Search:best of italo disco

Official remastered reissue of the italo-disco classic song: Gimme Love, a tribute for the legendary Cellophane Club in Rimini active during 80s. This limited edition release contains the original long version on the A side plus the "Italian Version" on the B side.

2023 Repress

Best Record lights up a surefire classic from the annals of Italian dance music, made courtesy of Italo-Disco heavyweights Klein & MBO, who were not a company looking to get rich, but just 2 individuals: Tony Carrasco (USA), Mario Boncaldo (Italy), in one word... LEGENDARIES! with something burning inside to share. Italy certainly had a huge influence on the nascent Chicago house scene which embraced the best jams of Italo-Disco and created a movement of those simple yet complex sounds like those of "The MBO Theme", beautiful song, smooth and sweet, to give you time to think about some amazing dance moves and bring back very beautiful memories. The song was originally a hit created by the likes of Ron Hardy thanks to his punchy synth bass and captivating European vocals. So this was the first house song ever made and it's from the '80s, loved from the beginning by Derrick L. Carter, one of the pioneers of House Electronica in Chicago and Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, who broadcast on WBMX-FM of Chicago as a member of the DJ team Hot Mix 5. Pure Italo-Disco! Simple analog drum machine (sounds like a TR-606) and analog synthesizer, which in the case of Klein & MBO, is most likely a Sequential Circuits Pro-one. Italo's first purely minimal songs from the early 80s. This sought-after dancefloor gem has been given a faithful remastering touch, as is the Best Record method, which also brought out a previously unreleased edit of the track called "Italian Version", which extends the club qualities of the jam to the maximum impact of the party.

Best Italy presents : the official remastered limited edition of one of the most sought after italo-disco jam from 1983! A one-off studio project featuring Belen Thomas on the vocals. This one became huge in the early chicago house movement and represents an early example of use of the classic Roland TB-303 Bassline!
This 2019 release offers for the first time the unreleased dub version of Melody plus the original versions.

2023 Repress
The most obscure and sought after italian electronic release, but also another extraordinary 70s output from the legendary Regson Studio of Milan (remembering in 1976 "Funky Bump" and a year later "Disco Shitan", both produced by Pino Presti). The eclectic brother of Vangelis (chit> he was playing keyboards like him), helped by Yorgos Pentzikis for the "vocoder" vocals, reached the right sound for one of the craziest electronic disco song now available for for the first time on 12, containing also the unreleased instrumental version. Nikos Papathanassiou in 1976 achieving success with the disco-hit "U" by Chrisma, but Maurizio Arcieri (cousin of Pino Presti and Chrisma's leader), moved towards new-wave and punk. So for the orchestral conducting of a new cosmic-disco project titled MoreI Like It he involved Rodolfo Grieco who later produced in the emerging genre of Italo-Disco great classics like "Going Crazy" by Lily Ann."

It's not because one might have worked with people like Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin and Rod Stewart throughout their career that Italo-Disco wouldn't get the best of your work. A great example of the Italian phenomenon's infectiously widespread grip is British rock keyboardist Brian Auger's path, when he found himself in a Milanese recording studio during the mid 80's and recorded his last known release in that decade. Powerfully fusing decades of rock and jazz education with the synthetic hysteria of the time (and culture), the result is a classic downtempo number that has found its way into some of our favorite DJ sets for a while now. Vocal and instrumental are featured on the A-side and in addition the B-side offers a new remix where things take somewhat of a catastrophic turn into what sounds like Brian getting on the wrong train to a K-hole, probably not for most dance floors. Meticulously remastered at manmade mastering in Berlin.

Setting out to create a future Balearic anthem while doffing a cap to street soul and synth-heavy Italo-disco B-sides of the early 1980s, Orbs of Light’s debut single, ‘Billion Days’ lands on Leng after a tip-off from Mind Fair duo Dean Meredith and Ben Shenton, who booked the duo to play live at their Rotation festival last summer.

Orbs of Light’s Baz Bradley and A Girl Called Kate have been friends for decades and have collaborated musically in the past, though it was only a couple of years ago that they dreamed up this project. It was first trialled via a 2021 remix for Andres y Xavi on Hollis Recordings (‘Perfect Timing’) on which Kate added new vocals to Bradley’s interpretation of the track. Since then, regular recording sessions have taken place, with the duo first crafting tight instrumental tracks before – in Bradley’s words – “dream up the best songs we can” with “melodies that will hopefully stay in your head all day”.

It would be fair to say that they’ve achieved that goal on ‘Billion Days’, a hooky and addictive affair whose vocal hooks and strong chorus could well inspire Balearic sing-alongs in the months ahead. Their original mix (B1 on the vinyl version of the EP, track 2 on the digital EP) is joyous, cheery and kaleidoscopic, with steel pan style melodies, bouncy synth stabs, jaunty lead lines and Kate’s wonderful lead vocal riding a shuffling, post street soul beat and a bubbly bassline.

The accompanying remix package is naturally very strong too. San Francisco crew 40 Thieves, fresh from dropping a killer single of their own on Leng (‘The Gift’, with disco legends Gary Davis and Cinnamon Jones), step up first with a take that stretches out and builds on Orbs of Light’s original mix – think wobbly nu-disco synth bass, fresh flute sounds, dubbed-out vocal snippets and a locked-in groove that’s just perfect for sun-soaked alfresco dancing.

Fittingly, the second and final revision comes from Mind Fair, whose email to Leng HQ about Orbs of Light got the ball rolling. Opting for a rubbery, body-popping beat inspired by vintage electro, they deliver a joyful, effects-laden Balearic dancefloor ‘Dub Mix’ that somehow makes a genuinely life-affirming record even more loved-up and saucer-eyed – despite the presence of only a fraction of Kate’s addictive lead vocal.

An essential part of the European disco history... "Livin' Up" and "Stop" by B.W.H., these two tracks are true 'milestones' and Italo-Disco in the purest form. The sound that only the most virtuous and innovative young Italian DJs and arrangers were able to create in the early 80s. B.W.H is Stefano Zito (aka Black Way), Stefano Galante, and the late Carlo Favilli, "Stop" is dubbed "the best B-side ever!", but "Livin' Up" is also incredible, making this vinyl the hottest 12" ever assembled in the Italo Domain and for decades incredibly underrated.

It was I-f's Mixed Up The Hague mix that brought this to the attention of a wider audience and have been considered one of the holy grails of Italo ever since. Here the 2 original versions from 1983 remastered with care and passion by Dom Scuteri and Claudio Casalini (Best Record) in two different editions: the classic one in black vinyl and the strictly limited one in gray vinyl. Two essential tracks available in a high quality edition.

Fantastic masterpiece, considered one of the best Italo-Disco songs ever. A mega-classic produced by Stefano Zito and Carlo Favilli (the latter passed away too soon) characterized by a heartbreaking melody and lush strings that exemplify the mood and rhythm of the Italo-Disco style with the use of some sounds of pre-bleepy keyboard and siren that technically make it one of the very first rave songs ever, inspiring the style of many artists that came later, like Duft Punk. However, many of them don't even come close with their imaginative computers to that bassline and string sounds that melted the souls of many of us back in that distant April 1983, even if it seems that part of the melodic line has been copied not very subtly by Casco from that of El Deux's Computer-Madchen released in 1982 in Switzerland, where Salvatore Cusato was working as a club-DJ. On the flip another excellent remix version by Danilo Braca of the song revisited a few years later. The confirmation of the wisdom and foresight of its producers, aware that the BPM would soon be lowered by a lot. In the more than 8 minutes of "Cyberlover" the constant melancholy background together with the drum/bass/synth lines are preserved intact, giving us a complete reissued product.

