disco
Technobeton – Technobeton 2020 EP [IM003]
Technobeton debuts on Italo Moderni with three powerful original tracks to smash the dance floors. Including a remix by Franz Scala. Hypnotic electro Italo bass lines to keep the floor packed and sexy female vocals with melodies that fly in all directions illuminating the sky. Two more remixes from Antoni Maiovvi and Donald Dust are available on bandcamp.
Aaron Maple – Awesome Orientalists From Europa Vol. 3
Awesome Orientalists From Europa is an edits project dedicated to awesome music and new politics. Inspired by record labels and DJs that specialise in reissuing ‘world’ music, A.O.F.E. turns the tables on the perception of exoticism by rediscovering obscure and forgotten western dance floor tracks. The music published in the project fantasises about the foreign, tribal and oriental, but was in its whole created in the west, for the west. The third release on the project features three edits by Aaron Maple.
All profits from this release are donated to NGOs that fight Islamophobia, antisemitism and racism in Europe.
Mono Band – Ghost Town [MAXI1042-12]
An Italo rarity from the 1984 now available again including remixes by Flemming Dalum and Victor Ark.
Helen – Witch [MAXI1041-12]
An Italo Disco rarity from the year 1983 now finally available again as 12“ Maxi Single. Side A contains the original versions. The B side features two new and exclusive remixes by Flemming Dalum and Hysteric.
Chicco – I Need Some Money [AFS048]
Soweto-born Sello Twala emerged as a key figure in South Africa’s bubblegum scene, initially cutting his teeth in the early 80s as part of groups Umoja, Harari and Image, who in 1985 released the track that would give him his nickname: ‘Chicco’. Teaming up with co-producer Attie van Wyk, later that year he released his first single as a solo artist, ‘We Can Dance’. It was followed in 1986 by ‘I Need Some Money’. Both tracks add accessible English lyrics and catchy call-and-response vocals to infectious Shangaan-rooted dance rhythms, appealing to a wide audience that defied apartheid categories and established Chicco as a charismatic solo star, as well as a talented producer, both in SA and across the continent. Based on the success of these breakthrough singles, Chicco would go on to release politically charged pop albums We Miss You Manelow (1987), Thina Sizwe Esimnyama (1989), Soldier (1989) and Papa Stop the War (1990) and Nomari (1991).
Silvanna & Maquina do Tempo – Hotaru Edits [HSR007]
Hello Sailor Recordings is back with its first (and last) release of 2020, this time with another excellent addition to the beloved 7” series. The chaotic sounds and lyrics of ‘Sera que eu to Pirada’ originally released in 1995 by short lived band Silvanna & A Maquina do Tempo, feels current amidst the challenging times we face and it’s accompanied by ‘Vem Viver Pra Mim’ on the flip side. Both songs were elegantly edited by Sao Paulo mystery producer Hotaru for this Brazilian holy grail of early electro and proto-house.
E. Live – Boogie For Life [SC1223]
Star Creature legend E. Live going hard with his first solo full length. 6 cuts that dive deep into a funky transgenre orbital amalgamation of space funk, boogie, jazz funk, chill wave & deep house.
Zero Call – Stellar Wind [OR81]
The italian project Zero Call produces pure Italo Disco with perfect brushes of EBM- infused retro synthwave. Punchy snares, pulsing basslines and dramatic synths behind monochromatic female spoken vocals. Including the main track “Stellar Wind” + 2 remixes by Technobeton and Arkademode + 2 recovered tracks from his past discography.
Beesmunt Soundsystem / Cooper Saver – HVN E/F [HVNEF]
The Hivern split series was born as a platform for club-ready tracks that don’t require a broader sonic context to express themselves. It’s also as a way of generating an unplanned dialogue between artists in the label’s orbit, connecting the dots amid them in spontaneous and almost unconscious ways. The third installment of the series brings together Beesmunt Soundsystem and Cooper Saver. Their two tracks share a similar approach, deconstructing ethereal sounds over dark rhythmic foundations to reach the same kind of narcotic transcendence.
