Review: Tom Tom Disco boss Richard Rossa serves up another slab of hefty electronic disco on his own label. Powered along by a dark, moody beast of a throbbing bassline and topped with an assortment of spoken, treated vocal snippets, the Original mix of 'Monoman' is an eyes-down groover augmented by occasional synth flourishes, while the Acid Hamam Remix strips things down even further while getting more wonked-out in the synth department and adding hints of Middle Eastern flava, making it the obvious choice for small-hours play. If Italo, new beat and EBM are your bag, this should probably be in it.
Review: Six tracks from as many different artists make up this V/A offering from Richard Rossa's Stockholm-based Tom Tom Disco label. If you're looking for cowbells, handclaps and Philly strings, look elsewhere: the tracks here generally plough a far more electronic and leftfield-leaning furrow, blending influences from Italo, EBM, coldwave and early house. Frank Agrario's percussive, Afro-inspired 'Drum Circles' is the exception to that rule, but the standout for this writer is Guxi's 'Dribbling Disco', a mix of Italo and Chi-town tropes that periodically bursts out in unanticipated "proper disco" flourishes. Rabih Rizk's Middle Eastern-tinged 'Acid Drop' is good, too.
Review: Bologna, Italy's Francesco Brini, AKA, Frank Agrario, wears many hats: DJ, producer, mastering engineer, Swayzak drummer and owner of the Mozzarella Recordings and Spare Change Disco labels. Here, he comes to Sweden's Tom Tom Disco with three original tracks that blur the lines between nu-disco, funk and Balearica, with 'White Rabbit' also having a hint of Afro flava. Tom Tom boss Richard Rossa then adds a remix of 'Voodo' that's got something of an 80s new beat/EBM-ish feel, while 'White Rabbit' gets handed over to Tropikal Camel, who does his trademark Arab fusion thing.
Review: Barely a month after making his debut on AZZUR's multi-artist Bouquets Des Fleurs EP, Olaf Orbit pops up on Tom Tom Disco with his debut solo single. Title track 'Space Operator' shows that he has a firm grasp of nu-disco dynamics, with the up-and-coming producer adding spacey electronics, weirdo noises and trippy synth melodies to an arpeggio-style bassline reminiscent of New Order's 'Blue Monday'. Tony disco adds a little extra rubbery nu-disco bounce and some wonderfully deep-sounding breakdowns on his tidy remix, while bonus cut 'Olaf' is a bolder and even more synth-heavy tribute to the halcyon days of Italo-disco. As debut singles go, this is quietly impressive.
Review: African influences have played a huge role in shaping the 'now' sound of house music in the last few years, just as Latin styles did in the mid-00s. But right now there are just as many interesting fusions going on at that point where house and techno collide with the musics of the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent - and this excellent four-tracker from Nour, a female producer from Palestine who's now based in Mexico, is a case in point. Head for the originals if you're a lover of Eastern sounds generally, or the remixes from Rayko and Sinchi if you want something that's more easily programmable.
Review: Fresh from delivering a suitably intoxicating chunk of feverish tribal techno on their own Belly Dance Services stable, Hanzo & Yaman bring their trademark brand of percussive dance music to Tom Tom Disco. Title track "Tropicalas" is notably different to its predecessor, with the pair layering up wonky chants and South American style percussion over a looped synth bassline. It's hugely endearing and celebratory all told, and comes backed with two bonus cuts: the hypnotic ethno-techno throb of "Titaporn" and the quirky nu-disco/percussive house bounce of "Hola Hola". Of the trio of accompamying remixes, we're particularly enjoying the loose, acid-flecked breakbeat shuffle of Lily Haz's rework of "Titaporn" and Tony Disco's exotic, Middle Eastern disco revision of "Tropicala".
Review: First making his name via production work for Swayzak, more recently Bologna, Italy resident Francecso Brini has stepped out as an artist in his own right under the 'Frank Agrario' moniker. Here, he comes to Tom Tom Disco with a four-track EP that's a melting pot of dancefloor and world music influences. 'Nefro' is a looping, percussive workout with Egyptian/Middle Eastern overtones, 'Kalakutta' is an Afro-style deep houser with jazz tinges, 'Tapwater' is a mellower groove, again with an African feel, and then finally Leonor brings us an epic, remix of 'Kalakutta' complete with broody synths and cinematic spoken vocal.
Review: It's here! Stockholm's Richard Rossa aka Tom Tom Disco presents eight tracks of deadly, hot, cosmic grooves that are equal parts deep and psychedelic but above all: spiritual! Some of his beloved label's top signings strut their stuff on This Is Tom Tom Disco Vol 05. Some deep and cosmic nu-disco courtesy of Sano on "El Sano", some Middle Eastern exotica on the esoteric "Hazhid Asara" by Acid Hamam and some proper Italo vibes by Tony Disco on "Disco Solar" - one of the compilation's standout moments. Rest assured that label head honcho Richard Rossa represents here too (and is on point as always) with the dusty, boogie down antics of "Discow Ztrummer" which will surely have you gettin' down!
Review: Since 2012, Sweden's Tom Tom Disco has been kind of dominating the whole Scandinavian nu-disco thang and, thanks partly to the effort of its founder Richard Rossa, has managed to cement a clear sound and direction to its catalogue. Supernova is here this time and the newcomer sets the scene with the slowly-burning, mid-tempo chugger "Flat Track", which is followed by the housier, more acidic cut "Stratto". "Usual Station" is a more electro-minded nu-school boogie monster, while Rossa's own remix of "Stratto" adds a little dubbiness to the mix. Solid DJ weapons.
Review: Guxi might not be the most prolific artist as of yet, but he is without a doubt on of the rising talents of the nu-school house scene, and by nu-school, we mean electrofied, bass-heavy house banging with a disco twist. The lead track "Saturn" contains one of those basslines that you could listen to for hours on end, all bubbly and full of energy, while "Swimming In Space" is the perfect 80s throwback with a contemporary look and feel. "Twinkling Stars" is the perfect follower, a little deeper and and more club-prone its tone, whereas "Walking On Mars" is all mysticism and starry skies, check the chuggy Richard Rossa remix of "Twinling Stars", a perfect house companion.
Review: Richard Rossa's Tom Tom Disco label has built up a strong reputation by releasing some work by some pretty original nu-disco producers over the last four years. Always classy and never over-egging the pudding, the label limits itself to just the one compilation a year, and time has come for the 2016 edition. There are seven retro jams here to enjoy, including Guxi's redux of the proto house/Italo disco gem "Dance They Say", the taught arpeggiation of Fausto's "Nativo" and Rossa's own low-slung new wave funk joint, "Lone Riders".
Review: Tom Tom Disco founder Richard Rossa has been part of the European electronic music scene for the past four years, releasing fluid, synth-heavy blends of Italo, nu-disco and deep house on a variety of labels. Here he returns to his own label with a three-track blast of undulating goodness. "Ramvong" sets the tone, offering an attractive fusion of raw analogue synths, live-sounding drums and vivid electronic melodies. "Draco" flips the script a little, focusing the action around a thunderous, rave-influenced synth bassline and wonky riffs. Best of all, though, is Justin Robertson's rework of "Ramvong", which morphs the Stockholm native's breezy original into a head-pounding chunk of acid-tinged Italo-disco.
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