Disco Segreta is happy to introduce you the official reissue of one of the most sought after italo disco records ever!

Born in London, Karen Louise Freeman experienced vast popularity in Italy in 1982-83, where she appeared on Sunday’s most popular TV program of the era, Domenica In, where she sang the show opening and end tracks: “Wow Mamma Mia” and “Play the music”.

But only the hardest italo diggers know that Louise made another single, “Aa Ee Oo Uu” b/w “Mirage”, which was released in 1983 with close to no success. Over the years, both “Aa Ee Oo Uu” and “Mirage” turned into absolute staples of a typical 1983 italo disco sound: dry, crispy drums, cold ice sweeping synths and melancholic vocals. Vastly overlooked at the time, this record slipped into oblivion, contributing to make the original 12” with extended longer versions to be highly sought after and expensive on the collectors market.

Oddly enough, Karen’s sister is singer Tracy Spencer, who would score a massive hit in Italy during the later years of the italo disco movement, with more pop oriented italo productions by Claudio Cecchetto such as “Run To Me”, which was the second best selling single in Italy in 1986.

As far as we know, Karen left the music industry and now runs a successful fitness and health business.

Linda Jo Rizzo the 80s icon and former singer of the FLIRTS (produced by Bobby Orlando) stays musically true to iconic Italo Disco / Euro Disco sound!

Greatest Hits & Remixes compiles her best songs and is a must have for all fans of Linda Jo Rizzo!

Now finally available on vinyl!

Following in the footsteps of "Mind Palace" and "Lost Spirits", respectively issued in 2018 and 2021, Hidden Empire return to Stil vor Talent with their eagerly anticipated third studio full-length, "Momentum". Going the same route that came to define their sound throughout the years, Branko Novakovic and Niklas Schäfers cook a savvy mix of deep electroid flavours and prog techno magnitude which flourishes in the long-playing format. Orbiting the frontier between proper no-nonsense, floor-focussed effectiveness and a trademark exploratory take on electronics, Hidden Empire here delivers one of their most accomplished slices to date, which not only spans the largest span of their many-faceted influences, from tribal anchorage to hypermodern escapology, but breathes a truly epic wind into it.

Draped in luscious, silken envelopes and easternmost ambiences, "Dawn" gets the ball rolling on a mystique-imbued note, halfway meditation-friendly material and square-shouldered club busting wares. Moving into Afro-infused house grounds, "Modesty" finds Branko and Niklas heading for the deeper end of the spectrum, as they pull out a clinically precise blender of rattling percussions, opaque incantations, lush synth swashes and verbed-out machine talk, tailored for nightly boogie rituals in the forest. "Avalanche" opts for a more brooding, deadlier approach. Cutting its path away from prying eyes, this one finds Hidden Empire pulling the stealth weaponry to absolute hypnotic effect - perfect for serious in-between peak time business with its thick, thriller-like tension, mist-shrouded atmosphere and surgical focus. Featuring Felix Raphael on vocals, "Who We Are", is a pop-influenced chugger that perhaps best defines Hidden Empire's ambivalent style, both hi-NRG and innervated with a melancholy that infuses down to the bass and most functional elements. Geared up for big-room traction with its seesawing synths and clinical drumwork, Raphael's moving timbre does more than offer a sensible counterpoint to the track's overall sturdy backbone, it takes it to a whole other dimension completely.

"Repeat The Good" ft. Wolfson balances out a fast-ticking groove with those subtle melodic lines Hidden Empire champion to astounding vibrancy, offering a particularly satisfying glimpse into their vortical imaginarium, whereas "Last Call" has us journeying to straight out Moroder-esque territories, flush with the aptly configured palette of fuzzy space disco bass, fast-paced Italo churn and vocodized talk for good measure. All in breaks and chopped-up euphoria, "Vivid" runs the hoodoo down in muscular fashion and with impressive levels of energy throughout, all set at cranking up the heat one notch further, while "Rebel" provides us with the kind of rough-around-the-edges EBM horsepower and neon-clad synth engineering that'll get the basement in a state of alert. Encompassing all of the pair's idiosyncratic merger of styles - from pop-laced Italo to spaced-out techno wares, through jagged motorik and heavily mecched-out jacking house, "Alright" shows off Hidden Empire's wide arsenal of pyrotechnics under the most compelling of lights. A more openly jagged and quirky weapon that hatches into a full-fledged solar number around the half, "Momentum" roars up the club's highway at full throttle, proving a formidable asset when it comes to plunging dancers into a state of weird, left-of-centre euphoria.

A stroboscopic eclipse is predicted as "Dark Sun" enters the room, deploying its obscure wingspan over the ravers, not quite a bad omen as it lets more light in with every bar, its brittle piano lines and heart-wrenching vocals cutting a path into the crowd's pulsating hearts. Graceful as Hidden Empire's music can be, a moment of utter exhilarating beauty. "Savasana" wraps up the voyage with a pure slab of cyphered 4x4 seduction, as an ASMR-like voice guides us across the soul-questioning haze that blankets our pathway onto a luminous finale. A piece of elusive nature, clearly designed for the club and yet telling a tale of off-piste initiation through twelve fascinating movements, "Momentum" will undoubtedly etch on the listeners' mind as one of the German pair's most strikingly powerful emanations.

Download:
1. Hidden Empire - Dawn Interlude
2. Hidden Empire - Modesty
3. Hidden Empire - Avalanche
4. Hidden Empire & Felix Raphael - Who We Are
5. Hidden Empire & Wolfson - Repeat the Good
6. Hidden Empire - Last Call
7. Hidden Empire - Vivid
8. Hidden Empire - Rebel
9. Hidden Empire - Alright
10. Hidden Empire - Momentum
11. Hidden Empire - Dark Sun
12. Hidden Empire - Savasana
13. Hidden Empire & Felix Raphael - Who We Are (Instrumental)

Joe Lewandowski is back on skylax records after the 2020 release of his supercharged "Egosexual" EP. This time, the young French prodigy is tackling another of his influences : the New Wave ! And for this new release, he is accompanied on the vocal by the wonderful voice of STOLT on the brilliant “Here I Am” which invokes on the dancefloor the ghosts of Human League, Visage as well as the grandiloquence of the Associates or even David Bowie (yes sir !). In A2 “Casual” invites us for an extremely powerful and trippy black techno road trip that will turn more than one dancefloor. On the B-side, we find at the controls a long-time friend of the skylax team, the brilliant Lauer with 2 Dantesque remixes of “Here I Am”, vocal and instrumental, which are one of the best thing in music we heard for the last 10 years at least, remembering the legendary french club “le pulp”, Blackstrobe (from the first era) and early electrolash with little touches of EBM and Italo-disco. A twilight MASTERPIECE.

For this uniquely personal retrospective spread over twelve vinyl discs, Sven Väth takes us back to the early days of his DJ career. On What I Used To Play we meet great pioneers of electronic music, gifted percussionists, obscure wave bands, and innovative producers of a bygone 'new electronic' era. Rough beats and irresistible grooves from the identification stage of house, techno, and acid remind us not just how far electronic music has evolved over the past four decades, but how great it was to dance to EBM, techno, and house for the very first time.

