Letter 6 - Disco is Dead, Long Live Disco (Part 1) - Modern Disco
Nu-disco, old disco, new disco that sounds like old disco & Dar Disku.
Hi,
Since the racially and homophobically motivated “Disco Sucks” campaign of 1979, Disco, its precursor funk and some of their derivative sub-variants have fallen in and out of mainstream culture with likely greater frequency than any other genre. After it’s decline in the early ‘80s, the gap left was initially met by post-disco releases from artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna, and latterly by burgeoning genres like house, techno, boogie, Italo disco (more on that next week) and the birth of hip-hop.
Disco’s first real resurgence came at the turn of the Millennium; firstly in the underground through DJ Harvey & co’s disco-edit bootlegs, and subsequently through chart success of disco-pop, disco-house and nu-disco (see Kylie Minogue, Daft Punk and Jamiroquai respectively).
By the mid-to-late ‘00s disco mostly fell away again as popstars moved to dance-pop and LCD Soundsystem arrived on the scene with Daft Punk is Playing at My House. But its bounce back period was shorter this time, with indie acts like Metronomy and Soulwax releasing nu-disco albums in the early 2010s, and the domination of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories (2014). All respect to Daft Punk but this was a disastrous misstep contributing significantly to the success of Uptown Funk and Robin Thicke, which ultimately sent disco back to the naughty corner for another half decade or so.
This decade started with mainstream pop once again returning to the disco-well, with Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, Kylie’s Disco, Róisín Murphy’s Róisín Machine and Jesse Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure all dropping in 2020. But in 2024, it feels like the dominant music culture has again left disco behind, with popstars shifting to electropop and with the success of Confidence Man and their ilk, we are left with Purple Disco Machine’s commercial churn, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s kitchen nightmares, and traumatic memories of lockdown living room dances to Club Future Nostalgia (2020). Even the usually reliable Folamour pivoted from his disco-sampled grooves to release an album that’s in my view fit only for H&M background music (Manifesto (2023)).
This would make me somewhat despondent, but thankfully throughout 2024 there have been a slew strong of nu-disco, funk & boogie releases primarily with their genesis outside of the dominant English-speaking music culture. So much so that I’ve managed to fill two newsletters with recommendations in this 2-part series “Disco is Dead, Long Live Disco”. Click here to read Part 2 - Italo disco and the Neapolitan Funk Revival.
I have to say I much prefer the output highlighted below to almost any of the disco pop-revivals I mention above, so it would be lovely if the quality of these releases is a bellwether for what we can expect in our neck of the woods over the next few years.
Lastly, I’m back with some film recommendations this week. Unfortunately whilst Disco may not actually suck, almost every movie it produces does, so the thematic tie is primarily to my personal life this week.
Please like & subscribe, share with anyone who would enjoy, and let me know what you think of any of the recommendations (either directly or in the comments below).
Much love, Odhrán x
Music - Disco Releases & Re-Issues
You can listen to a playlist of the songs I’ve recommended in this Letter on Apple and Spotify.
Another Taste - Another Taste
Genre(s): Funk, boogie & disco.
For fans of: Chic, Sister Sledge & The Gap Band.
Songs to try: Turn Up, It Takes Time & Anything You Want.
It’s astounding that this brief 6-track album was not recorded and produced in mid 1970’s Chicago, but in Rotterdam in 2024. The Dutch band are mostly a 4-piece in the studio, with three additional members for live performances. Primarily jazz musicians by background, Another Taste was born in late night studio jamming sessions, resulting in disco, funk and boogie tunes that feel both authentic to the roots of those genres, whilst also feeling fresh and modern.
I don’t have much to say about this record, other than its remarkable how good all 6 songs are. Funky disco opener Turn Up would have been a dancefloor hit were it released 50 years ago, and you can hear The Gap Band and Sister Sledge in Anything You Want.
Insane quality for a debut album, and their live sets look like a serious party - cannot wait for more and I’m praying they’re touring extensively this Summer.
L’Impératrice - Pulsar
Genre(s): Nu-disco, electropop & funk.
For fans of: Daft Punk, Metronomy & Biig Piig.
Songs to try: Me Da Igual, Love from the Other Side & Danzu Marilù.
Pulsar, the third album from the Parisian 6-piece, is another in a long line of consistently strong releases. Conjuring up a space disco, opening song Cosmogonie is a taxi to a night club set amongst the stars, and when the bass line kicks in on second track Amour Ex Machina we fully arrive on the dancefloor at the cosmic discothèque. Lead singer Flore Benguigui’s dreamy vocals are perfectly suited to this nu-disco party starting track.
The subsequent Me Da Igual is sensationally catchy and you can feel early Daft Punk’s influence all over it, which leads to Love from the Other Side, which sounds not unlike female-led Metronomy song. Closing off this brilliant 4-track run is the Italo disco banger Danzu Marilù featuring Italian singer Fabiana Martone - my favourite song on the album.
