Italo disco
Encyclopedia
Italo disco encompasses much of the dance music
output in Europe during the 1980s. It is one of the world's first forms of mostly electronic dance music
and evolved during the late 1970s and early 1980s in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. Italo disco's futuristic, spacey sound was effected by synthesizer
s, drum machine
s and vocoder
s.
compilation albums in Germany as early as 1980, such as Italo Top Hits on the K-Tel label
and the first volume of Italo Super Hits on the Ariola label.
There's no documentation of where the term Italo-Disco first appeared, but its origins are generally traced to Italian and other European disco recordings released in the German market. Examples include the phrase Original Italo-Disco on the sleeve of the German edition of "Girl On Me" by Amin-Peck in 1982, and the inclusion of Italo-Disco in the title of the 1983 compilation album The Best of Italo-Disco. These records, along with the Italo Boot Mix megamix
, were released by Bernhard Mikulski on his relatively widely distributed ZYX
label. The Best of and Boot Mix compilations each became a 16-volume series that culminated in 1991. Both series primarily featured disco
music of Italian origin, often licensed from independent Italian labels which had limited distribution outside of Italy, but they also frequently included songs in a similar style by German and other European artists.
The presenters of the Italian music show Discoring (produced by RAI
) usually referred to Italo disco tracks as rock elettronico (electronic rock) or balli da discoteca (disco dance) before the term Italo disco came into existence.
A related term is Euro disco
, referring to all European disco or subsets thereof, especially that which markedly differs from American disco music from the same era.
s and other electronic effects into the disco genre produced electronic dance music
, including America's Hi-NRG
and Europe's space disco
. Italo disco's influences were Italian producer Giorgio Moroder
, French musician Didier Marouani
, a couple of hits by the French drummer Cerrone
, electropop (Kraftwerk
, Telex
, Devo
and Gary Numan
), and the early Hi-NRG
albums of San Francisco producer Patrick Cowley
with such singers as Sylvester
and Paul Parker
.
By 1980, Italo appeared as a fully developed form in Italy and other parts of Europe. Songs were sometimes completely electronic and often featured drum machine
s, catchy melodies, vocoder
s, overdubs, and heavily accented, sometimes nonsensical, love-song lyrics sung in English
. To predominantly non-English-speaking audiences and artists, the voice was considered an additional musical instrument, rather than something meant to deliver a message. Along with love, Italo disco themes deal with robot
s and space
, sometimes combining all three in songs including "Robot Is Systematic" (1982) by 'Lectric Workers and "Spacer Woman" (1983) by Charlie. Italo disco was widely played on radio stations and in discothèques in Europe, but in the English-speaking world, it was mostly limited to nightclubs.
1982 and 1983 saw the releases of the irony-laden "Dirty Talk
," "Wonderful" and "The M.B.O. Theme," three tracks cited as influential in the development of house
, by Klein + M.B.O.
, a side-project developed by Davide Piatto of the Italo disco duo N.O.I.A., with vocals by Piatto and Rossana Casale
.
Many see 1983 as the height of Italo, with frequent hit singles and many labels starting up around this time. Such labels included American Disco, Crash, Merak, Sensation and X-Energy. The popular label Disco Magic released more than thirty singles within the year. It was also the year that the term "Italo disco" was reputedly coined by Bernhard Mikulski, the founder of ZYX Music (Germany), when ZYX released their first volume of The Best of Italo Disco series.
.
Canada, particularly Quebec
, produced several remarkable Italo disco acts, including Trans X ("Living on Video"), Lime
("Angel Eyes"), Pluton & the Humanoids ("World Invaders"), Purple Flash Orchestra ("We Can Make It"), Tapps
("Forbidden Lover"), etc. Those productions were called "Canadian disco" during 1980–1984 in Europe and Hi-NRG
disco in the U.S.
In Germany, Italo disco is called Euro Disco
and Discofox
. In English-speaking countries it was called Italo disco and HiNRG. German productions were sung in English and were characterized by an emphasis on melody, exaggerated production, and a more earnest approach to the themes of love; examples may be found in the works of Fancy
, American-born singer and Fancy protégé Grant Miller, Bad Boys Blue
, Joy, Lian Ross
, C. C. Catch, etc.
During the mid-1980s, spacesynth, a subgenre of Italo disco, developed. It was mostly instrumental, featured space sounds, and was exemplified by Koto
, Proxyon
, Rofo
, Cyber People
, Hipnosis
and Laserdance
.
