Dance to the Beat - Starflight

Dance to the Beat - Starflight

Prepare for a journey to the outer limits. Been getting together some tracks for upcoming podcasts and am feeling like exploring outer space. Here is a great one from Starflight that makes me want to pop lock or something. This was B-Side to their cover of Gino Soccio's "Dancer." BMC Records released this in 1984, be sure to check out some of their other releases for a nice array of disco.



Dance to the Beat - Starflight (download)

Dancer - Gino Soccio (download)

Mya and the Mirror - Hesitation

Hesitation - Mya And the mirror

Hesitation by Mya and the Mirror has the most addictive chorus I have heard in a long time. The rhythm track is crisp and tight. Produced by Maurizio Dami (aka Alexander Robotnik) for Fuzz Dance in 1984 this track has been seeing some heavy playtime recently. To see what Mya is up to these days check out her website.

Starbow - Voyager II

AVI Records launched this Canadian disco in 1978 by Starbow. Voyager II is a funky ride through the cosmos, named after the American unmanned probe that launched in 1977, the first to visit Neptune and Uranus.

Funny thing about this song is that it was produced by Daniel Vangarde (Daniel Bangalter) the father of Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk fame. Daft Punk produced a killer track with a very similar title. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Vangarde was busy in the 70s and 80s doing a lot of work with disco super label Carrere so its easy to see what a tremendous influence he was on his son. All very fun stuff.


Daft Punk - Voyager

Starbow - Voyager II (download)

New Look - Stage

New Look - Stage (instrumental)

A fun track by New Look from 1985. Youtube only has the instrumental on video but the vocals on this one really bring it together. I got them mixed up with the group Stage who had a string of Italo songs in the 1980s but from what I can find this is a different group.

New Look - Stage (download)

Kwick - Too Lonely to Be Alone

Kwick - Too Lonely To Be Alone

I have always had a soft spot for funk, boogie, and soul and this track by Memphis based Kwick from 1983 has quickly made its way into my rotation. The band served as a backup on the Stax label in the 70s but renamed themselves Kwick after Stax folded. I was first drawn to the chunky bass and the smooth, quiet storm groove, and then the lyrics drew me closer. You have to respect the man who writes a song that gives an honest look at intimate moments alone.

Kwick - Too Lonely To Be Alone (download)

The Hasbeens - You and Me

The Hasbeens - You and Me

This one came into my email over the weekend and its been making some waves around the blogs lately. Shot in the Brothels of Rotterdam the video is very cinematic and does a great job of giving tremendous meaning to the vocoder part in this track. This Netherlands based group produces a brand of electro music that harkens to late 1970s and early 80s. Dark and beautiful stuff. Be sure to check out more of their work on myspace.

You Can Win if You Want

Modern Talking - You Can Win If You Want

Modern Talking's "You Can Win if You Want" would have been an irreplaceable piece of italo if Copy Right didn't make an amazing cover. I can't find a youtube version of it so you'll just have to check out this download.

Copy Right - You Can Win If You Want

Francesco Napoli - Balla Balla

Francesco Napoli - Balla Balla

A wonderful medley by Francesco Napoli, I can't stop listening to Balla Balla! Check out his web page and his discogs page for more information.

Francesco Napoli - Balla Balla (download)

Wonderful Blogs to Make Your Music Collection Swollen

You don't need to speak any language to like good music. And bloggers around the world are putting up great tracks to listen and download. Its amazing what you can find when you start digging into the internet like a record store. A mutual interest and passion for music has united me (even in superficial ways) with people all around the world. If you have not yet checked out some of the blogs I have linked to do yourself a favor and start exploring what they have to offer.

Kefir - I just added this new one tonight. Kefir, from Russia offers some choice tracks for perusal and download.

Italo4You - This one has been on my list for a while and it is full of tracks. Another Eastern European exploration into Italo, they use rapidshare which can be a pain in the ass sometimes but its still full of great free music.

Italo-Disco-Funk-Music - Dario.zg has dropped by Italobot to spread some love and his blog can really put Italobot to shame. Please go over there and find yourself welcome.

Italo-Deviance - A conglomerate of Italian, French, American, and Dutch bloggers and DJs they have some cool re-edits and tracks on here.

Mister Italo - Mr. Italo has some great tracks and mixes for download. Stop by and explore the wealth of late 70s and early 80s disco and dance music they have to offer.

Arawa.fm - I have written about Arawa.fm before. These fellow San Franciscans are on the pulse of what is hot and hip right now. A mixture of 80s, Video art, and all around awesomeness, Arawa.fm never fails to please.

BeatElectric - Another San Francisco blog full of the hottest boogie R&B and funk. These guys are doing it real funky. Some of the stuff they post is like jelly and it just makes me melt. Keep it up.

Really there are so many great blogs out there and with a little patience exploring these blogs and their links can put you on course to discover music and music sources that make your collection swell to obnoxiousness.

No More Pop 7 - The Electrolytes Dance

No More Pop |7| - The Electrolyte's Dance

Playlist:

1 - Intro - Raumpatrouille Orion Lancet Start
2 - Boris Deart - Экология (1995)
3 - Keen K - From The Outside
4 - DMX Krew - Come To Me
5 - Bottin - Magnetic Cat
6 - Boris feat Daniel Wang - Portato
7 - Kinky Roland - Amber Raisin
8 - Alex Cima - Anna (1986)
9 - College - The Light Of Your Dress
10 - James Jack Rabbit - Let Us Have Love (1989)
11 - Young Monday - Prls
12 - Phoreski - Track 1 (Quiet Please! Album)
13 - Big Ben Tribe - Heroes (Instrumental 1983)
14 - Rubber Room - Take Me
15 - College - I Need a Better Engine

Download Mix

I received another mix from No More Pop featuring Neo Filigrante in the email today. These mixes have a brooding darkness to them that is somewhat consuming. There are some good moments on this mix so I thought I would put it up. Check out some of their other mixes at nomorepop.net.

Fun Fun, Ivagna Spagna, Antonella Pepe and Angela Parisi *

Ivagna Spagna's Easy Lady opens with a tremendous promise of something kind of funky and it transforms into look at me Italo. A fun track that works hard for the money, Easy Lady was Ivana Spagna's first single as Spagna after performing and writing with 'Fun Fun' the Italo duo that produced the impeccable 'Happy Station.'


Easy Lady - Spagna


Happy Station - Fun Fun

Happy Station is 83 Italo at its best. One part hip hop two parts Euro-discoteque decadence. My, not-always-reliable, sources wikipedia and discogs disagree slightly on her role in Fun Fun. Make sure to check out Antonella Pepe and Angela Parisi who are both credited in Fun Fun's line up. Antonella sang back up in one of my favorite tracks 'Go On Do It' by Victor (featured on podcast 2) and Via Verdi's 'Diamond.'



Spagna - Easy Lady (download)

Fun Fun - Happy Station (download)

Fun Fun - Happy Station (Scratch Version) (download)

Michiel Van Der Kuy, Laserdance, and Hotshouse Records

Primero - Oh Que Calor
Here is a track from the Netherlands circa 1987. I heard this one on Polska Stacja amongst some other great tracks that are helping me get through the day. And lo and behold it was produced by Michiel Van Der Kuy, a member of Italo supergroup Laserdance. This one came out on Hotsound Records a Dutch label that put out a lot of the Laserdance catalog along with other 'Hi-NRG' Italo tracks. It looks like Laserdance was there first issue circa 1986.