Italobot Podcast 09 - Sees it Sideways

Italobot Podcast 09 - Sees it Sideways
01: Kano - Super Extra Sexy Sign
02: Video Club - Lost Time
03: Marzio - Phantom of the Opera
04: Milkways - Love for NR Part 1/Part 2
05: Ruth - Roman Photo
06: Bagarre - Lemonsweet
07: Plastic Mode - Mi Amor
08: Glam - More Than Ever
09: Giak - Inside You
10: Fake - Donna Rouge
11: Lustt - Pillow Talk
12: Kay Franzes - Take Me and You'll Win

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I really indulged my inner disco time-traveler on this one and had a lot of fun in the process. Hope you do too!

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Mike Macharello and Single Girl

Here is a great release from 1984 that has been described as the first Chicago House track but that could be under dispute. Regardless it is a fun, playful, and simple track. By 1985 Knight Action released R-Trax/D-Rail which unquestionably falls under that catagory of House music. Producer Mike Macharello produced a string of house tracks in the 1980s.

Fabio Frizzi and the Frizzi Brothers

Fabio Frizzi composed a tremendous amount of Italian horror soundtracks in the 70s and 80s. His music from the films is beautiful and haunting, blending traditional instruments with electronics and a rock fusion sensibility. Thankfully he found some time in 1983 to produce this funked out Italian jam "Capita" with his brother Fabrizio Frizzi for Jumbo Records.

Slow Flight

Digging has been slow going lately but I'm trying to keep on top of things. So to celebrate the pace of my posts here is Trophy's "Slow Flight." Trophy put this stripped down electro-disco number together for Fuzz Dance in 1982. The vocals are murky and there is some vocoder in there with the same tone as Bambaataa's 'Planet Rock.' Its has a real loose feel and the mix is pretty rugged...lots of space in there.

Don't Come Stoned...

I decided to put this one up on the heels of recent news that voters in California will be voting this November on whether or not the state should legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Max n' Specs comprised of Lorenzo Mills, Robin Lent. They recorded "Don't Come Stoned and Don't Tell Trude" in 1980 for CNR Records. An entertaining tale of two criminals planning a heist, this one is just fun.

Pink Project

Pink Project was Luciano Ninzatti and Stefano Pulga and they liked to do covers of Pink Floyd, Space, and more. "Amama" is a space disco track with some blocky synthesizers thrown in for good measure. You can tell from their sound selection that they were inspired by France's Space. Released in 1982 on the album Domino for Baby Records. Produced by Salvatore Annunziata and R. Fraschini. Check out Pink Project performing "Disco Project" back in the day. Those outfits are kind of freaky. Browse youtube for some of the other covers on the album.


Pink Project - 'Disco Project Medley

Plastic Mode

"Mi Amor"  by Plastic Mode is the perfect song for a perfect day. Spring is so close and this Plastic Mode track beckons for more warm, clear days. You may be familiar with Plastic Mode's "Baja Imperial." It was re-released on Morgan Geist's Unclassics compilation. Both of these tracks are stellar. Tony Carrasco has his hands on "Mi Amor" in addition to Mariano Boncaldo and Angelo Valsiglio. Both songs appeared on their EP "Plastic Mode."

Tout Petit La Planete

Belgian born Plastic Bertrand (aka Roger Marie François Jouret) had an international hit in 1977 with the song "Ça plane pour moi" a rocking number with a great underground sound. But lately I have been bumping a lesser known of his space disco number, "Tout Petit La Planete." The crunchy clavinet and spacey synth leads are very fitting for 1978, harnessing a cosmic sound and tastefully integrating the vocoder with subtlety. And you got to love those guitars, time to bust out the distortion pedals. He is still active musically, check out his website to catch up.

Magazine 60

I have meant to write up Magazine 60 for a while now. Some of you may already be familiar with these tracks but I had to get it up here for those who aren't. Don Quichotte made some waves in the U.S. market and there are few versions of it out there. Great breaks and fun lyrics. It was sampled by Will.I.Am for his song "I Got It From My Mama" (another mindless contribution to pop music).