." Music produced in this style is sold exclusively in Japan due to the country's Para Para
culture, produced by Italian producers for the Japanese market. Though the Eurobeat genre originally sounded almost identical to Italo disco, today's modern Eurobeat features greatly increased BPM and faster synth-lines and vocals, though many recent releases have a slower BPM. The two most famous Eurobeat labels are A-Beat-C Records and Hi-NRG Attack. Two traditional Italo disco labels, S.A.I.F.A.M. and Time, now produce Eurobeat music for Japan.
Around 1989, in Italy, Italo disco evolved into Italo house
. Italian Italo disco artists began experimenting with harder beats and the "house" sound; German production of Italo disco ended later that same year.
, Fancy and Sandra, Italian Italo disco artists Gazebo
, Savage
and Ken Laszlo
, and others remixed their hits in a Euro house style, giving them a new life and a new fan base. Rete 4
channel in Italy, "hits 24," "Goldstar TV," and Prosieben channels in Germany, and the program "Nostalgia" on Spain's TVE
channel started to broadcast Italo disco.
several online radio stations stream the genre. The renewed popularity is inspiring re-releases and new mixes on many of the original Italo disco record labels. ZYX records has released many new CD mixes since 2000. and labels like Panama Records and Radius Records have gone through great lengths to find the original artists of obscure Italo tracks for re-release on vinyl
.
An Italo disco revival is also contribuited by northern european labels as "Iventi d'azzurro" (The Netherlands) and "Flashback records" (Finland), with rearranged releases of the old hits and unreleased demos resung by the original Italo singers, but also new songs by these. Recording artists like Joey Mauro and karl otto, Diva, Mark Fruttero, Fred Ventura and George Aaron have been recently releasing new albums, and a special place within the scene is occupied by Peter Aresti, formerly known as "Peter Arcade" (though room gossips, in order to explain the apparent "age paradox," claim about a "music project" involving at least two different singers impersonating the P.A. character) which represents an unusual case in the Italo disco world, not belonging to the '80s, officially having started his career in the '90s, and actually one of the most popular performing italo artists, challenging many pop singers, in South America (Mexico among all), where a huge, growing Italo disco and High energy community dwells.
Another new person became popular in these last years on italo scene, the talented keyboardist Joey Mauro able to recreate any sound of '80s with his synthesizers and keyboard collections.
New Italo disco has been contributed by I-Robots (the 2006 song, "Spacer Frau"), Tobias Bernstrup
(whose elaborate costumes and make-up are reminiscent of Klaus Nomi), Master Blaster (the 2003 album, We Love Italo Disco), Harre Money ' onMouseout='HidePop("5311")' href="/topics/Giorgio_Armani">Italian designer
; his 2006 album, The Picture of Dorian Gray), and Sally Shapiro
.
On 2010 Mark Zonda started a Neo Italo Disco movement inspired by Sally Shapiro
and Tommy February6
, gathering independent artist in the production of a collection of new Italo Disco songs called "U.N.DISCO," published by Kingem Records.
Evolved into:
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
output in Europe during the 1980s. It is one of the world's first forms of mostly electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
and evolved during the late 1970s and early 1980s in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. Italo disco's futuristic, spacey sound was effected by synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s and vocoder
Vocoder
A vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...
s.
Terminology
The term Italo, a generic prefix meaning Italian, had been used on pop musicPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
compilation albums in Germany as early as 1980, such as Italo Top Hits on the K-Tel label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
and the first volume of Italo Super Hits on the Ariola label.
There's no documentation of where the term Italo-Disco first appeared, but its origins are generally traced to Italian and other European disco recordings released in the German market. Examples include the phrase Original Italo-Disco on the sleeve of the German edition of "Girl On Me" by Amin-Peck in 1982, and the inclusion of Italo-Disco in the title of the 1983 compilation album The Best of Italo-Disco. These records, along with the Italo Boot Mix megamix
Megamix
A megamix is a medley remix containing multiple songs in rapid succession. There may be only one verse or even just a brief chorus of each song used, sometimes in addition to samples of the same or other songs. There may also be some elements of bastard pop in some, though not as much as a mashup...
