Review: We'd like to think that Alexander Robotnik's latest release was inspired by the four seasons of the year, rather than the name of the pizza that adorns its cover artwork. Opener "Springtime" certainly sounds like the perfect accompaniment to a breezy, chilly and crisp morning walk in April, with the veteran Italian producer wrapping gorgeous electronics and synthesizer melodies around a chunky electronic house groove. Unsurprisingly, "Summer" is warmer and more psychedelic but no less picturesque in its' genuine peak-time charms, while "Fall" is a bass-heavy jaunt through starburst synths, loose-limbed machine drums and gentle acid lines. As for "Winter", it's as pure and glistening as a Swiss Mountain retreat at sunrise.
Review: Italian prankster Bottin teaming up with Alexander Robotnick? You better believe it and what a killer combo. Getting straight down to business on "Parade" which pairs the musical sensibilities of both just splendidly on this superb retro house jam. Lauer: look out! Second track "Robottin" gets even more brazen with its throwback obsession exploring some of the cheesiest yet loveable analogue synth presets in one big fabulous medley.
Review: Maurizio Dami, aka Alexander Robotnick, is a total legend. Following his early hippy years, he ended up scoring his mate's Italian mime performances - inadvertently helping invent Italo-disco in the process. He gave up 80s disco stardom for world music adventures in the 90s but was lured back into production (and indeed DJing) by The Hacker about ten years ago. He's been pretty prolific on the electro-disco scene ever since, even recently releasing a host of rarities from his personal vaults. This latest instalment reveals a variety of styles including house: "In My House", acid/breaks: "Submarine" and electro-house: "Disco Asha". Tulioxi provides both bouncy house and Chicagoish remixes of "TB Maniac" and finally Electric Prince delivers a killer doomy techno-disco rework of "Minore Terzo".
Review: Veteran Italian electronic producer Robotnick has been making weird and wonderful sounds for the best part of three whole decades. With many guises and across countless releases he has ventured into all aspects of electronica and of course amassed an unimaginable array of influences along the way. His Archives series has been running for some time, and to critical acclaim. Showcasing his experimental flair. For this Collection he has put together a massive 31 full length tracks for you to get your teeth into, and twist your mind around.
Review: It's always nice to have some vintage Alexander Robotnick fare to discuss. The three tracks here are typical of his late 70s/early 80s style, mixing up tough, arppegiated rhythms with vocoder vocals, bombastic metallic noises and even proto-acid tweakery. There's also a touch of tongue-in-cheek campery, too, in the shape of an Italo cover of Chic's disco classic "Le Freak". The EP's real highlight, though, is opener "Seranade", which bubbles away nicely in classic Robotnick, robo-disco fashion. Timeless!
Review: Robo-disco pioneer Alexander Robotnick takes another dip into his vast back catalogue and unearths a trio of previously unheard electronic bangers. Opener "It's All Right Baby" is a typically cute and kitsch take on synth disco, offering a mix of Italian house chords, bustling synth bass and some decidedly cheery melodies. The darker "Disco Action" is arguably the pick of the EP. It offers a twisted, Italo-meets-acid house concoction that bristles with aggressive dancefloor intent. Closer "Minor Terzo", meanwhile, showcases Robotnick at his brooding, foreboding best, all hypnotic electronic rhythms, intoxicating melodies and moody chords.
Review: Given his 30-plus year history of production, we should probably never be surprised by the contents of Alexander Robotnick's seemingly endless archives. Yet this release has surprised us. Lead cut "Funky Skunky" sounds like a cross between early prog house and nu-disco, while "It Was Like A Dream" re-casts Mr Fingers-ish deep house and wonky Italo. "Infinite Solitude" is less surprising; with its chiming synth melodies, cheery appreggios and Eurodisco strut, it's vintage Robotnick. As if that lot wasn't enough, there are two bonus remixes of "Can You Feel Me", including a storming, techno-tinged rework from Things Happen.