If there is one protagonist of the electronic music scene who has remained curious, innovative and at the very cutting edge of music for over four decades, it's Sven Väth. His multi-layered artist albums and Sound of the Season mix compilations have been defining the genre for over two decades, and even today, he is constantly on the lookout for the next top tune to add to the highlights of his next set. At least, that's the case when he's not producing them himself as an artist or remixer. "Actually, it's always been part of my DNA to think ahead," and nothing had been further from his mind than looking back at his past, but when in spring of 2020 the international DJ circuit had to be scaled down to virtually zero, the 'restless traveler' suddenly had time. Time to stop and reflect on "how it actually was back then, at the very beginning of my career..."

"It was a great trip and with every track, beautiful memories came flooding back".
In the London apartment, he had just moved into, Sven has set up a "little music room", where he cocooned himself for several days, "to look way back for the first time and review my musical journey through the eighties, so to speak."

The interim result was six thematically oriented playlists with a grand total of 120 tracks from 'early 80s' to 'Balearic late 80s', together with excursions into afrobeat, European new wave, and EBM sounds and a few epochal techno/house tracks from the USA in between. From these 'Best of Sven Väth's favorites', the project What I Used To Play crystallized. Sven remembers how the Cocoon team reacted to his proposal: "They found the idea of making a compilation out of it MEGA from the beginning and everyone said 'Sven, go for it', but then, of course, the work really started, namely, to clear the rights and to get clean sounding masters of the up to 40-year-old tracks. There was also disappointment, of course. We couldn't clear certain titles because the rights holders in the USA had fallen out with each other or simply disappeared from the scene. In short, it wasn't easy, but now I can safely say we got the most important tracks."

Finally, after two years of research, curation, design, and administrative fine-tuning, the "little retrospective" from 1981 to 1990 is available. The exquisitely packaged, and three-kilo heavy box set is not only physically impressive, WIUTP is also the definitive record of Sven Väth's musical development. On each of the twenty-four sides of vinyl, you can trace track by track, what influenced him during which phase, and how he took off as a DJ from his parents' Queen's Pub straight into the spotlight at Dorian Gray. There and at Vogue (later OMEN), Sven became the style-defining player in the DJ booth that he still is today.




1981 - 1990: Future Sounds of Now

In the early eighties, the crowd in clubs like Vogue and Dorian Gray danced to what nowadays we call 'dance classics' - mainly disco, funk, soul, and chart pop. It was up to a new generation of DJs, including Sven Väth, the youngest protagonist in the Rhine-Main area at the time, to create their own club-ready music mix. Good new tracks and potential floor-fillers were rarities that had to be sought out and found, in order to prove oneself worthy.
Without MP3s, internet streaming, or other digital download possibilities, music didn't just gravitate to the DJ, instead, it had to be tracked down. In well-stocked record stores in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden or even in Amsterdam, London, or New York, Sven and friends sourced the material for countless magical nights. On WIUTP we can follow Sven's very personal journey through this wild, innovative era in which synth-pop, funk, hip-hop, and disco were successively replaced as 'club music' by house, techno, acid, and breakbeat. By the end of the decade, it was clear to see that these once exotic 'fringe' phenomena would soon become 'mass' phenomena.



Early 80s

Dirty Talk by the Italian-American duo Klein & M.B.O. represents the most innovative phase of the Italo-disco genre in the early eighties like no other track. Mario Boncaldo (I) and Tony Carrasco relied entirely on the original synthetic drum and percussion sounds of the Roland TR-808, coupled with the raunchy vocals of Rossana Casale and guitar accents of Davide Piatto. Of course, other tracks from this period were also influential in style, most notably Unit by Logic System, which worked as the perfect soundtrack to the laser lighting system at the legendary Dorian Gray club. With stomping beats and robotic rap interludes, Bostich by Yello also belongs on Sven's eternal playlist - after all, it caught the attention of Afrikaa Bambaataa, who invited the Swiss duo to perform at the Roxy in New York in 1983.



EBM Wave - Mid 80s

From today's point of view, the almost ten-minute-long, downtempo track Giant by Matt Johnson's band project The The, would probably not be considered an obvious club classic. However, a closer (re)listen reveals the rhythmic intricacies of the percussion overdubs by JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus) on Johnson's composition, and it becomes clear why this exceptional piece of music is one of Sven's absolute favorites. Other classics from this phase include Kaw-Liga by the mysterious The Residents, the hypnotic-synthetic Our Darkness by Anne Clark (and David Harrow), and last but not least, the somber, monotonous anthem Where Are You? by 16Bit, one of Sven Väth's projects together with Michael Münzing, Luca Anzilotti from 1986.



US House - Late 80s

You certainly can't talk about Chicago house without mentioning Frankie Knuckles. The resident DJ at the Warehouse not only gave the name to an entire genre, but also produced epochal floor fillers on the Trax label like the timeless Your Love, sung (and moaned) by Jamie Principle. Acid house protagonists Phuture also hail from Chicago, and on We Are Phuture (also released on Trax) we hear the chirping acid sounds of the legendary Roland TB-303 in full effect. Another featured classic is No UFO's by Detroit's Model 500 aka Juan Atkins, who is rightly considered the 'Godfather of Techno' even if the genre-defining track from 1985 still breathes with the spirit of hip-hop and electro from the first breakdance era.





Afrobeat

Le Serpent, by Algerian-born Abdelmadjid Guemguem, is a track that sounds completely different from everything else on WIUTP. Made in 1978, it's a monumental, rousing groove created without bass or synths, just with five congas! Even though Guem sadly passed away in 2021, his immortal, acoustic beats are understood all over the world and will continue to enrich many thousands of DJ sets for years to come. Another classic that not only Sven appreciates beyond measure is Hugh Masekela's Don't Go Lose it, Baby. In addition to being one of the most important jazz pioneers, the trumpeter and freedom fighter from Johannesburg was very experimental, integrating electronic sounds into his music in later years, in a similar vein to Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Dutch jazz pianist Jasper van't Hof's afrobeat project Pili Pili has also aged well. The trance-like, almost sixteen-minute-long track of the same name, manages to fill a whole side on the seventh of twelve vinyl discs in the WIUTP box.



UK-US-Euro - Late 80s

Time for a change of scene, in the truest sense of the word, and from a musical perspective, this section is like landing on another planet. First up is Andrew Weatherall's classic remix of Primal Scream's Loaded, featuring the iconic Peter Fonda sample (lifted from the 1966 biker film Wild Angels) that came to personify the mood triggered by the British Second Summer of Love in the late eighties: "We wanna be free to do what we wanna do, and we wanna get loaded...". This period also saw the emergence of M/A/R/R/S whose only single, 1987's Pump Up The Volume, became a club classic with support from DJ legend CJ Mackintosh. In this most eclectic of sections, we also encounter New York house and reggae producer Bobby Konders and his seminal Nervous Acid.



Balearic - Late 80s

Those who know him, know that Sven had already lost his heart to the 'magic island' of Ibiza as a teenager, so with that in mind, the WIUTP project couldn't end without a Balearic chapter. Inspired by Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4, the immortal, eponymously titled Sueño Latino belongs in there without question. Equally popular on the island was, and still is Break 4 Love by Raze, which thinking about it, would also fit perfectly into the house chapter. Last, but not least, there's an overdue reunion with Sven Väth himself, in his role as frontman of the successful Frankfurt trio OFF. Together with Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (later of Snap!) this 'Organization For Fun' created the off-the-wall club hit Electric Salsa in 1986 which incidentally turned into an international chart smash, putting Sven in the enviable position of having to decide between pop stardom and a DJ career. Well, we all know how that decision turned out and the rest, as they say, is history. A not insignificant part of his story is What I Used To Play. Enjoy!