, were released by Bernhard Mikulski on his relatively widely distributed ZYX
ZYX Music
ZYX Music is a German record label which was founded in 1971 by Bernhard Mikulski. Until 1992, the label's name was Pop-Import Bernhard Mikulski. The label specialized in disco and early house music. Founder Bernhard Mikulski is credited with coining the term Italo disco in the 1980s...
label. The Best of and Boot Mix compilations each became a 16-volume series that culminated in 1991. Both series primarily featured disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
music of Italian origin, often licensed from independent Italian labels which had limited distribution outside of Italy, but they also frequently included songs in a similar style by German and other European artists.
The presenters of the Italian music show Discoring (produced by RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
) usually referred to Italo disco tracks as rock elettronico (electronic rock) or balli da discoteca (disco dance) before the term Italo disco came into existence.
A related term is Euro disco
Euro disco
Euro disco is an all encompassing colloquial term used to describe a variety of European electronic dance music that first originated from disco in the 1970s; incorporating elements of pop, New Wave and rock into disco-like continuous dance atmosphere...
, referring to all European disco or subsets thereof, especially that which markedly differs from American disco music from the same era.
Origins: 1976–1985
The entry of synthesizerSynthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and other electronic effects into the disco genre produced electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
, including America's Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
and Europe's space disco
Space disco
Space disco is a term used to describe the fusion of disco music with futuristic themes, sounds and visuals, which was popular in the late 1970s...
. Italo disco's influences were Italian producer Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
, French musician Didier Marouani
Didier Marouani
Didier Marouani is a French composer and musician. He is one of the pioneers in the Electronic music genre.Didier started his career as a pop singer and made his first album with Etienne Roda-Gil as lyricist, he's done concerts tour with Johnny Hallyday, Claude François and Joe Dassin...
, a couple of hits by the French drummer Cerrone
Cerrone
Marc Cerrone is a French disco drummer, singer-songwriter and record producer.Marc Cerrone has sold over thirty million albums and has often performed in front of hundreds of thousands of people at huge concerts and events such as The 2005 Dance Party Live in Versailles and The 2000 Los Angeles...
, electropop (Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, Telex
Telex (band)
The Belgian synth-pop group Telex was formed in 1978 by Marc Moulin, Dan Lacksman, and Michel Moers, with the intention of "Making something really European, different from rock, without guitar — and the idea was electronic music." Mixing the aesthetics of disco, punk and experimental electronic...
, Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
and Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
), and the early Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
albums of San Francisco producer Patrick Cowley
Patrick Cowley
Patrick Joseph Cowley was an American disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. He recorded in a style that has drawn comparisons to that of Giorgio Moroder and is often credited with pioneering electronic dance music.-Early life:Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York to...
with such singers as Sylvester
Sylvester James
-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Compilation albums:* Mighty Real UK #62* 12 By 12 * Immortal -Singles:-Additional recordings:*Lights Out San Francisco...
and Paul Parker
Paul Parker
Paul Andrew Parker is a retired English footballer who played for Queens Park Rangers, Fulham and most notably Manchester United...
.
By 1980, Italo appeared as a fully developed form in Italy and other parts of Europe. Songs were sometimes completely electronic and often featured drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s, catchy melodies, vocoder
Vocoder
A vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...
s, overdubs, and heavily accented, sometimes nonsensical, love-song lyrics sung in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. To predominantly non-English-speaking audiences and artists, the voice was considered an additional musical instrument, rather than something meant to deliver a message. Along with love, Italo disco themes deal with robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s and space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
, sometimes combining all three in songs including "Robot Is Systematic" (1982) by 'Lectric Workers and "Spacer Woman" (1983) by Charlie. Italo disco was widely played on radio stations and in discothèques in Europe, but in the English-speaking world, it was mostly limited to nightclubs.
1982 and 1983 saw the releases of the irony-laden "Dirty Talk
Dirty Talk (Klein + M.B.O. song)
"Dirty Talk" is a song by Klein + M.B.O. released as the first single from their debut studio album First.-Critical reception:Slant Magazine placed "Dirty Talk" at number thirty-seven on its 100 Greatest Dance Songs, commenting, "That the lack of effective sex banter doesn't at all hinder 1982's...
," "Wonderful" and "The M.B.O. Theme," three tracks cited as influential in the development of house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, by Klein + M.B.O.
Klein + M.B.O.
Klein + M.B.O. were an Italian post-disco musical group formed by producers, songwriters, and arrangers Mario Boncaldo and Tony Carrasco . Rossana Casale, a jazz singer along with American chorus singer Naimy Hacket, provided vocals on their records.They are best known for their single "Dirty...
