Italo Disco RFI

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I heart the big pop stuff, the stuff that's a whisker away from being really corny europop, but is just a bit too ballsy and over-the-top to qualify:

Cyber People - "Void vision"
Koto - "Dragon's legend", "Chinese revenge" and "Japanese war game"
Kano - "Another lover"
Ken Laszlo - "Hey hey guy" (which is really actually fucking twisted lyrically)
Radiorama - "Desire"
Scotch - "Delirio mind"

'84-'86 style. All bombast and drama. Like if you take all the strings-y bits and overblown 20-minute concept EPs from disco (that were never part of any trendy revival) and execute them with synthesisers and sci-fi, you get this type of italo.

The tasteful stuff is all well and good and fine for indie-rock revivalists but italo can also be like the happy hardcore of disco.

― Jacob (Jacob), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Another Lover is ace!

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 07:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Mito - Droid (amazing, sounds like Morricone gone disco)

― snowballing, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 08:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Here's another vote for the Cybernetic Broadcasting System over at http://www.cbs.nu/ - they play a load of fantastic old electro-disco stuff on their radio thing.

― steve w, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

my mid 80s big drum faves are

Video feat. Buckelew-Hey Boy (as opposed to Video's Hey Girl)
Taffy-I Love My Radio (midnight radio)
Fun Fun-Happy Station

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm listening to the cbs radio stream right now. they're playing pretty tony's jam the box.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

if you look at the c-b-s site, you'll see much of the music is streamed from mp3s supplied by pappawheelie, esp. if you're hearing miami bass, classic disco or proto-freestyle stuff.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

and check out the last of the 4 sponsors with a little web-banner, of course...

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

ronan the guy out of selecta records has an italo disco mix doing the rounds,its a good laugh,i dont know the guy personally but judging from the amount of people who have the mix he must be banging out copies to all and sundry

― robin (robin), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Great thread! I downloaded Mixed up in The Hague yesterday and am really curious about it (haven't yet listened). I live in The Hague and had seen the cd in the library, but I got fooled by the cover, which looked extremely amateuristic. Will look if they have volume 2 as well...

― Rudolf (Rudolf), Thursday, 29 April 2004 07:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I love that ridiculous drum roll (well, kind of drum roll) in "hey hey guy" to bits :-)

― Rudolf (Rudolf), Thursday, 29 April 2004 07:04 (twenty-two years ago)

three months pass...

Anyone know anything about a group called Bingo (or "the Amazing Bingo Band")? I just got this 12" from '79 by them: "Dragster" b/w "Power Music." It's outstanding.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 03:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I recommend the absolutely essential "Club 80's Italia" (from french label Wagram) compilation.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)

A real must...
Giorgio Moroder - From Here to Eternity.
It rocks - pardon, it 'italodiscoes'! :)

― f*lippo, Wednesday, 25 August 2004 23:30 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

RONAN

if you're there, the track I was talking about a while back, I found it out, remember I mentioned about an italo track with a phone ringing in it and thought it was one of the great tracks ever:

ken lazslo, 'hey hey guy'

― cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, 26 December 2004 22:48 (twenty-one years ago)

valerie dore's arthurian song cycle, the legend!

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 27 December 2004 00:15 (twenty-one years ago)

kay franzes' "i work the weekend" is one of my favorite tracks right now.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 27 December 2004 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

valerie dore's arthurian song cycle, the legend!

i LOVE "lancelot"! and i'm encouraged that the rest of her medieval stuff is great too :)

oh by the way, anyone who has ever posted to this thread needs to check out http://disco80.ru IMMEDIATELY - it's all in russian but if you feel around for awhile you'll find a link to full clips of italo disco music videos that are simly indescribable. i highly recommend the dschinghis khan performances and scotch's "mirage (la luna)" video as well (a melange of all the cheesiest possible '80s video techniques).

― joseph (joseph), Monday, 27 December 2004 05:25 (twenty-one years ago)

by the way, despite having seen all these videos, i'm still not convinced that the people who performed/sang these songs are anything other than big-haired european robots.

― joseph (joseph), Monday, 27 December 2004 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

REVIVE! I just got a hold of (thru EBAY) a 3 hr. DVD-R comp of Italo videos
and performances that melted my brain after watching about 1/2 hour.
Mostly the poppier stuff, like Fun Fun/Magazine 60/My Mine/Den Harrow, but
so so incredible.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 23:46 (twenty years ago)

feel free to bring me a copy!

