Not so much a guilty pleasure as an out-right delight, every time I delve into Italo-Disco, I discover an amazing new tune. In his ongoing one mix a week series during 2010, Chicago DJ Chrissy Murderbot collated some damn fine Italo songs. If you’re wondering what Italo-Disco is, Chrissy explains:
Italo Disco is, well, disco from Italy (mostly Milan, really), and its golden age was approximately 1980-1985. It was influenced in equal parts by American & Canadian disco, Giorgio Moroder-style Euro-disco, and 1970s electronic music like Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, and the like. So basically what we’ve got here is another odd, techy offshoot of classic disco with weird synth noises and terrible broken English. Which means I love it. – Full explanation.
For me, Italo-disco is ultimate happy music, ultimate cheese and ultimate electronic pop music. If you’re looking for an Italo night, well you’re in luck because Forza Italia takes place once a month in the Odessa (next one August 12th)
A personal favourite: Eddy Huntington’s ‘USSR’:
Chrissy Murderbot’s Year of Mixtapes Week 36: Italo Disco
- RAF; Self-Control (Carrere, 1984)
- Scotch; Disco Band (Remix) (American Disco, 1984)
- The Duke Of Burlington; Flash ’83 (Proto Records, 1983)
- Kasso; The Walkman (Delirium, 1982)
- Doctor’s Cat; Feel The Drive (Il Discotto, 1983)
- The Creatures; Machine’s Drama (Full Time Records, 1982)
- Expansives; Life With You (Leader Records, 1982)
- Electra feat. Tara Butler; Feels Good (Best Record, 1982)
- My Mine; Hypnotic Tango (Chrissy Murderbot Edit) (Progress Record, 1983)
- Mr. Flagio; Take A Chance (Squish, 1983)
- Cyber People; Void Vision (Memory Records, 1984)
- Koto; Visitors (Memory Records, 1985)
- International Music System; Dancing Therapy (IMS, 1984)
- Hipnosis; End Title (Blade Runner) (Memory Records, 1983)
- N.O.I.A.; We Wanna Glow (Italian Records, 1982 / Ersatz Audio, 2003)
- Plastic Mode; Digitally (Discomagic Records, 1985)
- Lama; Love On The Rocks (Numero Uno, 1983)
- Fun Fun; Color My Love (X-Energy Records, 1984)
- The Flics; Take It Easy (Tanga Label, 1984)
- Kasso; Kasso (Instrumental) (F1 Team, 1981)
- Bizzy & Co; Take A Chance (Deejay, 1982)
- The Passengers; I’ll Be Standing Beside You (Chrissy Murderbot Re-Edit) (Durium, 1979)
- Kano; It’s A War (Full Time Records, 1980)
- Hananas; From Here To Eternity (Zanza Records, 1983)
- Fun Fun; Living In Japan (X-Energy Records, 1985)
- Sphinx; Collision Remixed (System Music, 1982)
