Viva Italo

For the uninitiated Italo Disco can be a catch all term for a early 80’s European take on disco, epitomised by the production style of Giorgio Moroder. This was a more electronic sounding disco using synths, vocoders and drum machines, sounding very different than the likes of Salsoul’s output. The sound as the title suggests was most popular in Italy though spread throughout Europe. The tracks work as pure pop, the lyrics often meaningless or lost in translation into English, Italo songs have been written with choruses about peppers or frogs. Even now they have a futuristic spacey feel to them, also often a sadness instead of discos traditional euphoria. Probably best enjoyed at a early eighties beach disco in Rimini or the club featured in the Moroder soundtracked Scarface.

Munich’s DJ Hell, boss of the International Deejay Gigolo’s label has been a long time devotee of the Italo sound, influencing the electro clash scene the label pioneered in the mid nineties. Hell has mixed the Hellboy compilation that puts together some outstanding Italo clasics and is well worth tracking down. After circulating as a promo copy for the last 16 months the mix has finally been fully cleared and released on Gigolo records. Among others the mix takes in Patrick Cowley’s intense mix of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, Moroder’s The Chase and the Italo classic Mr Flagio – Take A Chance. Take a Chance sounds like the essence of Italo featuring vocodered vocals, spacey effects and a great bass line. Every disco in the world should play this once a night and everyone should dance to it wearing sunglasses. Here’s the track in all its sparkling glitterball glory.


Mr Flagio-Take A Chance

International DJ Gigolos
DJ Hell- My Space