(06.13.06) WHAT pops into your head when people talk of Vienna? Austrian capital, great city of culture and history might pop into some people’s heads. The urban home to a modern day italo disco label wouldn’t come to the mind of many, but there you go. A new label embracing the sound of spaghetti dance has been born in the Austria’s main city, Diskokaine.
Unbeknownst to many italo and neo disco have been causing some stir in the underbelly of the electronic music movement. Labels like Viewlexx, to name but one, have been injecting this 80’s sounds into the hearts and minds of
electro fans for some time now. The Cybernetic Broadcasting System, Viewlexx’s radio station, has been flooding the internet airwaves with electro, italo and disco magic since late December of 2002. Disco, and italo alike, was purged from the US and Britain with the aggressive, anti gay, rightist movement that was “Disco Sucks.” However, most of Europe remained immune to this hostile machismo revolt and many labels continued to produce a solid stream of great italo and disco records. Then, in 2000, I-F released its acclaimed, and highly limited, All Mixed up in The Hague mix CD. Space
Invaders Are Smoking Grass elevated I-F up to the figure of italo’s savior. If Space Invaders… did that, All Mixed up in The Hague, with the generous full MP3 version on www.cbs.nu, opened up the disco vaults to the ears of every young electronic enthusiast on the net. Imprints like
Diskokaine are proof that italo is on the up, continuing to spread and grow.
Diskokaine’s head is Wolfram marfloW Eckert, a talented DJ and producer who has donned some of the world’s finest clubs with his italo antics not to mention being a mix-robot on the Cybernetic Broadcasting System. The label is still a fledgling, with just one release under its belt. But from the start, Diskokaine is an imprint that is true to its roots. First of all, the Diskokaine records look like they were designed by the forefathers of italo; bloated label lettering and flash sleeves are what first hits the sensors from the Diskokaine label. The first release Diskokaines – Lick The Alphabet, featuring Princess Superstar, came out in September 2005 and was an immediate hit with italo droids. A sickly sexy disco number, the record was super limited with only 300 copies, distributed to the faithful by Clone. The label returns with its second installment, Sally Shapiro’s I’ll Be By Your Side.
This four track vinyl only release is a piece of high quality italo. Track one, “I’ll Be By Your Side” is the audio embodiment of a girl wearing too much mascara, staring out a window on a drizzly day. A ghostly voice propounds the general theme of most italo records, loneliness and love, while an addictive synth line and basic drum beat draw you in. Next thing you know you’re singing along; signs of a great italo track. Just as the track is in full swing, a chronic vocoder kicks in. Some of the best italo this reviewer has ever heard! Track two is marfloW’s remix of “I’ll Be By Your Side,” a sinister synthesizer tongued interpretation of the original – the Haunted Futuro version if you will. The remix is quite similar to the original, but with a much more sepulchral and evil air. Track three is a very laid back, post break up sitting in your bedroom listening to records sort of song. Gentle synth movements dab along whilst Sally Shapiro’s
classic italo voice advocates another lost love. Beautiful early synth pop style recreated flawlessly for today. The final track moves into new territory, the listener is immediately enveloped in a solid beat and drawn in by a looping chord. The track breaks as sublime synth lines moves in with C64 vocal samples reminiscent of DMX Krew’s Space Pirate. This is a high energy Atari assault, the listener is zapped by laser like melodies whilst being piloted through new space by this cybernetic label. Almost indecipherable vocoder singing comes in once the track has fully developed to make galactic odyssey complete. This is futuristic space disco at its best.
This 12″ will blow any italo rocker out of their solar system sneakers. From moody classic italo to full on up beat disco delirium, this slab has it. This is interplanetary italo capable of filling any subterranean venue dance-floor, or Soviet space station, with marauding hordes of astro punx, spacer women and robots alike. A fantastic second release on a label that not only pays huge respect to the very notion of italo disco –but is keeping the sound alive for the boys and girls of today to enjoy. I’ll Be By Your
Side exemplifies the quality of this Ventian label. Building on from a great first release, the Diskokaine crew are pioneering the new wave of pastiche italo and are doing a more than remarkable job at it. Well done to marfloW and all involved.
For more info about Diskokaine, visit their website here.
