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There have never been a shortage of lovers of Italo, that mutant disco that flourished throughout Europe from the very late 70s up through the late 80s (some would even say that the genre still continues to this day, though I would argue that Italo is a predominantly analog beast, and that the increase in digital technology and recording software has resulted in a new mutation). But it was Dutch DJ I-F who got the world (including the non-dance music community) buzzing about this genre in earnest with his monstrously well-done Mixed Up In The Hague, Volumes I and II.


So many amazing records packed into two discs, it was hard not to feel overwhelmed.

Alfa in Japan has put out countless volumes of it's That's Eurobeat series, but those are hard to come by for collectors and connoisseurs in the U.S. ZYX Music out of Germany has many compilations and volumes, but a lot of times these are haphazardly mixed or include so many rerecordings or cover versions that the discs cease to be documents of historic Italo records. For hardcore U.S. Italoheads, the best bet up until now was Morgan Geist's Unclassics, a 2004 compilation that, while continuously mixed (well), offered beautifully mastered tracks, including Pluton & humanoids' majestic "World Invaders." Chris Lowe's disc of the Pet Shop Boys' Back to Mine mix album was also invaluable, offering Mr. Flagio's "Take a Chance," Savage's "Don't Cry Tonight," The Flirts' "Passion" (in the full George Cuzzucella Mix), and Matia Bazaar's "Ti Sento" all in one place.

But now, a label has stepped up to the plate to show Italo the love it deserves.

Expanded Music/Irma Records, out of Italy, is presenting Confuzed Disco, a two-disc future retrospective of some of the great releases from the late Italian records. Both discs are unmixed and mastered perfectly, comprised of several sterling releases from the 80s' golden age of Italo in their original 12" versions and several remixes of these tracks from the great contemporary DJs who have kept the style on the lips and in the feet of dancers throughout the world.

Allow me just a moment to speak of N.O.I.A.'s "True Love," a remarkable record that has the stylistic and auditory impact of a seminal Italo classic like Klein & MBO's "Dirty Talk." To hear "True Love" in its original 'Sexual Version,' with its constantly mutating melodic approach, playful vocals, and staggering shift into minor key just after the chorus, is to re-experience the history of Western dance-pop in just under six minutes. There's even two great rethinks of the track thrown in for good measure.

And that's just one track. There's several others from N.O.I.A. (including "Stranger in a Strange Land"), and I'm damned if Kirlain Camera's "Blue Room" doesn't sound like the Rosetta Stone of modern dance music. There's two discs worth of flawnessness here, and it is my sincerest hope that anyone with any love for dance music will rush out and get this collection, both for its own embarrassment of riches and the hope that other Italo labels will show their own catalogs similar love and attention.

There's simply no other dance release that comes close. Rhino's Journey into Paradise ? The Larry Levan Story does a very good job with covering its bases, but for U.S. audiences, where garage music has always had a healthy appreciation, it's just not quite as overwhelming. But Irma/Expanded and Rhino have done a phenomenal job of setting the bar high on both sides of the Atlantic.