Mario Moretti :: Past Present Perfect (Bordello I Parigi)

Mr Moretti has created is addictive synth tracks, ones filled with emotional hooks whilst being rooted in the traditions of Discomagic or ZYX.

I’ve been listening to Italo since I was in secondary school. In all fairness I didn’t know what Lectric Workers Robot is Systematic was Italo when I bought it; I just liked the sound of it. Arguably, Viewlexx’s re-issue was the start of the Rimini renaissance. It’s been a long time since I was sixteen, but the resurgence of Italian synth disco seems to still be going. Bordello I Parigi is one label seeking to further revive the patient, this time with Mario Moretti. After a quick mental scan it will become apparent that Moretti a past obscurity. In fact Mr. Morretti is 27 year old a modern day producer from Lithuania. So what can this contemporary do with the Italo sound with Past Present Perfect?

The opener, “Danger in Deep Space,” is a whirling piece of synth work. Analogue chords are shot into the atmosphere with electro disco melodies flexing throughout. But, this isn’t actually Italo. If I were to attach an 80s comparison to Moretti it would be Laserdance, or maybe Koto. There is more of a cosmic disco or electro disco to this undertaking. “In Love With Nebula” continues the space theme. The BPM is lowered with a more emotive sound the result. Moretti has a style similar to some of the music of Disco Praline, arpegiattors rumble beneath the clean lines. An excellent piece, some echoes of our recent friend Lumeet to this piece too. The astral analogies continue on the flip with “Cruising Speed.” The reverberating synths are back as the track slowly builds to an analogue orgy. Moretti has aspects of Alden Tyrell to his floor-pleaser aspect, but never pushes into fist pumping antics. Instead, the debutant swirls his synths, concocting pleasurable mixtures of machine music. Going into comparison overdrive here, but there’s even a Jan Hammer similarity. “Safety Station” ends Moretti’s orbit. The track runs in similar form to its predecessors—very catchy, very synthy and very sunshine.

So what is the verdict? Well, Moretti is not reinventing the wheel here. This is retrospective electro disco but it is a very well produced retrospective. This doesn’t sound like it’s from 1983, but who says it has to. What Mr Moretti has created is addictive synth tracks, ones filled with emotional hooks whilst being rooted in the traditions of Discomagic or ZYX. A good addition to the Bordello.

Past Present Perfect is available on Bordello I Parigi.