More Japanese freestyle

[koganbot]

Remember five years ago we were talking about Japanese freestyle?

Comments

[davidfrazer]

Here's a full length performance of HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~.

Va Melissa Johnson on Twitter I discovered some Korean Italodisco from 1989.

I also learned that Italodisco is alive and well in Ukraine thanks to Russya, who debuted in the late 1980s.

Sydney-Seoul-Bucharest-Seville

[davidfrazer]

Good Bye by Hong Jinyoung is Austral-Romanian trot with a hint of flamenco.

Trostriches (David Frazer links this via Twitter) and Ostriches

[koganbot]

David Frazer informs me via Twitter that Hong Jinyoung sings "Good Bye" to the ostriches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlTHMfhV71k

As you no doubt know, Lou Reed recorded "The Ostrich" in 1964 with the Primitives for Pickwick Records.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxcP4jsal8o

Re: Trostriches (David Frazer links this via Twitter) and Ostriches

[davidfrazer]

I recommend watching the Hong Jinyoung ostrich video with English subtitles switched on,

[davidfrazer]

From this review I learn that "HEY HEY ~Light Me Up~." is a cover of a 1993 Eurobeat track called "Hey Hey" by Vanessa, which was included on an Avex Super Eurobeat compilation CD. (Avex are still cranking them out and presumably single-handedly supporting the remaining Eurobeat producers.)

Anyway, Vanewssa's original has the abrupt intro, synth hooks and "doleful melodies" you mentioned, so songs classified as Eurobeat can themselves have Italodisco and freestyle influences, You might see the extended version as accelerated freestyle rather than Eurobeat as such, because it has a dreamy, expansive feel with the vocals floating over the beat.