* 2022 Repress ** Profondo Nero compiled by Cinema Royale

Profondo Nero narrates a storyline that goes beyond the borders of Italy’s musical legacy. Cutting across the face of Italo disco’s leftfield musicians between the early and late ‘80s, Profondo Nero champions a multi-faceted sound that nods to the blueprint of Italo disco but tries to dig deeper. The music is unmistakably Italo disco but moves away from the familiar classic sound. Amsterdam based collector Cinema Royale stitches together eleven tracks from 1983 – 1989, celebrating a sound he fittingly describes as ‘leftfield Italo’.

The compilation connects the dots between soulful disco (Louise Freeman – Mirage), synth-pop (Mark – Dreamland), electro-rap (Loukas Thanos – Jazzburger), breaks (Santoro – Lover Message), 80s dub disco (Jet Set – Love Break), Balearic (Isamar & Compañia ‎- No Estas), boogie (Tom Hooker – Talk With Your Body) and proto-house (International Music System - An English ’93).

Profondo Nero’s title salutes the legendary oeuvre of Italian horror director Dario Argento. His Profondo Rosso (1975) is a classic example of exquisite cinematic storytelling, boasting courageous colors, expressionist camera angles and an unforgettable Goblin score forming the ingredients for an intriguing piece of art. Profondo Rosso’s music, created the spark for a new Dekmantel Records endeavor led by Amsterdam based experimental film score connoisseur, record collector and DJ Cinema Royale.

For those in the know of underground Amsterdam music culture, Arne Visser aka Cinema Royale is among the city’s longest standing record collectors. Born to an Italian mother and Dutch father, Arne was brought up on a diet of Italo disco in the 80s. Cinema Royale explains: ‘For Profondo Nero I took a plunge into the lesser known fringes of Italo disco. From there I tried to connect, among others, San Francisco boogie, Balearic, Japanese late era Italo-electro and synth-pop funk. I hope you can hear what I had in mind: an infectious showcase of my take on traditional Italo disco that will hopefully get a lot of listeners itching for a spin. It’s fair to say that lately this particular sound has seen a reappraisal and renewed interest.

As a party-starting collection for entry-level connoisseurs or suave but lazy types, I hope Profondo Nero can be an education. I’m not claiming I’m the first DJ or collector to do so, but I did try do present something special by digging deep.’ It wasn’t my goal to unearth the most obscure tracks, instead I wanted to compose a compilation that takes you on a journey.
‘In my opinion the best DJs create something extraordinary out of illogical selections by combining music against all odds and showing different kind of moods along the way. There’s a certain amount of arrogance involved: you take the music out of its original context. But by doing so in a very conscious way, you might be able to enhance the power of the individual records. Hopefully each song on Profondo Nero provides an intimate and memorable experience.’

Hot release alert!!! For the next release on Best Record, the storied Italo institution delivers its first original artist album in over 40 years, as Raffaele "Whodamanny" Arcella joins forces with Cosimo "Cosmo" Mandorino for a suite of dancefloor dreamspells called 'Fantasy'. Working under the name CHOP - short for Channel Operators - the duo craft colorized confections of magical motion and ecstatic energy, with atmospheres of infectious disco, future-gazing funk, wavey pop balearica, and booty boppin' boogie beat intermingling, and further enhanced by layers of dub sorcery and saxophonic sunshine. It's a celebratory and soaring adventure of warmth, whimsy, and wonderment, one that pays brilliant homage to the deep history of Neapolitan dance music, while ever forging new paths into the uncharted beyond. Limited edition vinyl release!! Future classic.

G&D back with their 5th Volume of edit series, but this time they have special honor to have on the label The Maestro "LTJ X-perience”

and his fantastic groove with the Rain Machine (Dirty groove edit) on A1 side and the great duo from Germany "First Touch" with another

great version of the Rain Machine ( Italo Boogie Edit ) on B1 side.. A2 and B2 are The Boogie Afro "Ziddy" and The Bossa Disco "Gusto”

edited by G&D duo with their dancefloor style as usual.

Essential!! Supported around the world by the best Disco Djs.

Rare Italo disco pop project Galvanica gets a beautiful re-issue! This is what the label writes about the release; "Galvanica, a voice with unusual qualities, refined, balanced, also high-pitched, sensual, embellished by an orgasmic inspiration with fluid and spaced solo's in hypnotic rhythms that often change scenery. 'Nightlights in Japan': an extraordinary piece of pure and profound creativity where each version seems to have been built apart and where the West meets the East. A splendid interpreter for a truly stunning piece, as fresh and far-sighted as the day it was recorded in Calenzano at Studio Emme by Marzio Benelli with the Yamaha DX7 synth and Linn 9000 drum sequencer that are at the base of the piece, made and re-interpreted in the four original versions, all sung in the Eastern Asian pentatonic scale. 'Nightlights in Japan' was also written by Massimiliano Orfei, at the time collaborator in the advertising projects from label Smash One Music of Pino Toma, the producer who drew new inspiration to venture into the record market which in 1987 became every day more difficult and this song was considered out of fashion, even if each version of this song was expertly arranged by the talented Giorgio Costantini. We've clarified as to whom Galvanica's velopendulus belongs, in order to be able to rightly consider this artist as a contributive voice of disco music, despite being part of the "second wave" of the Italo-Disco scene, has strongly contributed to it as Otero, Belen Thomas, Angelby and previously with the disco-project Plustwo creating 'Melody' (which after 40 years gets a new extraordinary success with over 134 million plays on TikTok and around 18 million streaming). However, it's clear as day that the gorgeous artist behind Galvanica was Antonella Bianchi and that Giorgio Costantini was not only her producer and composer - as in 1985 for 'I Know', a sweet synth-pop ballad sung with her stage name 'Angel', but above all her ... 'guardian angel'. For many artists using a stage name is a custom. The absolute record of pseudonyms as a true equalizer of identity is held by Stendhal having used 350 throughout his career. This multifaceted artist who, until now has never used so many 'a.k.a.', in a wonderful game of musical mirrors, has represented an opportunity to challenge the market, a trait of non-acceptance of the role that the discography attributes to certain artists. So also Galvanica was an invitation to reflect, with a pinch of provocation, a behavior that Antonella Bianchi has in the DNA of her family. Ultimately, Best Record is not at all worried about the modernization that surrounds it, sure that 'Nightlights in Japan' will be one of the most coveted vinyl reissues in the second half of 2022.

We are delighted to bring out this timeless classic techno track signed by the brilliant MARINE BOY with his ATOMIX crew, the fabulous "S.T.K. (Eternal)" released in 1991 (!) (prices on discogs are ridiculously unsane) and which has never been repressed until this day. This record represents for us all that techno has best, an incredible dynamic, sounds coming from space, when techno rhymed with FUTURE. We even think that this record also strongly influenced what later became breakbeat, led by the legendary Prodigy. Huge honor, Marine Boy also gratifies us with an unreleased from 1991 "The wonder of science" which could appear easily (& sound a million times better !) in any techno & trance mix in its noblest form today. Cherry on the cake S.T.K. (Eternal) is remixed by the great HECTOR OAKS in a version that will delight today's techno dancefloor as well as by HARDROCK STRIKER & JOE LEWANDOWSKI in an italo techno version. The sound is more than perfect since we had the chance to get the master tapes. This 12 inch is a concentrate of rage and madness, capable of reducing any dancefloor to ashes. A wonder.

