Urlaubshits

Glasgow’s not the first place you would expect to spawn a duo which Optimo describe as “Two Hi Nrg, Italo Disco maniacs”, but given the considerable pedigree the city has for great music of other genres, it was probably only a matter of time before it gave us it’s first successful Italo revivalists. If you haven’t heard Den Haan, then they share the same kind of fondness for the cheesy side of Italo as Heartbreak; their sound being one that encompasses the glittering sleaze of Giorgio Moroder’s “From Here To Eternity” and the inhuman robot rock of the Crazy Gang, and they caused caused quite a stir last year with the release of the Night Shift 12″ on Dissident.

“Release The Beast” is the same kind of ludicrous vocal disco that made “Night Shift” so enjoyable, a song which is, ostensibly about doing your hair and going out, before you “release the beast” on the dancefloor. It’s a song which has no pretensions to be anything other than it is, and as such is ridiculously enjoyable, especially with its squelchy melody and it’s chorus of oohs and ahhs which make it sound like the beginning an 80s sports movie montage sequence. The other tracks are a little more serious in tone; “Metamorphosis” is a cosmic steam train of a number complete with vocoder, whilst the final track, “Looking For Love” has a much more melancholic vibe, but is no less furious for it. It comes across as slightly more New Wave than Italo, and proves that they can do dreamy disco pop just as well as fast paced seedy grooves. Release The Beast is the second release from Optimo’s fledgling Optimo Music imprint, a label which is already very exciting indeed.

Listen:> Den Haan - Release The Beast

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Release The Beast is out now on Optimo Music

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