Super Eurobeat 214

1.Jager - Because Of You (SCP)
10 albums ago Jager made his debut on this very same slot. During this past year the Jager-name has become known throughout the eurobeat community as something slightly different from the norm, but of high class. Because Of You is the third installment that carries on the legacy of catchy and memorable eurobeat under the Jager name. As an album opener the track works out perfectly since the song pushes forward quite a bit of energy to get the show going on. The song carries on the regular (roughly) 150BPM pace that fits Jager's voice perfectly since his vocal range is clearly wide enough to go from slower and more emotional material to this sort of energetic performances. The track is well balanced all the way from the intro to the last notes, with enough highlight moments to keep the flow going on. Because Of You is definitely a great addition to his resume, but it's not quite as much of an instant hit as per say I Won't Fall Apart.
Rating : 9+

2.Leslie Parrish - Skyline (Delta)
After Delta's brief absence on 212, they are back with a blast! Leslie Parrish is usually combined with more soothing and beautiful tracks, but this time around Leslie brings forth quite a bit of energy and action. Skyline is reminiscient of the powerful and forever memorable Delta-tunes from the 170s and 180s. The same powerful beats and catchy sounds are here again with the kind of magical athmosphere I've been longing to hear from Delta for a while now. Clara seems to be enjoying herself with this song as there's sheer happiness involved in her vocals.  The chorus combined with the abso-fuckin-lutely awesome c-melody form the song's peak moments. I love how the guitars are used as an extra spice in the song, without forming the whole track around them (See: Dave) and as such, they work out really nicely. Skyline showcases the kind of Delta I love to hear the most, this is exactly why I keep buying the new SEBs. Thank you Rizzi, Capaldi, Moroni & Torchiani!
Rating : 10+++

3.April - The Magic I Feel (SCP)
April has only made one previous appereance on SEB and already on her first track she divided the listeners pretty strongly. The question is if there actually exists a unique vocalist behind this title or if it's just heavy usage of vocoder to create the style these songs are sung with. Either way, if you did not enjoy Hanami back on 196 the chances are quite likely that you aren't gonna be a fan of The Magic I Feel either. Squeeky vocoder vocals are the key-feature for the song, you either enjoy them or you don't, but I would highly recommend giving the song an another chance even if the initial playthrough puts you off. The reality is that while the vocals are this time slightly more annoying than they were in Hanami, the song structure is really nice otherwise. The chorus is catchy and the sounds are simple yet very efficient, but even I, the fan of all things squeeky and screetchy, have to admit that this song should have had a lot less of vocoder included. The Magic I Feel is a song that will mostly be loathed by eurobeaters I presume, but there is a beautiful song underneath all the chipmunks.
Rating : 8½

4.Lolita - Rhythmysticaltycious (Go Go's Music)
So my queen is here again, with one of the most atrocious song titles in a while. We've all probably barely learned how to type Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and now we should learn another similar funky title. So to preserve myself from constant typos I'll just refer to the song as Rhythm from now on. Elena's performance on 212 was what restored my longlost love for eurobeat so I was having high expectations for this song. Oddly enough this track has a very very strong disctinction to the SinclaireStyle female tunes. The synth has that similar weird hollow-effect and the production sounds very unlike to GGM. Initially I was even slightly put off by the song and it took me quite a few replays until I started to realize that this is actually a good track. Vocalwise I have zero complaints as there's enough of screaming and she gets to belt out some extended notes that sound great every single time. The problems I have with the song are mostly revolved around the extensive repetition. Go Go's Music songs are rarely this repetitive, as there seems to be a single hook that is heavily repeated over and over again. The chorus works out nicely and verses offer some funky/funny lyrical play which is worth the notice, but over all this is definitely not on the same god-tier as Baby Come Back. In the end the song works out decently, but if it was performed by some other vocalist I might not have found so much positive in it.
Rating : 8½

5.Eurodudes - Passport To Dance (SinclaireStyle)
As I've said before, to me it feels as if Sinclaire puts all of his bets on the male tracks, the difference in level is just so obvious to all the female tunes. Passport To Dance follows the footsteps of Toy For Love & Wheelpower & Go! with an instantly catchy melody and some powerful vocal work. I do have to give it to Maurizio & Nando, they seem to bring out the best in Sinclaire's songs time after time. Passport To Dance has a hyper atmosphere that will definitely get the people moving on the dancefloor, the track has been blessed with quite a bit of uniqueness which helps in making the song stand out. The C-melody alone sounds really memorable, but when you got effective verses and a killer chorus you get an excellent complete package. A very strong performance and this is the kind of music I would gladly hear more often from Bratt. Maybe some better female vocalists to give some variety as well.
Rating : 10