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 28 July 2005 00:12 (twenty years ago)

You got a DVd burner, senor?

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 28 July 2005 00:20 (twenty years ago)

yes I do.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 28 July 2005 00:24 (twenty years ago)

four weeks pass...

can anyone else get these videos to work? because i cant :(

― minna (minna), Saturday, 27 August 2005 03:39 (twenty years ago)

― PaulB, Saturday, 27 August 2005 03:59 (twenty years ago)

Try this torrent for low risk Italo electro...

― js (honestengine), Saturday, 27 August 2005 04:26 (twenty years ago)

OK, they're very obvious, but I can't see them mentioned anywhere on the thread, and they ARE stupendous:

Charlie - Spacerwoman
Lectric Workers - Robot is Systematic

― baboon2004 (baboon2004), Saturday, 27 August 2005 21:49 (twenty years ago)

Nice to see this thread coming back! Getting more and more of the stuff posted above.

My favo track at the mo is: Torrevado "Living in the shuttle"
The guy's English is just hysterical!

LIIIIVIIIING IN DA SHAAAATLLE!

Radiorama are also great for poor English. Check their "Aliens". They make it sound like "AHHHHLIENS".

also, I got a video of this Italo-piss take:

Zlad! "Elektronik supersonik"

I don't know who this guy really is, but it's fucking brilliant!

― Rudolf (Rudolf), Sunday, 28 August 2005 11:06 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

I just got this gem in from Amazon. I can't even get to the second disc cause the first one is so good. "Don't Wake Me Up" by J.D. Jaber may be my favorite Italo track of all time for this week.

― matt2 (matt2), Monday, 13 February 2006 17:22 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone know anything about this Kano feller? I listened to "Ikeya Seki" on repeat for about two weeks last month.

― Michael A Neuman (Ferg), Monday, 13 February 2006 17:38 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

was mr flagio's "take a chance" bootlegged or reissued or compiled on vinyl anywhere? looking for a copy, & it seems to be pretty thin on the ground for a really famous track . . .

― etc, Thursday, 16 March 2006 06:29 (twenty years ago)

fun fun "gimme somne loving"
sorry steve winwood but i prefer this hi-nrg cover.

― salerno, Thursday, 16 March 2006 06:43 (twenty years ago)

Take a Chance was reissued probably a few times on ZYX "italo disco classics" 12"s, at least, that's how I got it, the original is more rare. If you can't find one of those, I'm sure it'll be bootlegged in a week or two, probably as some shitty edit where they remove all the vocals, compress everything and press it really shittily.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 16 March 2006 07:24 (twenty years ago)

"Mastered directly from the MP3!"

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 16 March 2006 07:28 (twenty years ago)

seven months pass...

what's the deal with Discomanic anyway - another 'fools you into thinking it was really made in 1982' thing, but surely one of the better ones (tho apparently 'Jupiter's Delight' is even better)? i think it's right up there with 'Passion' and 'Heat You Up (Melt You Down)', but there is a lot of stuff mentioned on this thread i still have not heard either.

download SYD mixes here

― 2 american 4 u (blueski), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 15:59 (nineteen years ago)

Viewlexx is I-F's label, he and his Cybernetic Broadcasting System are probably the epicenter of the nu-italo revival. Quality stuff.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 17:57 (nineteen years ago)

Here's tracklist to a mix I made recently of some favorites:
"I Don't Believe" by Carol Kane
"True Faith" by New Order
"Love In Your Eyes" by Humphrey Robertson
"Love Sign" by Gatsby
"Don't Lose Your Heart Tonight" by Joy Peters
"Call My Name" by Lisa G.
"Don't Cry Tonight" by Savage
"Just A Story" by Mike Rogers
"Hold Me Tight" by Katy Gray
"The Night" by Valerie Dore
"I'll Be By Your Side" by Sally Shapiro

― jared karnoval (leopoldo), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 21:35 (nineteen years ago)

"Don't Cry Tonight" by Savage - ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SONG!

