Italo disco

History and character

Origins

Italo disco is the electronic dance music produced in Italy between the late 1970s and the late 1980s, evolved from post-disco, synth-pop, Hi-NRG and Eurodisco. The precursor is Giorgio Moroder (who worked in Munich: "I Feel Love" with Donna Summer, 1977; "From Here to Eternity", 1977), together with Cerrone, Bobby Orlando and Patrick Cowley.

Artists and songs

Kano ("I'm Ready", 1980), Klein + M.B.O. ("Dirty Talk", 1982, very influential on Chicago house), Doctor's Cat ("Feel the Drive", 1983), Lectric Workers ("Robot Is Systematic", 1982), Charlie ("Spacer Woman", 1983), Gazebo ("I Like Chopin", 1983, music and production by Pierluigi Giombini; no. 1 in several European countries, no. 2 in Italy), Ryan Paris ("Dolce vita", 1983, also by Giombini), Righeira ("Vamos a la playa", 1983, produced by La Bionda), Savage ("Don't Cry Tonight", 1983), Raf ("Self Control", 1984), Den Harrow, Baltimora ("Tarzan Boy", 1985), Fun Fun, Valerie Dore, Scotch, Spagna ("Call Me", 1987), Sabrina ("Boys (Summertime Love)", 1987). Labels and producers: Discomagic (Milan), Celso Valli, Mauro Malavasi, La Bionda, Miki Chieregato and Roberto Turatti.

Evolution and influence

In the early 1990s italo disco dissolved into eurobeat, italo house (Black Box, "Ride on Time", 1989) and italo dance (Gigi D'Agostino, Eiffel 65, Alexia). It influenced house and techno (Detroit and Chicago played many italo records), Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, New Order, and an international revival from the 2000s (Italians Do It Better, Chromatics, Purple Disco Machine, the soundtrack of "Drive").

Aesthetics

Drum machines and four on the floor, sequenced bass in eighth notes (often in octaves), melodic synth arpeggios and leads, vocoder, vocals often in approximate English with a strong Italian accent, immediate melodies from Italian pop song, abundant use of delays and reverbs (Lexicon), and a song structure (not a DJ-track structure).

Scales and keys

Natural minor (Aeolian)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (2-1-2-2-1-2-2).
• Example in A: A B C D E F G.
• Chords: Am (i) – Bdim (ii°) – C (III) – Dm (iv) – Em (v) – F (VI) – G (VII).
• Use: the most typical key of italo disco: i–VI–III–VII and i–VII–VI progressions, melancholy melodies over a danceable rhythm ("disco melancholy" is the genre's emotional signature).

Harmonic minor

• In D: D E F G A Bb C#; the major V (A) in the cadences and arpeggios.
• Use: "classical-sounding" progressions (Giombini explicitly cites classical taste in "I Like Chopin"); harmonies richer than the four-chord standard, as the trade press also notes about "Dolce vita" and "I Like Chopin".

Major

• In C: C D E F G A B; I–V–vi–IV and IV–V–iii–vi progressions.
• Use: summery, sunny tracks ("Vamos a la playa" has a cheerful air despite its lyrics), Sabrina, Spagna.

Dorian (funky italo)

• In E: E F# G A B C# D; i–IV vamp for the funkier tracks (Kano).

How to choose

Harmony

Progressions of 4–8 chords

Italo disco uses longer progressions than house: 4-chord progressions in verse and chorus, often with a different section (bridge) and sometimes modulations. The sequenced eighth-note bass follows the root of each chord.

Typical elements

• i–VI–III–VII (Am–F–C–G) and i–VII–VI–V (Am–G–F–E) in minor.
• Major dominant of the harmonic minor in the cadences.
• Bass pedals under changing chords in the intros.
• "Classical" progressions with the circle of fifths (VI–ii–V–i) in the more elaborate tracks.

Harmonic rhythm

One chord per bar (at 120 BPM ~2 s) or every two bars.