, a side-project developed by Davide Piatto of the Italo disco duo N.O.I.A., with vocals by Piatto and Rossana Casale
Rossana Casale
-Biography:Casale was born in New York City, United States, from American father and Italian mother, and shortly after she relocated to Venice in Italy and then in Milan. Her career began as chorist in band Albero Motore, vocalist in many productions of dance music , and as organizer of a choir...
.
Many see 1983 as the height of Italo, with frequent hit singles and many labels starting up around this time. Such labels included American Disco, Crash, Merak, Sensation and X-Energy. The popular label Disco Magic released more than thirty singles within the year. It was also the year that the term "Italo disco" was reputedly coined by Bernhard Mikulski, the founder of ZYX Music (Germany), when ZYX released their first volume of The Best of Italo Disco series.
Derivative styles: 1982–1989
During the late 1980s Italo faded and was replaced by Italo NRG (a.k.a Italo House) which combined high-paced Italo and houseHouse music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
.
Canada, particularly Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, produced several remarkable Italo disco acts, including Trans X ("Living on Video"), Lime
Lime (band)
Lime was a synth-pop group from Montréal, Canada, during the 1980s. The group was composed of husband and wife Denis and Denyse LePage, although two younger and more attractive singers, Joy Dorris and Chris Marsh, were chosen to tour and appear as the act. They are most noted for their songs "Angel...
("Angel Eyes"), Pluton & the Humanoids ("World Invaders"), Purple Flash Orchestra ("We Can Make It"), Tapps
Tapps
Tapps is the name of Canada's eurodance/Hi-NRG recording acts. Formed and based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the group's original line-up consisted of Allan Coelho, Tony DaCosta and Paul Silva. In the midst of composing their debut single which was to become "My Forbidden Lover", Silva exited the...
("Forbidden Lover"), etc. Those productions were called "Canadian disco" during 1980–1984 in Europe and Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
disco in the U.S.
In Germany, Italo disco is called Euro Disco
Euro disco
Euro disco is an all encompassing colloquial term used to describe a variety of European electronic dance music that first originated from disco in the 1970s; incorporating elements of pop, New Wave and rock into disco-like continuous dance atmosphere...
and Discofox
Discofox
Discofox or Disco Fox is a social partner dance evolved in Europe in mid-seventies as a rediscovery of the dance hold in the improvisational disco dance scene dominated by solo dancing, approximately at the same time when hustle emerged in the United States. Both dances were greatly influenced by...
. In English-speaking countries it was called Italo disco and HiNRG. German productions were sung in English and were characterized by an emphasis on melody, exaggerated production, and a more earnest approach to the themes of love; examples may be found in the works of Fancy
Fancy (singer)
Fancy is a German Eurodance and Euro Disco artist who was popular in the mid to late 1980s.-Career:...
, American-born singer and Fancy protégé Grant Miller, Bad Boys Blue
Bad Boys Blue
Bad Boys Blue are a multinational pop group that was formed in Cologne, Germany. The group performed many international hits including You're a Woman, Pretty Young Girl, I Wanna Hear Your Heartbeat and Come Back and Stay.- History :...
, Joy, Lian Ross
Lian Ross
Lian Ross, is a German Hi-NRG/Euro Disco singer. She has recorded successful covers such as Sylvester's "Do You Wanna Funk" and Modern Talking's "You're My Heart, You're My Soul." Her original hit songs include, "Say You'll Never", "Fantasy", and "Scratch My Name" among others...
, C. C. Catch, etc.
During the mid-1980s, spacesynth, a subgenre of Italo disco, developed. It was mostly instrumental, featured space sounds, and was exemplified by Koto
Koto (band)
Koto is an Italian synth pop group that originally consisted of Anfrando Maiola and Stefano Cundari, later with the Dutch composer Michiel van der Kuy.- History :...
, Proxyon
Proxyon
Proxyon is a Dutch synthpop project founded by Michiel van der Kuy .-History:Proxyon released its first single, "Space Hopper", in 1987 under the Rams Horn Records label...
, Rofo
Rofo
Rofo is an italo-disco project formed by Fonny de Wulf in the early eighties. Along with Ronny Verrept, they produced two songs, "Watch Out Rofo is an italo-disco project formed by Fonny de Wulf in the early eighties. Along with Ronny Verrept, they produced two songs, "Watch Out Rofo is an...
, Cyber People
Cyber People
Cyber People were an Italo-disco project originally formed in 1984. It originally consisted of Giorgio Spagna, who under the alias Cyber People released the single "Polaris" in 1984. It proved to be only a minor hit, as it was only released in Italy, and later in Germany on ZYX Records. Despite its...
