Today I’m posting not only perhaps my favorite new wave italo track of all time, but also a couple of exclusive tracks from my current favorite modern disco producers out of San Francisco, BeatElectric’s hometown. By posting new and old I was intending on showing some sort of lineage of influence, that sort of thing, whether I pulled it off I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter as I love everything I’m putting up.

There is some nepotism happening here, as Marbeya are my long time good friends and former studio mates, we have even worked together in the past and when I can get them out of the recording studio sometimes even socialize now and again, which is rare. I think Marbeya fall squarely within the new ‘San Francisco sound’, alongside peers such as Windsurf, Hatchback etc, all great acts and great guys. I would describe the genre as mellow, textured, electronic disco, with strong links to the big name Scandinavian producers (and labels). Marbeya uses long subtle arrangements, but with real melody and great sense of space. I chose my two favorites from their new promo album, my inspiration being that they were the most dance floor friendly and hypnotic, and being low brow these are the two qualities I look for most in music, be it for a wedding reception or funeral:

Ok, now for the classic, B. Blasé’s Shake It Now. This is an abstract, dark groover with what is unusual in my opinion within italo of the time, a killer male vocal. I don’t ever bother with the instrumental on this one and if you are a DJ..please..play this one at +4 or +5 or whatever your method of play considers ‘fast’. I was tempted just to pitch it up myself after I recorded it, but that goes against our ethos: