Why Is 80s Italo Trendy And 90s Europop Not?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The subject line sez it all frankly!

I am assuming - from the evidence of my ears - that the one is no better than the other. How did Italo become such a buzzword? Do you like it? If so why? (Please do not be defensive and assume I do not like it!!)

Comments

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

the age of the young people? ie italo house (OH DERE GOD) before they were actively listening to music, 90s europop (OH MORE DERE GOD) what they danced to at school discos and thus naff for another 5-10 years...

also 80s italo is ALL EXCELLENT and well due a revival innit ;)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think it's not Italo House exactly tho - as in NU-NU-NU-NUMERO UNO! - which is brilliant yes, it's the earlier stuff like Gazebo (who you will find on yr Disky Box Sets!), Valerie Dore, Stephanie - flimsy post-disco pop.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

On ILM someone did a Rough Guide to Italo which included TARZAN BOY. Though IIRC they then explained that Tarzan Boy was included to show the crass commercial bastardization of real Italo *rolls eyes*.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'You Spin Me Round' without Pete Burns = best Italo instrumental ever

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

I used to be in Evil Gazebo!

[damnspynovels.livejournal.com]

oh thanks for clearing that up... I really did think you were referring to italio piano house!

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

That's abt 75% of it, I think. The remaining 25% is the Northern Soul factor - in the UK Italo was not not exactly filling the charts even when it was popular, whereas there were approx a bazillion Europop hits. So there is a def. obscurantist, crate digging cool thing going in.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yeah, hence the Tarzan Boy snobbery I guess!

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

I downloaded an excellent 80s Italo compilation the other day, handily for this question! It even has an earlier version of Holiday Rap on it (the samples and singing sound slightly different is all, but it is possible that is my TERRIBLE speakers).

Also there's something always kinda down to earth naff (that word again) about the Italo Disco 'players' - you don't know much of their images (apart from Holiday Rap of course) and thus you're stuck with a random chap called Kenny Lazlo who you imagine as a scouser w/ bubble perm and trackie but making disco of the sort approved by the h0m0sexualists (see also OPRESSED MINORITY MUSIC CACHET haha).

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Has there been a similar upsurge of interest in Hi-NRG? Patrick Cowley I know is a hottish name to drop and has been for aaaages, but beyond that?

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

DJ Sven and Miker G were Dutch not Italian innit ;)

also numero uno style piano-led bangers is what i was thinking of in terms of "80s Italo"...

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

the simple answer is often right, and therefore i think the ageist answer is the correct one.