Stefano Castagna joins Eurobeat-Prime Discord. The Questions

Q1 (Lebon14): So, what will you do with the extra money? I know a lot goes out because of Kickstarter fees. Do you have any plans?
A1:  First of all, thank to the money raised we will make everything (the CD, the graphic, all the materials) bigger and better :) Second of all, we decided to collab with Turbo for a secret track. We are also getting in touch with Andy Martongelli, the guitarist....remember the guitar from Don't turn it off by GO2? He will play in some of the tracks!

Q2 (Kira): I actually have two questions for you, Stefano.
   Q2a. Will you be able to do something more than planned for the EuroKudos 2020 (like an additional song), since you got more money?
   A2b. That's more a personal question, but what is your favorite song you have produced and why?
A2: Actually is a bit difficult for me to chose just one song, 'cause everyone means something different for us. At the moment, my current favourite is Higher Higher More and More, I think it is a really good song, and hidden gem, which didn't received enough credit. What about YOUR favourite songs?

Q3 (Rain197): We have seen your son remixing one of Ace's song into dubstep. Will there be an album consisting of remixes in different music style ?
A3: At the moment we have two dubstep-remixed tracks. The project is in stand by at the moment because we aren't sure that our fans could be into that. What do you think about the remixes?

Q4 (Metsu-Satsu): Do you have any plans about recording new songs with other SCP artists, like Nick Mansell or The Snake for example?
A4: Not at the moment, expecially with The Snake who is living in UK and it makes more difficult to collaborate.

Q5 (Super!NOVA): I love many of your songs... but if I had to chose I'd say One Touch by Ace feat La Gatta <3
A5: This is an unusual track for the eurobeat standard! The Avex staff didn't know how to classify it!

Q6 (Aru-Tettsa): Do you plan on doing something like this kickstarter again next year?
A6: Actually, we want to take one step at a time. This was kind of an experiment. We are really happy and amazed by the community we felt and keep feeling around us and this project, and we are grateful we have gained all this attention!

Q7 (SuperEuroJimmy): Did you ever think the crowdfunding project would go so well? If I am honest, I totally did not expect to go even over 10.000 euro. I'm glad I was mistaken.
A7: To be honest, we thought the same. Actually, before putting the project online on kickstarter we decided that if we could make it to 10'000 euros, we would put in the missing 5'000 ourselves, because of the 300 bakers who decided to support and believed in the project. Of course, we are so happy of the almost-22k :) We also need to thank TurboA_ and Jameskii for their great help spreading the word.

Q8 (Lebon14): Will the CD package for EBK 2020 include a booklet with the lyrics and detailed credits?
A8: Of course! Is one of the big upgrade we want to do thanks to the new money raised.

Q9 (Keisari): Stefano I love you! Any tips for upcoming Eurobeat Producers?
A9: This a really interesting question, because I think it's important to Eurobeat to find new fresh voices and producers. My main tip is: don't be afraid to show your style. Listening to old and glorious Eurobeat tracks is important, but it's also important not to imitate them, since it was created in a different time, with different styles and contexts. Be brave and dream on!

Q10 (Dash2611): Yeah, I've been looking to produce Eurobeat sometime. Starting on my first track, but I feel it needs to sound powerful. How can this be achieved?
A10: It depends on a lot of factors. First of all, it required some time to find your proper sound, and this is the most difficult part I must say. Second of all, here at SCP we always re-invested everything in technology because technology inevitably helps a lot giving you the possibility to explore more sounds.

Q11 (Toucanx): What is (as a listener) the best way to remunerate the artist ? Is that via hearing the song on youtube, on spotify, or any other platform ?
A11: This is an important one. Thanks for asking. Online listening and purchasing is our main source. The best way is to listen or buy legally, on platforms like spotify, itunes, bandcamp, etc...

