(04.21.07) Italo disco, synth pop, electro disco and disco are having a resurgence in
clubs across the world. Label and artists long forgotten are being
rediscovered. Second hand shops are being turned over for a copy of a
certain Discomagic number, or an electro disco record that had its heyday in
1979. Electronic music collectors are turning historians and researchers,
scowering Google for names like Bobby Orlando and Fred Ventura. Sites, such
as the Cybernetic Broadcasting System, have had a huge influence on the
second coming of the synth pop sound; not to mention I-F’s pioneering mix
All Mixed Up In The Hague that took the DJ circuit by storm in the late
nineties. Re-issues have given some of the sounds of this 80’s electro epoch
back to listeners, on labels such as Radius, Flexx and Panama. Now a well
founded imprint is re-releasing some of the lost classics: Compost Records.
The German label has employed DJ Mooner to compile some of his favourites
from Italia, Germany and beyond onto vinyl and CD. Mooner, aka Emanuel
Günther, has released on a host of labels under an array of pseudonyms such
as Club Le Bomb and Hart of Noise. But on this occasion he is a selector,
throwing in an odd edit here or there. Picking tracks from this era is a
difficult challenge, due to the abundance of good and bad music that was
released in large amounts on a myriad of labels. How has Mooner shaped up in
his enviable, yet arduous, task of compiling Elaste Volume 1: Slow Motion
Disco?
Günther’s central inspiration for this assemblage is the sounds of
Discoteca Cosmic, an influential club in Italia. The album claims that this
is not synth pop or italo, but cosmic disco; frankly they sound quote
similar. Mooner’s first choice is The Rah Band and “Electric Fling.” First
appearing on the Crunch & Beyond LP of 1978, “Electric Fling” is a
precursor to the electro and italo movement that would shift electronic
music forever. The track comes in with a synthesized guitar style melody,
strong, as wafts of light beats keep the pace in the background. The track
is an 80’s rock track in electro mode, a pretty catchy and interesting
number to start the album out on. Mooner follows with Clive Stevens &
Brainchild and their 1984 disco number “Mystery Man.” A slow, subtle track,
supposedly a remix of the original but sound very similar, with laid back
beats and tones. The track recently found itself re-issued on Flexx in its
original form. The time machine goes back three years to 1981 and
International Love and their “Dance On The Groove (And Do The Funk).” The
slow bpm of cosmic disco is maintained, as relaxed funky beats and sounds
make this clever disco number. One of the godfather groups of italo disco
follows International Love as Mooner gives his edit of the classic 1984
number “Crash” by Doctor’s Cat. The beats of the original are held back a
little in Mooner’s edit, but the energy of the original is plain to be seen.
Most think of tracks like “Watch Out” and “Feel The Drive” when they think
of Doctor’s Cat, but “Crash,” with its almost oriental style melodies and
high NRG surges, is up there with some of the best material the group
released. Mooner throws in a well knowner with Heaven 17 and “I’m Your
Money” taken from the Heaven 17 LP. An upbeat number with lyrics
enveloping some of the issues of the 1980s all wrapped in a memorable
synthline.
We zap twenty six years back with “Clash (Chinjyu of Sun)” by Logic System.
The tempo is reduced, but the synth sound is turned right up. Video game
style melodies flash across before the track breaks and synth pop returns.
Memory Control 1 (MC1) land with “Basic” from 1984, re-released in 2006 on
Synthonic. A wicked space synth number, “Basic” rises and drops on waves of
golden electro disco sound as crisp beats shift and rotate as Logic System
bring back the energy laden melody. Mooner introduces Peru next and
“Oriental” taken from their 1983 LP ‘Continents.’ The track is much more
basic, no pun intended, than “Basic”, but its simplicity gives it a palette
cleansing effect and readies the listener for Mooner’s next serving. The
obscure Eloy follow with “Horizons, a space rock number. The track doesn’t
fit well with its surroundings of synthesizers, but is an interesting
example of what was being played in 1980. Chris & Cosey bellow in with
minimal “This Is Me.” The track is short and basic, and a little
uninteresting in comparison to some of the other tracks. Elaste Volume 1 –
Slow Motion Disco ends in further obscurity with Chocolate Star and “The
Pop.” A one time artist from 1982, Chocolate Star, or MC Chocolate Star as
the original 12″ reads, gives a plod along piece of electro that finishes
the album in a “slow motion” style.
Elaste Volume 1 – Slow Motion Disco is an interesting release. Some of the
tracks are not exactly jaw droppers, and can even fall into tedium after a
few listens, but as a whole the album works well. Mooner has recreated the
sound of an electronic era that is gone, but not in the hearts of many. Some
of the tracks do not hold up so well, but others sound as fascinating, as
fresh and as captivating as the day they were tapped out on their synths and
sequencers. Not only that, but Compost have re-issued these tracks legally,
unlike many bootleg re-releases that are floating about today, giving the
artists the credit they deserve for their creations. With this, the
compilation is a perfect starting point for those lost in the sea that is
italo and synth pop of the 1980s. This is a record that would, and will, be
appreciated by many zealots of retro electro music.
Elaste Vol. 1: Slow Motion Disco is out now on Compost. [Purchase
