Koto

Koto's (Alex Cundari, Anfrando Maiola, Roberto Bisca, Stefano Cundari) sound can typify what people conjure up when they think of Italo Disco. The repetitive synth leads and percussive bass arpeggios became almost cliche and typify the sound of Italo in the 1985 and 1986. But on their own these are fun tracks with playful melodies that play counterpoint off of each other. Both tracks have contemplative bridges that emerge from the main theme that should not be missed. The use of vocal samples and dialog give these a character that is so indicative if the era. Memory Records released both of these tracks in 1985 and 1986 respectively. Check out Koto's catalog for more synthesizer goodness.

Hall of Famer Ken Laszlo

Clandestinity was the principal point for my name...I didn't attend any music school. People say that but it's just a legend

Ken Laszlo, born Gianni Coraini, is a native of Montova, Italy. He started singing around 15 years old with friends in a band called I Giovani di Montova (The Young People of Montova) and began performing in clubs and discos in Italy. His first hit, Hey Hey Guy, is a dance floor monster that was produced by Sandro Oliva for Scorpio Records. I have known these songs for a while without seeing the vids and I can't believe how much Laszlo's style is everything I strive to be. Its like Ken Laszlo is inside my brain.

Don't miss a worry baby
Everything has gotta be great
Why didn't you try to know it
You don't have things to forget

Ken Laszlo's Tonight is one of my all time favorites. And one of the great things about him is he is great with the children. This was one of the first Italo tracks I got into and he will sure have you saying oh oh oh oh if you give this a good listen. So you can imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw the video. Its a cool adventure so I won't spoil it but definitely check out the aristocrat girls doing the robot. It features my favorite shot of all time, the turn to the camera and a fencing match.

He has a myspace page and a website if you want to keep tabs on him. Check out this great discography complete with album covers. And please use it wisely, to explore his evolution.

Ken Laszlo - Hey Hey Guy (download)