, Hipnosis
Hipnosis
Hipnosis , were an Italian synthpop group, best remembered for their cover of Vangelis' track "Pulstar", which went Top 10 in Germany and Top 20 in Switzerland in 1983...
and Laserdance
Laserdance
Laserdance is a Dutch spacesynth-project that was popular in the 1980s with hits such as "Laserdance", "Power Run" and "Humanoid Invasion". Laserdance was the project of the Dutch producers Michiel Van der Kuy and Erik van Vliet...
.
Evolved and interrelated genres
As Italo disco declined in Europe, Italian and German producers adapted the sound to Japanese tastes, creating "EurobeatEurobeat
Eurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits....
." Music produced in this style is sold exclusively in Japan due to the country's Para Para
Para Para
is a synchronized group dance that originated in Japan. Unlike most club dancing and rave dancing there are specific synchronized movements for each song much like line dancing...
culture, produced by Italian producers for the Japanese market. Though the Eurobeat genre originally sounded almost identical to Italo disco, today's modern Eurobeat features greatly increased BPM and faster synth-lines and vocals, though many recent releases have a slower BPM. The two most famous Eurobeat labels are A-Beat-C Records and Hi-NRG Attack. Two traditional Italo disco labels, S.A.I.F.A.M. and Time, now produce Eurobeat music for Japan.
Around 1989, in Italy, Italo disco evolved into Italo house
Italo house
Italo house is a form of house music popular in Italy, Britain and United States since the late 1980s. It fuses house music and Italo disco. The genre's main musical characteristic is its use of predominantly electronic piano chords in a more lyrical form than classic Chicago House records...
. Italian Italo disco artists began experimenting with harder beats and the "house" sound; German production of Italo disco ended later that same year.
Revival: 1998–present
A big comeback of German Italo disco, began in 1998, when Modern Talking re-united. German Italo disco artists C. C. Catch, Bad Boys BlueBad Boys Blue
Bad Boys Blue are a multinational pop group that was formed in Cologne, Germany. The group performed many international hits including You're a Woman, Pretty Young Girl, I Wanna Hear Your Heartbeat and Come Back and Stay.- History :...
, Fancy and Sandra, Italian Italo disco artists Gazebo
Paul Mazzolini
Paul Mazzolini , known as Gazebo, is an Italian musician. He has a legend status among the fans of the "Italo disco" music style, a variation of 1980s Eurodisco.-Biography:...
, Savage
Roberto Zanetti
Roberto Zanetti is an Italian singer, music producer, composer and businessman from Massa, Tuscany. As a singer he is known under the stage name Savage, and as a music producer he uses the alias Robyx....
and Ken Laszlo
Ken Laszlo
Ken Laszlo is an Italo Disco singer who became famous in the 1980s.Ken was interested in music at a young age and his career began in 1980 when he played and sang in discos and clubs. His first hit in Europe was the single Hey Hey Guy in 1984...
, and others remixed their hits in a Euro house style, giving them a new life and a new fan base. Rete 4
Rete 4
Rete 4 is an Italian television station belonging to the Mediaset network. It is an Italian private commercial TV channel. Rete 4's main news programme is TG4, whose editor-in-chief is Emilio Fede since 1992.-TV Series:...
channel in Italy, "hits 24," "Goldstar TV," and Prosieben channels in Germany, and the program "Nostalgia" on Spain's TVE
Televisión Española
Televisión Española is the national state-owned public-service television broadcaster in Spain. TVE's activities were previously financed by a combination of advertising revenue and subsidies from the national government, but since it's been supported by subsidies only.TVE belongs to the RTVE...
channel started to broadcast Italo disco.
several online radio stations stream the genre. The renewed popularity is inspiring re-releases and new mixes on many of the original Italo disco record labels. ZYX records has released many new CD mixes since 2000. and labels like Panama Records and Radius Records have gone through great lengths to find the original artists of obscure Italo tracks for re-release on vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
.
