On Djing...

Aren’t we all neurodivergent here? That’s the only reason I hang out here.

Well jel of your haul there stirmonster (and also dying to know what cult records were in there)

“Resurrection Joe” and “She Sells Sanctuary”.

haha great choices! Resurrection Joe still bangs, was secretly hoping that would be one of them <3

i mean its no Floorshow but then what is?

Yup, it’s my favourite Cult 12” too.

I said hep cats…

I watched video for it for the first time today, amazing

Aren’t we all neurodivergent here? That’s the only reason I hang out here.

It's probably the reason I've always felt safe to post here, yeah, and why I'm still here so many years later. I take long lurker breaks, but yeah.

Good!

I watched video for it for the first time today, amazing

proto-Peaky Blinders!

Any plans for a Hi-NRG mix from that collection Stirmonster?

Living in Brighton has meant I’ve built up quite a good selection of second-hand Hi-NRG from the charity shops… the condition of them is usually less than pristine to say the least though!

I bought a portable Tascam to record gigs out and about quite recently, mainly these days our monthly italo/Hi-NRG/general 80s vocal dance music night Flex. Anyone interested in hearing any of them?

We even managed to get ILX board royalty NickB make his first public DJing appearance a few months back… he might be too shy for me to share that one though.

Any plans for a Hi-NRG mix from that collection Stirmonster?

perhaps!

and yes, interested!

also, i've lomg toyed with the idea of putting together a Hi-NRG comp, though these things are an enormous amount of work and i reckon it would be a big licensing headache, but maybe...and maybe some ILX hive mind input would be good?

i for one am VERY interested in hearing live hi NRG mixes/a hi NRG compilation - i have long been hoping some boutique reissue label would release a high-quality comp of this stuff with liner notes and the whole shebang (and i have a few ideas for stuff i’d like to see on said comp :))

i was a little burned out on disco comps when this series started so i never looked that closely into it, but i think that was sort of the idea here?

https://www.discogs.com/label/391234-Disco-Discharge

"pink pounder" should be someone's new dj name

I've got some hi nrg suggestions, but this is the main thing that springs to mind, just great sounds and sassy vibes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxjjPhcdads

I love those Disco Discharge compilations so much

Great series.

I can't find it but I coulda sworn there was an old ILX post stirmonster where you made fun of me for saying the hi-nrg revival was coming. Or at least disagreed. Regardless I'd love it, although my hi-nrg interest is, like my interest in most genres, limited to a small sliver that strikes a particular chord with me and as noted before my hi-nrg mix was like 75% "italo". Although I'd like to share this one again which even though it's a Tony Carrasco production and released by Klein and MBO is from 1987 and is more hi-nrg than italo, if there really is a difference at times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ush-Yl2rTxs

Last time I followed EDM, about a decade ago, I was particularly interested in DJs like John Digweed and Joris Voorn who, though deft computer mixing, were often keeping 3-4 tracks going in their sets at any one time. Anyone have recommendations from among younger generations of house and techno DJs who have so much going on in their sets?

yeah those DD comps are terrific

that klein & mbo track is new to me - ace!

i posted some recent faves on the hi-nrg thread but here's another one, think this one got a lot of play at LA parties back then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teVG7I3fSg4

I've posted this before on the Hi-NRG and DJ mixes for download threads, but this is an Eighties Hi-NRG/Boystown/Eurobeat/queer pop mix that I recently put together as a "proof of concept" experiment for the night that I've managed to bag in Nottingham. Putting it together was an absolute revelation for me, and I'm forever replaying it and thinking Big Thoughts about the genre as a whole. https://www.mixcloud.com/miketd/the-boys-come-to-town/

Hi Mike, I don't know if you caught this or not, but James Hamilton was mentioned a few times on the latest episode of Bill Brewster's DJ History podcast - a long chat with Simon Dunmore of Defected records:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/54Et1YCnvzFTczV14kyNOo?si=yUIHi3zLStCdE84vMCdUGw

Dan, I think that thread you are thinking of was me pontificating that the mix you mentioned was more Italo than Hi-NRG, but I could be wrong. Apologies If I was indeed making fun of you.

Anyway, I don’t think a revival is coming particularly but I do think it’s a misunderstood and underrated genre that more people might love if they heard the good stuff.

Thanks Nick - I’ve been in contact with Bill Brewster several times and he interviewed me about James Hamilton a while ago, with a view to doing something substantial about him; I also pointed him towards a few other people that I thought he should talk to, and he took the leads. I’ll give that podcast episode a listen soon.

Oh cool, look forward to hearing the fruits of that!

