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Sign upThe core of Disco Magic - Italo Disco of the 80s: history, formula, artists.
219 articles newest first
Italo Disco and synth-pop use the same instruments but chase different goals. We compare tempo, vocals, structure and examine ten ambiguous tracks that could belong to either camp.
Soviet songs dressed in Italo Disco introduce familiar melodies to a new generation. We explain what makes a cover work, the arrangement technique, and the best makeovers from the Disco Magic catalogue.
Italo Disco lyrics were often written by non-native English speakers, so literal translation rarely works. We explain how to preserve rhythm, image and mood, and give tips for anyone who wants to translate.
"Don't Wake Me Up" by J.D. Jaber is a prime example of melodic yet overlooked Italo Disco. We break down the credits, label, vocals, versions and why the song keeps coming back.
Montreal in the early 1980s became one of the capitals of Hi-NRG: Lime, Trans-X and the French-English scene produced dozens of dance hits. We look at the studios, labels and key releases of Canadian electronic dance music.
The Cyber People project combined space-age synthesizers, mechanical vocals and the dance foundation of Italo Disco. We trace the group's history, the cult track "Polaris", and its link to spacesynth.
Tony Carrasco brought electro-funk rhythm and New York club energy into Milan's Italo Disco scene. We look at his work with Klein & MBO, his Saville connection, and how he shaped the sound of European dance floors.
The SSL 4000 console became the studio standard of the 1980s thanks to flying faders, its legendary bus compressor and clean preamps. Here is how this British desk changed the density and brightness of Italo Disco, synth-pop and European pop mixes.
A working profile of the 1985 Roland JX-8P: two DCOs per voice, the purpose of the PG-800, useful preset lessons and a fair comparison with Juno-106 and Yamaha DX7.
From the organist TR-77 of 1972 to the digital R-8 of 1989: Roland released rhythm machines that shaped the sound of pop, disco, techno and Eurodance. Full chronology and sound of each model.
Eurodisco - live strings, 110-128 BPM and smooth dynamics. Eurodance - Roland TR-909, 130-150 BPM, rapper + singer and sectional radio form. Comparing the two European dance genres.
Mid-80s, Barcelona and Madrid. Blanco y Negro and Max Music license Italian hits, while local projects release their own Italo-disco. A map of the Spanish scene.
1983, Italy. Doctor's Cat releases “Feel the Drive” - a track collectors still open mixes with. Who hid behind this anonymous studio team and why the song outlived the era.
1976, Milan. Claudio Cecchetto launches Radio Deejay, then produces Jovanotti, Sabrina and Sandy Marton. How a DJ became the architect of Italy’s 80s pop factory.
Celso Valli - Italian arranger and producer who worked with Azoto, Raf, Matia Bazar and at Fonoprint studio. From "San Salvador" to "Self Control": how his classical training shaped the Italo Disco sound.
AMS RMX16 - the first microprocessor-controlled digital reverb; the NonLin preset became the sonic signature of the 1980s. How it worked, who used it and why it matters for Italo Disco and retro electronics.
MIDI, Roland TR-808/909, Yamaha DX7, Roland Juno: how synthesizers and drum machines became a single orchestra and defined the sound of Italo Disco, synth-pop, house and techno.
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