The album’s title may conjure up images of a Goblin inspired trip through Dario Argento horror movie nostalgia, but in actuality it is filled with thick, Moroder-esque basslines that inspire dancing rather than dread, though there is a definite undercurrent of something creepy which runs throughout. The album begins with, aptly enough “Horror Disco”, which sets the tone for what follows. It starts with a chirruping synth line which really holds the track together, constantly bubbling away in the background, like a demonic chattering, which, in conjunction with the low, rasping spoken vocals, make the track sound like an exorcism being carried out in a disco. But the emphasis is always on the disco, as the focus is very much on the melody driven elements, but with just enough atmosphere beneath the surface of each track to justify the album’s title as a whole. The other track that makes real concession to the title is “Disco For The Devil”. It plays out like the opening theme to a long lost B-movie. It’s the only track on the album with sung vocals, but they are delivered with the kind of delivery that is necessary of lyrics like “Down on the dancefloor someone is creeping/You’re at the discotheque you should have been sleeping”. It’s phenomenally camp, but it works because it feels so utterly authentic (perhaps because the vocalist is one Douglas Meakin, who has worked with Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti).

But horror movies aren’t the only trope that seem to provide inspiration for the sounds. With it’s trumpets “Venezia Violenta” has a sound that apes car chase funk and blaxploitation grooves more than it does Italian slasher flicks. But it’s “Theme From St. Mark 30124″ that manages to floor me every time. Possibly even managing to outdo recent Italians Do It Better release “No Static” (which is also on the album) for sheer pleasure, it has a slightly housier feel (especially in the some of the sounds at the higher end), with dubby vocals offering a rhythmic element which helps to stop the huge bassline from dominating.

More than anything though, this album feels like a trip back in time. Tracks like “Magnetic Cat” and “Undercover Monkey” utilise the kind of melodic playfulness that characterises a lot of genuine Italo disco, with the instrumentation to match (flute, strings, wonky synths). But it’s the darker edge to Italo that Bottin nails which stops the album from veering into the realm of pastiche. What really has to be applauded however, is that in a genre increasingly dominated by remixes and singles, Bottin has managed to create an album, 14 tracks in length which maintain enough quality to make him no longer one to watch, but a producer who has well and truly arrived .

Download audio file (Bottin – Theme From St. Mark 30124.mp3)

Download:> Bottin – Theme From St. Mark 30124

Horror Disco is out now on Bear Funk

Buy it on CD from Juno

Anyway, as it’s halfway through the year I thought I’d use that as an excuse to do a mix that’s a bit longer than usual, and that is as full of unashamedly “big” tracks as I could manage.

Download:> Urlaubshits Radio – July ‘09 (76.8mb, 01:23:37)

1) Maelstrom – Enter The Cosmos (Sankt Goran and Erik Sidung Mix) // Solardisco
This remix is about as unashamedly “big” as any to begin with. It came out last year as one of the first releases on Maelstrom’s Solardisco label, who have just released an Altair Nouveau 12″ with remixes of “Space Fortress” from John Daly and Sneak Thief (which don’t come on the DFA version in case you were wondering which to buy) and have got a 12″ coming soon from Ichisan, one of my favourite producers featured on last year’s Cosmic Balearic Beats compilation from Eskimo.

2) Hannulelauri – Glittering Night // Flexx
For me Hannelelauri’s material is the very definition of cosmic. I just love their use of textures in this track which are almost 8-bit to create the sound of falling stars. The rest of the EP which it comes from is equally good.

3) Codebreaker – Follow Me (Bottin Remix) // Disco Demolition
This Bottin remix has everything that made his “No Static” single great; squelchy bass, smooth synths, dubby vocals wrapped up in a package that takes the best elements of deep house and balearic disco, with vocoders that add just a touch of Italo.

4) Downtown Party Network – Heart Break Dancing // Eskimo Recordings
If there’s such a thing as a “Balearic banger”, then Downtown Party Network are the kings of that particular subgenre. To be honest this track it sometimes verges on a trance level of cheesiness, but I find it hard not to enjoy it, especially when it’s as full of epic synths and melodrama as it is.

