New Scooter single: David Doesn't Eat

Oh yeah, another single, another album! On the same day, wow. I miss the times when I was sitting in front of the screen the whole day the new stuff got announced - I guess I'm really growing old here. Whatever, I still checked the samples out when Amazon f*cked up and made them available before planned time :)

Okay, back to the topic. So, the single is David Doesn't Eat - what a crappy title, eh? :D But it's cool! Absolutely nothing I expected, and remember, Scooter titles never ever tried to make any sense. Hope this title will catch people's attention. If that was the intention, then here's a thumb up for that.

Now, the music. Hard to judge objectively, so I won't even try. This is my own opinion: the single is mediocre, 'cause of their own mistake. And this mistake is called 'dubstep'. Look, I make music, I live in the club scene, I know that's the shit nowdays, so it was pretty much inevitable that they tried it. But come on, releasing a single when it's only your first wingflaps? Brave decision, and I must say it didn't work out quite well. The production quality is OK, typical Scooter, no problem with that. The lyrics are also OK. But the track lacks something very important: the cookie-cutter part. You know, when the beat kicks in and your hear jumps off your head. Even the crappy fashion-dubstep tracks have it, at least they try to sound hard. This one doesn't even try. The verse parts are quite dynamic, and after that, you only get a slow-motion wobble with a classic hit chorus. The video uploaded to YouTube showing the danish live premiere pictures it's definite flop: the crowd doesn't even move to the track. As far as I know, danes know how to party, plus the concert wasn't in a pensioner home, so no excuse here. This track is not for extreme partying. And like it or not, Scooter's most definite insignia is their hard, straight, partysmasher tracks. So poor David doesn't hit either. Apart from that - as I said -, it's an okay track.

Now, if you didn't already see the video:

This was another interesting thing. After The Only One (which was definitely the gayest Scooter video ever made) it's a relief. Much better, both in direction and in scenes. Unfortunately, the "H.P. == Scooter" impression is there again, thanks to the lack of showing Rick and Michael. The dancers are good, but shown too much. Their moves are not that spectacular. The cuts and the AV sync is very well done here, so big up the video crew.

I still miss a story videoclip though. Ti Sento was so cool.

Scooter in Hungary - Hegyalja Festival, Tokaj

At around 14:00 me and my 3 mates (Emese, BS Baxxter and Fonix) left from Budapest to the concert location - which was a nice 250km drive. The trip was quite pleasant, we picked up Zita on our way, so the posse squad of five arrived in Tokaj at around 18:00. We were a bit late for our schedule so I rushed to the VIP cassa to get my press pass. I had to queue for almost an hour, and then BANG! - I'm not on the list. WTF? I arranged the interview last friday. We tried to reach the press manager, but she didn't respond, so I got kicked out of the queue. That was a nice experience to start the evening, really... had no other option than quickly buying a regular ticket (28€). I hereby send a nice warm F*CK YOU to the festival's press crew.

My friends Baxxter and Alex were at the press pavilon - they had pass as representatives for an online newspaper, so I gave them my questions, and asked them to ask the guys some of those too - if they manage to do the interview. As it turned out, they also went through hell to get their passes - Alex said Scooter's press manager was fucking around with the Hungarian staff, and he didn't want anyone near the guys, except major TV crews. They said the Hungarian management granted interview rights for about 20 people, while Scooter's management only allowed 15 minutes of press conference - what a load of crap?? I don't know if they managed to do an interview, since I didn't meet them later.

