italo-disco
Patrick Cowley – Muscle Up [DE106]
Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem Records have teamed up again to release another volume of gay porn soundtracks by San Francisco-based musician and producer, Patrick Cowley. Perhaps one of the most revolutionary and influential people in the canon of disco music, Cowley created his own brand of Hi-NRG dance music, ”The San Francisco Sound.” Born in Buffalo, NY on October 19, 1950, Patrick moved to San Francisco at the age of 21. He studied at the City College of San Francisco where he founded the Electronic Music Lab. During this time, Patrick, along with his classmates Maurice Tani and Art Adcock, would create radio jingles and electronic pieces using the school’s equipment: first a Putney, then an E-MU System, and finally a Serge synthesizer. He would make experimental soundtracks by blending various types of music and adapting them to the synthesizer.
Gina & The Flexix – I Wanna Believe [ZZ20015]
Mon Bijou – Just A Love [ZZ20011]
Kermesse – Mrs Moon [FNGRM002]
A bona fide Italo classic that reminds us why the genre remains as influential and fun to play with; playful lyrics, nagging hooks and forward-thinking synthesis, this would have blown minds back in 1983. To be fair, it still blows minds now. Especially with Danish edit maestros Flemming Dalum and Steen Gjerulff and Italoconnection on remix duties. The former remain faithful to the instrumental version to the very end with slight additional production on the middle eighth while the latter apply more beef in the kicks and arpeggiated bottom end.
VA – Hits From The Manctalo Diskoteque 2LP [RL016]
Red Laser conductor general Il Bosco once again turns his beam on 8 tracks of mind melding italo. Providing a double vinyl release of tracks that have been inspirational to Red Laser Records and the labels releases. This isn’t by any means your run of the mill italo selection. Il Bosco knowingly selects a set that shows the true girth of style and fashion in the genre. Face grillers are ramped up next to sleazy pop sensibilities. Goth-synth disco frottages with 8-bit machine gun bass lines. Chugger masterpieces salivate on crystalline new romantics. As the compiler says ‘Truth is loads of Italo is shite but when its good it’s up there with the best electronic disco music you will ever hear’ Check this album and you’ll agree. For maximum disco potential several Red Laser protagonists have suitably revamped and edited some of the selections with Kid Machine & Il Bosco uniting in the cut, Flemming Dalum sprinkling his magic dust over a bonafide classic & Parisian Romain Bezzina repairing an old banger. As always Red Laser pay close attention to detail with all tracks carefully restored & remastered whilst the vinyl comes in full colour heavy card inners with two riso print poster sleeves & a gatefold pvc cover.
Jo Jo – Mind Games [MONELLA001]
One of the rarest gems of the italo disco genre starting the ‘La Discoteca’ sub label. Here we find disco, R&B, italo, and electro all inside one track. Everything is based on synths and bass lines with a stunning sexy female vocal from JO JO. Reissued thanks to the Help of Massimo Monti and ”Il Messia” Claudio Pisani D.J.
Effetto Joule – Roberspierre [MNQ068]
Mannequin Records presents the rare dark italo 12” ‘Robespierre’ by the italo wave trio Effetto Joule. Originally released in 1989 on Top Sound Records, the reissue comes with extra demo tape material from their ‘Ultraviolet’ tapes and with a killer Flemming Dalum remix of the title track. Effetto Joule formed in Modena during the second part of the 80’s. The pulsating heart of the band were the brothers Flavio and Valerio Biagi with the collaboration of Valerio Tassinari. Deeply influenced by the British synth pop heroes like Tubeway Army and Depeche Mode, the Biagi brothers were able to merge that kind of epic sounds with the more romantic Italian vision of the electronic dark wave.
The Wall / The Stallion – Fire / Hope (M.W. edit) [PREGO002]
This latest release of Prego (a division of Vielspass records) comes up with two epic tracks reshaped by Mick Wills. The Wall – Fire on the A side is a bright disco-ish wave hymn raised with the M.W. style. The Stallion – Hope on the B side is a hypnotic floor killer with haunting lyrics and atmosphere.