5) Tensnake – In The End (I Want You To Cry) // Running Back
Probably the biggest track of the year for me along with the new Shit Robot single. It’s a lot more straight up than previous Tensnake productions, but no less interesting. The way the vocal samples jump out is jarring, but I also kinda like the way they shock you out of the main tune.

6) TBD – I Don’t Know // TBD Sounds
The B-side to their recent 12″ (and I think my favourite of the two). I’ve already talked about it here, so there’s not much more to say except that it mixes really well into the next track.

7) Shit Robot – Simple Things (Work It Out) (Todd Terje Version) // DFA Records
What is there to say about this one? The only complaint I can make about this remix is that it is in danger of completely overshadowing the original, which is really unfortunate, because it’s a masterpiece that deserves to sit along with “Happy House”, “Still Going Theme” and “Losing My Edge” in the pantheon of DFA all time greats. However, Todd Terje has done the impossible and topped the original for all out euphoria. An absoulutely essential purchase.

8) Canyons – Blue Snakes // I’m A Cliche
I don’t want to say disco is dead, but the recent trend that has seen disco and synth pop revived and pillaged by bands and producers across the world is starting to get a little tired. Thank the lord for Canyons, who are a band making dance music which completely bucks this trend, and instead looks towards old school house and psych to create some of the most exciting music you’ll hear this year. They hail from Australia and have an album coming out on Modular in 2010, but they sound about as far removed from the neon sounds of labelmates Cut Copy and Van She as you could possibly imagine. Canyons are a dark, organic beast, with sounds seemingly inspired by the outback of their homeland, creating soundscapes that exist somewhere between nature and nightmare. Look for their next 12″ on DFA in August.

9) Naum Gabo – Pictur (The Loving Hand Remix) // Thisisnotanexit
This release has been in limbo for a while; you may have heard bits of it on Beats In Space, but after over a year it still hasn’t seen a release. For anyone who is a fan of The Loving Hand, this will be an essential purchase. What is included here only represents nine minutes of its full 23 minute running time. Naum Gabo (a.k.a. Optimo’s Jonnie Wilkes) is currently editing it into two DJ friendly edits, which will be included on the final release, along with the original, and Joakim remix, and will hopefully be released sometime in the autumn, complete with screen printed sleeve with artwork by Wilkes himself. The full original of this remix however will only be available to buy as a download, but it’s so good you’ll have to do that as well. It’s somewhere between Lindstrom’s “Where You Go I Go Too” from the album of the same name and LCD Soundsystem’s 45:33, a multi-part space disco epic with cosmic interludes. Many thanks to Thisisnotanexit’s Simon A. Carr for letting me use it!

10) Azari & III – Hungry (For The Power) // I’m A Cliche
I hate to come up with slightly lazy comparisons, but these guys are probably to Chicago House what Hercules & Love Affair are to disco. They just sound so vintage, you almost can’t believe this record isn’t some lost classic. Astonishingly good. Along with Canyons and the unreleased Runaway track, this is probably one of the choice cuts on the recent I’m A Cliche sampler Moments Of A Crisis.

11) Osborne – Wait A Minute (Arto Mwambe Remix) // Spectral Sound
The original version has a real funk vibe going on, what with it’s smooth licks and melody heavy rhodes piano. It’s good, but it just lacked a little something for my tastes. This remix from Frankfurt’s Arto Mwambe gives it exactly what it needs; he doesn’t tinker with too much, just adds a satisyingly deep bassline to give it a touch more Detroit.

12) Plastique De Reve – Lost In The City (40 Thieves Edit) // Supersoul Recordings
Supersoul Recordings have been on a roll ever since their inception three years ago, but the recent Plastique De Reve EP is one of their best releases. This 40 Thieves edit is quite similar to the original, but I prefer it – it just feels that bit more nuanced. The slight production that has been done makes it feel more atmospheric, which is perfect if you felt the original was a tad too maximal for your tastes.

13) Bodycode – Immune // Spectral Sound
“Immune” is the closing track on Bodycode’s recent album of the same name. It’s a fantastic album, filled with organic instrumentation alongside deeper house structures. I especially love the way the staccato vocal tics and glitchy melody both play off against the sorrowful piano and sung lament in this track. It’s the kind of thing to listen to through headphones and get lost in for hours, frankly.