I acquired this single by way of a friend who was passing through Europe for about a year or so on exchange. First off, the cost of a single is startling in itself. It costs 5,99 in euros (which is about $9.75 Canadian) -- and keep in mind that when it was first purchased, this was NOT an import price (it was bought directly in Germany, where Scooter hails from) -- and I demand more for my money. For $15 Canadian you can get an album! What fat cat bureaucrat put the price tag on THIS? Neverless, I get excited at the thought of Scooter merchandise, and so I shall pay the price! Ah...my shorts became moist as I beheld the sight of this single. Later that night, I popped it in the ol' CD walkman and played its 24-minute glory while entertaining myself with Kirby 64 with the sound off.
Interestingly though, Scooter's sound seems to have a somewhat dramatic change every time their third member leaves, and this one is THE prime example of Scooter's evolution since the single "Hyper Hyper" debuted in 1995. The disc starts off with the Radio Edit, your basic brief-and-to-the-point song. "Jigga Jigga!" is a clever mix. With loud kicks and cymbal crashes, an attractive melody, and H.P.'s helter-skelter screams, it is what a standard Scooter track consists of.
Yet none of these elements is what makes this song different. It is the contrasting hymn that has been strategically placed at two points within the song that separates this from other Scooter singles. Rick's wife, known only as Nikk, sings with a fine voice a soft refrain; something along the lines of "Full of light from distant flame / There's sunlight fading / Autumn leaves in the rain / If you call I will be there"... The apparent contrast between her entrancing siren song and the techno power of H.P. and the marvelous synths is what makes this such a strong anthem.
The Extended Version is just a ...longer version of the radio edit without too much extra floating in. Similarly, the Club Mix has a pretty funky intro, but is basically just the extended version with everything except H.P.'s vocals.
Shinjuku, the B-side of this single, seems to derive its percussion influence from one of Scooter's visits to Japan. This is a nice progressive trance song, although it may take a few listens before you can really appreciate its simplistic beauty. I didn't really like it the first time through, but after a few more plays, it's grown on me as a nice track.
Overall, it's worth the cost, as this is assuredly a song of many forms, all of which are most pleasant. Shinjuku is also a nice bonus, although it's not as hard-hitting as previous B-sides "Cordyline" from "The Night", or "Giant's Causeway" from "Maria (I Like It Loud)". The only thing this release is really missing is some extra remixes from other artists (although the UK release on the AATW label featured 3 new remixes from the likes of Clubstar, Flip & Fill, and Pez Tellet vs. Northstarz). Still, snatch it up if you see it!
Here's a bonus: a few snapshots from the video!
One of the themes of the video is a Japanese girl carrying a fish to a sacred place. Yeah, I don't understand it either. |
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Here's Scooter frontman H.P. wearing a skeleton glove! He's supaa-awesome-powerful! (Yes, he's holding a microphone.) |
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Rick can never JUST play the keyboards; he always has to wave his fist at the crowd or do something with his face. Truly a great man. |
