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Yes! Chromatics first 12" single from Italians Do It Better. We got our first taste of the label just over a month ago with their tasty After Dark CD, which featured Chromatics' spacey Italo tracks "Hands in The Dark," "Killing Spree -...
expand review Suite 304 Demo," and this single, "In The City(1)"(also featured on DJ Dixon's Body Language 4). I loved it, it flew off the shelves, and I caught some collectors here in the lab picking up two copies. Here, they continue to hook you up with exclusive joints by giving you the extended version, a small ambient track(not mentioned), the dangerously sweet "Zombie Vocal Acapella", plus two tracks I've never heard. "In The Headlites(2)" continues their fascination with ultra-sparse minimal italo, with Ruth Radelet once again laying down the alluring ghostly vocals. Pretty awesome, but "I'm On Fire(3)" is the surprise track on this. It reminds me of a short rock inspired lullaby that takes it back to the soft pop sounds of the 80's - effortless and awesome! Also great for a romantic rendezvous, so now you can nookie to something else besides Mazzy Star. Recommended. -C'mish
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The Chromatics are on fire lately and are popping up everywhere I look - DJ Dixon's Body Language mix, the After Dark CD, and the Italians Do It Better 12's, etc...I see what's going on. Ruth Radelet is actually a...
expand review powerful mage and we're all quickly falling under her spell. If those releases weren't powerful enough, they go ahead and give us the NIGHT DRIVE SOUNDTRACK! Whether this is a real soundtrack to a movie is unclear, and frankly, I don't give a damn. Sure it would be awesome to see the beautiful Ruth Radelet starring in a film, but I'm just happy to hear more of her music. "Night Drive(1)" is the only track I've seen appear on another comp. That means 9 tracks of all new material! Sweet for you (and me -Ed.). Now you have tons of new music to make-out to. The cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill(2)" is an awesome slow burner especially good for the fireplace, while "Healer(3)" and "Tomorrow Is So Far Away(4)" brings the beat to the heat for that extra bump. The saucy synthwork with Ruth's poetic vocals is magically seductive and will have you demanding multiple listens. And just in case you're not in the mood for words, there's the instrumentals "I Want Your Love(5)" and "Let's Make This A Moment To Remember." Sounds like Smokey Robinson singles? Not quite, but they are smokey for sure. Highly Recommended. -C'mish
quick audio picks: 12
The Italians do it again! "Laws Of Life(1)" is modern slo-mo-Italo magic that goes DEEP. The beat burns slow with hypnotizing arpeggios and pulsing bass stabs which slowly intensify while Farah's lovely voice adds cryptic spoken word (in a combination of her...
expand review native Persian and English) that sound like apocalyptic scripture for end times. Crazy heavy stuff coming out of Plano, Texas! The flipside features a lighter "Midnite Remix(2)" that opts for a brighter sounding kit and uplifting melodies plus an instrumental for the original version. Limited press of 1000 in the magnificent Italians Do It Better sleeve. Recommended. -snackmaster
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Italians Do It Better are killing it right now with the releases, and this one is no exception. "Beatbox" features 9 icy smooth disco-pop tracks from the power duo of Glass Candy (Johnny Jewel is on production duty lacing the retro-future synth...
expand review driven beats up proper while Ida No serves up the sexy smooth vox like no other). If you liked their stuff on "After Dark" or picked up the Miss Broadway 12" you pretty much need to get this one too. Checkout their fantastic cover of the Kraftwerk classic "Computer Love(1), sweet and funky soul on "Rolling Down Hills(2)," modern italo action on "Digital Versicolor(3)," and the future-pop gems "Etheric Device(4)" and "Beatific(5)." Excellente! Recommended for sure. -snackmaster
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Now available on vinyl. This special LP edition includes a bonus 45 featuring two previously unreleased tracks - "High B" and "The Gate" - and comes in a handsome pic sleeve with full lyrics sheet. Italians Do It Better are killing it...
expand review right now with the releases, and this one is no exception. Beatbox features 9 icy smooth disco-pop tracks from the power duo of Glass Candy. Johnny Jewel is on production duty, lacing the retro-future synth driven beats up proper, while Ida No serves up the sexy smooth vox like no other. If you liked their stuff on the After Dark comp or picked up the "Miss Broadway" single, you pretty much need to get this one too. Checkout their fantastic cover of the Kraftwerk classic "Computer Love(1), sweet and funky soul on "Rolling Down Hills(2)," modern Italo action on "Digital Versicolor(3)," and the future-pop gems "Etheric Device(4)" and "Beatific(5)." Excellente! Recommended for sure. -C'mish
quick audio picks: 12
Glass Candy has a knack for covering the classics. If you heard the sexy cover of Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" that was floating around the blogosphere for awhile (and on the After Dark comp) you know what I mean. For their first 12"...