For over two decades Bjørke has cut his own path, as a solo artist and enthusiastic collaborator. Bjørke’s Copenhagen home may be one of Europe’s great cultural hubs, and he’s certainly added a paragraph or two to that story, but his music is distinctly international. Even a cursory listen exposes an impressive, ever-evolving career. However, few expected him to initiate the collaborative ambient / neo-classical project Kasper Bjørke Quartet. In 2018 The Fifty Eleven Project was released on Kompakt Records, a deeply personal record that musically documents Bjørkes encounter with, and triumph over, cancer. The album topped many critics' lists, and was included among The Guardian’s Best Contemporary Albums of the year.

Mother, which will be released on October 28th, represents a quantum leap forward. Literally, when you consider the terrestrial shifts that informed it. Six compositions explore what the evolution of our planet sounds like. While Holst may have gotten there first, Mother singularly focuses on the orb where we reside, from its formation, to its likely conclusion. Other artists have tackled song cycles that parallel a day, a year, or even a lifetime. Mother spans a timeframe from 4.5 billion years ago up to humankind’s impending demise. It hints at how that may be sooner than we think, as well as the earth’s resilience, and the promise of another chapter.

Additional gravity comes courtesy of evocative choir arrangements - - and marimba recorded at the Copenhagen Opera House. “Formation” condenses 20 million years of runaway accretion into 20 minutes. It is sublimely padded by feature artist Sofie Birch’s gentle synths. “Abiogenesis” intimates a different type of emergence: the first life to inhabit our nascent planet. The entire cosmos is condensed into the layered vocals of Philip|Schneider. Birch returns on “Miocene,” which signals the divergence of proto-humans from primates not with foreboding, but rather cascaded notes and swells adumbrating a pure and curious being, revealing nothing of what the Catch-22 of knowledge will bring. That’s addressed in the diptych of “Anthropocene” and “Tipping Points,” respectively marking the dawn and foreshadowing the probable downfall of homosapians, through wondrous advancements and their climate damaging byproducts. It’s tempting to think the album’s finale, “Requiem,” implies only a dark conclusion, owing to its sparkling verrillon’s coronach, and the return of Philip|Schneider’s empyrean vocals, but its juxtaposition with revolving, enigmatic piano chords infers the earth will enter its next act.

Mother is a staggering achievement, encouraging contemplative thought. The album is released October 28th on Kompakt Records, both digitally and on limited edition double vinyl. The atwork is designed by multidisciplinary artist Trevor Jackson.

Seit mehr als zwei Jahrzehnten folgt Kasper Bjørke seinem ganz eigenen Weg, sowohl als Solokünstler als auch als umtriebiger Kollaborateur, während er gleichzeitig das Beste aus Techno, Pop, Elektro, New Wave, House, Ambient, Italo und klassischer Disco aufgreift und in seinen Produktionen zusammenfügt. Bjørke’s Heimat Kopenhagen gilt als eines der großen kulturellen Zentren Europas, und die Stadt hat dieser Geschichte sicherlich den einen oder anderen Absatz hinzugefügt, aber Kasper’s Musik ist eindeutig international. Schon ein flüchtiges Hineinhören gibt den Blick frei auf eine beeindruckende, sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Karriere. Nur wenige hätten jedoch erwartet, dass dieser Werdegang 2018 in der Gründung eines neoklassischen Quartetts gipfeln würde. In diesem Jahr wurde “The Fifty Eleven Project” auf KOMPAKT veröffentlicht. Ein sehr persönliches Album, das musikalisch dokumentierte, wie Bjørke seinen Kampf gegen den Krebs gewonnen hatte. Es wurde unter anderem in die Liste der besten zeitgenössischen Klassik-Alben des Jahres von The Guardian aufgenommen.

“Mother”, das am 28. Oktober erscheint, ist ein Quantensprung für das Kasper Bjørke Quartett. Im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes, wenn man die tektonischen Bewegungen bedenkt, die dem Album zugrunde liegen. Sechs Kompositionen erforschen, wie sich die Evolution unseres Planeten anhört. Gustav Holst (englischer Komponist, dessen bekanntestes Werk die Orchestersuite “Die Planeten” darstellt; Anm. des Übersetzers) war vielleicht zuerst da, aber “Mother” konzentriert sich ausschließlich auf die Erdkugel, auf der wir uns befinden, von ihrer Entstehung bis zu ihrem wahrscheinlichen Ende. Andere Künstler haben sich mit Songzyklen beschäftigt, die einen Tag, ein Jahr oder sogar ein ganzes Leben abdecken. “Mother” umfasst etwa 4,5 Milliarden Jahre, vom Anfang aller Zeit bis zum bevorstehenden Untergang der Menschheit. Das Werk deutet an, dass dies schneller geschehen könnte, als wir alle denken, aber auch die Widerstandsfähigkeit der Erde und das Versprechen auf ein neues Kapitel.

Für zusätzliche Erdanziehung sorgen stimmungsvolle Chor Arrangements und eine Marimba-Sektion, die im Kopenhagener Opernhaus aufgenommen wurde. "Formation" verdichtet 20 Millionen Jahre unkontrollierter Akkumulation in 20 Minuten, subtil untermalt von den sanften Klängen der Ambient-Künstlerin Sofie Birch. "Abiogenesis" beschreibt das erste Leben, das entsteht und unseren Planeten besiedelt. Der gesamte Kosmos verdichtet sich hier in den vielschichtigen Vocals von Philip|Schneider. Birch taucht erneut im Track "Miocene" auf, in dem das evolutionäre Streben des Proto-Menschen weg vom Primaten noch keine böse Vorahnung enthält, sondern mit kaskadenartigen Sounds und langsam anschwellenden Klängen musikalisch vom reinen und neugierigen Wesen des Menschen erzählt, in dem noch nichts von der Zwickmühle zum Vorschein kommt, in die ihn sein Wissen bringen wird.

Das wird im Diptychon "Anthropocene" und "Tipping Points" thematisiert, die den Anfang vom Ende, den Beginn des wahrscheinlichen Untergangs des Homo sapiens durch die Folgen des Fortschritts und seiner klimaschädlichen Nebenprodukte vorhersagen. Es ist naheliegend zu denken, dass das Finale des Albums, "Requiem", nur das düstere Ende von allem darstellt. Doch as funkelnde Glockenspiel und Philip|Schneiders eindringlicher Gesang in Gegenüberstellung mit sich windenden und erratischen Klavierakkorden deuten an, dass die Geschichte der Erde ein neues Kapitel aufschlagen wird.

Mother ist eine beeindruckende Performance, die zum Nachdenken anregt.

The sixth release on Italian imprint Tempo Dischi comes from Alessandro Bernabeo, aka Raduan, the Italian DJ and producer behind 'Taki-Naki-Naki', one of the most eclectic and unconventional electronic records made in Italy in the late 1980s.