An Italo disco revival is also contribuited by northern european labels as "Iventi d'azzurro" (The Netherlands) and "Flashback records" (Finland), with rearranged releases of the old hits and unreleased demos resung by the original Italo singers, but also new songs by these. Recording artists like Joey Mauro and karl otto, Diva, Mark Fruttero, Fred Ventura and George Aaron have been recently releasing new albums, and a special place within the scene is occupied by Peter Aresti, formerly known as "Peter Arcade" (though room gossips, in order to explain the apparent "age paradox," claim about a "music project" involving at least two different singers impersonating the P.A. character) which represents an unusual case in the Italo disco world, not belonging to the '80s, officially having started his career in the '90s, and actually one of the most popular performing italo artists, challenging many pop singers, in South America (Mexico among all), where a huge, growing Italo disco and High energy community dwells.
Another new person became popular in these last years on italo scene, the talented keyboardist Joey Mauro able to recreate any sound of '80s with his synthesizers and keyboard collections.
New Italo disco has been contributed by I-Robots (the 2006 song, "Spacer Frau"), Tobias Bernstrup
Tobias Bernstrup
Tobias Bernstrup is a contemporary artist working with videos, interactive works, live performances and electronic music...
(whose elaborate costumes and make-up are reminiscent of Klaus Nomi), Master Blaster (the 2003 album, We Love Italo Disco), Harre Money ' onMouseout='HidePop("5311")' href="/topics/Giorgio_Armani">Italian designer
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...
; his 2006 album, The Picture of Dorian Gray), and Sally Shapiro
Sally Shapiro
Sally Shapiro is the pseudonym of a Swedish vocalist and the name of the Italo disco/synthpop duo composed of Shapiro and musician Johan Agebjörn.-History:...
.
On 2010 Mark Zonda started a Neo Italo Disco movement inspired by Sally Shapiro
Sally Shapiro
Sally Shapiro is the pseudonym of a Swedish vocalist and the name of the Italo disco/synthpop duo composed of Shapiro and musician Johan Agebjörn.-History:...
and Tommy February6
Tommy february6
Tommy february6 is an alter-ego pseudonym created by Tomoko Kawase. Under the name she has released nine singles, two albums, and one compilation album...
, gathering independent artist in the production of a collection of new Italo Disco songs called "U.N.DISCO," published by Kingem Records.
Contemporary artists influenced by Italo disco
- Annie
- Tobias BernstrupTobias BernstrupTobias Bernstrup is a contemporary artist working with videos, interactive works, live performances and electronic music...
- Black StrobeBlack StrobeBlack Strobe were formed in Paris in 1997 by producer Arnaud Rebotini and DJ Ivan Smagghe, and were instrumental in the rise of the electroclash movement in the UK with their breakthrough single Me And Madonna...
- ChromaticsChromaticsChromatics are a band from Portland, Oregon, whose current lineup features singer Ruth Radelet, guitarist Adam Miller, drummer Nat Walker, and producer/multi-instrumentalist Johnny Jewel. The band originally featured a trademark sound indebted to punk and lo-fi and described as "noisy" and "chaotic"...
- Gigi D'AgostinoGigi D'AgostinoLuigino Celestino Di Agostino , better known by his stage name Gigi D'Agostino, is an Italian DJ, remixer and record producer...
- Glass CandyGlass CandyGlass Candy is an American indie electronic band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 1996. The band consists of vocalist Ida No and guitarist/synthesist/general producer Johnny Jewel. While the band's early work blends elements of no wave and glam rock, their later work incorporates Italo disco...
- The Golden FilterThe Golden FilterThe Golden Filter are an electronic duo formed in New York City in 2008. The band consists of Penelope Trappes and Stephen Hindman...
- Bogdan IrkükBogdan IrkükBogdan Irkük a.k.a. BULGARI is a Bulgarian musician/producer/DJ. He has previously performed under the name BULGARI.-Biography:Bogdan Irkük was born 1971 in Sofia, Bulgaria. His mother is of Hutsul ancestry...
- LindstrømHans-Peter LindstrømHans-Peter Lindstrøm is a Norwegian producer who works under the name Lindstrøm. He often collaborates with fellow producer Prins Thomas . Lindstrøm won a Spellemannsprisen in 2008 for Where You Go I Go Too...
- Little BootsLittle BootsVictoria Christina Hesketh, also known by her stage name/pseudonym Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter. Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet...
- MelnykMelnykMelnyk is a Canadian electronic music producer who lives and works in London, UK.- Career :Jeff 'Melnyk' co-runs the independent record label Gaymonkey Records...
- Metro AreaMetro AreaMetro Area is a Brooklyn-based dance music production team composed of Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani.- History :Geist grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, while Jesrani is from upstate New York...
