Bordello A Parigi Holland Vinyl & CDs

Review: Since making his bow as Donald Dust six years ago, Tom Banks has codified a signature sound rich in jacking, Ron Hardy style drum tracks, surging Italo-disco melodies, late '80s European house sounds and 21st century nu-Italo tropes. All these ingredients - and more - can be heard on his latest EP for Bordello a Parigi. Opener 'Nausea', for example, audibly doffs a cap to Koto and Bobby Orlando, while the more percussive, sweat-soaked 'Sick Your Own' remix of the same track provides an energetic, peak-time ready alternative. There are two mixes, too, of 'Jupiter Jack': the new beat-meets-Italo-disco throb of the 'Groovy Mix' and the breathless mid-80s Chicago house flex of the 'Jupiter Mix'. Chiming, synth-pop-goes-electro number 'Noise in the Stairwell' completes a fine package.

Review: Bordello A Parigi looks to lowkey but high-class German artist Lauer for a fine four-track exploration of the similarities and differences between deep house and disco. The sentimental 'Harmony Unit' kicks off with lush chords that lead to starry eyes and raised hands then 'Betone' has chugging grooves and spangled chords under longing vocal coos. 'Frizzante' brings the dazzling disco brilliance with pinging analogue drums and bright arps and 'Playa' closes down with a playful and tooting vibe that recalls the classic 'Inspector Norse.' It is the final piece of a fantastic EP.

Review: Originally from Rome, Italy, Marco Antonio - the man behind the mask, or the MaSpaventi moniker - relocated to Amsterdam in 2007. A switch from one historic and stunning city to another, in doing so he landed himself smack bang in one of the most vibrant and pro-active electronic music communities and industries on the planet. Suffice to say, then, he's both in the right place and the wrong place to get noticed, with a healthy scene also meaning lots and lots of noise to shout over.
As Vicino Lontano proves, the man in question - who also teaches electronic music production software Ableton alongside other lessons at music schools, including Abbey Road Institute - isn't really up for shouting at all. His work speaks volumes and much louder than most anyway, through sci-fi-hued cosmic dance floor stuff, space age drone, off-centre Italo, and futuristic ambient of the highest possible order.

Review: Speakwave is a lesser-spotted alias from Frenchman Dynarec, who has been exploring the outer edges of electro on various superb labels for years. Here he builds on his famously melodic sound across a trio of cosmic cuts. 'Cartographic Venture' kicks off and is a ten-minute odyssey with cold melodies and tinny drums that have a retro-future feel. Distant vocals add an extra edge to 'Coming On Monday' which has wispy sci-fi lines darting about over more cold drums. 'Exposition To Revolution' closes out with an introspective feel but a widescreen sound that is clean and has lovely spiraling skyward melodies.

Review: This week on Bordello A Parigi we have a release originally from 1983 on Cinofilm Produzione. Berlin-based, Italian producer Armonics (Slow Motion) came across the 'Radio' 7? by coincidence in 2020 near his home in Southern Italy. Vito Lisco wrote and produced the track together with Renzo Maria La Costa back in the 80's in a basement. The original track has been revised with the vocal parts re-recorded, plus some added guitar riffs and remixed for a modern take on this eccentric Italo production by Evolution (L&L). Limited to 200 copies.

Review: Martin Matiske was discovered by DJ Hell as something of a child prodigy already deeply immersed in the history and present moment of electro and synth-pop, and by 2012 he had already released his debut album Robotermusik. This release on Bordello A Parigi revives one of the tracks from that album, 'Dimension Phantasy', and gives it a standalone release with some interesting remixes. Captain Mustache does a fine job of threading extra arpeggio sparkle into the track without derailing it, while Play Paul turns the track into his own bombastic synth-pop anthem which appears in vocal and instrumental versions.

Review: Zakmina is Lukas Zeringis, previously spotted on Futureboogie and Minimood, with his classy take on the modern tech house phenomenon. 'For U' sees the up and coming artist link up with Bordello A Parigi and go all-in on the trance tip. Playing out like it's peak time at Amnesia, the A-side is full of sentimental bombast which will keep that summer spirit running well into the winter months. On the B-side, 'Take Me Back' dishes out more of the melodic charm with a sly shot of electro in the rhythm section for good measure.

Review: Who doesn't love an obscure and hi NRG disco stomper from the mid-nineties? This one's been unearthed by the Bordello A Parigi crew and it was produced by the one and only Bobby Orlando. It has glistening disco arps and throwback drum machine sounds powering it along with a great female vocal singing lines like 'You can watch them making love on video.' The opening Digital Mix is the best for us but the V&S cut gets a little more pumping for the peak time so will also come in handy.

Review: You always know that any new 12" from Bordello A Parigi is going to come doused in electric synth work and bright melodies. Voodoos & Taboos do just that on this retro-future new outing, the Reversible Dream EP. The title cut races out of the blocks, awash with glassy pads and prickly percussive grooves, robot vocals and raw beats. 'Unconditional Love' rides on more lush arps, this time with a slightly more melancholic feel. 'Animae' is a stomping disco-house workout with angular beats and prying leads and 'Destino Lontano' closes out with a brilliantly psychedelic comedown sound perfect for after the rave.