The gamut that encompassed this strange breed of synth pop is showcased, isolated wave, candy coated romance and dancefloor machine music. And for the purists out there, both instrumental and vocal versions to salivate over.
There seems to be an Italo epidemic sweeping across the American West Coast. I caught the Rimini bug myself some years back when living in Vancouver, now only suffering from mild symptoms. Dark Entries caught the spaghetti dance fever earlier in the year with reissues of Big Ben Tribe and Victrola. Now the synth rich sound has moved north, this time finding a home with Medical Records. Troy Wadsworth’s label has collected a spread of ultra rare tracks from Fuzz Dance. This Italian imprint ran from 84-88 and brought the likes of Alexander Robotnick to the world. Just based outside of Florence, Its sounds captivated WBMX Djs in Chicago and has been given a fresh audience by contemporaries like I-F and Intergalactic Gary. Now, back on wax for Electroconvulsive Therapy Vol 2 – Fuzz Dance.
The trippy “Slow Flight” by Trophy introduces the LP. The track featured some years back on Clone Classics but Medical have revived the vocal and instrumental version for the Italo nut. This is a trend of the collection, with the original A and B sides of legendary 12”s being given a full polishing. Most of the artists released on Fuzz Dance faded into obscurity but many were pioneers. Zed had just one release, “Plastic Love,” but their brand of Italo tinted New Wave was a foundation for other likeminded analogue artists. Styles shift across the LP. Maurizio Dami (Alexander Robotnick) and Mya Fracassini team up for Mya & The Mirror for the quirky jazz infusion pop twisted “Hesitation.” Two stand alone tracks appear. Mon Bijou offer up the love soaked “Just a Lover,” synths slicing through sugary vocals. Naif Orchestra, aka label boss Giampiero Bigazzi, ends this trip down Italia memory lane. “Check-Out Five” is a sliding synth race, bars bending around corners for some early analogue noodling.
ETV2 brings together some of the finest cuts from Fuzz Dance, and some seriously rare pieces of Italo Disco with it. The gamut that encompassed this strange breed of synth pop is showcased, isolated wave, candy coated romance and dancefloor machine music. And for the purists out there, both instrumental and vocal versions to salivate over. Summer is here.
Electroconvulsive Therapy Vol 2. – Fuzz Dance is available on Medical. [Clone]