- Michael MayerMichael Mayer (musician)Michael Mayer is one of the key figures of Cologne, Germany's electronic music scene. Mayer is a remixer, DJ, and producer, and has released a small handful of his own singles on the Kompakt music label that he helps run with founder Wolfgang Voigt...
- Pagan GoldPagan Gold"Pagan Gold" is a compilation album released in 2001 by New Zealand recording label, Pagan Records.-Track listing:#One Good Reason - Strawpeople#Sweet Lovers - Holidaymakers#Glad I'm Not a Kennedy - Shona Laing...
- Sally ShapiroSally ShapiroSally Shapiro is the pseudonym of a Swedish vocalist and the name of the Italo disco/synthpop duo composed of Shapiro and musician Johan Agebjörn.-History:...
- SkatebårdSkatebårdSkatebård is the pseudonym of the Norwegian DJ and producer Bård Aasen Lødemel. Skatebård was born in 1976 in Harstad, grew up in Hovdebygda, but has since relocated to Bergen...
- StudioStudio (band)Studio is a Swedish electronic music band. They have been described as the missing link between The Cure and Lindstrøm - while simultaneously touching upon Can, Neu, Happy Mondays and The Smiths - in their creation of a "afrobeat-dub-disco-indie-pop" adventure...
- UnkleUNKLEUnkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
- VitalicVitalicVitalic is an electronic music artist. He was born in France and is of Spanish and Italian descent.-History:His first singles were released in 1996 and 1997, but were confined to the underground electronic music scene...
Non-exhaustive list of original Italo disco artists
- Alan CookAlan CookSir Alan Hugh Cook FRS was a British physicist who specialised in geophysics, astrophysics and particularly precision measurement.-Early life and family:Cook was born in Felsted, Essex in 1922...
- BaltimoraBaltimoraBaltimora were an Italian New Wave dance outfit active in the mid to late 1980s. The group comprised Jimmy McShane , Maurizio Bassi , Giorgio Cocilovo , Claudio Bazzari , Pier Michelatti and Gabriele Melotti...
- Belouis SomeBelouis SomeBelouis Some is a British New Wave musician. He had hits in the 1980s with "Some People", "Round Round", , plus "Imagination" which also achieved success on the European and , and can be heard in the films Ghost Chase and The Business...
- CarraraCarraraCarrara is a city and comune in the province of Massa-Carrara , notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence....
- Den HarrowDen HarrowDen Harrow is an Italian new wave project which was especially popular in the '80s. Stefano Zandri a fashion model from Milan, Italy was chosen to be the frontman of Den Harrow.-Career:...
- Eddy HuntingtonEddy HuntingtonEdward "Eddy" Huntington is a pop star from the UK, popular in Europe and the former USSR.Huntington was born in the north east of England and moved to London at the age of 18, where he became a music video extra and model....
- Fun FunFun FunFun Fun were a popular Italian High Energy/synth pop musical group during the 1980s. Their hits included "Colour My Love" and "Baila Bolero".Producers Dario Raimondi and Alvaro Ugolini teamed up with studio vocalists Antonella Pepe, Angela Parisi and Ivana Spagna to create a bouncy, high-energy,...
- GazeboPaul MazzoliniPaul Mazzolini , known as Gazebo, is an Italian musician. He has a legend status among the fans of the "Italo disco" music style, a variation of 1980s Eurodisco.-Biography:...
- Ken LaszloKen LaszloKen Laszlo is an Italo Disco singer who became famous in the 1980s.Ken was interested in music at a young age and his career began in 1980 when he played and sang in discos and clubs. His first hit in Europe was the single Hey Hey Guy in 1984...
- La BiondaLa BiondaLa Bionda is a musical duo formed by brothers Carmelo and Michelangelo La Bionda, who are considered the inventors of Italian disco music.-Biography:The grew up in Milan....
- Joey Mauro
- Miko MissionMiko MissionMiko Mission is an Italian Italo disco artist.-Biography:The career of Miko Mission began at a young age, performing as a singer in a comedy represented by Alessandria, Gelindo at age seven. When he became fourteen, Miko formed his first band "I passi per la Musica", later renamed "Oscars"...
- Patty RyanPatty RyanPatty Ryan is a German singer best known for her Europop song "You're my love, You're my life" from 1986. She also sang the hits "Stay With Me Tonight", "Love is the Name of the Game" and "I Don't Wanna Lose You Tonight"...
- Pino D'AngiòPino D'AngiòPino D'Angiò is a noted Italo disco artist. He is perhaps best known for his hit 1980 song, Ma Quale Idea, which sold over 2 million copies in Europe.-Sources:* * * *...