It was around 19:30, so I rather went inside to check out the place. It was a big grassy field in a small valley, so there wasn't any problem with the location. A lot of people were loitering around, and the stages' fronts were filled with smaller crowds. I walked around and sold the Hungarian Posse passes to the fans that wanted one. At 21:00 we walked up to the main stage, and occupied the 1st and 2nd rows without problems. One of Hungary's most successful rock bands, Edda Művek was about to start their gig. I like a lot of songs from them, so I really enjoyed the show. It helped me forget about the press & interview thing. We sang along their big hits, and danced a bit until 22:30. Scooter was to start at 23:00, but they had the usual 10 minute delay. At this point, the location was filled with so much people you couldn't see the back of the mass. At 23:10 they switched off the lights, and the show begun - so did the pushing, moshing and the giving of elbows. It was a real battle against the idiots, but it wasn't THAT hard. I've had worse in 2009, so I "held my fort" throughout the whole concert. I promised myself that I won't let anyone or anything ruin my fun, so I tried not to care, and at the same time, protect the girls in front of me from being splattered on the fence. Zita couldn't hold on till the end, the security picked her out at around the 6th track - later she told me she met Pim at the side fence, and that the show was completely enjoyable there. We stayed front until the end, and during the finale (Coldwater - Ass - Hyper - Summer) I managed to forget about the people around and was just jumping hard without control - ah, the good old days :P

After the show I gathered the posse and went for fresh cold water, and had a small talk discussing the concert. We all agreed that it was far from our best experiences :P but it was still good. No such thing as a bad Scooter concert anyway.
At 02:00 we left. Took 4 hours to get home, and I only managed to sleep 2.5 hours, but it still worth it. Nice trip, nice show, idiot people. That's 2:1 for the positives.

The Stadium Techno Inferno

Time to write something about the latest super-giga-megahyped Scooter concert - "biggest show ever" you know :)

Unfortunately, I wasn't there, but managed to watch the livestream together with a coupla' friends and a few drinks at home. It was super, we were jumping up and down and screaming in the room - sorry neighbors! :D The atmosphere easily came through the stream, so it was completely OK.
I liked the tracklist though, however I expected more :P Personally I'd be happy if they threw out The Question - why do they push that track so much? It's their worst jumpstyle production imho. Whatever...

And what about the crowd? They hyped the concert so much, they always noted that the stadium can hold 57'000 people. At the end, 21'000 attenders shown up - or at least that's what I heard. How come? They did 30'000+ concerts in russia in the past. There was clearly no problem with promotion: they used online adverts, posters, mega-plakats and stuff all around Germany. Everyone knew about the show (except those who live in a dark basement without phone, TV and Internet connection), then why is this "small" number? Beats me. Maybe the ticket price? It was horribly steep, that's true. Or, maybe there isn't as many fans around as they expected. About 10% of the guests were from other countries.

So yeah, it's strange. It was really a spectacular show well planned from first second to last, but I think it didn't get the reception it deserved. I still hope they will play the No Time To Chill rememberence part on concerts in the future :) That rocked!

Fanrank - Scooterfan kindergarden

A coupla' days before, Facebook introduced this new app called "Fanrank". In case you're among the lucky fellows who didn't bump into it: basically it's a contest between bands' fan-communities to decide who is the "biggest fan of [insert band name]". The Scooter Facebook page was also added to the app database, and that's when all hell broke loose.

The goal is: post as many status updates about the band as you can. You can get "points" for including the band name and band members' names in your status updates (maybe also related things or lyrics, I don't know the thing in such detail). Aaaaand, guess what? Yep, the person with the most points wins the title of the "biggest fan". Yes, I know, epic facepalm. My news feed was flooded with rubbish in about 2 minutes, so I instantly blocked the app.

To everyone who uses this load of crap: look inside yourselfs, damnit. Posting names and keywords to gain 15 minute online fame is as childish as can be. You are ADULT PEOPLE for God's sake! Why the hell are you doing this bullshit? You need attention? Or the belief of being important? Then go and create something valuable, or make yourself an active and constructive member of the fan community - then you'll surely gain the respect of others! But sitting in front of the Internet playing Scooter tracks and posting rubbish for a virtual badge will never make you look important, just miserable.

Being the third member - honorary job or not?

