i found this rather useful definition on the
club freestyle board!

Definition:

Dance tempo
Stress on beat 2 & 4
Syncopation on a bassline or on a lead synth or on percussions
16th beat high hat
Optional orchestra hits
Chord progressions lasting 8, 16, or 32 beats
Minor key usually
Complex melody with acutal singing, not just rapping, talking, or chanting
Acutal lyrics and verses and a chorus
Theme is about love or dancing


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HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE

Hey, very cool. Thanks for posting this.

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The loneliness just fades away
thoughts of you just memories
no cryin now for what we're missin
time won't forget what you meant to me

I know nothing about freestyle but I must keep the quest going.At least I learned something from this post,I learned I need a life,http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//laugh.gif

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"Sweet lovely death,just waiting for your breath,come sweet death one last caress"-"Last Caress"by the Misfits

And learning is half the battle...(GI Joe) http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//laugh.gif

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<FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size="4">- Roemello</FONT s></FONT f>
http://spiffyentertainment.8m.com
http://roemello.80sxchange.com
"Only the meek get pinched. The bold survive."

Can somebody give me a "band" example of freestyle?

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If I'm here and your here doesn't that make it our time?

Expose, Cover Girls, Giggles, Lisette Melendez, Sa-Fire, need I say more? http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//biggrin.gif

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<FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size="4">- Roemello</FONT s></FONT f>
http://spiffyentertainment.8m.com
http://roemello.80sxchange.com
"Only the meek get pinched. The bold survive."

Might as well throw in TKA and George Lamond while we're at it.. Most of all their songs are really great. Especially the ones from the late 80s, early 90s...

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Sal Collaziano
The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler

I haven't heard of most of those http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//frown.gif

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ROCK AND ROLL!!!
SAL IS A FREAK!!!

Later!! Tina

Me either. Guess that would explain why I didn't know much about it!

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If I'm here and your here doesn't that make it our time?

Well, if you like dance music at all, definitely give freestyle a try....it's the absolute best form of that out there! All positive music unlike that of a decade which shall remain nameless http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//laugh.gif

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<FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size="4">- Roemello</FONT s></FONT f>
http://spiffyentertainment.8m.com
http://roemello.80sxchange.com
"Only the meek get pinched. The bold survive."

Yeah, it really is the perfect dance music for the 80s. It's like a very energetic a new sounding disco. I'm not much of a disco fan but Freestyle is awesome. Download some stuff and lemme know what you think!

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Sal Collaziano
The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler

I just can't hang with the whole disco thing(might have something to do with the fact that I can't dance)hehe

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"My brain is hangin' upside down,and I need somethin'to slow me down"-Joey Ramone..."Bonzo goes to Bitburg"

I never cared too much for Disco either.....Freestyle is NOTHING like it though really...at least I don't think so http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//tongue.gif

I'm no spectacular dancer either cult....I do enough to get by in the clubs, but I'm no dancing machine by any extent http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//tongue.gif

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<FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size="4">- Roemello</FONT s></FONT f>
http://spiffyentertainment.8m.com
http://roemello.80sxchange.com
"Only the meek get pinched. The bold survive."

Close your eyes and let the music take over your soul!!!!!!! Sway your body to the music........ http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//laugh.gif I prefer slow dancing with my hubby....http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//icon20.gif

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~Dawn

Nope - I'm no dancer either. But I love the music! I've always wanted to know how to dance because I wanna get into the music more - it just isn't me. Supposably, my new girlfriend is going to help me out this Summer. http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//smile.gif We'll see...

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Sal Collaziano
The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler

I thought freestyle was a form of rap were you don't write your rhymes down but resite them as you go.
like the artist Freestyle

Well, that's another definition of freestyle, daffy. I have really wondered what freestyle means myself. Now I know!http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//00happy.gif

My fave freestyle artists: Expose (definitely! "Point Of No Return" and "What You Don't Know" are the ne plus ultra of 80s freestyle, IMHO), Taylor Dayne (she could be considered freestyle...right?), and Laura Enea (little-known freestyle artist. Best achieved fame in the N.Y area with the song "Our Love". I became acquainted with this artist's music through my teacher, Ms. Curtis. She's good friends with the Enea family. I'm planning on gaining musical assistance from Laura for a few movies I'm working on. I'm a screenwriter in my spare time, of which I have a lothttp://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//wink.gif:lolhttp://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//smile.gif

Remember, "If you don't know, you won't let go".