6.Domino & Scream Team - Boom Boom Scream (SCP)
As most of the eurobeat fans already know, this song was released with a promotional video that really shows that a bit of extra work can give a song so much extra oomph. Domino has ties to the SCP studios and most of us already remember her previous visits under Stefano's house. Boom Boom Scream is a perfect example of theme-music. The strong Halloween elements are present throughout the track and really add in a lot of extra strength. Excellent chorus, great vocals and organ-like synth work out wonders for this track. The release time for the track is of course a bit of a mystery since October is ages away, but with this strong performance I can see us still listening to this song on heavy repetition on the next Halloween.
Rating : 10

7.The Frisbees - Baby Go (Dima Music)
The more juvenile feel-good material has not been Dima's speciality so it's quite interesting to hear a more upbeat tune alongside good old 90's bubblegum dancepop. Baby Go has that classic Danish bubblegum style with female vocals and male rapping, which actually works out quite nicely. The song balances between this child-like style and a more mature one which creates a bit of a distortion throughout the song. It's like the label was trying to create a really happy-go-lucky tune but did not quite know how to go all the way, think they should have listened to a bit more of Aqua, Toy-Box and the likes to see how such is done with professionalism. While the song has a nice lil' chorus and decent vocals, in the end it can't quite provide enough of that something, to really stand out. Still nice to hear Dima trying out something different this time around.
Rating : 7

8.Nine9Nine - Blackout (Dima Music)
Well, as the previous track already stated, Dima is really trying out new things on this album. Blackout is a few extra steps away from the eurobeat style and sounds like an attempt to create a street credible rock-tune with all of the guitars. The reality though is that the song falls short on all areas. While there aren't any actually bad or unfitting elements, the track just doesn't really sound special at all. After hearing so much of Davide on vocals lately, it seems like just another mediocore tune with guitars to fool the listeners. As said, nothing really negative but neither much positive going on here either.
Rating : 6½

9.Speedmaster Feat. Cindy - Pretty Girl Rock (Asia/Saifam)
As always, we have the filler Saifam songs to break out the format even more. This time around we have a fairly new modern R&B track that is re-formated to the typical Saifam speed style. Without having ever heard the original, I do have to wonder why such a song was chosen though. The song sounds like your average material with nothing really special going on. The chorus is the only part of the track that stands out from the rest. The chorus has a nice beat going on and the vocals are pretty smooth and flowing, but sadly the rest of the song doesn't really make any kind of effort to stand out. Pretty Girl Rock is a track that should have been left on the shelf and the 6+ minutes could have just as well been used for something related to eurobeat.
Rating : 6-

10.Ciao Ciao - Together (HI-NRG Attack)
Oh how warm the old and classic HI-NRG Attack sound feels like after 3 attempts to break out from the eurobeat mold. Together sounds like HI-NRG Attack did during their golden years on Eurobeat Flash/Mach, there's a simple yet very efficient synth that controls the whole flow of the tune. Before I started writing the review I thought about the things to say and then it dawned to me: Ciao Ciao seems to be the HRG equivalent for other high class titles like Delta Queens or Domino. I can't remember a single bad entry from this title and in the similar fashion carries on with Together. While I could bicker a bit about the unexciting vocals, I'll push that aside and concentrate on the fact that the song is done in a true eurobeat format. There's that classic fast and simple synth, there are the bulky and simple lyrics and most of all there's a fun melody that is fun to listen to. There's no rocket science involved in the production of this song, but it does it's task with head up high.
Rating : 9+

11.MC Boy - Just A Dream (Asia/Saifam)
So we've had bubblegum dance, we've had rock, we've had speed and now we have some hiphop elements merged into a speed song. The track stands out with its speedy pace, a 180BPM that is quite respectable. I initially was put off by the song but the more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed it. The parts with actual singing are really smooth and catchy, while I'm not the biggest fan of the rap, it's nothing that would destroy the whole song. As a matter of a fact, the chorus is really memorable and sounds very fitting for this album. Soundwise there's nothing really spectacular going on, it's your average sound library in use with just a speedier beat. If I could, I would love to hear the track without the rap as that would probably make the song work out really nicely, now I'm torn between the awesome chorus and the lackluster verses. With an exceptionally catchy chorus such as this song's, I have to give credit where it's due: Saifam still know how to do catchy dance material, just leave the rap out next time, mmkay?
Rating : 8

