Italo Disco
The Coffee Talk ladies from ''SNL'' would really have a field day with this one; Italo Disco is neither Italian nor disco. Discuss!
In reality, Italo Disco was made by a group of producers and bands that hailed from all over Europe and Canada. Inspired by the spacecd'>Giorgio Moroder, San Francisco producer Patrick Cowley, and French drummer Cerrone. At first, this style of music incorporated many disco and funk influences, but between 1982 and 1985, Italo Disco evolved into the raw, electro sound that many consider to be the high point of the genre. After 1985, it shifted again, this time into the more commercial, glossy sounds of Eurobeat and Italo NRG.
Artists
Many Italo Disco performers hailed from Europe, with a few notable exceptions from Canada. German groups tended to emphasize melody and elaborate production arrangements over rhythm, and sang exclusively in English. Vocals, which often spoke of love, robots, and cosmic travels, were regarded as another instrument, and often distorted or layered with electronic effects. These tracks infiltrated only the most forward-thinking US underground dance clubs, so unless you were going out dancing five nights a week in the early 1980s, you probably missed out.
* N.O.I.A.: Before they become one of the most celebrated Italo acts, N.O.I.A. was a noisy Italian rock band that liked to instigate fights at their live shows. In 1983, they recorded the classic "Dirty Talk" under the name Klein & MBO. The song is credited with the formation of house music and was hugely influential for years afterward.
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Modern Talking: This wildly successful German pop duo of Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen is virtually unknown in America. After the massive success of their 1984 single "You're My Heart, You're My Soul," the band would go on to have Top 10 hits in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Other tunes like "You Can Win If You Want" and "Cheri Cheri Lady" would cement their status as one of Germany's most successful pop acts.
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Trans X: Hailing from Quebec, Canada, Pascal Languirand was a moderately successful ambient musician before he formed Trans X in 1981. He later recruited Laurie Ann Gill to serve as backup singer on their UK Top Ten hit, "Living on Video."
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