Italobot podcast 08 : Altair Nouveau

Italobot podcast 08 : Altair Nouveau

1. Jon Anderson: Meeting (Garden of Geda)
2. Mike Oldfield: (Incantations) Part One
3. Landscape: Shake the West Awake
4. Righeira: Tanzen Mit Righeira
5. The Buggles: Inner City
6. Giorgio Morder: Paul's Theme (Jogging Chase)
7. Talk Talk: It's My Life (Dub Version)
8. Imagination: Music and Lights
9. Ministry: Work for Love
10. Barry De Vorzan: Theme from "The Warriors"
11. Heaven 17: Crushed by the Wheels of Industry
12. Wind: Luxury
13: Mike Mareen: Dancing in the Dark (Galactica Remix)
14. Change: Hold Tight
15. Stephanie Mills: Pilot Error (Club Mix)
16. Raw Silk: Do It to the Music (Dub Mix)
17. Sylvester: Fever
18: Midnight Passion: I Need Your Love (Instrumental)
19. Rosetta Stone: Sunshine of Your Love
20. The Immortals: The Ultimate Warlord
21. Tantra: Hills of Kat Mandu (Patrick Cowley Remix)

If you haven't heard of Altair Nouveau its time to get acquainted. His brand of music is a blend of space disco, fusion and the fantastic. You can get a taste of his new EP Space Fortress with his single Sorcerer which has a very live feel and soaring synthesizer lines. He has been a resident of the West Coast of the U.S. for a while now but he informed me that he is about to grace the Eastern Seaboard in a few weeks with a move to New York City. San Francisco will be sad to see him go but he was gracious enough to allow me to stream this mix he did last fall as part of the podcast.

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Don't Hurt Me

Rene's 'Don't Hurt Me' is another classic track from powerhouse Discomagic Records complete with powerful synth lines and the charming calm of piano and saxophone. Written by Rino Facchinetti the former lead singer of Styloo with some help on the synths and drum progamming from Walter Bassani. There are some pretty wicked synth percussives in there towards the end and you got to love his use of the amen cadence too.

Port Salut

This track is off the wall and seemingly, pretty damn rare. And like a fine cheese this one has been aged to perfection. It sounds like space disco but the bass line tears through this song like pure funk. The chorus is infectious and the drum track snaps with the crunch of that synthesized bass. There is not much info online about Port Salut so if anyone has any more information about this one post it in the comments below.

Trust in Me

I'm riding high on a beautiful day in the Bay Area so I thought I would get a little boogie up here since the taste of Spring is nearly on my lips. L.J. Reynolds was in The Dramatics from 1973 to 1981. This one appeared on his album Travelin.

Lovables

This looks like my kind of Valentines Day scene. Toughing it out in the urban wastelands with my tough-as-nails girlfriend. Fighting off brigands and looking for a refuge for our forbidden love. And as we made love by the burning compounds of the warlords "It's Beautiful" played inside of our minds.

A fun-loving track produced by the team of Mauro Farina and Giuliano Crivellente,

Alek Stark - Trapped EP

Alek Stark cut his teeth in the the late 90s and 2000s with his label Star Whores and releases on numerous labels including Transient Force, home to some wonderful new electro and space disco tracks. His new Trapped EP on 158.8MHz Records has some fine cuts and he has made it freely available for the first 97 downloads. "Trapped" is driven by a drum track very reminiscent of old Prince layered with a spaced out synth, "Who I Am" is another great homage to space disco number complete with textures of arpeggios and vocoded vocals, "Inside You" has a pretty infectious, percussive synth lead and big soul claps.

All in all Stark's EP and label meet his purpose in honoring the Italo sound of the early 80s. Very robotic.

Download the Trapped EP.

He is pressing 20 or more copies on vinyl. If you are interested in getting one email him:

158.8mhz@gmail.com