Q12 (Jay Dee): I may have a question that will spark more discussion than I have time for before I gotta head off and this one goes for everyone here really, what distinctions would you use to draw the line between Italo disco, Hi-NRG and concrete Eurobeat?
A12: Well, the main difference is the period in which they were first created. I personally started during the last Hi-NRG period (138 bpm, do you remember?) , while Eurobeat was a Japanese thing, made by Italians, and only thanks to the internet it gained audience worldwide..and this is why we are here talking :) The people who invented Italo disco manage to got into the Hi-NGR phase, but couldn't make it into Eurobeat because Eurobeat style was sort of an evolution, not only an Italian music style.

Q13 (Rain197): People tends to be shocked when they hear eurobeat for the first time. What was the reaction of your new singers when they listened to eurobeat for the first time ?
A13: Well, that happened a long time ago....Actually singers are shocked when they find Eurobeat songs are so difficult to perform...

Q14 (Based Bruh): I'm curious as to how you met Ace and Fastway.
A14: We firstly met Fastway: one day he showed up at our studio asking us if we needed a new singer. We gave him a microphone and well...that happened! Ace, on the other hand, had been signalled to us by a friend as a good vocalist. "Play The Music" was his first song, we were overwhelmed and started this incredible collaboration.

Q15 (Nightward): Someone on reddit asked if Eurobeat Kudos 2020 is gonna be on streaming.
A15: During the first period, after releasing the compilation, we want to privilege our supporter and all the people who baked the project. Probably in 2021 it will be available everywhere. :)

Q16 (Metsu-Setsu): In the catalogue of A-Beat C's unreleased tracks, there's a song called "Feel Da Rhythm" (artist unknown), which you wrote with Evelina Somenzi and Giancarlo Pasquini, according to the credits. Can we get more information about the song?
A16: Agh...I don't remember the song right now....So sorry!

Q17 (schultzie): I am making a webcomic, if it ever gets an animated adaptation, will you let them license your music?
A17: The best thing is that you write to us an e-mail and we can talk about it :) Anyway, good luck with your webcomic!

Q18 (Dash2611): One question for now, will all the new songs on the album have the same style as 1990s-2000s Eurobeat tracks?
A18: We are starting to work on the first tracks. During that decade we weren't as good as now, so probably we will keep our style but trying to explore new sounds. About that, creating this compilation we will use a lot of analogue gears in order to find, together with modern technology, the best of both world.

Q19 (Aru-Tettsa): What was Christian Codenotti doing before he met you?
A19: He was looking for us! LOL just kidding, he was a free-lance vocalist :)

Q20 (Lebon14): Have you ever thought of collaborating with the independant Japanese eurobeat creators such as DJ Command (Eurobeat Union), Sugano, Elementas (A-One), etc. before? Collateral question: Have you thought of getting inspiration from the Japanese created eurobeat tracks?
A20: Actually we never thought to collab with them, our main Japanese inspiration is actually J-pop, and not Eurobeat. In fact, Higher Higher More and More was born with Japanese POP suggestions.

Q21 (Kira): What about YouTube content ID system, do you earn money with videos using your tracks without a proper license? (Not that I want to use them without permission, I'm just curious.)
A21: Well, every platform has his pros and cons, and YouTube is quite a mess to manage! But definetely yes, this is also a legal way to support.

Q22 (Jacqueline S.): I also wanted to give a special shoutout to some of the more lyrical tracks SCP has produced, such as "Love Is Magic" and "Story of My Life" by Christine, and "Babyface" and "So Fragile" by Pamsy. Lyrics seem to be an afterthought in the eurobeat genre for the most part, but in special cases, poetic and provocative lyrics can really elevate a song, and those tracks prove it.
A22: Evelina remembers putting a lot of her heart in those lyrics, and she thanks you a lot for saying these kind words :) I also wanted to add that lyrics, in the Eurobeat world, have always been sort of a weak point, and we tried to give them the proper value.

