DIMA EUROBEAT Vol. 1
Label: Dima Music
Release date: 10th February 2011
Available on: iTunes, Juno Download
This release marks the first in what I hope are many independent releases from one of the most active labels in the Eurobeat scene at the moment. Featuring 3 unreleased extended tracks in the Eurobeat style and with a bonus unreleased hyper-techno track from the label, it really gives a taste of what the label is all about.
Grading scale:
1 (terrible) > > > > > > > > > > > > 10 (awesome)
1. DEE DEE / SUPER EUROBEAT LOVER (04:59)
This is a surprise return for a David Dima alias that has been dormant for a fairly long time, and the use of an older alias ties in nicely with the retro feel that this track has. The 80's disco beat intro and cow bells take use back to the time of leg-warmers and big hair, and the bass riff makes me think of some of those classic 80's movie tracks like "Maniac" (from Flashdance). The spacey synths that warp and glisten through the remainder of the intro create a magical soundscape that is entrancing. As the lead synth hook kicks in, I am hit with a strong sense that this track - whether intentionally or not - has been influenced fairly strongly by SCP's disco-style tracks. Jay Lehr wouldn't sound out of place singing this track, for example. This is further re-enforced when the piano makes an appearance during the chorus - SCP love their pianos! It's also important to note that while many of the David Dima-sung tracks nowadays have a fairly muffled vocal quality, this track seems to give them a lot more clarity making the legendary vocals seem much lighter and more youthful. I love the little quirky fillers that are added along the way in this track - at 01:04, the robotic "Eurobeat now" adds to the spacey, sci-fi atmosphere, and at 02:04, the frantic synth stab pattern just adds another level of interest for the listener. My one small criticism is that the bass riff starts to grate a little towards the end of the song - it's nothing that majorly impacts on my overall enjoyment of the song, but I found myself distracted more and more by it during the chorus. There's very little to grumble about on the whole, and it's a nice thing to hear some Dima disco for a little change!
Score: 9.5/10
2. MAX ZERO / I WANT IT ALL (05:02)
Wow, how awesome it would've been to have heard a Dima cover of the guitar-heavy Queen track bursting from my speakers - that could've easily been "Save A Prayer part 2" for me. But anyway, we have an original composition with one of the most respected and successful male vocalists in the Eurobeat at the helm - Tomas Marin, a.k.a. Mega NRG Man and now Max Zero! This guy was given a tough debut slot with Dima on Super Eurobeat Vol. 197 with "Loved In Tokyo" - a song which sadly didn't get enough attention due to the decision to make that release a non-stop release (although you could later purchase the extended versions on iTunes Japan). Thankfully, this second release from Tomas at the label is given the full chance to shine in all its glory from the outset. This production is a far more classic Dima Eurobeat style - the deep kick drum, the rich stuttering synths during the main hook, and of course the wailing and growling guitars ever-present in the background. Lyrically, this track doesn't always stick to old cliches of "fire, desire, higher" which is nice to hear, but the real star is the unique melodic construction that is employed during the chorus. That subtly descending scale is unlike anything that I've heard in the Eurobeat world and it instantly makes this song memorable. The classic vocals of Tomas feel far more at home in this track than they did in "Loved In Tokyo" - not as forced, but they still manage to convey a sense of power that commands the listener's attention. The combination of the harsh and more muted synth that dance around each other during the hook is another thing that really draws me in to this track - it adds another dimension to the production. In the end, I guess all I can say is that I'm glad this wasn't a cover of the Queen song - as Dima and Tomas have created an anthem of their own!
Score: 10/10
3. CINDY COOPER / TIME TO FLY (05:27)
Now let's go back a little further in time to the mid 100's of the SEB series, a time when Dima was still pumping out the hits at Vibration. This track sounds to be straight out of that era. The heavy use of saw arps during the intro in particular gives this a more retro Eurodance feel, and the vocals are another thing that dates this further back (as the current crop of female Dima vocalists are far less hyped and - dare I say it - more natural sounding). The explosion of colour and depth when the main hook kicks in on this track is something to behold - the lighter chime bell sounds are layered on rich golden saw sounds and backed up by even deeper orchestral sounds that all combine to give the melody a real presence and sense of purpose. The trademark warping flourishes between phrases are ever present, which is nice to hear - that's something that ties all the different phases of Dima'sItalo pioneers - the progressive ascending chords (a really good example of this is "Boom Boom Dollars" by King Kong & D. Jungle Girls). My current personal preferences for Eurobeat have gone beyond this fairly cut-and-paste construction, which is sad as I'm sure I would have given this top marks 3 or 4 years ago, but even now I can definitely appreciate the effort that has gone into the production and writing and it showcases yet another very prolific time in Dima's production career.
Score: 8.5/10
4. WATER QUEEN / I WANNA BE A STAR (Hyper Techno) (05:20)
To be honest, I haven't actually paid much attention to the Hyper Techno genre, and I only became completely aware of it a few years ago through other listeners of Eurobeat. The distinctive "clicky" kick drum and deep, menacing bass gallops give the style a very industrial feel, and for some reason I always seem to have an image in my head of Hyper Techno being played at illegal raves in Japan. Anyway, back on topic, this track has a fairly bright hook section (although the repetitiveness does start to get to me after a while) and I really like the rich drum loops that are used. Vocals are never going to be the most important part of a track like this, but I have to note that the MC sounds very British, while the female vocals in the chorus are delivered almost entirely through the nose (or by someone with a clothes peg on her nose). Quite odd. The beat breaks just before the chorus almost make me think that I'm going to hear the chorus for "Napalm Days" by Naika - a Hyper Techno track from Akyr Music that is one of the very few that has managed to make it on to my regular iPod and winamp playlists due to its strong emphasis on melodies and its hark-back to classic DDR tracks like Dynamite Rave. After looping this track 3 times over, I can safely say that I probably won't be listening to it all that frequently, but again I can appreciate the work and effort that has gone in to the production. I guess it's just not my style, and for a release called Dima EUROBEAT, I guess it really just doesn't hit the sweet spot for me, even as a bonus track.
Score: 7/10
OVERALL VERDICT:
The 3 Eurobeat tracks on this release were very well selected to represent 3 very different styles and eras of Dima's productions - from the modern masculine "I Want It All" right back to the cutesy and tuneful "Time To Fly", we can definitely get a fairly accurate picture of what Dima Music is all about. The bonus Hyper Techno track is a neat addition, but I think I'd maybe prefer the two genres to be kept on separate releases in the future.
Overall score: 8.5/10
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