― jaxon (jaxon), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 22:02 (nineteen years ago)

hunt these down, you will not be disappointed

Playboy by Venise
No More Visions by Sly and Hunter

― Siegbran (eofor), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 23:47 (nineteen years ago)

here are four really fun, introductory type mixes available for download. the first three are by my DJ partner and friend Robert Robot Hustle! the other is from some German label's website. either way, they are pretty decent.

http://www.badbotsattack.com/Disco%20Crush%20Part%201.mp3

http://www.badbotsattack.com/Disco%20Crush%20Part%202.mp3

http://www.badbotsattack.com/bailando.mp3

other tracks of the moment:

Roni Griffith - "Spys"
Vivian Vee - "Give Me a Break" (Simonetti production!)
Rofo - "Flashlight on a Disco Night"
Gazebo - "Midnight Cocktail"
Ryan Paris - "Dolce Vita"

http://www.in-stadtmagazine.de/ec-mixes/interfunk-madinitaly.mp3

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 00:46 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.badbotsattack.com/Disco%20Crush%20Part%201.mp3

http://www.badbotsattack.com/Disco%20Crush%20Part%202.mp3

http://www.badbotsattack.com/bailando.mp3

other tracks of the moment:

Roni Griffith - "Spys" (1st Bobby Orlando production? the bit from "Passion" by the Flirts just keeps trotting in throughout the entire fucking record, haha)

Vivian Vee - "Give Me a Break" (Simonetti production!)

Rofo - "Flashlight on a Disco Night"

Gazebo - "Midnight Cocktail"

Ryan Paris - "Dolce Vita"

http://www.in-stadtmagazine.de/ec-mixes/interfunk-madinitaly.mp3

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 00:47 (nineteen years ago)

Flashlight on a Disco Night is a personal fave of mine, though I only have it on a Studio 57 comp.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 01:50 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, i love that track. the other day i was at Open Mind Records (fantastic San Francisco spot), and they had a big pile of used stuff. this was in there ... excellent condition. i think it was $4-5. also, i heard a RUMOR that the De Wulf who produced this was the same one involved with Music Man Records for his famous B-Sides series. although that makes no sense to me.

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 02:09 (nineteen years ago)

lovin' "donna rouge" by fake at the moment

― joseph (joseph), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 02:49 (nineteen years ago)

I like that for the guitars. Really "rocking"!

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 05:22 (nineteen years ago)

cameron, does open mind have a decent old disco type selection? i stopped going there for a really long time and just by chance went in there recently and found a record i've been looking for for years (amina claudine myers - song for mother e).

― jaxon (jaxon), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 05:59 (nineteen years ago)

i usually go to streetlight in the castro for old super gay disco 12"s. i wish they had listening stations.

― jaxon (jaxon), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 06:00 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Alexander Robotnick! "Dance Boy Dance" is really good, among others.

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Friday, 5 January 2007 03:13 (nineteen years ago)

Also, I just found it, but http://www.italo-disco.net/ has some nice free songs for download on the front page.

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Friday, 5 January 2007 03:20 (nineteen years ago)

slsk

― PappaWheelie MMCMXL (PappaWheelie 2), Friday, 5 January 2007 03:27 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 109 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

whoah

― dan selzer, Monday, 14 September 2020 20:56 (five years ago)

four years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTjSa1YBqPc

only came across this spicy flamencitalo banger this week, what an intro, what a subsequent beat/subsequent life.

― LocalGarda, Sunday, 25 May 2025 12:16 (one year ago)

‘let’s play sexy games’ is an all-time italo track name

― flopson, Sunday, 25 May 2025 15:30 (one year ago)

play sexy games, win sexy prizes

― Reggaeton Sax (NickB), Monday, 26 May 2025 07:33 (one year ago)

with sexy results

― LocalGarda, Monday, 26 May 2025 09:06 (one year ago)

one year passes...

Just heard this recent Italo track on the trailer for the documentary "The Siege of Paradise. Grabbed me instantly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqHe34eo4bg

― daavid, Friday, 5 June 2026 13:16 (five days ago)

A local Italian restaurant was playing this track the other night, which depressed me to no end - we're at the point where AI can just generate unlimited Italo slop.

― Siegbran, Sunday, 7 June 2026 15:33 (three days ago)

We're also at the point where every track with a kickdrum is labelled Deep House, but that's another thing.

― Siegbran, Sunday, 7 June 2026 15:38 (three days ago)

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