Another day, another dollar for the three Hamburg inhabitants -- shoutman H.P. Baxxter and accompanying group members Rick J. Jordan and Michael Simon -- as they bring us the second single from the long-awaited (almost two years of waiting) full-length album, "Under The Radar Over The Top". And on the same day as the album itself, no less! I have to admit, Scooter sometimes releases average singles that don't really showcase what they are fully capable of presenting, instead offering what the casual fan expects: loud crowd sounds and a stadium-filling anthem that people all over the globe can jump to. That's all well and good. Nothing is wrong with the typical powerful Scooter tunes we're used to. But every once in a while, they whip out something completely from left field and it's very refreshing.
Such is the case with "Ti Sento". Aside from the fact that the song's title is Italian, which is now the fifth language of a single's title, the big pull is that you could consider this a "hard trance opera". This time, Scooter has enlisted the aid of vocal talents of Antonella Ruggiero, former lead vocalist of Matia Bazar who performed the original version of "Ti Sento". Not only did she provide new vocals for the song, she also appeared in the music video as a famous opera singer! (Granted, she gets assassinated, but that's another story.) The fine mix of the opera, the hardstyle music, and H.P.'s vocals make for an unusual yet alluring combination. Oh, and H.P. has jumped on the American bandwagon and started a bit of singing with auto-tune, a fad that managed to heavily infiltrate the entire UTROTT album. Well, I like auto-tune for some reason, so it doesn't bother me. Makes H.P. sound a bit more youthful and less smoky-lunged.
Everything you need is readily available in the Radio Edit, but if you're looking for smoother, housier grooves, the V.I.P. Room Club Mix might be more up your alley. It's fine to dance to in da club, or to make really freaky leopard-skinned love to, but I don't like this mix because they took the formerly beautiful female vocals and dropped the pitch so much that now she sounds mortifiably devilish. This does not sit well with me because they ruined the song. Luckily, the Extended Mix provides more than enough of what I love. There's also a Lissat & Voltaxx Remix Edit available here, which further exemplifies the minimalist house trend that has become very popular these days. Not sure whether I like it or I don't, but it's certainly something different.
In normal Scooter fashion, a brand new B-side is also present. Well, sort of. This single's B-side is entitled Scarborough Reloaded, and it's a rough hardstyle cover of "Scarborough Fair" by Simon & Garfunkel. Scooter already had their fill of this with "Scarborough Affair" on their first 2007 album, The Ultimate Aural Orgasm. This version has more pleasant (and believable) female vocals and exudes even more power than before. Still, sometimes I enjoy quietude, so I'm torn between the two. Heck, they're both good, depending on my mood. But it's a good ending to a single that boasted some highs and lows. Overall, I enjoyed the single and I appreciate Scooter's willingness to take a musical risk every once in a while. This risk was very worthwhile, and I hope that the fans enjoy it as much as I did. Now if only they hadn't messed with the damn Club Mix, this would get a better score. Goodness, what's wrong with those guys?