- P. LionP. LionP. Lion is an Italian singer and musician who achieved his greatest success in the 1980s.-Biography:...
- RigheiraRigheiraRigheira is an Italo Disco duo from Turin, Italy. The group was founded in 1981 by Stefano Rota and Stefano Righi. They became famous in continental Europe for their single Vamos A La Playa , composed together with Carmelo and Michelangelo La Bionda and released in 1983...
- Ryan ParisRyan ParisRyan Paris is an artist who gained international popularity in 1983 for the worldwide hit single, "Dolce Vita". It was written and produced by Pierluigi Giombini...
- Sandy MartonSandy MartonSandy Marton is a Croatian singer.-Singles:* 1984 - "People from Ibiza" [#1 Italy, #10 Germany, #38 Netherlands, #7 Switzerland, #4 Norway, #14 Austria]* 1984 - "People from Ibiza]]"...
- SavageSavage- Places :Canada* Lower Savage Islands, Nunavut* Middle Savage Islands, NunavutSlovenia* Savage Lake, a karst lakeUnited States* Savage, Maryland* Savage, Minnesota...
- ScotchScotch (band)-Biography:The group was created by Manlio Cangelli , then were added Vince Lancini and Fabio Margutti , joined by Franz Rome for the second album Pictures Of Old Days.The band had numerous hits, starting with the worldwide known "Penguin invasion", "Disco Band", then "Delirio Mind" and "Take...
- Silver PozzoliSilver PozzoliSilver Pozzoli is an Italian italo-disco singer who was popular in the 1980s.-Career:He also used pseudonyms, for instance "Club House", under which he released several italo-house records such as I'm A Man Medley" & "Yeke Yeke in 1987.His many singles in the 1980s included Around My Dream, Step...
- TaffyTaffyTaffy can refer to any of the following:* Taffy , a type of chewy, often colored, candy* Taffy is a sometimes pejorative term for a Welsh person or thing...
- Tracy Spencer
- Valerie Dore
Related styles
- Euro discoEuro discoEuro disco is an all encompassing colloquial term used to describe a variety of European electronic dance music that first originated from disco in the 1970s; incorporating elements of pop, New Wave and rock into disco-like continuous dance atmosphere...
- Electro funk
- SynthpopSynthpopSynthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
- Disco Lento
- New WaveNew Wave musicNew Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
- Electronic body musicElectronic body musicElectronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
- New BeatNew BeatNew Beat is a term that was used in the 1980s to refer to two different genres of electronic dance music. It also refers to an underground 1980s Belgian music style.- Terminology :...
- Hi-NRGHi-NRGHi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
- Space discoSpace discoSpace disco is a term used to describe the fusion of disco music with futuristic themes, sounds and visuals, which was popular in the late 1970s...
- Spacesynth (synthdance/spacedance)
- Afro/Cosmic musicAfro/Cosmic musicIn music, the terms Afro, Cosmic Disco, the Cosmic sound, free style, and combinations thereof are used somewhat interchangeably to describe various forms of synthesizer-heavy and/or African-influenced dance music and methods of DJing that were originally developed and promoted...
- Disco poloDisco poloDisco polo is a musical genre native to Poland, which has existed in its present form since the early 1990s. It was derived from contemporary folk tunes, music from the former eastern territories of Poland influenced by Ukrainian/Belarusian/Russian folk songs and italo disco.The name itself was...
Evolved into:
- EurobeatEurobeatEurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits....
- HouseHouse musicHouse music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
(Italo houseItalo houseItalo house is a form of house music popular in Italy, Britain and United States since the late 1980s. It fuses house music and Italo disco. The genre's main musical characteristic is its use of predominantly electronic piano chords in a more lyrical form than classic Chicago House records...
) - Italo danceItalo danceItalodance, also known as Nu Italo Disco, Nu-Italo or just Italo, is an offshoot of the Eurodance musical genre, which was especially popular in Europe in the late 1990s to the early 2000s.-Definition:...
- EurodanceEurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
External links
- The World of Italo Disco Interviews
- Scene and heard: Italo-disco The Guardian
- Italo artists' real names
- Italo Disco - The Sound of "Spaghetti Dance" – trailer for an unfinished documentary DVD about Italo disco
- Italo-disco: A Secret History of Modern Pop – archived publisher's announcement of a now-cancelled book about Italo disco