Voicing

Pads and string machines in triads or sevenths in the mid register, synthetic brass stabs, sixteenth-note arpeggios on triads, leads in octaves.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Four on the floor

Kick on every quarter note, snare and clap on 2 and 4, closed hi-hats in sixteenth notes with an open hat on the offbeat; tempo around 120 BPM, straight grid.

The bass as the engine

The groove comes from the sequenced bass in eighth notes (often with octave alternation: low note–octave above, the "octave bass" typical of Moroder-style electronic disco) or in sixteenth notes.

Arpeggios

Synth arpeggios in sixteenth notes synced to the sequencer, sometimes with a dotted 1/8 delay.

Fills

Descending electronic Simmons toms every 4–8 bars; crash at the start of the choruses.

Drums

Kick

On every quarter note, short and punchy (LinnDrum, Oberheim DMX, TR-808 or samples); constant velocity.

Snare / clap

On 2 and 4, electronic snare with reverb (even gated) and layered synthetic clap.

Hi-hat

Closed in sixteenth notes (accenting the offbeats) or offbeat eighth notes; open hat on the offbeat of every quarter note.

Toms and percussion

Simmons/electronic toms for the fills, additional cowbell and claps, synthetic percussion (lasers, zaps) as fx.

Interaction

The quarter-note kick and the eighth-note bass form the engine; the snare marks the backbeat; the arpeggios fill in.

Sections

Intro with drums and bass (designed for DJs), verse, chorus with crash and more claps, break with solo synth and vocoder, instrumental outro.

Typical mistakes

Modern sounds that are too big (enormous sub): italo has mid-range, bright kicks; swing (it must be straight); too-frequent fills.

Bass

Sequenced bass

Synth bass (Minimoog, Roland SH, Korg MS, Juno, Jupiter) in straight eighth notes, often in alternating octaves (low note on the beat, octave above on the offbeat), with a short envelope filter and a little resonance.

Notes

The root of each chord; quick passing notes on the syncopations; tonic pedal in the intros.

Timbre

Filtered saw or square, sharp attack, short decay; body at 80–200 Hz, little sub.

Relationship with the kick

The quarter-note kick coincides with the low notes; the octave falls on the offbeats between the kicks: a perfect lock without sidechain.

Harmonic instruments

• Polyphonic synths: Roland Jupiter-8 and Juno-60, Oberheim OB-X/OB-Xa, Sequential Prophet-5, Korg Polysix and Poly-61, Elka Synthex (a favorite of Giombini), PPG Wave, Yamaha DX7, Crumar.
• Samplers: E-mu Emulator I and II, Fairlight CMI (choirs and orchestra hits).
• String machines and pads, synthetic brass, arpeggios.
• Piano ("classical" introductions as in "I Like Chopin").
• Vocoder for robotic voices.

Melody and vocals

• Vocals: male or female, often in English (simple lyrics, Italian accent), sometimes in Italian or Spanish; melodies from Italian pop song, immediate and singable, often melancholy.
• Vocoder and processed voices (robot, pitch).
• Backing vocals: doubles, female backing vocals in the hooks.
• Synth lead: instrumental melodies as important as the vocal one (the synth hooks are often the real chorus).
• Effects: abundant delay and reverb (Lexicon 224, PCM70; PCM41 delay).