East Coast Love Affair – Don’t Be Afraid [ATH087]
The Edinburgh band Athens Of The North are back as East Coast Love Affair and their soulful and emotive deep disco version “Don’t Be Afraid”, a version of a super rare Disco 45″ by Sky’s The Limit, followed by a low slung and minimalistic afro house workout titled “Taken For Granted” on the flip.
VA – FTD4X4-01 [FTD4X401]
Szymek Lawik and Maritn Lefteri’s regular party and NTS show, Feel the Drive, turns record label with a debut release that takes you through the gears. Spending their lives digging up the very best Italo, New Beat and EBM delights, a record label was the next logical move for Szymek Lawik and Martin Lefteri. The perfect distillation of their combined tastes and determination to search the globe for new music, the four-track debut EP features big hitters from Franz Scala (Bahnsteig 23, Tusk Wax, Cocktail d’Amore), Anatolian Weapons (Beats in Space, Dark Entries), Furor Exotica (Bordello a Parigi, Sprechen) and the label bosses themselves under their Ondata guise (Red Laser, Night Noise Music).
Martin Matiske – Robotic Theatre [MST044]
Moustache Records welcomes to the family the oldskool electro legend Martin Matiske with his Electronic disco-ish 12 inch EP release “Robotic Theatre”. This is a future vision of a theatre run by robots and is the era in which machines entertain mankind. Operas are written and played in a mechanical way. The pieces of “Robotic Theatre” deal with different terms of stage work. Track A1 is called “Acting Faces” and Refers to the rehearsing of the role, as well as the interaction of the actors on stage. The well-being of the actor does not often match what is played. He has to play even If it’s painful. B2 is the track called “Machinery” Human beings are machines that build machines today. The advantage is perfection and time saving. Robots as actors are reliable and precise. B1 listen to the name “Transistor Dances”its Like The Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms you just need a dance to express happiness and remind your culture. Dances bring people together. A robotic dance should not be missing in a play. The last track of the EP is the tune “Practise” a story about a robot the has to practise to achieve perfection and it is fun.” Don’tplay this underwater order now gone is gone.
Baz Reznik @ Panama Racing Club 20.08.2020
Bottin – Artifact 13 [ART13]
Artifact is again hot off the vinyl presses with a private edition, curated by stalwart editor Bottin. First off, “Manifesto Balearico” does exactly what it says: providing a blueprint of the Balearic Beat genre: thick layers of dreamy keyboards over a lavish mid-tempo groove, topped by a sparse macho voiceover and chanting sirens. With “Palmy Days” we leave the Mediterranean Sea for the ocean and the French West Indies: it’s not so much Latin music, but rather sophisticated tropical new wave. On the B side we cross the U.S. of A. for some naughty Californian Hi-NRG treat, better served straight into your ear channel: “Got Headphones?”. Finally we head back to Bottin’s homeland and explore an Italian city well after dark. “Ok Goodnight!” Buonanotte, amiche care.
Alessandro Parisi – Galactic Funk Podcast 005
Mameen 3 – Incunabula EP [PT004]
PT004 sees a Belgium via Morocco friendship and studio collaboration Mameen 3 take the reigns for Planet Trips fourth physical release. A group made up of much loved and respected DJ, digger and curator of the always on point Elsewhere comps soFa, connecting with innovative producer Reda Senhaji aka Cheb Runner, whose refreshing approach tips the no boundaries no borders sound only few can uniquely pull off. The Incunabula EP spotlights 4 club focused jams from the groups recent heavy output, channelling influences from their diverse tastes and effortlessly marrying hypnotic percussion, Middle Eastern rhythms and machine funk psychedelia into their very own style no style.
Nadia Ksabia – Virtual Lover (Jordan’s Nocturne Edits) [PH28RMX]
On PH28RMX, Jordan refreshes the energy of ‘Virtual Lover’ by Nadia Ksaiba with two additions to his already beloved series of Nocturne edits. With an analogue touch, Jordan deftly shifts the casual call of the original into a lean slice of brooding freestyle electro, transforming Ksaiba’s charming vocals into a robotic paen, yearning across a futuristic grid of deeply satisfying bass. ‘Jordan’s Nocturne Dub’ achieves a similar effect driven by a frenetic, chopped-up vocal amid cybernetic flourishes.
The Hipodrome Of Music 