Q23 (Toucanx): You talked about the song you like, but is there a song, on which you look back and say : It didn't aged well.
A23: Yes of course! It's been 30 years, so we MUST have at least one that didn't age well! But please don't make me name names! At the end of the day, they are all our children.

Q24 (Darksaenum): How did it start with scp music?
A24: It all started in 1996, after bad experiences with some Italians labels...We decided to create our own label and start making the music as we wanted, with our sound, taste and lyrics.

Q25 (LuBzEur0b3at$): How did the idea of the Kickstarter come to be and how did each artist react to it?
A25: The Kickstarter idea was actually a quarantine result :) During the Covid emergency we found that people needed something new, like the Eurobeat of old times, to bring out they're energy. We though about a more complex solution, different from the other Eurobeat Kudos compilations, which in order to be made needed  to gather our fans around the project. Kickstarter seemed a great solution to have your support from the start, creating the project together with you and thanks to you.

Q26 (Super!NOVA): I loved the interview videos to Go2 and Go Go Girls on YouTube. Do you plan on making similar content?
A26: Never say never! But no project like this so far.

Q27 (Nightward): Is shipping gonna come with tracking or no?
A27: I think so! As we explained on Kickstarter, they will take some more days (in order to contain the shipping costs) than the usual 2/3, but they will have a tracking number.

Q28 (Metsu-Satsu): Was "C'me On (You Sexy Thing)" by Ace & The Snake always a rock track from the start, or did the eurobeat version exist?
A28: This is totally rock song.

Q29 (Aru-Tettsa): I'd love to see some sort of j-euro collab!
A29: Yeah we would love that too!

Q30 (Rain197): Do you have plans for an e-shop ? I would love buying merchandise with the Kudos mascot or the SCP Music logo such as Sweater or T-Shirts (Imagine owning 26 T-Shirts with each one the colours of an Euro(beat)Kudos !)
A30: We are thinking about making this Christmas more special... :D

Q31 (Lebon14): If you still have time:
* What's stopping you from releasing the rock covers except the fact that you have to get a licence from the original artist?
* Also, is it foolish to dream to ever see a full catalog release of all eurobeat remixes of jpop you made for Avex over the years?
A31: The remixes were commissioned, so we did not have any property right!

Q32 (SigmaJump): Oh— what's your favourite song that was first publicly released on the EbK albums?
A32: Probably Power of my love! Fun fact: did you recognize it as the soundtrack of the crowdfunding video?

Q33 (Lebon14): Quick question: You released "Stay Away From Me" by Jager but never released the first (and intended) version "What D'You Want From Me". Why?
A33: This is a long story! Cutting it short, there were problems on the property of the track.

Q34 (frENDa_Sejvern): I didn't know stefano is not good at english.
A34: Well, just know that he couldn't do everything without Evelina's help.... ;)

Q35 (Jacqueline S.): One of the great things about SCP is that the singers all have very clearly defined and personalized identities. There are some aliases though, such as Rocky, Damon, Lucya, and Vanilla, that remain more of a mystery to this day (some seem to have multiple vocalists attached to them over the years). Is the reasoning for this due to the vocalist's wish for privacy, or because you simply prefer to keep them anonymous?
A35: Well, some of them where actually just being tested.

Q36 (Metsu-Satsu): Here is a series of questions:
    a) Is it true that, when you founded SCP, A-Beat C was your first inspiration for your production sound?
    b) Is the vocalist behind An-G a one-time singer for your eurobeat productions, or can we expect to hear more from her in the future?
    c) How would you describe your experience of working in other eurobeat labels?
    d) How did the change from Kiki & Kika to Kiki & Fancy happened and why?
A36: a) Yes, a lot.
     b) It was one of our experiments... we are not planning to get her beck anytime soon.
     c) It was really instructing but also difficult. Working for your own label gives you a lot of responsibility but also a lot of freedom
     d) Kiki & Kika was a duo, and after Kika left we decided to recombined the duo with a new singer, Fancy.