Tracy Spencer: the Female Voice of the Era
The story of one of the few female stars of mid-'80s Italo Disco and her path from Sanremo to international popularity.
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Notes on music, craft, and the era
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Tracks for Late Night
A selection of Italo Disco compositions for the deep night hours - when you need music with a particular atmosphere, melancholy, and drama.
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Why All the Songs Sound So Similar
Looking at why Italo Disco tracks feel like variations on a single melody - the technical, economic, and cultural reasons for the genre's signature sound.
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Space Disco: the Cosmic Branch of Italo Disco
Koto, Laserdance, Hipnosis - flagships of space disco, the instrumental branch of Italo Disco with cosmic aesthetics. Origins, key tracks, and influence on synthwave.
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Gender Dynamics in Italo Disco
75% male artists versus 20% female, session vocalists in the shadow, Sabrina's provocative videos - gender roles in Italo Disco from a modern perspective.
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10 Best Italo Disco Instrumentals
Alongside the vocal hits there's a whole universe of instrumental Italo Disco. Visitors, Jabdah, Humanoid Invasion, Pulstar - ten key space disco compositions.
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Eddy Huntington: a Brit on the Italian Team
The story of the young Englishman who became one of Italo Disco's stars with the hit "USSR" - a track charged with Cold War political context.
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Alan Barry and His "Come On, Come On"
The story of an Italian artist working under an English pseudonym and his energetic mid-'80s hit.
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Modern Talking: a Phenomenon in the East German Audience
Why the German duo became a cult precisely in the Eastern Bloc - the story of Modern Talking and their special bond with the post-Soviet public.
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Turkish Pop Music and Italo Disco
Ajda Pekkan, Sezen Aksu, Barış Manço built a unique hybrid of Italo Disco with Eastern melody. A little-known page of the genre's history beyond Europe.
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Italo Disco for Beginner Producers
How to become a producer in Italo Disco aesthetics. Gear, synth emulations, classic track analysis, first exercises, mixing, release.
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European Retro Radio Stations with Italo Disco
Retro FM, RMF 80s, Radio Italo 80s - the key European radio stations spinning Italo Disco today. A market overview by country with audience and specifics.
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Italo Disco Rhythm Patterns on the TR-808
Four on the floor, clap on beats 2 and 4, eighth-note hats - how the signature rhythms of Italo Disco were programmed on the Roland TR-808 and LinnDrum.
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Linn LM-1: the Drum Machine That Almost Didn't Happen
The story of the first sample-based drum machine that changed '80s pop and played an important role in shaping the Italo Disco sound.
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How to Shoot a Retro Italo Disco Video
Neon light, smoke machines, signature costumes, color grading - a step-by-step guide to shooting a retro Italo Disco video in 2024 with a budget from 500 dollars.
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Tracks Everyone Remembers but No One Can Name
Italo Disco melodies you've heard a thousand times but can't name the artist for - here's how to figure out which tracks they are.
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Italo Disco remixes in 2026: versions worth a listen
Six properly dated remix releases from 2026, from Hottwerk, Rare Wiri, Ameros, ZYX and independent edit makers. A listening guide to versions that serve genuinely different purposes.
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