Instruments

Drum machines (LinnDrum, Oberheim DMX, TR-808, E-mu Drumulator, Simmons), polyphonic synths (Jupiter-8, Juno-60, OB-Xa, Prophet-5, Polysix, Elka Synthex, PPG, DX7), synth bass, samplers (Emulator, Fairlight), vocoder, piano, vocals, Lexicon reverbs and delays.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Jup-8 V — Pads, brass and arpeggios: The Jupiter-8 is the symbol synth of the era: two-saw brass, pads and the internal arpeggiator in sync.
• Jun-6 V — Chorused pads and bass: Juno-60 with chorus and arpeggiator for chords and sequenced basses.
• OP-Xa V — Stabs and brass: Bright brass and stabs typical of many italo productions.
• Prophet-5 V — Leads and sequences: Melodic leads and sequences; poly-mod for metallic sounds.
• Mini V — Octave bass: Saw, filter with short envelope (decay 150–250 ms), moderate resonance; plays eighth notes in octaves.
• Vocoder V — Robotic voices: The vocoder is a key timbre (Kano, Lectric Workers).
• Emulator II V — Choirs and orchestra hit: 1980s samples of 'aah' choirs and orchestra hits.
• Synclavier V — Digital bells and chimes: Bright digital timbres typical of early-1980s European electronic pop.

Song structure

Radio singles 3:30–4:30; extended mixes 5:30–7:30 on 12" records.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Bright, spacious and "glossy": defined kick and bass (more mids than sub), wide synths with abundant delay and reverb, vocal up front with lots of ambience. References: Gazebo "I Like Chopin" (1983), Ryan Paris "Dolce vita" (1983), Baltimora "Tarzan Boy" (1985), Klein + M.B.O. "Dirty Talk" (1982), and for the revival Purple Disco Machine. Balance: vocal 0, kick −3, bass −3, snare −4, lead −4, pad −8.

Kick

HP 35 Hz; body 70–100 Hz (not extreme sub); click 3–5 kHz; light compression; mono.

Snare / clap

HP 150 Hz; body 200 Hz; snap 3–5 kHz; air 10 kHz; plate or gated reverb 1.5 s (gate 300 ms) at −12 dB.

Hi-hat

HP 500 Hz; bright (shelf +2 dB at 10 kHz); pan ±15; open hats ±20.

Electronic toms

HP 60 Hz; pan left to right in the fills; reverb.

Bass

HP 35 Hz; body 80–150 Hz; presence 800 Hz–1.5 kHz (the octave has to be heard); compression 3:1 2–3 dB; mono.

Synths (pads, brass, arpeggios, leads)

• EQ: HP 150–250 Hz; presence 2–4 kHz on the leads; no excessive cutting of the highs (the sound is bright).
• Space: dotted 1/8 or 1/4 delay (feedback 25–40%), hall/plate reverb 2–3 s (Lexicon 224 style) at −12/−16 dB.
• Stereo: ping-pong arpeggios, wide pads, lead in the center with side delays.
• Modulation: chorus (Juno, Dimension D style).

Vocals

• EQ: HP 100 Hz; −2 dB at 300 Hz; presence 3–5 kHz; air 12 kHz.
• Compression: 4–6 dB.
• Space: plate 2 s at −12 dB, dotted 1/8 delay at −16 dB (very 1980s).
• Vocoder: HP 200 Hz, presence 1–3 kHz, center or stereo pan.

Buses, master

Drum bus 2 dB; synth bus with chorus/glue. Master: for the original style −12/−10 LUFS; for the club revival −9/−7. True peak −1 dBTP.

Common mistakes

Huge modern sub; insufficient delay and reverb (it sounds "dry" and modern); bass with no mids (the octave can't be heard); vocal too clean and dry.

Reference tracks for mixing

• Gazebo — I Like Chopin (1983)
• Ryan Paris — Dolce vita (1983)
• Baltimora — Tarzan Boy (1985)
• Klein + M.B.O. — Dirty Talk (1982)

Reference listening

• Kano — I'm Ready (1980)
• Klein + M.B.O. — Dirty Talk (1982)
• Gazebo — I Like Chopin (1983)
• Ryan Paris — Dolce vita (1983)
• Righeira — Vamos a la playa (1983)
• Savage — Don't Cry Tonight (1983)
• Raf — Self Control (1984)
• Baltimora — Tarzan Boy (1985)
• Spagna — Call Me (1987)
• Sabrina — Boys (Summertime Love) (1987)