One of the advantages of blogging is that you can talk about things that the forum members are afraid to speak of, or something that might get deleted from Facebook. So, let's have a look at the position of "the third member".
As we all knwo, this position is currently fulfilled by Michael Simon - but how long to go? Will he leave the band for good, like the others did, or will he stay 'till Scooter's end? Good question.

We'll probably never get an answer to the mechanism of the band, but it's nice to have some speculation. When Ferris left, the official news were that he wanted to concentrate on solo stuff - and then 12 years later, we got to know that he was kicked out for being a depressive person. I haven't had the chance to talk about this with Ferris, so I don't know what to believe. Anyways, it really is an interesting twist to the story.

Axel also left for solo career. When I asked him about this 3 years ago, he said he is still in good relationship with the guys, it just "didn't work out with them in the end", and yes, he wanted to do own things. That's clean sheet for me.

I can't really remember what was the tagline of Jay's leaving the band, but back then, there were some gossip about he having a contract for 4 years which simply expired. In 2007 we had a nice long chat together with a coupla' fans, and he answered all of our questions regarding this subject. He denied having a contract, he said he wanted "harder sounds", and Rick and H.P. refused to go into that direction. The weird part is: look at Jay's music back then, it's not even close to "hard", while Scooter's jumpstyle stuff is much more like it. Strange, innit? Jay also told me he was working all alone on a lot of Scooter tracks (including all b-sides, clubmixes and several album tracks) - while Rick stated a few days ago on Facebook that every single track is made in teamwork. Okay, 4 years passed between the two statements, but I doubt they would change a well-working scheme on making the tracks.

And here we are now with Michael. It's useless to choose between him leaving or staying. I still think that the third member alone can't do anything to change the overall sounding of the band. No need to judge by personal experiences either; I only spoke with Michael 3 times, and he's a really great and friendly guy. But that doesn't change my opinion about him being just a "pawn" on stage, without major influence in the sound. And if that's the truth, that's pretty sad. I do hope time proves me wrong.

Flashback: ...And The Beat Goes On

This is gonna be a new post-series. From time to time I'm gonna spin the bottle and select a random album (or other stuff) to munch on. The first one is the first one, ...And The Beat Goes On!

I remember well when I first heard these tracks. I was 8, and my dad was listening to a cassette tape that was copied from the neighbor guy. It featured Hyper Hyper and Move Your Ass, and later the same guy bought the album when it came out. That's when I decided: this music will show my way in life. To put it in a cliché way: I didn't choose the music, the music chose me. I still consider myself an oldschool raver btw.

So, let's get the CD/MC/LP rollin'!

Different Reality
And there it is. The very first track of the very first album defines Scooter's sound at around the 50th second: rave. Pure, motherfscking rave. Not to be confused with hardcore, this track is something that classic rave sound was about. Nice strings, leads, catchy synths, simple yet effective melody. Perfection from start to end. When I first heard it, I couldn't understand the feeling and spirit this track is to give you. As an adult, I do. And I envy those who witnessed it played live back then.

Move Your Ass!
If the CD is a whole-night party, this track should be the "big name" DJ. You know, the one who really starts up the party. Faster tempo, harder grooves, everything you need. Personally I never "moved my ass" to this, I rather jump up and down uncontrollably. Still an absolute favorite, and miraculously it easily fits in hardstyle environment. (see: Live In Hamburg)

Waiting For Spring
When I was in primary school, many of my mates liked Scooter, and we usually played a lot of tracks on field trips and such. But we haven't had the cassettes back then, so we only had a few ones on copied tapes. This was one of the "played-till-the-deck-bled" tracks, mainly for the nice melody. It's not really a stomper for me, on parties I rather play it between two harder tracks for chills. (this doesn't apply to the live version, 'cause that just blows your balls off)

Endless Summer
Another all-time classic. There is one thing that alone wins the "fav" sticker: the pianos. Ricky really did a miracle with them in this track. I never learned to play the piano, but the first thing I learned to play, was this melody. I can still play it.