"At the age of 7, I started attending a music school learning to play the piano. At 11 I began working as a speaker in various radio stations, and at 14, I joined Punto Radio where I grew up professionally and launched my own radio show, PLAY MUSIC, under the name Alessandro Giordani. The success was impressive, and thanks to my friend Gianfranco di Lizio, I also started my DJ career by playing in some of the best dance clubs under the artist name Raduan or Rad-one. Mixing funk, soul, afro and cosmic disco in my music gave me a chance to meet and establish relationships with many of the protagonists of this new musical scene, like l’Ebreo, Fari, Maselli, Claudio Mozart Rispoli, Pery, Rubens. In 1988 I was a resident DJ in a well-known club at the time, the 'RIO CLUB', and together with my keyboardist and percussionist, I had the idea to produce a maxi single. The song was recorded in about 40 hours without sleep at the Cicero Bros studio in Cassino in April 1988, with the support of Lino Rufo, a great artist from Molise, as well as his dear friend and old producer Toni Ochiello. The initial project was completely reworked. The original sampled drums were coupled with an acoustic one, and new melodies and fantastic spacey new sounds and effects were created by keyboardist Bengha. The hypnotic and repetitive voice of Cristina, Claudio Baglioni's background vocalist at the time, and that of Jamaica, originally from Mauritius, made the project even more interesting. 'Taki Naki Naki' is an Italo song, with Cosmic disco and Afro influences, and it's the title track of the EP originally released in June 1988 on Bmg Ariola, ex RCA. The EP includes two other songs 'Nightflight' and 'Hiroshima'. The record was a big hit in all the Italian Disco clubs and launched me into the international dance music scene. It was a fantastic time, with different styles of music and House Music was also on the way. There was a lot of research spirit and the people of the club were ready for various types of change. This record has left a mark, international DJs and shops from all over the world still contact me to ask if I have a vinyl copy left in my archive."

Repress !

Worthy italo re-issue (in a newly mastered version) of this early Roberto Ferrante's project. Roberto started his career being part of various electronic music groups in Naples around the early 80s! His career took off when he made his first deal with Best Record by Claudio Casalini for ''Come On Closer'' by Pineapples which obtained worldwide success and was played at the legendary Chicago Radio Station WBMX by the mythological DJ's collective, Hot Mix 5. In 1985 it was time for another classic named â??Facesâ?Â�, a simple but direct and honest song with an irresistible rhythm and lyrics that tends to move away from that typical dark sound in other Italo-Disco songs of that era. This song is a triumph for synthesizers and electronic drums as it's fully electronic, something still a rarity in those days! The beautiful melody and spiritual essence of ''Faces'' represent the revolution of a new beginning of the Italian pop of the 80s with a perfect arrangement by Roberto Ferrante, a bouncing bassline, and strong and clear vocal. The sweet and sensual voice, full of personality and charm is by Clio (Maria Chiara Perugini). The graphics are by Patrizio Squeglia and all together it made this groundbreaking release which is one of the best Italo-Disco songs ever made.

Retro house sounds from Italy on this release... tunes that still go down well with some of the big name festival dj's during their summer tour! A track that remained unpublished for 33 years until Devil Dee decided to make it public and bring his own voice to the spotlight joined by jazz-blues singer Joan Faulkner, (former supporting voice of Boney M and Milli Vanilli, also known by her stage name 'Dee-Vah'). Devil Dee is Davide Mancori - a cinematograph with a flattering career as a club-dj from 80s-90s onwards - who lovingly produced this release which differs from most of the releases on Best Record by its housey vibe. 'And The Beat Goes On', was written in Germany in 1989 by Leonie Gane and Ryan Paris. Laying the crucial foundations for an evolutionary step of the italian disco music. A step forward for the 'Italo' movement which at the end of the 80s was been considered obsolete and defunct. In fact, the track is also referring to the latest Italo-Disco which entirely covered the scene of the 1980s with furious activity, If the meeting between Devil Dee and the famous interpreter of 'Dolce Vita' - Mister Ryan Paris - creates the alchemy, the explosive mix is completed with the precious work of Marco Magrini. The arrangement by Pierluigi Cerin and the executive work of Claudio Casalini close the magic circle. Five friends and a great singer from Indiana to fill the dance floors all over Europe, while the images of the provocative and surreal video-clip capture the audience by splitting in two. There are those who do not want to see certain issues publicized and those who appreciate their cheekiness, such as Best Record which by publishing the vinyl printed at 180 grams celebrates the 40 years of activity.

Funk friven early Italo Disco by Phono! "Music Is My Sex" is to be inserted in the Italo-Disco trend of the early 80s, but also with a nod to Funk and Disco Music from overseas. The use of the Nile Rodgers-style guitar completes a rhythmic base in which the bass is played on the synthesizer, while the melodic lines are entrusted, in addition to the voice, to the electronic keyboards. Three members of Phono sang the various verses, while the bridge was entrusted to a carpet of keyboards. The keyboardist and arranger Paolo Biasich, a great fan of electronics, had built some synthesizers (also used by Giorgio Moroder) used in the song. The piece was recorded in Sandy Dian's studio in Gambellara (close to Vicenza), whit text by the eclectic author and dee-jay Art De Rosa was a declaration of love for the music that goes around ("around and around") and that "gives us more", coming to compete with sex... The vocal version on the A side of the vinyl is joined by an instrumental version on the flip that ends with a piano solo. Limited edition of 300 copies in vinyl reissue at 180 grams.

"Worthy re-issue of obscure Trouble in Side, which is a one-off studio project entirely written, sung and arranged by Luigi Della Ragione. "Zulu Rap" represented a surprising alternative to the typical Italo-Disco sound perceived in Naples and around in the early 80s. This little-known production has some interesting arrangements, mostly in the short version, where the drum work out raised below, reminiscent of "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross. Actually at that time the Dance Music Report, in its 'Import' column wrote that the "intro" of the 'Alcoholic Version' was reminiscent of Madonna's "Holiday". while the 'Chinese Version' was inspired by a song from the Tears For Fears. Some of this news may pique the curiosity of DJs and collectors and provide enough motivation for the current reissue which faithfully reproduces the three 1984 versions as well as the original noteworthy cover artwork. If that wasn't enough: the B side of the original record had an extra track not listed, with the hand drums on a slower and unrelated "Zulu Rap" drum beat which is around 120 BPM, while the drums of the bonus track is about 113 BPM. A little more inside info... the beautiful Maria Chiara Perugini (aka Clio) is part of the choir vocals. She was part of the Airport label for the recording of her first solo song "Eyes". A historical re-release"

Yellow Vinyl

A Franco-Italian production of the latest vinyl de-luxe of Ryan Paris, recently released in a strictly limited edition in three colors (yellow, spottled, fuchsia). On the side A of the EP we find ''Tarzan Boy'' (Baltimora) which peaked at # 2 for 5 weeks in Musicbox live France and the 80's remake of ''Always On My Mind'' (Pet Shop Boys). On the flip side the Club Mix Version and the 80s disco-club remake of ''Dream'' by P. Lion (# 8 also in Musicbox live France)- The release also contains the autographed postcard of the Italo-disco icon Ryan Paris (Dolce Vita) for all the aficionados of the fantastic music of the 80s.

With some of the best DJs and selectors there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo Luke Una is a master of telling a story through music and this compilation is a perfect example of his musical alchemy in action. Featuring tracks from Yusef Lateef, Airto Moreira, Crooked Man, Henri Texier and many more, it is a collection of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world, all united by Luke under the banner of "E-Soul Cultura".It's best described by Luke himself, who writes: "As the 5AM city sleeps and the strobe lights are slowly turned off, we gather on the wrong side of town in a transcendental journey alone together. We are the late night disenfranchised holding on in various after parties, flats, lofts, random kitchens and basements into the outer cosmos with É Soul Cultura.

Music from exotic tear jerkers, Afro- spiritual jazz, cosmic Brazilian celestial grooves, machine street soul, dark horses, lost B- sides, £1 bargain- bin bombs, hidden gems, late night Italo dubbing, deep velvet N.Y.C garage, bass buggin sonic futurism, wrong speed 33BPM pitched up +8 new beat, majestic sunset strings, sweet vocals from heaven, no half steppin jazz dancing in outer- space and odd numbers. Yes… magical moments, together, holding on in witness protection suburban cul- de- sacs and Castle Court flats. Cosmic É high, 3000ft above the city getting evangelical to murky, wonky timeless beautiful music. This thing of ours dreaming of better days. Fail we may, sail we must, the sun will come up again."