Stir, no that mix was def very Italo friendly. The discussion I’m thinking about was like a decade ago. I think I was talking about funkapolitan and modern romance and you mentioned blue rondo and then I said something about forget the faux latin post punk funk what about following the Italo revival with a hinrg one and I think I you were opposed! I can’t find it though.

sure you know a lot of these already but some hi-nrg suggestions:

La Palace De Beauté - The Pleasure Seekers
Tiger Moon - Somethings Tells Me
The Only – Love Dies With The Night
Malibu - Lust Or Love
Sabby – Friday Night
Paul Parker - Pushin Too Hard
Chapter One – Playing With Love
Lisa Smith - Sweet Fantasy
Amante - Be My Delight
Promise Ring - Be Mine Tonight
Jackie Touché – Watch Out
Motion - Don't Stop
Stephanie Wells – Planet Of Love
Theo Vaness - Bad Bad Boy
Tanya – Darladi-Ladada
Krukutz – Love Insurance
X Ray Connection - Get Ready
Roni Griffith - Spys
Mike Hammer – Divine
Bardeux – Three-Time Lover

really like the first one on that list, something about it really reminds me of coil:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSBHSj4iDBY

oh shit i missed this monster:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8pcxrv2mqM
Desire – Affection

LOVE that X Ray Connection track, used to have it on 12-inch myself.
Eric - Who’s Your Boyfriend is the most underrated Bobby O track IMO; one of my absolute favourites of his.

Hi-NRG occasionally seems to pop its head above the surface, but my sightings have few and far between: the Krystal Klear remix of Fun Fun - Baila Bolero, the Studio 2054 remix of Kylie & Dua Lipa - Real Groove, and Greg Wilson has been playing Patrick Crowley - Menergy.

Lots I don’t know on that list Nick. Looking forward to investigating. Cheers.

And Dan, I think the discussion you mention might be even further back than you remember it being. And, you could be right. I am nothing if not capricious!

I love the Promise Ring, picked it up after hearing Morgan Geist playing it a bunch, but always considered that more a freestyle track then hi-nrg

ah I found the reference, in the "eurodisco" thread:

"i love hi-nrg but i pray it never becomes 'cool'. that pretty much goes against the entire point of the music."

I was mistaken, it wasn't that you didn't like hi-nrg, just that you didn't predict the revival...16 years ago.

xp: Oops I think I wrote Promise Ring by mistake, obviously we mean Promise Circle. Promise Ring still emo the last time i checked! :D

But yeah, that was maybe an iffy call but the kick feels like it's headed in a hi-nrg direction. The guy who produced it (Ish) made stuff in both styles - the Tiger Moon track is very hi-nrg, but he also produced Noel and Company B who are both obviously freestyle superstars

and also of course hi-nrg does not equal eurodisco. Forget I said anything.

and youtube calles Be Mine Tonight "Hi-NRG Freestyle" so it's ok.

another recent fave, love the unexpected cut-up bits:

Lois & Lane - Turn on the Night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJn00XELgYI

Tanya – Darladi-Ladada is a favorite. I think I bought it thinking it was the italo Tanya.

some longtime favorites that were on my italo/hi-nrg mix posted not too long ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBhz07DUTM4

Bobby O:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOvEWc0C4bk

more bobby o:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WhSjFpXjGg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH8JkoRYO88

Just catching up here after my last thread. The Lauren Grey track is a huge huge favourite – it also still sounds great pitched all the way down as well.

Sounds like I need to get some records up.

A few other favourite Hi-NRG tracks I like to play off the top of my head

Dave Storrs – Dancing On The Planet
Pamala Stanley – I Don't Want To Talk About It
Two Sisters – Destiny
Tapps - Don't Pretend To Know

*Sounds like I need to get some recordings up

It's not that I don't like hi-nrg vocals, obv that's part of the charm. But I think some of these would do good with an edit. A lot of the vocal melodies are too triumphant and happy or something for me. I'm generally anti-edit, and more italo vocals than a lot of the types of DJs who won't, and I have a long history of railing against disco edits for removing vocals....but some of these tracks and some others I was listening to last night, just killer aggressive arpeggiated synth stuff that gives way to cheesier chorus. Again, not that there's anything WRONG with that! Just that I'd like to play some of these without it.

i predict a year or so from now ppl are going to be looking for a hi-nrg thread that doesn’t have hi-nrg in the title!

Feels like an untapped scene to edit, though I think Justin Van Der Volgen had an edit ep with something that was hi-nrg I think.

https://myrulesrecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-need-a-man-living-in-harmony-justin-van-der-volgen-edits

for sure.

i agree Dan. i've done a few myself. Here's one of Roni Griffith's Desire. i actually love the vocal version but also wanted an instrumental. Bobby O goodness.

https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/EYghkpy87n

this is maybe my all time favourite Hi NRG track -

Sylve - I've Only got you to Blame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4v8T4pkJrg