12.Michelle Rose - You Are In Love (HI-NRG Attack)
After the speedier titles it's surprisingly HI-NRG Attack who decide to push the break. You Are In Love sounds like a fun summer day: Sunny, full of life, energy and happiness. The slower pace emphasizes the simple structure perfectly since the verses and chorus are given much more room to shine. Sounds actually offer quite a few treats to the ears if you pay attention to the elements in the backgrounds. The minor details in the sounds make the song feel really special and important, somehow I get a feeling like Greta Accatino would have been a part of the song's creation in some way. If not directly herself, but maybe in the head of Claudio at least. A feel-good song that celebrates the life and its' simple pleasures.
Rating : 9½

13.Rich Hard - Take My Life (Sunfire Records)
With just a single track on the album, Sunfire Records are actually pushing forward something unheard of. Rich Hard is again here with a song that sounds very unique and unlike anything we've before heard from the label. The synth sounds totally renewed and perfectly fitting for the song. Take My Life sounds quite special in more than one way. Sounds have a tiny bit of a futuristic feel to them, yet at the same time the song has a stuffy club-like feel to it. The result is something really special and worth while, if you haven't enjoyed the label's performances beforehand this is definitely something worth checking out. The melody itself is pretty simple with a few really excellent hooks, the structure is quite odd though and it doesn't really emphasize the chorus at all. Actually all other parts of the song feel much more efficient, which is a bit of a double-edged sword. You may expect a strong chorus, but when you actually realize it went by without any real events one can feel a bit cheated. But not me, I really feel this track showcases the best in Sunfire Records, it's different, it's catchy and very bizarre!
Rating : 10-

14.Cherry - No More Love (Delta)
When I saw the original line-up for this album I was expecting a lot from this title since the past has brought forth such classic titles as Rain and Yes I Will. No More Love doesn't quite live up to the expectations since it's a more generic, yet still bubbly and upbeat. Rizzi seems to be creating a lot of upbeat material these days, whether it's the effect of spring and sunlight coming forth I do not know, but I am definitely enjoying it. Clara handles the vocals decently, but the similar happiness as Skyline is gone, which makes the song feel slightly more hollow. Chorus and the c-melody sound excellent on this tune, but the verses could really have used some extra seasoning. Not a bad offering by any means, but next time some extra life into the vocals and extra bounciness for the verses.
Rating : 8+

15.Jilly - Ding A Ling (Healing Eurogrooves Remix) (Eurogrooves)
So Eurogrooves are back, sorta. Even if it's only through remixes, the label at least is making some form of appearances. Ding A Ling is a bit of a classic, with a great chorus and some memorable playful lyrics. The original track was quite speedy, so this slowed down ballad feels extra strange. The acoustic elements feel pretty typical and don't really offer anything special for this track. Clara's vocals sound like the original, which is a bit of a shame as hearing redone vocals would've been fun at least, or a new vocalist even. A soothing closure for the album, but no where near the level of the original.
Rating : 7-

Final Words :
I have to admit that I was not originally expecting all that much from this album, aside for the Lolita song, which in retrospect was a bit of a disappointment. But fortunately where there was a loss, there was a lot of victory as well. Different labels put out quite a bit of originality and high class material which made this an album with plenty of high lights. While the first half of the album seems over all stronger than the end, it's really refreshing to hear Sunfire Records and HI-NRG Attack offering some really memorable pieces as well. After a few albums that balanced on the generic average level, this album surprises with an over all high quality. The return of Leslie Parrish and Delta with Skyline is the real gem of the album, but Domino & Scream Team and Eurodudes are very close to the similar level. On top of that the album features plenty of good songs by other labels as well, so I have definitely no complaints at all. 214 is a pleasant surprise, which deserves more publicity than it seems to have had so far.

Final Score : 8½

The Best 3 songs

- Leslie Parrish - Skyline
- Eurodudes - Passport To Dance
- Domino & Scream Team - Boom Boom Scream

The Worst 3 Songs

- Speedmaster Feat. Cindy - Pretty Girl Rock
- Nine9Nine - Blackout
- Jilly - Ding A Ling (Healing Eurogrooves Remix)

Honorable Mention

- Rich Hard - Take My Life

Labels present on the album:

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

Reviewed by Bore