Yellow Marbled Vinyl

A Franco-Italian production of the latest vinyl de-luxe of Ryan Paris, recently released in a strictly limited edition in three colors (yellow, spottled, fuchsia). On the side A of the EP we find ''Tarzan Boy'' (Baltimora) which peaked at # 2 for 5 weeks in Musicbox live France and the 80's remake of ''Always On My Mind'' (Pet Shop Boys). On the flip side the Club Mix Version and the 80s disco-club remake of ''Dream'' by P. Lion (# 8 also in Musicbox live France)- The release also contains the autographed postcard of the Italo-disco icon Ryan Paris (Dolce Vita) for all the aficionados of the fantastic music of the 80s.

It’s incredibly easy to get a remix wrong — as the back catalogues of far too many major labels, whose slapdash commissioning of the latest hot remixer half-guarantees an unsympathetic mangling of the song, can attest. At their best, remixes can make you look at an artist as though positioned from a different angle or using a different camera; sometimes hearing a song in a different context gives it a completely new meaning. “So you take a piece of a vocal…blah” says master remixer David Morales. “That’s a remix? That represents the artist? That doesn’t represent the artist, it represents you.” In the hands of the insensitive a remix is like chucking a song into the washing machine for a 100 extra spins.

In the hands of a master, things are a little more complex. Heavenly was all but founded on the art of the remix; our departed friend Andrew Weatherall remixed the first ever release, and the label has built up an immense catalogue in the intervening years that demonstrates all that is good about the art form.

Assembled on this compilation are twelve sterling examples of the remix, from Hanspeter Lindstrøm’s reading of Doves’ ‘Jetstream’, which turns their glistening pop into Lieutenant Pigeon meets Italo-disco (in a good way), to Andy Votel’s gentle folk-funk version of Halo Maud’s délicieuse ‘Des Bras’. We delve deep into the vaults for Saint Etienne’s ‘Filthy’, Monkey Mafia turning it into a rump-shaking groove perfectly suited to Q-Tee’s rap, while more recently, Flying Mojito Bros, purveyors of Tex-Mex house groove, reimagine Katy J. Pearson as a lonesome Lone Star lover.

Though not purposely themed, beyond being judiciously chosen as the catalogue’s finest gems, there’s a tiny hint of psychedelia about this set that is hard to ignore. Firstly, there are the acid contributions from Gabe Gurnsey, who knows his way around a coruscating bassline, and from Graham Massey, whose impeccable credentials in 808 State are brought to bear on ‘Valleys’, by young turks Working Men’s Club (acid house being modern psychedelia, whether the rock press approves or not).

Jono Ma, meanwhile, flips Night Beats’ amazing ‘Sunday Mourning’ into ‘Warm Leatherette’ on benzos, creating a disorienting glimpse of a dystopian Sunday that most definitely doesn’t include a genteel read of the papers and a nice cup of tea. On the other side of the miasma is Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve’s redemptive re-interpretation of M. Craft’s ‘Chemical Trails’, which, alongside Boy Azooga’s ‘Face Behind Her Cigarette’ (Mikey Young remix), Gwenno’s ‘Chwlydro’ (R. Seiliog remix) and and Katy J. Pearson’s ‘Take Back The Radio’ (Flying Mojito Bros Refrito Dub), is issued on vinyl for the very first time.


This dozen tracks — each one curated, remixed and delivered with love (and a teensy bit of impertinence) — is just a glimpse into the catalogue of one the UK’s finest indie labels.

In the alternative reality in which I’d prefer to exist, this what Top of the Pops might sound like; or, at the very least, the jukebox in the Korova Milk Bar. Pop disruption at its best.

Best Record Italy presents a reissue of Model 11-29's "Wot Times," a particularly inspired work by the legendary Sangy that transforms "Rapper's Delight" into a slice of Italo-balearic ecstasy. On the vocal version, drums sit between disco and electro as they boogie down to a breakdance beat, with greasy funk basslines slapping and sliding in support. Solar dub chords pulsate through anthemic pattens, pads blow across the mix like a warming ocean breeze, synth leads sparkle in coral colorations, and those classic Sugar Hill Gang lyrical flows are reconfigured into an ebullient spoken word rap, which is then morphed by futuristic fx and interspersed with shouts, grunts, and call-and-response chants. On the flip, the instrumental version walks with more of a sexual disco strut, resulting in a summertime seaside cruiser overflowing with dazzling synthesizer displays, as organ chords generate mirage visions, gemstone leads shimmer through swells of tropical mist, and acid-laced Italo pulsations work the spirit into euphoric beach dance hypnosis.

„Sounds like Burial who listened to Psychic TV instead of UK Garage. For me the best Pudel Produk-te so far, I'm thrilled. And you know me, I find a lot of things good, but only super cool super cool, best Pudel Produkte ever. How did you find them, do they come from Mainz or the surrounding area or what? Top record, I would also like to have it on vinyl for grandpa's cupboard“.

// Superdefekt


„The record sounds great!
This is the MFOC record, you can't get more MFOC than this.
Every track is awesome !!!!! It's on rotation here :))))"

// Rvds


„The Masterpiece, can only be topped by the Volume 2!"

// Ralf Köster
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This is the first volume of a rare “some other kind of” selection of the best and more iconic tunes inspired by 70s and 80s Cosmic Disco.
The sound of Cosmic Disco is a genuine mixture and influence
from different musical styles: from electro and funky to fusion jazz and Brazilian music, some flavour of Italo Disco, analog synthetizers and African-influenced rythms and sounds. (all spinning around 90-110 bpm) A really ear-opening compilation, which will be served on a
33rpm exclusive purple coloured vinyl, limited and non reprintable number of copies. All tracks have been gently and respectfully mastered, to keep the original mood and deep dynamic. The volume two is already on the way, so stay tuned.

Buried amongst the gems on the second Claremont Editions compilation was ‘Oui Non’, a collaborative cut that marked the first label appearance of Jpye (real name Jean-Philippe Altier), a French multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer best known for his work as part of Twonk alongside Leonidas and percussionist/vocalist/guitarist Renato Tonini.

Here Jpye and Tonini join forces once more for their first single on Claremont 56 – a sensual and seductive slab of slow-motion, sun-soaked synth-pop that features more than a few subtle nods to classic Italian Balearic disco cuts such as Radio Band’s ‘Radio Rap’ and Tullio de Piscopo’s ‘Stop Bajon (Primavera)’.
Built around squelchy synth bass and a shuffling drum machine rhythm, ‘Cosa Ti Va’ is marked out by glistening, jazz-fired guitar solos, vibrant synthesizer squiggles, rich electric piano chords and echoing, dubbed-out electronics. It’s a pin-sharp but effortlessly laidback number that’s as tactile and loved-up as it as lazy and horizontal.
‘Cosa Ti Va’ is presented in two complimentary versions. On the A-side of the vinyl version you’ll find the full vocal, which boasts Tonini rapping in his native tongue in the manner of Italo-disco’s most eccentric and atmospheric vocalists. With his deep, rich tone and fluid flow, it’s hard not to fall in love with Tonini’s previously unheard rapping. Rounding off the single is the pair’s vocal-free instrumental take, in which Jpye’s stunning guitar motifs and tactile, soft-touch production can be savoured in full.

