Super Eurobeat 209

1.Go 2 - Samurai Blue (SCP)
All sorts of masculine titles seem to fall perfectly under the Go 2 title, Samurai Blue is macho alright and never forget the guitars. I would classify this as their usual JGTC-esque presentation that fits the racing related theme even without cars mentioned. Active, aggressive and energetic is what the song is all about. Chorus aside the track can't quite manage the attractiveness of some of the duo's past hits. This is definitely a song that'll be featured on future non-stop albums, but it's definitely not an another Super Striker.
Rating : 8

2.Mari-San - Change (Go Go's Music)
After debuting with 2 really strong faster tempo pieces, it's interesting to hear Mari-San venturing into a more contemporary ground. Change sounds really sophisticated while retaining its eurobeat roots and bringing in new and attractive elements. The vocal work is still as Anastacia-esque as ever, but I loved that the first time around already so no need to complain about it now. The way the track cuts off here and there sounds interestingly broken at first, but by time I grew to like the fashion a lot. Change is very well balanced dancemusic that really earns praise from a global standpoint, not just as a eurobeat song.
Rating : 9½

3.DJ Moonraker - Bad (Asia / Saifam)
All respect towards the original, but this one should probably have been left undone. It just feels utterly appalling and annoying at the same time, makes me want to wash my ears with Dave's Not Gonna Get Us. The fast beat at the background sounds actually surprising fitting for the track, but the vocal work and especially the chorus make listening to this track a chore. Yet I do think that due to the original song's classic status this one could have been reworked into something spectacular. The vocals shouldn't have had to mimic Jackson as badly as this, trying a different approach would've pleased me a lot more. I would wanna try listening to this without the vocals, I might actually like it more then. Now I just gotta skip.
Rating : 6-

4.Manuel - Mad Man (Dima Music)
I'm not sure if it's just me thinking that Manuel's songs under Dima Music feel a bit clogged. As if there is one too many elements stuffed in the same song. All Is Magic wasn't quite the jackpot I would've wanted it to be, so Mad Man is here to patch up the situation with a Halloween-y theme. The track sounds so over the top that it's actually fun to listen to, Manuel's lovely high pitched vocals fit perfectly this sort of a theme and while portions of the song feel out of place, the complete package still works out fine. Great vocal work takes this song places, if it was sung by an inferior vocalist, the amount of emotion delivered would've definitely been left far behind. A good song, that could've been a bit more finetuned without the extra key and chord changs constantly.
Rating : 9-

5.Ken Blast - New Horizon (Delta)
Travis returns after the glorious debut with When The Sun Goes Down, can't be any happier to have him back. It's really refreshing to hear a different approach to eurobeat while still having it mixed together by one of the professionals. New Horizon sounds like a good effort all around, yet it still can't quite reach WTSGD's level. The main problem this time around is the way the track sounds slightly hollow without enough effective sound layers. The melodic result also sounds fairly simple without a hook to really drag you in, it all feels slightly too finely polished. Vocals sound good, but they can't really save the show. A nice song, yet sort of suffers from not enough rougher edges.
Rating : 7

6.Momo - One Heart One Soul (SCP)
Momo surprises us by putting out a really Lolita-esque performance that'd make Elena proud. The track has a similar upbeat mood to it as the past Lolita songs have had, so I'm definitely pleased to get treated to more  goodness by a label that is known to write really catchy female tracks. One Heart One Soul is faster paced than your general track by a female singer so it's right away recognizable and memorable. Vocals sound absolutely awesome, especially the chorus manages to drag you in and make you sing along. A huuuge improvement after the slightly annoying Flash & Love, and one of the better female tracks in quite a while.
Rating : 10

7.Mega NRG Man - Japanese Girl (Go Go's Music)
Tomas Marin Feat. Alessandra Mirka Gatti, would've been justified to have Domino mentioned as well with this very piece. Mega NRG Man tracks usually follow the extremely high level of productions, but this very piece still managed to pull out a complete surprise by being instantly infectious. Japanese Girl is everything you could expect a great Mega NRG Man song to be like: catchy, aggressive and with a really catchy chorus. If Go Go's Music have received complaints about using thin synth layers, this time around they are definitely not present. The track is just oozing of high class, everything seems to be well thought and considered. One of his best entries ever and that is quite well with a lot of hits under his belt.
Rating : 10

8.Tora - Call My Name (SinclaireStyle)
Instant flashbacks to Mom And Dad, if that's a good thing, well it's up to you I bet. Call My Name is far from the bouncy and kiddy mood of Kiss My Boo Boo, yet it retains the similar positive athmosphere. The same complaints I've had in the past about the synth layers sounding too weak applies with this track as well, occasionally it just feels like you'd be listening to the track in a hollow barrel. The echoing style just sounds unpleasant and not very appealing sadly. Vocals work out fine, melody is decent, yet I want more emphasis on the song's sounds and I'd probably be more satisfied with Sinclaire's productions.
Rating : 7