Sincerely,

John "outofplacechild" Kilduff

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"If you don't give up and don't give in, you may just be okay"-Mike And The Mechanics

The Freestyle music (like Expose, Debbie Deb, Freestyle, etc) are songs that typically got more club play than air play. The exception would be larger rural areas where specialty radio stations could flourish. I was lucky enough to drive to the Florida Keys from North Carolina last year and stayed near Miami for 1 day. Miami had some of the best music stations I have heard. Even though Freestyle music was more prodominent in clubs, I believe it has a lasting value that other types of music do not. If you go to clubs now-a-days you can still here many of these Freestyle tunes that were being played in the clubs back in the early eighties (and on) when they first were made. There is actually a CD called "Trinere & Friends - Greatest Hits" that has several really good Freestyle tunes.

Hi Edcarden. Good to see some more Freestyle Dance fans. Oh, and before I forget - what is another Laura Enea song? This Is The Last Time? She's awesome.. I love her music..

Anyways, Edcarden is right about airplay vs clubplay. Around here in New York, luckily, we have a couple of station that play a lot of Freestyle Dance music. 103.5 WKTU and Party 105.3 - They both have certain times of the day where they play lots of Freestyle (I hate to say it) Classics. Freestyle is getting some new airplay these days as artists are making comebacks - all part of the new 80s thing going on...

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Sal Collaziano
The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler

Hi Sal! DO either of those stations in NY stream their music on the net?? ANd which Freestyle artists aredoing new stuff?

I actually own the Trinere and friends C.D. It has Debbie Deb and Freestyle as her "Friends" It's a great C.D. for old school fans.

Thanks for explaining what the term "freestyle" meant. I just always refered to that music as dance music.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Iluv80s:
Thanks for explaining what the term "freestyle" meant. I just always refered to that music as dance music.</font>

Yeah, me, too! There was a club I went to that played Freestyle every Friday night! Great to move to! http://www.80sxchange.com/ubb/smilies//wink.gif



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~Dawn

Ya'll forgot to mention Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam & India. They were some of the early pioneers of NY Freestyle. The "freestyle" of today (what exists of it) is NOT a good example. In fact, around 90-91 is when things started to change. Freestyle's greatest moments were from 85-90. Check out Tommy Boy's "Greatest Beats" collection. Some good stuff on there.

By the way, anyone know what's up with Lisa Lisa? I know she's on some Nickelodeon show, but is she still recording?

Welcome aboard, Rogue588! I see I have another Freestyle lover to talk to! Great! There aren't many here. I know what you mean about the early 90s being the last of real Freestyle. I can never consider all the Tazmania and Metropolitan 'real' Freestyle. It seems so fake an unemotional - although there are a few good songs on them. The last of the good times were songs like Together Forever (Lizette Melendez), Temptation (Corina? I forget), If You Want Me (Suave), Dance With Me (Tony Moran), The Question (Noel) - you know... That last stage...

I miss that music and those times so much. Freaking Hot 97 changed everything in New York. to Crap!

Hey Sal.

What you said about Tazmania is true. But, believe it or not that stuff used to SELL. Ugh. Lisette, Corina & Noel were the bomb. Most definitely. And RIP WQHT 103.5. I remember living in Ansonia, CT trying to get their signal one night. I had 7 milk crates, 2 cardboard boxes, and a TON of my grandmothers aluminum foil all piled up in the middle of the room trying to get the station in one night. <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> (the radio was on TOP lol)


&lt;rant&gt;
Oh yeah...Angie Martinez might me kinda cute, but that whole "GHETTO" speech thing she has going on when she's DJing has GOT to go. It seems the MORE unintelligent you talk, the more "ghetto/street" you are. UGH. See? Now you got me started on the lovely HOT97. <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">
&lt;/rant&gt;

Wow! It is great to see freestyle music enthusiasts on this site. Freestyle although no longer prominent in the US is huge in Canada and Europe (mostly in Germany). It has many new subgenres with artists that have achieved major radio play. The style is back and alive!