The only track on the album I don’t love is Any Way featuring Maggie Rogers. Rogers’ American pop vocals overpower Flore’s and are a bit jarring and ill-suited to the band’s distinctive French grooves. I’m also not sure this album as a whole surpasses their previous EPs and LPs, but it’s another strong addition to their back catalogue. It remains absolutely baffling to me L’Impératrice aren’t more successful in the UK, given the country’s consistent love affair with electropop.
Unfortunately as of October 2024, Flore has left the band citing physical and mental health reasons, “profound personal, artistic and fundamental disagreements” with the other members of the band, and toxicity in the music industry towards women and victims. The band have appointed French artist Louve as her replacement, and hopefully she’ll smash it, but she has big shoes to fill.
I’ve been lucky enough to snag a resale ticket to see them play in London’s Roundhouse this week, so I will report back.
Ayo Ke Disco: Boogie, Pop & Funk from the South China Sea (1974-88)
Genre(s): Funk, boogie & disco.
For fans of:Chaka Khan, ESG & The Isley Brothers.
Songs to try: Mangge Mangge, Salah Tingkah & Ayo Ke Disco.
Ayo Ke Disco (“let’s go to the disco” in Malay and Indonesian) is a compilation of 10 re-issued rare ‘70s and ‘80s, disco and boogie tracks from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong & the Philippines. The album has been compiled and released on Soundway Records by outgoing label general manager DJ Norsicaa.
As an Australian woman with Malaysian heritage, working in the UK music industry Norsicaa noticed that Southeast Asian music was not widely heard. Speaking to The Jakarta Post, she said that in “2018-2019 I could only get away with some Japanese jazz in my sets. People were salivating over Japanese releases, and I got the impression that the rest of Asia’s music culture was seen in the UK as either too cheesy, weird or low quality. I’ve been slowly introducing tracks from other Asian counties into my sets over the years to test the water and I feel it’s becoming more exciting to audiences.”
Every carefully selected track on here is brilliant. The strongest is probably Mangge Mangge by Indonesian act Black Brothers, which chugs along with a funky baseline and jazzy trumpets, eventually accompanied with a high-pitched synthesizer and folding into a guitar solo. I also love the vocals on the rockier Salah Tingkah by female Indonesian band Aria Yunior, which add a distinctively east-Asian sound to the underlying bassline. Title track Ayo Ke Disco has a catchy hook that’s been stuck in my head for weeks.
DJ Norsicaa went to great pains to licence these obscure tracks from local record labels, navigating various censorship laws while she did so, and it was well worth the effort.
Dar Disku - Dar Disku
Genre(s): House, nu-disco & raï.
For fans of: The Isley Brothers, Asha Puthli & DJ Plead.
Songs to try: Dbayli, Baar Baar & Ya Nas.
A relatively unique feature of the club and festival circuit for about 5 years now, Mazen Almaskati and Vish Mhatre grew up in Bahrain as best friends from pre-school. Having been raised on western music, the pair were inspired when they moved to the UK and were able to experience clubs like Fabric and got to see their favourite acts up close - “the only people that would come to Bahrain to play were David Guetta or Avicii” Mhatre told DJ Mag. Whereas seeing an act like Benga up close “was mind-blowing … It’s one thing listening to a recording and another being in the middle of a soundsystem and having your brain blown out by it.”
However by 2019, they were unsatisfied by the diversity of music they were hearing on dancefloors. Seeking out sounds they identified with, they joined forces as a DJ duo under the moniker “Dar Disku” (which roughly translates to “home of disco”), with the intention of creating “a space for people that looked and sounded like us” as Almaskati told Crack Magazine. Now after years of sharing Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) dance music through their DJ sets, the pair have progressed to the next stage - the creation of those sounds themselves.
Also released on Soundway Records, their eponymous debut album is a tour de force of SWANA music. Indian disco royalty Asha Puthli features on Baar Baar, a Bollywood-inspired song. My favourite track on the album Dbayli has this incredible North African drumbeat and wavy slightly off-beat vocals from Algerian singer Yacine Elkhaldi. I also love the complexity of the beats and guitar melodies on Ya Nas.
Asha Puthli spoke emotionally about Dar Disku and other south Asian talent in an interview with the Guardian earlier this year “ ‘They mean a lot to me’ says Puthli. ‘Because the whole idea of doing this journey…’ She drifts off and returns to the thought later. ‘I was about to get emotional, so I stopped. But I feel that the journey that I made against all odds makes it all worthwhile. When I see young people and they’re getting recognition, they’re getting the platform … The time is right for them now.’ ”
Despite being electronic producers and DJs, Dar Disku recorded this record primarily through analogue methods to produce an album that feels authentic to the times and places that inspired it.
