History
Italo house came from Italian clubs in the late 1980s s1. It mixed the melodies and electronic sounds of Italo disco with the drum machine beat of Chicago house s1s2. The result was fast, bright and very melodic, with loud piano chords and simple, catchy vocal hooks s1. Italian studios made records quickly and cheaply, and many were sung in English for the international market s1. Black Box's 'Ride on Time' reached number one in Britain in 1989 s1. In the same year the 49ers released 'Touch Me' and FPI Project released 'Rich in Paradise (Going Back to My Roots)' s1. These tracks were played in clubs across Europe and helped make house music popular in Britain s1. Italo house also influenced later European dance-pop and the sound of the early 1990s s3. The records often reused famous disco songs or sang new melodies over a house beat. Italian studios also supplied backing tracks for singers from other countries s1.
Sound
- Bright, loud piano chords
- Fast, steady four-to-the-floor drums
- Simple, catchy female or male vocals
- Cheerful synthesizer melodies
- A clean, radio-friendly production
Key figures
- Black Box — Italian group behind 'Ride on Time'
- 49ers — Italian group behind 'Touch Me'
- FPI Project — Italian group behind 'Rich in Paradise'
Labels
- Discomagic Records — Milan , 1982
- Media Records — Brescia , 1984
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Italo Disco , Chicago House
Led to: Balkan Pop House
Sources
- Italo house — Wikipedia
- Italo disco — Wikipedia
- Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey — Grove Press (1999)