Italo can be considered the first incarnation of EDM ( Electronic Dance Music ) There were slight similarities to Disco, the uplifting messages ( ” Dolce Vita” Kristen Conde ) ,the sexual overtones ( ” Meet My Friend ” Eddie Huntington) but in my opinion it wasn’t quite worthy of the Disco title. Now don’t get me wrong, I embraced it and fed it regularly to my crowds whose reception was nothing short of enthusiastic. My first exposure to this style was back in 1982 during one of my frequent visits to my local record store . 12″ imports would come in every 2 or 3 days but so far nothing had caught my ear. While searching and flipping through the new release bin , I noticed the guy behind the counter opening a box and removing quite a few of the same 12′ ( usually he received only 2 or 3 of the same record) I asked him what it was and he immediately placed it on his Technics SL-Q30 and began to play it through the large rug covered Cervin Vega hanging dangerously over the cash register. The track was Gary Low’s ” You are Danger” The percussion was obviously not live ,there were a few new sounds to digest ( that little whistle) but it soon kicked in and the track flowed perfectly, mixing all different types of elements together creating a beautiful and happy dance floor sing a long. This was a hit !! Evident by the sudden rush to the counter by other jocks in the store. We couldn’t wait to play it. Giorgio Moroder and Space,and Kebekelektrik among others had previously delved into the electronic world in the late 70s with great success. Gary Low was about to become the poster boy for Italo Music paving the way for the likes of Den Harrow, Gazebo ,Raf,Ken Laslo, Albert One, Miko Mission and many others. The crowds hungered for Italo eagerly anticipating fresh new music each week at the clubs. The style enjoyed it’s popularity well into the 90s and still enjoys a worldwide following and specific nights tailored to these audiences.
DJ Alex Gutierrez
Gary Low… Luis Romano Peris Belmonte (born 7 June 1954 in Rome Lazio ), better known as Gary Low, is an Italian Born Spanish recording artist who was most active during the 1980s era of Italo disco. He recorded several musical works in both English and Spanish.
Facebook Link https://www.facebook.com/gary.low.562
