István Orosz
The story of Italo Disco was born in the early 80’s. In the end of 70’s, Disco sounds from the USA is beginning to be revised in Europe with the addition of synthetic sound. This is the beginning of a new area ! In the early of 80’s, because of devaluation of the lira compared to the dollar, Dj’s and radios couldn’t no longer to import Americans songs, now become too “expensive” to purchase. Italy took the opportunity to produce the sounds of his own “disco” Electronic.
Created in 1982 by Italian producers, the Italo Disco differs from all other styles of music, with the arrival of Gazebo, Gary Low etc … In 1983, Italo Disco evolution is very important with new artists such as Mike Cannon (produced by Theo Spagna, Ivana Spagna, and Larry Pignaloli. “Goin Crazy” and “Voices in the dark” are number one in Italian hits parades. Many artists also make their appearance : Savage, Tom Hooker, Silver Pozzoli, Ken Laszlo … France previously influenced by the sounds from the West (UK and USA) is influenced by artists like Den Harrow (Charleston and it’s tubes, Bad boy, Future brain etc…) and Valerie Dore (The night, Get closer, It’s so easy). At this time French labels trying to discover this new musical style that is already a hit in Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Austria, Denmark, Yugoslavia and the Nordic countries. This is the case of Carrere and Flarenasch. But this music is considered “underground” and minimalist. Russia, very closed compared to Europe focuses on this style too and the artist most exposed is YURI Shatunov (feat. Laskovyi May) will be dancing Russia with it’s wonderfull tube “Bely Rozy” found in the rest of the world, and will be the equivalent of our Baltimora “Tarzan Boy” or our P. Lion “Happy Children”.
France and England will be the two European countries where italo disco don’t have very big success.
Who is responsible ? Media ? radio ? to TV ? Who are content to know what works in the charts in the United States to the detriment of Italian and German productions (with the exception of Modern talking action in the famous french TOP 50). France sends producers in Italy to build sound and press in place (including in Rimini) french titles that will have success (Jean Pierre Mader, Images, Laroche Valmont, Rose Laurens, Jeanne Mas). Some DJ’s obtain the latest imports and try to discover the new sounds they are getting from distributors specialized at the time (Number One DJ and discobole in Lyon, and Disco Box in Bordeaux, etc.). But it is very difficult to make people dance because they listen all day long pop songs, rock and new wave Anglo-Saxon that are broadcast in high rotation on our FM, and this prevents the Italo Disco to evolve in France. Labels Italian Disco Magic, Memory records, American Disco, Time records, etc. Moon ray records. are usually small structures with low budgets. The titles are pressed in small quantities and enthusiasm for this style is that everything is changing at lightning speed. Lot’s of records are created and are immediately replaced by other similare. All of this production at a rate of four years followed between 1984 and 1988
Today, Italo Disco is collected with interest, both discs of this period are rare and unique in their sounds at once “atmospheric” and “melancholy”. Mexicans, Finns or the Japanese love this music. Extended version of some Italo Disco records are mostly very rare. This is the style that wins one of the strongest success in auction-sales sites. Some discs extremely rare as Gatsby “Love sign” or Ghery M, Ocean D “Love emotion” trades between 600 and 700 euros each ! In recent years, we are seeing a “revival” of some Italian Dance, a multitude of tubes of the mid 80’s has been remixed. Valerie Dore “The night in 2003”, Modern Talking “Remixes 98 and 99”, Ken laszlo “Hey hey guy REMIX”, not counting the group emerges as Master Blaster who are working to provide the flavor of the day titles as “Hypnotic Tango” of My Mine, “How old are you” by Miko Mission. In Italy, last summer, an evening gathering of famous artists like Dyva, Koto, Swan, etc.. was held in Montova in a nightclub. The conclusion was as follows: success with fans from all over the world ! ..
Nowdays, records labels such Flashback or Iventi azzuro continue to produce masterpieces (the reprint of “models” not pressed because lack of financial resources) and disseminate in the world their products. The best productions of recent months are Dyva “Clap again” Swan “Shining star”, etc.. Highly sought by amateurs. What took the turn Italo Disco? Up 1993.1994, artists as Savage, Rose, Aleph, Novecento are still present, particularly in time records. But the sound has little changed and evolved. New artists arrived, always in Italy, such as Mabel, Eiffel 65, Gigi D’Agostino, whose successive tubes inspired by Italo disco but it’s a new style called “Eurodance”, somewhat different . The Italo Disco seems to have disappeared since 20 years, but one thing is sure ! Some artists continue to perpetuate this wave as well as possible, while others do and will only continue to be inspired by Italo Disco. No one can deny then, in 10 or 20 years that this style combining great melodies with sad tempos more or less sustained, marked the slice 1983 to 1988, and this music has left it’s mark for ever