The Basic Freestyle formula is: bass back beats, melodic synths, violin riffs, repetitive samples and love lyrics all around.

OLD SCHOOL: Mimicks the sound of the 80's even though they are fresh new releases. Hot Artists with current pressings include Rockell, Cynthia, George Lamond, Elissa, Joee, Free System, The Officer & Elios, Five Of Ten,Adam Marano, The Underdog Project, Stevie B. (new stuff!),Collage, more...

Breakbeat: Same basic freestyle formula, although modernized without emphasis on love lyrics. This style uses computer sounding vocoders in many elements of its tracks. They would also use New artists with such sound include Robin Fox, Pandera, Sonique (who had worlwide airplay with freestyle hits "It Feels so good" and "Sky", etc.

Drum'n'Bass: While keeping the basic old school formula, this sub-genre of freestyle adds planet rock elements (afrika bambataa, breakdancing samples and rap. Emphasis on drums and bass with a rapid electronica pitched back beat. Artists that have distiguished themselves in this sound include Flying Steps (currently Top 10 in Europe with their hit "breakin' it down" ), Dune, Music Instructor and Boomfunk MC's, whose recent hit "Freestyler (Rock da microphone)" is a major club anthem of the year 2000 in Canada.

Electro: Mostly mainstream in Europe, Germans have used the basic freestyle formula of the 80's and added synth sounds normally used in high energy club sounds. At times, they uses the same bass back beat cue which is redudant and annoying to an untrained ear, but then again this is no different for all freestyle songs as they all have the same basic formula.

2 step/ UK Garage: An intake on the freestyle genre although removing the old school elements of the violin riffs and heavy bass back beat. They are replaced by a lighter hip hop beat (where the 2 step name came from) and ambient style electronica. Lyrics do not focus on love or dancing and a lot of the tracks are instrumental or combine vocals and DJ sampling.

Most new freestyle singles have different mixes to appeal to all its sub-genre fans. You will often find electro, break beat, old skool, 2 step mixes on most of them. Although there are many freestyle cds released on compilation by major labels nowadays, a great one with all these subgenre is pressed in Canada and called "freestyle heaven vol. 3" on SPG/Universal Canada.

As you can see, freestyle is well alive and kicking with it snew 21st century sounds. What started out as latin hip hop in the 80's and went undeground is now a huge rising musical movement. Even Stevie B. (dubbed the king of freestyle with 80's hits like "spring love" is enjoying a flourishing carrer in germany these days. In case you are out there shopping for music, here are the latest freestyle sounds that are hot in Canada. As you can see from the list, a lot of the artists are branded with major label pressings.

CURRENT FREESTYLE PLAYLIST FOR JUNE 2001:

01 Fragma- Everytime You Need Me (DJ Drop Freestyle Remix)
02 Alice Deejay - House is For Real (12")
03 Free System - This Love is not right 4 u
04 Barcode Brothers - Heartbeat
05 Wyclef Jean - Perfect Gentleman (socca and freestyle beats merge!)
06 Flying Steps- Breakin' it Down (remember breakdancing?"
07 Pandera - Night & Day (Freestyle Project Remix) "electro at its best!"
08 Science - Masquerade
09 Sharyn Maceren- One and One
10 Adam Marano Feat. Alicia - Love Me Now
11 The Underdog Project - I Can't Handle It (This Canadian act sold 2 million copies of their debut album in Germany with mega hits "Summer Jam" and "Tonite")
12 Freda - Dreaming Of Tonight (From the Hit new canadian cd "freestyle heaven vol.3").


And there are a ton more, enjoy 21st century "new" freestyle in all its forms.

Cheers!

Gino Baggio

Don't forget Stevie B..with songs like Spring Love and Party Your Body from '87. Very cool music, I love freestyle!

ha always sid that Stevie B is one of the most underated artists. His music is great and what a voice!