Cosmos
Classic rave/trance. A good track, but nothing extraordinary for me. Never got into my TOP-10, though I know some guys who just go nuts about it. Personally I think H.P.'s shouts are pretty much useless in this one.

Rhapsody In E
Lovin' this. One would never think how much energy sleeps in the depths of this track. It sounds relaxing and soft... until you put the needle on it to a crowd of 100 ravers. Earthquake!!

Hyper Hyper
You know what I like in this track? The simplicity. One TR-909, a Nord Lead and a TB-303 can carry this monster on their backs. And it still kicks! I really like the drum grooves, they are quite catchy. I'm sad they don't play this live anymore.

Raving In Mexico
Many people who laugh at Scooter and despise their music adds the remark "but hey, their first album was damn good!" - and if you ask them to name one track beside the singles, they will probably say Raving In Mexico. Yep, this track is absolutely killer. It has everything a raver needs: pounding groovy part, soft melodic part, nice intro and outro, some MC shouts. This is truly a glowing pearl in the sea of music.

Beautiful Vibes
Now that you think I'm gonna idolize all tracks on the album, I say: I don't like this one. Never did. I'm not keen on the breakbeat things, and I also find the "vocal" sample annoying. "Beautiful, beautiful, wooohooooo..." (BARBRA STREISAND! :D) The piano can't save it either, Endless Summer alreadyí got the point for that :P

Friends
The single version is much better in my opinion, but it's OK. In parties I usually choose this one, 'cause it's more DJ-friendly. But I really miss the piano&rhode melody from the single.

Faster Harder Scooter
The intro in this track is awesome. But as it slowly reaches the end, the track loses energy. Or at least that's how I feel. It has a hard kickstart, but it just can't last 'till the very end. Fortunately, the piano play towards the end gives bonus energy to keep the listener's ears up. The last kick and the fading synths are alright in the outro, nicely ending the album.

Yep, I love this album. Not just 'cause of the music, but for the countless number of sweet memories it pops into my mind. There are a few CDs around that I just have to look at when feeling down, without playing, and it just forces me to smile. And this is one of them.

The Only One - with or without it?

Okay, let's kick off with some fresh news. Nearly two weeks ago we got a very surprising package from Scooter. A new track, and a corresponding music video. Yep, The Only One. After listening for the 100th time, and watching the video exactly one, I must say, that this is definitely not The Only One for me :P

First, a few thoughts about the track itself. Short said: it's cool. Nothing more, nothing less, just "cool". At first I was surprised by the atmosphere and the arrangement, but I found it a good example of how dance tracks should sound like in 2011. No problem with that, this song should definitely work on the dancefloors (it won't, 'cause it's Scooter), and the sharp hard leads will blow up on a concert. Too bad the "Yee-eeeah-yeeah" part is ripped from Nirvana, that puts a small setback on the experience, but whatever. I like the MC lines, they fit nicely to the groove. The lyrics are mediocre at best, H.P. did a lot better before, but that's not a major fault either. Not the best, but far from the worst. I'd give it a 6.5/10, but that rating will probably rise after I heard it live.

Then, what do we have here... a regular extended (only on web, duh) and a club mix. I won't go into details about the latter one, it's awful. Soft house grooves, slow progress, no MCing... that flashes the 'crap' signal for me. And last, but not least, the video clip. OH. MY. GOD. Please, someone save me from this nightmare. I saw it one time, and I can't sleep at night. I always see visions of H.P. in that gay purple training suit... what moron's ide was this concept? God-awful stuff, hear me.
OK, I get the intention of making a parody out of today's pop-video trends, but this pink-glam stuff is so far from the masculine image of Scooter, I just can't empathize with it. If I want such videos, I rather choose Katy Perry. The video gets 1/10, but that's only 'cause of MY taste. Over & Out.