(07.27.08) By 2006 the Nu Disco movement was in full swing. In that year a new label emerged from Brussels, Disco Praline. So far the label has had two releases, both by their first signing: Thomas De Lamarzelle and Simon Dusausoy aka Starlight Boyz. The duo have a space disco sound with definite influences from Italo and the likes of Viewlexx and Alden Tyrell. The tracks are dancefloor friendly, high tempo and perfect for any robot DJ. Now Disco Praline is branching out with a new artist, Odessa. Odessa is a Rotterdam based producer with a passion for Italo and electro as well as having worked with Alden Tyrell on his vocoder sections of live shows. Now Odessa offers up his first spin at the electro wheel; Polar Intrusion.
The EP is a four tracker with “Polar Intrusion” opening Odessa’s account. It opens with a slow nu disco intro of measured beats and synth waves. “Polar Intrusion” has a heady darkness to it, with vocoder lyrics reminiscent to the start of Freak Electrique’s “Mr Pyscho.” The track has a laid back loneliness to it, slicing through the synth chords. Odessa has weighed up romance and electro disco to produce an interesting piece. “Play Missty For Me” moves into more otherworldly territory. Odessa extends the synthlines for this work whilst keeping a mid range tempo to make a wonderfully atmospheric space disco work.
The flip side opens with the darlings of Disco Praline, The Starlight Boyz and their rework of Odessa’s track “Sketch.” The disco visor descends as De Lamarzelle and Dusausoy phatten chords and raise the bpm. Beats and synthesizer are pushed together creating a nu disco energica whilst misshapen twangs float and cascade in the backdrop. As the track develops Starlight Boyz inject some solid electro disco melodies that echo their first EPs. Odessa ends the Polar Intrusion encounter with “Sketch.” The track builds well with some quality synth action and nice arpeggio movements. The melody develops and turns into something truly amazing, with sublime rises and falls amongst synth reverbs. The piece has a Blade Runner love song about it, retro future sound in the best possible way.
Polar Intrusion is not simply a dancefloor electro record for underground clubs and fringe discos. Odessa has produced a record that is floor friendly but it has another side, one that is more subdued, one that is more downtempo, one that is both head than feet based. This quality gives the debut EP a different quality than other pieces of nu disco or space disco or whatever you want to call it. With such a promising start, Odessa will be one to keep an eye on.
Polar Intrusion is out now on Disco Praline.
