One Heart One Soul (Super Eurobeat - 209)
Momo brought forth a few very distinctive and different pieces of eurobeat this year. While I was not too fond of Flash & Love, One Heart One Soul is an entirely different matter. The song just functions on all levels, from the very first beats till the last breath, it all sounds memorable and bubbly. The synth is actually quite well hidden behind the Lolita-esque vocals, but once I started to notice the synth hooks I found myself loving the song even more. The production itself is quite generic, but that doesn't matter at all when the song itself is so strongly present and features some of the strongest sounds featured in female tracks for a while.

Honorable Mentions:

- Jay Lehr - Hi Love (Super Eurobeat - 207)
- Jager - I Won't Fall Apart (Super Eurobeat - 204)
- Jager - What D'You Want From Me (Super Eurobeat - 209)

SinclaireStyle
If the last decade brought us only 7 songs by Sinclaire, this year is even worse. The label has only 6 tracks featured this time around on Super Eurobeat. While I'm still not the biggest fan of the label, I do feel there's clear improvement happing over time. This year there were actually 2 really enjoyable pieces that have remained on my playlist for a very long time. Vocalist wise it still seems as if there weren't a whole lot of options that Sinclaire could choose from. That alone restricts the variety a bit. While I've got nothing against the vocalists, it would be fun to hear someone new for a change. Also pair Maurizio up with any other vocalist and I can imagine the result being something special. The fact this year is that the label is definitely showcasing more variety: There were masculine tracks, bubbly kiddy songs and more mature girly tracks. Something for everyone to enjoy, right? If the future brings forth less J-Euro songs, it'd automatically leave the albums with more room for Sinclaire, maybe then we could get some more of high level material. Still I feel the label is heading for the better currently, just some more way to go until I can start contemplating whether to become a fanboy or not.

Three words to describe SinclaireStyle in the 200's: Variable, playful & experiemental.

Label Grade : 7-

3 Biggest SinclaireStyle hits in the 200's

1. Mom And Dad - Kiss My Boo Boo (Super Eurobeat - 205)
This song is definitely something that will scare most of the listeners away. A juvenile song with the silliest lyrics featured on SEB for quite a while now. Upbeat attitude and catchy chorus make this song stand out from the previous SinclaireStyle tracks right off the bat. It's definitely refreshing to see the label pushing out something entirely different, also this just shows Bratt is definitely able to produce much more variable presentations if he just wishes to do so. Nicely different and definitely memorable, for the better for some, for the worse for others.

2. Bon - Toy For Love (Super Eurobeat - 203)
My guess is that the vast majority of eurobeat listeners would instantly name this as the label's highlight so far. The song is without a doubt a memorable performance which is packed full of excellent elements and a killer chorus to go. While I'm not the biggest fan of Bonini as a vocalist, this song does justice to his style. Aggressive verses together with the chorus make for an effective package. The lyrics are simple enough to remember right away and also easy to sing along to, a feature that always helps a song. The song is also something that gets better by time, give this song some time and it'll make a permanent spot in your head.

3. Dejo - 1.2.3.4. Fire! (Super Eurobeat - 207)
Thinking back, I do feel that I gave this song an unnecessary low grade. The song has over time grown on me more and more. Though I'm not gonna take back the complaints I had back then, since the song still could use a more effective synth to make it actually stand out more. Currently the song is blessed with a really great chorus and fun guitar work. Also if you yet haven't seen the making of video for it, I recommend that you give it a look-see here.

Reviewed by Bore