Space Consortium Vol. 1 is some solid restoration work, but it is impossible to replicate the blue skies of Italy circa ’83. Instead, this is a 12” of 2013 analogue rich, energetic, Electro Disco.
Flight Recorder take off once again, this time the destination is the synthesizer laden land of Italo. Some of the modern stalwarts of the Rimini sound, none of whom reside near Italia, have been gathered for a contemporary take on labels like Discomagic and Il Discotto: Space Consortium Vol. 1.
The rumbling arpeggiators of Manchester’s Kid Machine open the compilation. The Mancunian offers the synthesizer heavy Italo-Dance of “Space Renegade.” Melodies shift and reform as the Kid drives harmonies over boundaries into new realms of analogue pop. Denmark’s Italo Disco aficionado, Flemming Dalum, is on hand for remixing duties. Dalum has been busy of late, releasing some excellent mixes and interpreting original tracks for Disco Modernism and Bordello I Parigi. For Flight Recorder Dalum keeps the body of Kid Machine’s work and injects some spaghetti dance retrospection with an up-to-date dancefloor aspect. James Penrose aka Casionova meets Flight Recorder with “Space Commando.” The streaming synthlines continue, but the Cyberdance boss adds gravity for a Sci-fi festooned flipside opener. Definitely some echoes of Vangelis’ “End Title” in this one. Flemming Dalum is on hand for the re-entry, a more dancefloor orientated take on Penrose’s original.
I first came across Italo around ten years ago. Since then the sound has enjoyed a serious revival. In recent years that renaissance has begun to slow, but the sunshine and positivity that cemented the sound have filtered into modern electronics. The cleaner production of today can remove some of the original Italo feeling, stripping the paint and taking chunks of wall with it.
Space Consortium Vol. 1 is some solid restoration work, but it is impossible to replicate the blue skies of Italy circa ’83. Instead, this is a 12” of 2013 analogue rich, energetic, Electro Disco.
Space Consortium Vol. 1 is available on Flight Recorder. [Release page]
