Right?! 1975. Whoa.

As a music genealogist, moments where new musical (sub)genres are born are pretty much the stuff of dreams.

Within this span of 84 seconds, from an offbeat library (ie music snippets) album “The Strange World of Bernard Fevre,” foundations are laid for the deepest, darkest, most esoteric disco album ever made, Black Devil’s”Disco Club” in 1978.

SCHEMATIC: The entire legendary “Disco Club” LP and a live performance!

H Friend

Timing, Forget The Timing

One To Choose

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I created this stop-motion video as part of my graduate program thesis work. 100 hours of wood cutting and photographing. If you dig it, peep my process photos.

SCHEMATIC: Videos for Home, Daft Punk is Playing at My House… 

Home

Daft Punk is Playing at My House

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Picture Rusty Griswold at a topless disco in National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985). Do you hear that song playing in the background? How awesome is it??!! Well, this was the track.

Alexander Robotnick, aka Maurizio Dami, rewrote Italo by attaching a ground wire to Electro and letting the current rip. He also set the bar for performance names. This fellow is a legend who still exercises his servos and gives one hell of a live performance.

SCHEMATIC: Rare dub and live versions, an interview and a very special song…

Problèmes D’Amour (Dub Version)

Problèmes D’Amour (Live Version)

Obsession for the Disco Freaks

Interview

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I assure you, my friend, that this robot is indeed systematic.

Nearly 30 human years ago, this track was putting hairy-chested robots into full-frame meltdown on space disco floors all over Planet Italy. ’Lectric Workers members Franco Rago and Gigi Farina were also responsible for Decadance’s considerably darker, yet ultimately synthulescent On and On (Fears Keep On).

SCHEMATIC: Instrumental version, album cover art and record label scans…

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SCHEMATIC: Cuts from Giombini’s landmark 1981 LP Astromusic Synthesizer…

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Shangaied (Music Video Version)

SCHEMATIC: LP and 12″ extended versions…

Shangaied (LP Version)

Shangaied (12″ Extended Version)

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Although Moroder made some Taleggio over the years, From Here to Eternity is an early Italo masterpiece. First published as an LP in 1977 on US-based Casablanca Records, near mint copies of this album are still widely available for about $20. Synthspotters love this video…

SCHEMATIC: Some Moroder TV appearances, a Casablanca Records promo video, more details…

Moroder’s discography is longer than the Dead Sea Scrolls. Among other massive hits, Moroder was behind Donna Summer’s 1977 smash, I Feel Love.

He also did the theme song for the crazy-ass movie Midnight Express in 1978. Below is a classic German TV show (check out those mics!) introducing Moroder and his oscar-winning track, The Chase, which is 13 minutes of mind-warping synthesizer amazingness. In this all-too-brief clip, Moroder goes from laying it down in German to working a Minimoog in an ultra-rare LIVE performance.

Here is the original 8-minute 45RPM version of the track. I can’t seem to find the 12″ version, so will upload mine.

Here is the Casablanca Records promo where Moroder demonstrates his vocoder skills.

Moroder produced everyone and everything in the 1980s. Beyond rescoring the 1920s Fritz Lang film Metropolis, he was responsible for Top Gun (along with German protégé Harold Faltermeyer), Blondie’s Call Me, Irene Cara’s What a Feelin’ LP which included Romance ’83 (and Flashdance), The Neverending Story and so forth.

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Zodiac is some seriously spaced-out synthy disco goodness. The simple composition of this eponymous track from their 1980 debut LP Disco Alliance brings the lush sythscapes and analog textures to the forefront. Loving those live drums. This exceptional track is essentially unknown in NA and generally available for about US$20 + international shipping. And peep that cover art!!

SCHEMATIC: Three more videos and some fantastic cover art…

Mysterious Galaxy is the lead track off the band’s second LP, Music in the Universe released in 1982. This track takes a funkier approach than found on the first album, as evidenced by the Latvians tearing up the parquet.

Provincial Disco is the third track off the Disco Alliance LP. Although clearly weaker than Zodiac, the synths are still highly unusual. I’m sure you’ll pick out quite a few interesting musical elements and a couple skillful transitions (2:15 & 3:36).

Pacific was the second track on the Disco Alliance LP. Again, clearly a weaker track than Zodiac, but pretty funky nonetheless.

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Supernature is a cautionary post-apocalyptic tale of scientific hubris and genetic experimentation gone awry. Although there are numerous tracks from the 70s and 80s that pay homage to space, robots and computers (thank God), few disco/synth tracks really drop earth science. Me like! Me like!

SCHEMATIC: High quality extended vinyl rip MP3, lyrics, cover art…

The Cerrone 3 LP is readily available on vinyl for only $10 or so. The LP version of the song is nearly 10 minutes long, but is actually only the first of three movements that comprise a totally epic Side A. Not really sure what happened on Side B, but who cares?!! The tracklisting and run times are:

a1) Supernature (10:20)
a2) Sweet Drums (3:30)
a3) Into The Smoke (4:40):

Once upon a time
Science opened up the door
We would feed the hungry fields
Till they couldn’t eat no more

But the potions that we made
Touched the creatures down below
And they grow up in a way
That we’d never seen before

<chorus>Supernature, supernature
Supernature, supernature</chorus>

They were angry with the man
Cause changed their way of life
And they take their sweet revenge
As they trample through the night

For hundred miles or more
You could hear the people cry
But there is nothing you can do
Even God is on their side
(God is on, God is on, God is on their side)

<chorus>Supernature, supernature
Supernature, supernature</chorus>

Cars will break the light
Come flowing in the air
The creature will decide
Who goes where

How can I explain
Things are different today
Darkness all around
No one makes a sound
Such a sad affair
No one seems to care

<chorus>Supernature, supernature
Supernature, supernature</chorus>

Better watch out
There’s no way to stop it now
You can’t escape
It’s too late
Look what you’ve done
There’s no place that you can run
The monsters made
We must pray

Maybe nature has a plan
To control the ways of man
He must start from scratch again
Many battles must he win
Till he earns his place on earth
Like the other creatures do
Will there be a happy end
Now that all depends on you

<chorus>Supernature, supernature
Supernature, supernature</chorus>

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