KVR Audio

johanagebjorn · Post by **johanagebjorn** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 7:23 pm

Hi folks,
My debut 12" was just released!

Artist: Sally Shapiro
Title: I'll be by your side
Label: Diskokaine
Distribution: Clone.nl

Tracklist:

A1 - I'll be by your side (Club mix) 6:00

An attempt at re-creating the warm "dance romantic" italo disco sound of 1983-1984, artists such as Valerie Dore and Savage.

A2 - I'll be by your side (MarfloWersion) 5:03

Concentrating on the chorus, marfloW has some fun with the Simmons drums while remixing the track...

B1 - Time to let go 5:20

Slower and more melancholic than the A-side. Still quite true to the italo disco sound.

B2 - Johan Agebjörn: Overload 4:50

A cover version of the Amiga .mod classic with the same name from 1991, composed by Swedish duo Tip & Mantronix. This version is a synthesizer dance interpretation but with 90s/00s influences as well. Although the original is a classic among Amiga people, this might very well be the first time when the song is released on record.

More info at the new Sally Shapiro home page.

Available from Clone (Holland)...

and soon also from:
Flexx (Belgium)
Italo Vinyl Records (France)
HMV (Japan)

Nice review in Igloo magazine here.

OK that's enough of self-promotion...

Cheers,
Johan.

Roman Empire · Post by **Roman Empire** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 7:47 pm

first of all, my warmest congratulations with your maxi!

And for my opinion:

Too digital and clean to sound like real 80's Italo, and not enough cheap reverb

However, I guess it was not your attention to stay 100 % true to the roots, maybe for commercial reasons.
Other than that, I like it alot, and I wish that this kind of music will come back!
Do you have some names btw of names in modern Italo? I only know Gigi D, Web, Ken Laszlo (one of the old boys but he made some quite nice album a few years back) and Eifel.

Again, congratulations!!!!!

omissis · Post by **omissis** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:48 pm

Great tracks!
I love "time to let go" and for short the sound is there

johanagebjorn · Post by **johanagebjorn** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 7:36 am

Thanks guys!

Roman Empire wrote:Too digital and clean to sound like real 80's Italo, and not enough cheap reverb

Buy the vinyl and listen to it on your grandma's old turntable, and I promise you it will sound older.

Roman Empire wrote:Other than that, I like it alot, and I wish that this kind of music will come back!

Me too!

Roman Empire wrote:Do you have some names btw of names in modern Italo? I only know Gigi D, Web, Ken Laszlo (one of the old boys but he made some quite nice album a few years back) and Eifel.

Thanks for letting me know about Ken Laszlo, I didn't know about that...could only find a single though, "Inside my music"? And not so italo sounding...

As for the "neo-italo" scene, you should visit the forum at www.cbs.nu where you'll find a lot of discussions going on about italo-inspired electro acts such as Alden Tyrell, Hon Kong Counterfeit, Bangkok Impact and Legowelt. They don't sound THAT much italo disco though. I could recommend Memory Boy's single "(There is no) Electricity", that one's my favourite of the "neo-italo" scene: http://www.memoryboy.org/

If you want some purer italo sound, then check out Flashback records, they're releasing new stuff as well as digging out unreleased songs from the 80s: http://www.flashbackrecords.org/

Hope that's of any help...

Cheers,
Johan.

VicDiesel · Post by **VicDiesel** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 5:57 pm

I have a soft spot for synth pop and barbie doll vocals. Quite enjoyable. "Overload" is probably my favourite although Barbie seemed to be powdering her nose during that one.

Victor.

Roman Empire · Post by **Roman Empire** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 6:00 pm

Thanks for the hints!

The album he released back in 98 is a great blend of Italo and Eurodance from that time, the title is "Dr Ken & Mr Laszlo"....

I found a discography of Ken here:

http://www.kenlaszlo.com/english/covers.html

PS: What a lonely night is a good track from that album!

himalaya · Post by **himalaya** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 6:32 pm

OMG !

Italo Disco ! WOW, this takes me back to my youth...these were the times...

Congratulations on your first release !

The first track sounds suitably retro. That bass line ...

Ken Laszlo's 'Hey Hey Guy' is a great track. The music that is.

Here's a few more names and classics:

Scotch ( with the 'Take me up' track)
Digital Emotion - 'Go Go Yellow'
Lucia - 'Marinero' ( I can't believe I'm listing these !

)
Trans-X - 'Living On video'
Hypnosis - 'Droid'
Electra- 'Cuando Cuando'
Numero Uno - 'Tora Tora Tora'
Miko Mission...Fancy...Secret Service...etc.

Arrgh ! Let me out , it's 1980s all-over again !

Roman Empire · Post by **Roman Empire** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 8:26 pm

That old shit roxx still I think.. I became metalhead later, but I'm more frequently listening to Italo-classics than things from my metaldays. Anyone who's got videoclips from those days btw?
They are so cool and cheesey. I've found a few, like Dolce Vita, Vamos a la playa plus some Gazebo clips, that are actually quite decent - 35 mm film that is. The Ryan Paris clip looks more like an 8 mm holiday film from Venezia

himalaya · Post by **himalaya** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 8:35 pm

Roman Empire wrote:Vamos a la playa

I remember this ! Major hit in on the continent.
Does anyone remember Sandra ? Not really Italo Disco, but part of the disco-scene in its day.

Roman Empire · Post by **Roman Empire** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 9:55 pm

himalaya wrote:
Roman Empire wrote:Vamos a la playa

I remember this ! Major hit in on the continent.
Does anyone remember Sandra ? Not really Italo Disco, but part of the disco-scene in its day.

Of course! That's German/Romanian btw, cause her hubby is Michael Kretu who originates from Romania.
Those are pretty good songs, but because of the reverb overload I find it hard to listen to them today - and I'm a guy who likes to use reverb more than what's "politically correct" myself

johanagebjorn · Post by **johanagebjorn** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:22 am

VicDiesel: funny way to put it.

Sandra: A wonderful artist - fantastic voice and many good songs.

Italo disco video clips: check out this!
http://mediaboog.nl/trends/?artikelID=504

himalaya · Post by **himalaya** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 9:09 am

Thanks for those clips ! I haven't laughed ( with nostalgic joy) like this for a long time !

Mind you, I feel embarrased now for watching them ! LOL.

Modern Talking ! How could one forget them ?!? Are they still going, that was a brand new video ?
You even have the 'Woodpeckers from space' tune on your site... Arrgh !!!

This brings me right back to my childhood, deep in the dark corners of Europe....

himalaya · Post by **himalaya** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 9:20 am

Watching Silver Pozzoli's - 'Around My Dream' on Italo Video 111 now.
What a tune, again, brings back memories... The synth work on this track is superb.

johanagebjorn · Post by **johanagebjorn** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 9:27 am

Modern Talking - they released some remixes of their songs in the end of the 90s, but otherwise than that, I think they're quite buried...

By the way, my record disappeared again from the Clone shop where it was available for sale...they said they don't wanted to be ahead of the other webshops. It will be available again in a week or two.

HelgeG · Post by **HelgeG** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:17 am

himalaya wrote: Does anyone remember Sandra ? Not really Italo Disco, but part of the disco-scene in its day.

Maria Magdalena! But her REAL classic was this:

new italo disco 12": Sally Shapiro "I'll be by your side"