Splash Band – The Music Of John Carpenter [ZYX210611]
A few weeks ago, John Carpenter released his first solo-album. Reporting about this release the media used to mention also the Splash Band. Now, the Splash Band is available again. On this CD you can find the 1984 released album “The Music Of John Carpenter” as well as six bonus track. The bonus tracks are the ultra-rare single version of the songs Philadelphia Experiment, Christine, The End, Die Klapperschlange, Starman and Big Trouble In Little China.
Boytronic – Bryllyant EP [DE101]
Boytronic is a synthpop group from Hamburg, Germany founded by by Holger Wobker and Peter Sawatzki in 1982. Dark Entries presents a reissue of their most important works. “You” being their biggest hit across Europe, is an openly gay love song, and this openness flows throughout the entire release. Instantly danceable. Extended mix of “You” is previously unreleased on vinyl.
Electroton – Italo-Record [MSDN1201]
Mysidian Records first catalog release is an Italo-disco track by Electroton. Comes also with an instrumental version.
Mr. Flagio – Take A Chance [FNGRM001]
Fonogrammi Particolari is a new record label based in Milan whose main goal is to reissue old school Italo classics in their original form but backed with brand new edits and remixes. The first issue is this essential cover version of Material’s noisy disco classic Take A Chance’ made popular by Mr. Flagio and originally released in 1983 by the Squish label. This cult track appears on the A side in its original form and on the B side in re-edited and reworked form by Fred Ventura and Paolo Gozzetti aka Italoconnection. Enjoy the old and new sound of Mr. Flagio!
Hysteric – Extraterrestrial [MSDN1202]
The man from down under has been on a roll lately with his recent mix and EP with Public Possession as well as his blood-sucking edit on Salamanca. Taking pointers from the movie star E.T. he phoned home after a successful European tour as part of the Bordello a Parigi crew. Here, Hysteric follows up Mysidian’s debut release “Italo-Record” with 5 extraterrestrial edits that’ll make for a great soundtrack to your exit from Planet Earth and return to your home-planet.
Francisco – Lineabeat Vol. 2 [SLOMO020]
Francisco returns to Slow Motion for the second in our of retro-dance-floor series; Linea Beat volume 2. Drum beats are rolling and lazers are scanning for a double a-side of vintage yet futuristic discoid funk. Relentless hand claps, ghostly Italo voices and killer bass lines that comes on like the B-52’s of your alternative-universe wet dream. This is the sound of a sweaty cellar at 2am on a Monday morning with a uniquely Italian twist.
VA – Riviera Disco Vol.5 [BAP045]
The 5th instalment of the Riviera Disco series! Peet Need from The Netherlands, Two Thousand from Germany, October Dance and Flemming Dalum from Denmark and Synthia from Belgium.
Bezier – Mina (Everybody) [HNY007]
Synthesizer enthusiast Bezier drops a surprise 12″ for the affiliated Honey Soundsystem. As usual, her has his sights set on mining the past for inspiration. “Mina (Everyone)” begins in typical fashion – all spacey synthesizers and twinkling melodies – before morphing into a relentless chunk of dirty, Italo-and-EBM inspired house. The pleasingly sunny “Serengeti Drive” is more of a stripped-back Italo-disco bubbler (admittedly with dream-wave flourishes), while “Mysteries of the Deep” offers an intergalactic romp through cold-wave pastures with only cheap old synths and drum machines for company.
Mark Du Mosch VS DJ Overdose @ Dekmantel Festival 31.07.2015
Hildegard – Satanicamente / Gay [HILDE001]
Amazing italo re-issue for the hardcore italo lovers with extended edits made by the notorious Flemming Dalum and Hysteric.
Manhattan Project – That’s Impossible [Vß005]
The Manhattan Project band was founded by Rikk Maggese and Andrea Majocchi in the ’80s. They recorded two “pop-dance” tracks, “That’s Impossible” and “Guinnesmen”, which are a clear reference to the daily life in the 80’s. The record remained anonymous for a long time, yet it has been rediscovered by all lovers of the “Italo-disco” across Europe. Today, Vielspass records re-release a limited edition of the Manhattan Project with two new remixes by Flemming Dalum and Ali Renault.
The Hipodrome Of Music 