It starts with Gaz Nevada i suppose. Even though i had unwittingly bought and enjoyed 80’s italo records i had never looked and these records and used the information to dig deeper until Gaz Nevada's I.C Love Affair. I was instantly drawn to its juxaposing mix of camp disco and industrial appregiatted synth at a smokers tempo. Its only soon after that i had the realisation that Italo disco was a bottomless pit of music similar to the amount of Funk, Reggae, Soul and Hip Hop that is out there and was not just a passing fad but a huge industry in the 80’s
A
few years after getting the Italo bug i was offered a good paying
weekly gig at a trendy as fuck bar in Manchester off the back of my Fat City
Records and Friends and Family reputation. It soon became apparent that
the manager was not happy that my music tastes had changed over the
years and instead of playing Funk, Soul and Hip Hop he was getting
uncomfortably force fed Italo, Boogie and proto house sounds. The
manager would ask annoying questions like “What about playing the Friends and Family vibe that
you’re known for?” I'd bide some time by replying “Yeah OK i will bring that style next week” But I
couldn’t bring myself to play music i wasn’t as interested in due to my burning pasion for all things SYNTHY!!
In a bid to please everyone the management called a meeting. Now I’ll be honest, the guy who managed the bar was a dick (Not Matt Lake. He’s ace), but i had just had a baby and needed the money desperately so I knew I was going to go along with whatever he said in the meeting. There was some talk of how they were not happy with the music and that they would be willing to give me a chance to get it sounding how they would like it. Then I couldn’t believe my ears! They said they were going to give me an extra hundred quid a month and wanted me to bring in a guest DJ to play. We talk enthusiastically about getting well known local DJ’s to play their favourite party funk, hip hop and even classic pop records. We agreed we would call the night “Hooked on Classics” and the manager gave me the poster/ flyer designer’s number to give the agreed information too so he could get started on the promotional material immediately
In a bid to please everyone the management called a meeting. Now I’ll be honest, the guy who managed the bar was a dick (Not Matt Lake. He’s ace), but i had just had a baby and needed the money desperately so I knew I was going to go along with whatever he said in the meeting. There was some talk of how they were not happy with the music and that they would be willing to give me a chance to get it sounding how they would like it. Then I couldn’t believe my ears! They said they were going to give me an extra hundred quid a month and wanted me to bring in a guest DJ to play. We talk enthusiastically about getting well known local DJ’s to play their favourite party funk, hip hop and even classic pop records. We agreed we would call the night “Hooked on Classics” and the manager gave me the poster/ flyer designer’s number to give the agreed information too so he could get started on the promotional material immediately
It was a big mistake giving me the designer’s number to pass on
the information. The manager did not get what we had agreed on because when the designer answed the call for the flyer info i said without even thinking “Red Laser Disco – Italo,
Boogie, Disco, Acid and Proto House Sounds” The flyers and posters turned up and nobody said a thing. Red Laser Disco is born. It still took them a year
before they had the guts to sack me ha ha!!!
Sacking
me was the best thing as it gave me a kick up the arse to actually move
the night and develop it into what it is today. Manchester’s best party
for Italo Disco. Even though the night is not purist Italo and all
styles of synthesised disco get played it’s defiantly the best place to
hear and dance with like minded Italo lovers. The club night looks like the image below :D
As the scene grew and my italo vinyl buying reached scary levels and I was introduced to Magic Waves the radio show that plays out every Sunday on IFM hosted by Cyberdance Records bossman James Penrose and from there to the Friends of Magic waves Group set up by Mark Wilkinson aka Kid Machine. I was very surprised to find out Mark was living in Wythenshawe in Manchester which is like the estate from the film Gomorrah!!! Not what you would expect!! We met and he introduced me to Brady (Starion) who also lived in Manchester and both of these guys were making amazing italo. The best out there!! I decided I was going to plan and promote some big Red Laser Events so i inlisted the help of Fat City Recordings bossman and good friend Matt Triggs and we set about organising the Red Laser BBQ with the aim of putting on a great party and using the profit to start the record label which would showcase Manchesters electronic disco talent. We worked our arse off and my family went without luxuries so we could be where we are today. With the first release being pressed as I type this story.
Let the fun begin
Click the link below for deep Italo action
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