AA.VV. - Disco Italy: Essential Italo Disco Classics 1977-1985

2008 (Strut/ !k7 records)
italo-disco

"Nemo propheta in patria", verrebbe da dire, parlando di italo-disco. Eppure, noi italiani, l’abbiamo nel sangue, perché ci ha coinvolto attraverso colonne sonore (da quelle di Claudio Simonetti per i film di Dario Argento a "Midnight Express" di Giorgio Moroder) e hit assortiti fin dalla più tenera età. Ma mentre noi l’abbiamo oscurata per almeno due decadi, all’estero continuava a proliferare e affascinare estimatori. Tanto che, negli ultimi anni, una vera e propria “italo-renaissance” sta coinvolgendo le piste da ballo di mezza Europa (specialmente al Nord): serate a tema, caccia ai 45 giri, recupero di strumenti d’epoca simbolo di una generazione (tecnologie Moog e Korg sopra tutti).

Se per noi italo-disco tende ancora a far rima con canzoni da classifica di dubbio gusto, c’è tuttavia una zona oscura, più vera e originale, che merita di essere riscoperta e rivalutata, sia per la genialità di certi artisti (Giorgio Moroder in primis), sia per l’enorme influenza che ha poi avuto negli sviluppi della musica dance (ne sono dichiarati debitori i “tipi” della scena house di Chicago, gli antesignani della techno e trance music, ma anche i Chemical Brothers, e si sente).

L’italo-disco di culto trova adepti ed estimatori (soprattutto fra l’Inghilterra e la Germania) che ne fanno un hobby esclusivo da week-end alternativo, e mantengono vivo quell’interesse per almeno un paio di decenni. E negli anni 00 torna a occupare le consolle di club importanti per far ballare il nuovo pubblico facendo leva sul fascino di quei “suoni dimenticati".

A suggellare il momento ci pensa ora questa compilation “Disco Italy – Essential italo-disco classics 1977-1985”, uscita a fine maggio per Strut Records, etichetta inglese nata per dare luce e vigore al background musicale al quale attingono i successi di oggi e "rinata" grazie alla berlinese !K7 Records. Nei primi cinque mesi del 2008 vengono pubblicate le ottime compilation “Disco not Disco: Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986”, “Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980-1986”, “The August Darnell Years 1974 -1982”, “Nigeria 70 Lagos Jump: Original Heavyweight Afrobeat, Highlife & Afro Funk”.

Stesso procedimento dunque per “Disco Italy: Essential Italo Disco Classics 1977-1985”, dove i pezzi selezionati vanno a ricomporre la genuinità di un’epoca luccicosa che oggi vive la sua seconda e più timida giovinezza.

La compilation accoglie classici originali e b-side di una rarità imbarazzante di alcuni dei produttori più conosciuti del tempo, da Claudio Simonetti e Giancarlo Meo (aka Kasso e Easy Going) a Peter Micioni e Balearic Favourite, fino a Tullio De Piscopo e l’Olandese Volante.

Le tredici tracce dell’album (alcune appaiono per la prima volta su cd) sono state selezionate da uno che di musica dance se ne intende alquanto, Steve Kotey, parte del collettivo di dj/produttori Chicken Lips e boss dell’etichetta Bear Entertainment. Una compilation consigliata sia per il ballo che per l’ascolto perché raccoglie rarità che esprimono l’originalità del genere.

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05/11/2008

This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Livia Fagnocchi, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition

Tracklist

  1. 1. Five Letters – The Kee Tha Tha
  2. 2. Kasso – Brazilian Dancer
  3. 3. Number One Ensemble – Flor De Coca
  4. 4. Kano – Now Baby Now
  5. 5. Freddy The Flying Dutchman & The Sistina Band – Wojtyla Disco Dance
  6. 6. Firefly – Love (Is gonna Be On Your Side)
  7. 7. D.D. Sound – Burning Love
  8. 8. Revanche – 1979 It’s Dancing Time
  9. 9. Red Dragon Band – Let Me Be Your Radio
  10. 10. Rainbow Team - Dreaming
  11. 11. Easy Going – Do It Again
  12. 12. Tullio De Piscopo – E Fatto E Sorde! E?
  13. 13. Valentine – Tina Are You Ready
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