9.Cy-Ro - Rainy Days (HI-NRG Attack)
The slow music just seems to be what's in currently. It's like going back to the 140s when eurobeat labels initially noticed they could produce ballad type of songs as well. Rainy Days sounds future-esque with that old HRG touch in the mix as well. I like the way the sounds infuse the mechanic distortions and they don't feel at all out of place. The label has often been guilty of producing stuff that is just too chaotic and erratic but the elements that now jump out feel nicely thought out. Vocals and lyrics work out fine, but they can't really pull the listener in with the kind of edge some other singers could, that's something the label could really work on. Try it out with a new male and a female star, see what results you might find. Or bring back Baby Bazooka!
Rating : 8+

10.Dave & Futura - Just Another Day With You (Sunfire Records)
Dave's duets lately have been varying from horrible to good, the last really good entry was Dance In My Town, which really showcased that there's still magic in Giancarlo's fingers. Just Another Day With You sounds like a direct follow up to the older duets with Domino. For some reason Futura's vocals sound a lot like Alessandra this time around (they haven't done that in any of the older tracks oddly), but if that's intentional then all the credit Giancarlo for bowing towards the older duet companion. The song sounds nicely different and unlike anything the label has released so far, which makes me feel hopeful about them being capable of producing new and interesting songs again. The ballad itself is pretty pleasant with a fun chorus and a great c-melody, the other parts on the other hand can't really create the similar attraction. Plus points to the indian instruments used though.
Rating : 8½

11.Elisa - Fly (Delta)
After the huge amount of excellent female tracks during the 180s there hasn't really been an excessive amount of memorable female songs from Delta, which is very unfortunate. Fly is here to patch up the situation though. Energetic vocals with a slightly masculine synth make the song seem slightly odd at first, but once the reality sinks in you'll hear they work out fine as a duet. Surprisingly the verses are what sound like the best part of the vocals, not to belittle the other parts either, but it just seems as if the highest amount of emotion was put into them. It's fun to get Delta's happier side back, but it's still not an another Yes I Will.
Rating : 9

12.Jager - What D'You Want From Me (SCP)
With the recent publicity given to Jager, it's definitely no surprise to hear his songs standing out from the rest of the material on SEB. What D'You Want From Me sounds like a perfect infusion of various dancemusic elements. The eurobeat roots sound perfectly intact and Filippo really pulls of this kind of challenging vocal material with ease. The very catchy melody alongside the chorus add up to the track's longlasting value instantly. Also the cord changes really make the song seem much more variable than what you'd expect to hear usually. A great song, yet I still feel I was more at home with I Won't Fall Apart, I'd still like to raise a toast to this new talent and SCP for finding him.
Rating : 9½

13.U☆Scream - Kiss Me (Eurogrooves Remix) (Avex / Eurogrooves)
We're at the end of this decade as far as the new material goes, so my slightly unmotivated style to review the last 2 tracks of the album is again put to the test. U☆Scream is an act I haven't bumped into previously so I start off from a clean plate, but I do have to say I am liking what I hear. Whatever changes Eurogrooves have done to the song the final result is really catchy and fun to listen to. Vocals are very much japanesey and impossible to understand the Kiss Me-title aside, but I still enjoy what I am hearing. A good chorus, great sounds all around and a much higher production quality than most of the previous remixes. Hats off to Eurogrooves.
Rating : 9-

14.Alexis - Bye Bye Japan (Eurogrooves Healing Remix) (Eurogrooves)
I have been a huge fan of the original Bye Bye Japan for years now, so I was quite pleased to see it reawoken, but sadly it had to be a healing version. The original is very catchy and memorable, so making the same happen with acoustic elements and a slower pace is definitely challenging. I'm not quite sure whether Elena's vocals have been re-recorded but I am really liking what I hear, they feel very serene and beautiful. Also for some reason the track actually works much better as a slower version than all of the past healing remixes. Yet it does feel slightly corny hearing Crash, Boom, Bang in the lyrics, when it's so slow and plain. A beautiful rendition of a classic, one of the better Eurogrooves entries, well not that there have been many in the past 10 albums.
Rating : 9

Final Words :
Finishing off this decade happened with quite a high class album. The album provides two really awesome and memorable performances by Momo and Mega NRG Man, and the multiple other awesome songs just add up to the album's value. There's not really much to complain about the song selections this time around, even the slightly irritating Bad works out some levels. There could be some more work with a lot of these songs to make them forever memorable, but I guess it's just typical that only a fraction of every genre manages to make an everlasting impression. Either way, this is definitely one of the best albums this decade has provided.

Final Score : 8½

The Best 3 songs

- Momo - One Heart One Soul
- Mega NRG Man - Japanese Girl
- Jager - What D'You Want From Me

The Worst 3 Songs

- DJ Moonraker - Bad
- Tora - Call My Name
- Ken Blast - New Horizon

Honorable Mention

- Mari-San - Change

Labels present on the album:

Avex: 1
Delta: 2
Dima Music: 1
Eurogrooves: 1 (2)
Go Go's Music: 2
HI-NRG Attack: 1
Saifam: 1
SCP: 3
Sinclaire Style: 1
Sunfire Records: 1

Reviewed by Bore