Borealis has set the spotlight on many of the later works of italian composer Luigi Nono (1924 – 1990). This Saturday night another expression of 1980’s Italian music will be presented: Italo disco. Italo disco is characterized by the typical synths, a distinct bassline and vocoder. At first listen the italo disco may sound unrelated to Nono’s work, but thematically both Nono and italo disco are rooted in melancholy.

According to the Bergen based artist Skatebård, the major difference between US and Italian disco lies in the melancholy. Where the US disco is unrealistic and joyusness - rooted in gospel and soul, the italian disco is rooted in folk music and has a greater sentimental register.

In collaboration with the italo clubnight Digitalo, two of the main italo kings will visit Bergen. Casco – aka Salvatore Cusato – from Calabria, and Alexander Robotnick from Firenze. They are arguably two of the main icons of the italo disco scene, and they both had major hits in 1983: Casco with the track Cybernetic Love, and Robotnick with Problemes d’Amour.

Borealis 2007

March 17th Saturday

March 17th
Saturday