Jazzanova released their 3rd album “The Pool” on Sonar Kollektiv in 2018. It evolved from various loose jam sessions, mixing up synthesised sounds, samples and real instrumentation. Many singers where involved incl. Edward Vanzet from Australia, who was also asked to provide lyrics. Which he did creating the song “I’m Still Here” giving the tune a Yacht-rock west coast feeling. I always felt the song was one of the strongest of the whole album so I asked some peeps to do remixes for my label Best’s Friends. German A-List remixer Larse gives the whole thing a pop feeling with an Italo-disco touch in his both versions. While Winnie & Somow from Berlin go for a more organic approach looking for that sun-rise House tune on a beach-rave or wherever. I think this remix package has something for every one in it -

„The 2nd Album“ erschien erstmals im Jahr 1987 und
zählt bis heute zu einem der besten Alben der Italo Disco
Geschichte

Originally founded in Spain and now based out of Berlin, Golden Soul Records, the brainchild of James Rod, Aleito and Azaria has been releasing synth-heavy, mind melters and brain busters that traverse the galaxies of Italo, nu disco, synth pop and new beat since 2015. The best remixes from the label have now been perfectly packaged onto this new 2021 EP.

Kicking things off, a slice of futuristic machine funk from James Rod who puts a cosmic twist on Javier Busto - Robot in Mars, before Aleito works up a arpeggiated whirlwind with From Beyond - Body Resonance.

On the B side Azaria lets loose a new beat monster remix of Tiempo de Maldad - Disco Gold with Jarle B providing an Italo stomper of a rework for Aleito’s - Always Here to close out proceedings.

Kuldaboli returns to bbbbbb records, this time with a 6-track EP on which his idiosyncratic sound of icy, cryptic electro fully emerges. BBB015 being the second release of Kuldaboli on bbbbbb records is destined to be a historical release for the Icelandic dance music scene and a very important one for Kuldaboli’s legacy. The EP title ‘Ekkert nema ískaldur veruleikinn’ roughly translates to “nothing but the ice cold reality” and that is exactly what is delivered across the six tracks laden with poetic lyrics and spoken word.

In the opening track ‘Ég er bara ég’ Kuldaboli’s signature sound of uncompromising electro is overlaid with haunting vocals recited in Icelandic saying “I am only me and you are only you, people exchange words measuring each other out, trying their best at discerning life’s riddles’’. It is easy to say that Kuldaboli knows how to capture the listeners with deep reflections on subjects that most people are aware of but hardly ever speak of.

A2 ‘Ískaldur veruleikinn’ or ‘the ice cold reality’ is the most bouncy dancefloor track of the EP with the openings lyrics saying ‘’Are you telling me the truth? If I were to guess you are lying cold to my face’. The power of word play in this release is by far the most interesting poetic turn for Kuldaboli to date, where he shows great insight to the subconscious and human behaviour.

The smooth sounds of possessed Italo disco on A3 ‘Finn innri frið’, along with the funky bassline and trance like synths has perhaps the most positive vibe to it if you are not familiar to Kuldaboli, along with the playful opener of B-side ‘Afi kenndi mér íslensku’.

Following B2 no-bullshit-electro-track ‘Kuklari’, the final track B3 ‘Fönix úr ösku’ shows the haunting dark depth of depressurisation that vocal and electronics can create, where melancholic lyrics convey images of lost dreams of former lives.

Dynamic Dublin-duo Boots & Kats get given the keys to the House of Disco channelling an Italo Disco rave of interplanetary proportions for HOD028. Three pure peak-time pumping Italo warpers, complete with an exquisite Johannes Albert’s Party Talk remix to round off the package.

Fists in the air business in a far-away planet, one where synthesisers rule the lands using colossal kicks and huge snares to enhance the power of their all-encompassing arps that range from rapid fire bass to gargantuan top lines. Johannes Albert then throws in some party chatter and deft sampling to his reworking of ‘Party Talk’ completing this futuristic capsule of interstellar goodness.

It’s the best of that ‘80s Italo sound given a modern take that harnesses Boots & Kats’ unbridled Irish energy.

Imagine for a minute that Klein MBO would return from the Italo heaven to deliver a brand new EP. How amazing would that be? Sometimes such miracles lay just around the corner. Nijmegen based Luca Dell’Orso found some sort of time machine that brought him back to the days of Disco Magic and Il Discotto; a time where wobbly synths, heart felt handclaps and sweet melodies flled the air. After appearances on Red Laser Records, Bordello A Parigi and Shmlss’ label XXX it’s time for his debut on Utrecht based SoHaSo sublabel OOSSHA. Filled to the rims with stylish Italo-disco, the Eternal Waves-EP has it all. Slow motion Gaz Nevada-esque disco on Common Occurrence (which comes with two beautiful Cosmo Vitelli-remixes); sun blissed and fast paced happiness on Return Of You and stark new wave- vibes on Constriction. Closer Bont & Blauw proves that Luca understands the essence of the genre. It has the same fnesse of the best Gazebo-records, back in the day. If you have a heart for italo, you don’t want to miss this perfect wave.

Massaroni Record (MSR) was born with the collaboration between the distributor Ermanno Massaroni and the disc jockey Roberto Onofri, who was also a radio and television presenter. "Let's Go Out" captures the essence of the very first Italo-Disco in its most genuine and melodic form where it's not easy to understand the vocal part but this gives to the song a certain ambiguity and a rare case in which the vocoder is fine. In addition to original, radio and the essential instrumental version there is a well structured and strong M.B. Roller Disco Edit by Massimo Berardi (former Harlem Hustlers) useful to give greater balance to the entire release.

We love pop music. You’ve probably noticed. Witness our vinyl love-ins with Kylie, Róisín and Cassie if this has somehow passed you by. So when Lou Hayter (London-based musician, style-DJ to the stars, one of our besties) asked us to put her sumptuous funk-lite hit “Cherry On Top” on vinyl it felt like a neat fit. But this isn’t just any old Be With record. We decided such a monumental track would make the perfect inaugural release on Be Pop, our new, most likely sporadically active, side-label.

For those not paying attention in 2005, Lou Hayter was the keyboardist in Mercury nominated electro-pop outfit New Young Pony Club (who were a really good band, beyond the hype, and arguably a little ahead of their time) and she is currently one half of electronic duo Tomorrow’s World, a project with Air’s Jean-Benoît Dunckel. Her comeback single “Cherry On Top” originally appeared in late October 2018, but as a digital only concern. Unsurprisingly it caused a blog stir (Gorilla vs Bear correctly gushed) and what seemed like 6 Music’s entire roster of DJs had it on repeat.

But it’s not a proper single unless you can buy it in a record shop. So accordingly we’ve issued it as a full picture sleeve 12", pressed on white vinyl. And just to make certain, the instrumental and a cappella are on the flip. This is our homage to the classic dance/pop 12" singles of the late 80s and early 90s.

Riding an infectious sample of Marc Jordan’s yacht-rock classic “Generalities”, it’s a glistening, sun-soaked daydreamy jam, perfect for convertibles, pool parties, and roller-discos. It’s quite delicious. Whilst it’s pop without question, it wouldn’t be a Lou Hayter track without ice-cool nods to other magical genres; with Italo flecks and dream-pop vocals, this is cherry coloured funk indeed.

“Cherry On Top” screams “Mighty Summer Pop Radio Anthem”. We might have just missed the end of Summer 2019, but this 12" comes out just in time for every summer from now until the end of time.