Some similar records I recommend
Dabeull - Analog Love: French funk musician Dabeull has cemented himself as an absolute force in the genre with this feature-heavy release. Chock full of funky baselines and groovy synths, Analog Love is an impressive blend of 1980’s R&B and funk with modern sensibilities. Both featuring Holybrune on vocals, Body Heat and Chronic Lovers are absolute dancefloor heaters (Roche Musique).
Lynda Dawn - 11th Hour: Heavily inspired by my favourite classic soul, boogie & R&B singer Minnie Riperton, this sophomore release from London’s Lynda Dawn’s is built upon her stunning vocals laid over groovy and soulful production. Where You Are and Love is Callin’ are standouts, but it’s all great (First Dawn Records).
Juliana Gattas - Maquillada en la Cama: The debut solo album from one half of Argentinian pop group Miranda! is a brilliantly produced nu-disco record. I don’t love every track on this album (which is a reflection of my taste, not the quality of the record) but La Casa del Amore Nocturno and Botas Negras are brilliant disco-pop bops (Sony Music Entertainment Argentina S.A.).
TV & Film
My wonderful wife recently rented a small screening room for my birthday where we and a few close friends got to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 film-noir Strangers on a Train on 16mm film. It was a special experience getting to watch a movie in that setting, and the shop owner/projectionists anecdotes were a real highlight.
It was somewhat alarming however to learn that a few of my pals had never heard of Alfred Hitchcock, never mind seen any of his films, so I’ve recommended some of my favourites of his below, alongside probably the only good disco movie.
Just to flag it is unusual that only one of the 5 films below is available on subscription streaming in the UK - probably a reflection of the fact moving streaming rights get a bit funny in the run up to Christmas. Boogie Nights regularly rotates through the major streaming platforms, and Hitchcock movies are frequently available on iPlayer, Sky & Prime, so keep an eye out.
A complete list of every film and TV show I’ve recommended in the Odhracle is available on Letterboxd.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Genre(s): Drama & comedy.
For fans of: Almost Famous, Good Fellas & Pulp Fiction.
UK Streaming: Rental only.
The Odhracle’s Rating: 5 stars.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s second feature film chronicles Dirk Diggler’s journey from nightclub dishwasher to porn star in the LA porn scene of the ‘70s and ‘80s. One of the best films of the past 30 years, featuring an all-star cast (Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John C Reilly etc) it’s mind blowing (and a bit depressing) that PTA was only 27 when this came out. Boogie Nights has an excellent disco and boogie heavy soundtrack.
Rear Window (1954)
Genre(s): Mystery & thriller.
For fans of: Charade, Gone Girl & Dressed to Kill.
UK Streaming: Sky & Now TV.
The Odhracle’s Rating: 5 stars.
When asked what the greatest movie of all time is, Rear Window is probably my most frequently given answer. The great Jimmy Stewart plays an injured photographer convalescing in his apartment. He begins spying on his neighbours through his window, becoming obsessed when he believes a murder has been committed. The stunning Grace Kelly spends much of the film convincing James to roll away from his window, with little success. I can empathise with the difficulty of resisting a beautiful woman trying tear you away from your totally normal hobbies.
A final word for the incredible apartment block set built entirely on Paramount’s lot - the colours are amazing and the design is a marvel; they just don’t make them like this anymore.
Psycho (1960)
Genre(s): Thriller, horror & mystery.
For fans of: Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre & Zodiac.
UK Streaming: Rental only.
The Odhracle’s Rating: 5 stars.
I only got around to watching this iconic horror/thriller earlier this year. I wish that it wasn’t so pervasive in the culture that I knew most of the scenes before they happened, but it remains a masterpiece of suspense and tension. On the off chance you don’t have the same knowledge of it that I had, I am implore you to go in as blind as possible.
North by Northwest (1959)
Genre(s): Mystery, thriller & adventure.
For fans of: James Bond, The Man from U.N.C.L.E & Mad Men.
UK Streaming: Rental only.
The Odhracle’s Rating: 4.5 stars.
Cary Grant, Eve Marie Saint & James Mason star in this extremely-hot-person spy thriller. Brilliantly written and and containing several iconic set pieces, without this film we would not have the James Bond we know today (nor would most people know what a microfilm is. It loses a star for being about 15 minutes too long (that traffic court scene…) but gains half a star back as literally nobody has ever looked that good in a suit.
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Genre(s): Mystery, thriller & comedy.
For fans of: Murder on the Orient Express, Gone Girl & The Usual Suspects.
UK Streaming: Rental only.
The Odhracle’s Rating: 4 stars.
Grace Kelly, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings star in this adaption of an English play. A film with lots of twists and turns that keeps the audience guessing. I won’t spoil it, but John Williams steals the show as the prototypical mid-century London Metropolitan detective. As an aside, why is professional tennis player such a frequent career for Hitchcock characters?
If you liked Juliana Garttas, give the new album from Gavin Turek “Diva Of The People” a listen.
It’s a bit too pop-y for me, but if disco-pop is your vibe then this is worth your time.