expand review release on the Italians Do It Better imprint, they take on Belle Epoque's legendary "Miss Broadway." I was a little skeptical at first, since the original's energy and distressed vocal style seems really difficult to replicate, but again they prove to be up to the task. Vocalist Ida No manages to sound feisty and hot like the original disco divas, whlie Johnny Jewel Italo-fies the beat with lavish synth work for steamy midnight action. And if you like the beat sans vocals, the flip features an instrumental and a dubby "After Dark(2)" version. Limited press of 1000. Recommended. -snackmaster
quick audio picks: 12
Two tracks of Italo-influenced minimal sounds from this NYC guitar n' synth duo. To call these guys' songs "slow building" would be an understatement (or an overstatement?), as both "Cable Dazed(1)" and "Weird Pains(2)" seem like extracts from the same long road...
expand review trip down the gentle midtempo laptop percussion highway, always driving towards a break but never arriving. That's not a diss either - "Pains" manages to keep its intensity up throughout its 5+ minutes with the help of obtuse vocals, zoomed-in guitar and well-placed bongos. "Dazed" is more of a drifter, propelled by plinging synth and more mostly indecipherable vox. First pressing of 1,000 copies. Plays at 45. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Italians Do It Better are back with the sounds of LA singer/producer Ramona Gonzalez aka Nite Jewel. I must say that among the slew of mellow-spacey-cosmic-whatever new disco 12"s we get in, this one stood out (even had PH checking the decks)....
expand review "What Did He Say(1)" has a deep, slumpy beat (that almost sounds like a distant cousin of Dilla's drum programming style) with bass pads that just ride the groove while Ramona's breathy vocals take you out of this world. I already listened to it three times while writing the review and I wanna hear it more - it's that good. The flip features "Let's Go The Two Of Us Together(2)" which takes the intensity up, but still manages to be smooth and grooving. Almost sounds like a disco-freestyle hybrid with those drums and shimmery synths. Comes in the freshly designed IDIB sleeve. Recommended. -snackmaster
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Previously available as a limited one-off 12" pressing, Italians Do It Better has done the sleepers a favor and gone digital with Swedish band Tiedye's beautiful remix of Rubies' "I Feel Electric." This is a perfect Italo slow burner, one to sink...
expand review your teeth into, clocking in at over 9 minutes and filled with lilting guitars and beautiful harmonies from Rubies main gal Simone Rubi and Canadian songstress / iPod pusher Feist. Just lovely. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Finally available on vinyl! The After Dark CDR was originally only available on Glass Candy's '07 west coast tour (only 100 pressed!). Due to popular demand (and the fact that this shit is REALLY REALLY good), the guys over at Italian's Do...
expand review It Better repressed the joint and now you too can have a piece of this modern disco hotness. This isn't a mixtape either - it actually contains full unreleased tracks and demo versions from soon-to-be-huge new disco/new Italo artists Glass Candy, Mirage, Chromatics, Farah and Professor Genius. Just check some of these sounds: the sweet and soulful disco grooves of Glass Candy with "Rolling Down The Hills(1)," their take on the Kraftwerk classic "Computer Love(2)," and Belle Epoque's "Miss Broadway(3)," the bittersweet Italo vibes of the Chromatics' "Hands In The Dark(4)" and "In The City(5)," Mirage's spaced-out vocoder action on "Lady Operator(6)" and "Lake Of Dreams(7)," and the avant slow motion disco sickness that is Farah's "Dancing Girls(8)." 14 tracks total, no throw-aways. Do not miss this if you are a fan of the disco-Italo sound (you'll regret it - trust me). Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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The After Dark CDR was originally only available on Glass Candy's '07 west coast tour (only 100 pressed!). Due to popular demand (and the fact that this shit is REALLY REALLY good), the guys over at Italian's Do It Better repressed the...
expand review joint and now you too can have a piece of this modern disco hotness. This isn't a mixtape either (though it kinda looks like one) - it actually contains full unreleased tracks and demo versions from soon-to-be-huge new disco/new italo artists Glass Candy, Mirage, Chromatics, Farah, and Professor Genius. Just check some of these sounds: The sweet and soulful disco grooves of Glass Candy with "Rolling Down The Hills(1)," their take on the Kraftwerk classic "Computer Love(2)," and Belle Epoque's "Miss Broadway(3)," the bittersweet italo vibes of the Chromatics with "Hands In The Dark(4)" and "In The City(5)," and Mirage's spaced-out italo vocoder action on "Lady Operator(6)" and "Lake Of Dreams(7)," and the avant slow motion disco sickness that is Farah's "Dancing Girls(8)." 14 tracks total, no throw aways. Do not miss this if you are a fan of the disco-italo sound (you'll regret it - trust me). Recommended. -snackmaster
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