FINGERSPITZENGEFUHL - What is italo disco music

Italo-Disco, is a wide term describing the 80's non UK European productions. It is one of the world's first form of electronic dance music after being referred to as EuroDisco. Italo disco music has a distinct, futuristic and spacey sound, which was created using synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders. Electronic dance music started in mid/late 70s when disco bands started to experiment with synthesizes and electronic effects. Italian Giorgio Moroder (from I feel love to Battle Star Galactica to Midnight Express and Scarface) and French Didier Marouani were the biggest influences.

Didier Marouani - Space Opera - video clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi3WcqzYFNU

Giorgio Moroder - interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E817rpX-PoU

Space - Magic Fly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_ukfGAd8T4

Giorgio Moroder - From here to Eternity - video clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OU7Hka_--U

The early albums released by Patrick Cowley were called Hi-NRG music in USA. Much of the genre featured love-song lyrics sung in English with heavy foreigner accents. English was more often than not the artists' second language, creating lyrics that were often considered to be almost nonsensical. Along with love, italo disco themes deal with robots and space, sometimes combining all three in songs.

Patrick Cowley - High Energy - music only

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k13ys1mME0c

'Lectric workers - Robot is systematic - music only

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvUZUtUsK4o

Nonsensical lyrics? Duh !
The Flirts - Helpless (1984) - video clip

Many remember the extravagant Divine working with John Waters in shocking films such as Pink Flamingos

Divine - Shake it Up - live performance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWSPo7nnsT0

In 82 and 83 several releases are considered as influential in the development of house such as the MBO theme.

Klein & Mbo - the MBO theme - music only

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_IjvPxbeGc

Canada also produced good italo track such as Angel Eyes from Lime and it was called "Canadian Disco"

Lime - Angel Eyes - music only

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZueZIBueAc

Afterwards commercial spin offs were produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman, known to launch Mel and Kim, Kylie Minogue, Sabrina Salerno, Samantha Fox etc. These are no longer called Italo Disco but Euro Beat.

The current revival of the underground italo disco is often referred to as NuDisco. Nordic countries are most known to produce current italo disco music and remixes .. to be discovered at FingerSpitzenGefuhl !

Sally Shapiro - music only

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4WB9qGM3kY

Black Devil Disco - Timing, forget the timing - music only

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yYh87smKI8