Italo Disco
Italo disco is a music term strongly tied to marketing efforts of the ZYX record label that was introduced in 1983 by Bernhard Mikulski. The term applied to Italian electronic dance music of the 80s and other music from different parts of Europe and North America that copied Italian sounds. A typical Italo disco song has a contrasting verse form (performed by a choir), synth accompaniment, and mostly performed by European artists in English.
Birth: 1983 Bloom: 1984 Death: 1986
By 1982 Italo disco had emerged in Italy and other parts of Europe due to artists who released completely electronic songs with the usage of drum machines and other equipment. Genres synthpop, new wave, and new romantics were the foundation for becoming popular Italo disco because they were popular all over the world at the same time during the early 80s.
Typical Italo songs were simple with catchy melodies and often performed with vocoders or intense reverb. Representatives of this genre preferred love lyrics, melancholic mood and sang in heavily accented English. Often English language wasn`t native for artists, that`s why lyrics almost hadn`t got any sense. Along with love, Italo disco themes deal with robots and space, sometimes combining all three in songs like «Robot Is Systematic» (1982) by Lectric Workers and «Spacer Woman» (1983) by Charlie.
During the late 80s Italo disco began to disappear and some bands have chosen the hi-NRG genre that`s combined very fast Italo disco with house.
Italo disco turned into the cult after the early 90s due to releases in the electro style: in 1993 by I.F, in 1998 by Legowelt and Tobias Bernstrup and in 2000 by Jeans Team, Bangkok Impact, and Hong Kong Counterfeit. The music of these artists has been inspired by classic Italo disco.
Also read: Disco House
Umbrellate style: Disco
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