La musica si muove appena: The ILM ITALO Poll (Results Thread)

I think the problem is there's is at least 2 or three "canons". It was a pretty wide-ranging thing with different periods and angles and appeal to different crowds. The italo that made it through the filter of WBMX and the italo that I-F and the electro crowd like and the big pop hits...similar threads, time period, location etc but different enough to suggest there's a canon. Before Mixed Up in the Hague nobody in america was talking about Spacer Woman and Take a Chance, but Dirty Talk and I'm Ready and I'm Going to Go were what was talked about.

Yeah, the obscure electro/import tracks definitely became a thing much later. The "canon" before Italo became hip could more or less be summarized by these 4 compilations from 1990:
Vol 1
Vol 2
Vol 3
Vol 4

The ZYX Best Of Italo Disco compilations were also pretty instrumental in building it up, i think.

Even those canons were different than the club cannon. The stuff that was either licensed to the US, released on US labels or otherwise made it through, my first awareness of italo prior to I-F was an american/chicago/detroit take. Like Fuzz Dance on Sire, NY labels like Emergency and Importe/12 creating a an american version of italo, then in the mid 80s the stuff that stuck w/ the chicago and detroit djs, often, especially later, only the instrumentals.

My ballot:
Pineapples - Come on Closer
Alexander Robotnick - Problemes d'Amour
Mr. Flagio - Take A Chance
International Music System - Dancing Therapy
Charlie - Spacer Woman
My Mine - Hypnotic Tango
Neon - Skydiver
Loui$ - Pink Footpath
Amin Peck - Girl on Me
Crazy Gang - Every Sunday
Automat - Automat
Decadance - On And On
BWH - Stop
Scotch - Take Me Up
Jo Squillo Eletrix - Avventurieri ‎
Big Ben Tribe - Tarzan Loves the Summer Nights
Immortals - The Ultimate Warlord
Peter Richard - Walking in the Neon
Righeira - Vamos A La Playa
Pino D'Angio - Ma Quale Idea

Would have definitely voted for Azoto - Anytime or Place, if it were nominated. Also, kinda can't believe Amin Peck - Anxiety wasn't nominated, and the overall un-love for Gary Low is a bit disappointing. "I Want You" and "You Are a Danger" feel like certified classics.

On a self-promotional note, I made this "mix" in 2005: http://thesearepowerfulhours.com/italoph.html

If y'all are unfamiliar with the concept of a "power hour," it's basically an organized drinking activity where everyone drinks a shot of beer every minute for an hour, and in this case, specifically, drink a shot of beer everytime the song changes. A real 1 hour immersion into my thoughts regarding Italo Disco from way back when. Enjoy!

Also, really surprised about Neon - Skydiver not placing at all. Assuming a lot of us kind of "grew up" on CBS Top 100s, in a series of all-time commentaries, I-F's proclamation that that track "was not recorded, it was LAID DOWN" would resonate a bit more.

it was on my ballot at one point but i had to cut it :(

Listening to the songs one by one, I actually never heard of real proper italo disco, only heard it has a distant influence. This is the real deal. What a great thread, so many great songs. Thanks guys.

the vocal on "Pink Footpath" reminds me of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZnPPnd_6U8

i scored a copy of "feel the drive" that i found hiding in a record store's hip hop 12" section... came back to the same shop 2 weeks later and they had a copy with the PICTURE SLEEVE (for only a few bucks more than what i paid for one w/ the generic sleeve) and i cursed myself for buying it too soon

http://i.imgur.com/gATwpJJ.jpg

Two copies is the answer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQfabF7nK9Y

the bside is cool too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0iLp6BHtCc

i got this over the weekend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObkuxJn48ps

I've started doing a monthly Italo radio show: https://www.mixcloud.com/MirageRadio/

NY based italo fans, I'm djing for the first time in ages this thursday, lots of italo will surely be played, probably Plastic Mode included:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1459721574347423/

this one is weird but i kinda love it - HE'S JUST A YOOO-YOOO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pa1Hv6AYT0

Top tune.

In the last version of our Mirage radio show I decided to take a late 90s techno approach to Italo (with a bit of other disco) and play about 15 tunes in about half an hour from about 55 minutes in. https://www.mixcloud.com/MirageRadio/mirage-radio-6th-august-the-one-where-matt-did-89-80-in-30-minutes/

Song ID help... what is at minute 13 in this mix? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_CD6LE36Ec

'Yeti' by Radiorama:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2uRvt5WJZo

thanks a lot

And I'm an idiot, the track listing is on the video.

This wasn't nominated, but I am just discovering it, and it's so awesome.

De-De-Mo - ''Cause I need you, 'cause I love you''

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK8mjXG3r1U

Very fine tune ^ Like the video too.

Here’s the latest Mirage radio show we did. Mainly italo with a sprinkling of other pieces, some of the tracks sound a bit distorted for the first half an hour because of a dodgy deck which we managed to change over after some faffing around. https://www.mixcloud.com/MirageRadio/mirage-radio-03-sept-falling-in-love-with-this-crazy-family/

http://boilerroom.tv/session/fiat-imports-live-panel/

obsessed with the synth hook on this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H2bflLx3tk

(Radio Movie - "Search")

Lovely track. Like the breakdown in the middle a lot.

This is a recent discovery for me, Talko - Psyko Flash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fqx0vaku1Q

Wow! Don't know that one but I've been playing this one for years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rjgPtf3lmM

Talko was probably first

I’d not heard that one before, nice track too, a bit of a daytime vibe to it. I wonder how we could find out who was first.

i really underrated "another life"... what a song.

Great contrast in the vocal style from other italo.

'Pagaia' by Tony Esposito - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK9k81cvWsA

This just popped up in my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify. I dunno if this is exactly the right place for it as it lacks a lot of the common elements that you might expect from Italo Disco but it's 80s and it's Italian and goddamn! it's SO FUCKING GOOD and I needed to post it somewhere

I just discovered this and it's amazing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFhSJ1KLd3k

pretty sure I put that one in my top 5.

Some of these records are insanely expensive on discogs. You know there are all sorts of people with collections full of this stuff who think it's junk that nobody would ever want...

this is what prompted the previous comment: http://www.discogs.com/sell/release/2428673?ev=rb http://www.discogs.com/Babys-Gang-Challenger/release/203601

The thing I still keep finding after 3 years of seriously buying italo is that among all the expensive records I can still discover gems for a couple of pounds.

Here's the last show HP Sorcery and I recorded live on 1 Brighton FM https://www.mixcloud.com/MirageRadio/radio-mirage-3rd-december-where-is-your-harbour/

I wonder if he means just the one?

TIBOR LEVAY - Gipsy Boobie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQzomx4fNoQ

really wish i'd nominated and/or voted for this, such an earworm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9NiWCV-Kw4

My latest discovery, Parsifal - Carillon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJH0KJdLtls

Nice one

Yeah, great track!

that's a reliable favorite

New to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8wVMC6Bytw

Amazing find, skip!

Nice track.

There is tons of good stuff on that guy's youtube page. Someone had to listen to all 50 I Love Disco Diamonds discs...

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