Articles

Notes on music, craft, and the era

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Eurodance

German Eurodance: 20 key projects

Frankfurt, Hamburg and Cologne forged the signature sound of German Eurodance. We break down the production teams, studios and 20 projects that defined the genre from Masterboy to Culture Beat.

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Artists

Canadian Hi-NRG: Lime and Trans-X

Montreal in the early 1980s became one of the capitals of Hi-NRG: Lime, Trans-X and the French-English scene produced dozens of dance hits. We look at the studios, labels and key releases of Canadian electronic dance music.

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Artists

Cyber People: robotic Italo and Polaris

The Cyber People project combined space-age synthesizers, mechanical vocals and the dance foundation of Italo Disco. We trace the group's history, the cult track "Polaris", and its link to spacesynth.

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Producers

Tony Carrasco: American in Milan's Italo

Tony Carrasco brought electro-funk rhythm and New York club energy into Milan's Italo Disco scene. We look at his work with Klein & MBO, his Saville connection, and how he shaped the sound of European dance floors.

Techniques

SSL 4000: the sound of 80s mixes

The SSL 4000 console became the studio standard of the 1980s thanks to flying faders, its legendary bus compressor and clean preamps. Here is how this British desk changed the density and brightness of Italo Disco, synth-pop and European pop mixes.

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Techniques

Roland JX-8P: an 80s polysynth

A working profile of the 1985 Roland JX-8P: two DCOs per voice, the purpose of the PG-800, useful preset lessons and a fair comparison with Juno-106 and Yamaha DX7.

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Techniques

Roland drum machines before 1990

From the organist TR-77 of 1972 to the digital R-8 of 1989: Roland released rhythm machines that shaped the sound of pop, disco, techno and Eurodance. Full chronology and sound of each model.

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Eurodance

Eurodisco and Eurodance: what changed

Eurodisco - live strings, 110-128 BPM and smooth dynamics. Eurodance - Roland TR-909, 130-150 BPM, rapper + singer and sectional radio form. Comparing the two European dance genres.

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Synth-pop

Russian synth-pop: from Tekhnologiya

Late 70s - synth-pop appears in the USSR: Forum, Tekhnologiya, Secret, Kino. Then a golden age, a 90s decline and a comeback through Ploho, Molchat Doma and Peremotka.

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Tracks

“Feel the Fire”: Masterboy by Disco Magic

1994 - Masterboy releases “Feel the Heat of the Night”. 2026 - Disco Magic & valex77 release a folk version. Comparing the original Eurodance with the modern cover.

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Techniques

What made 90s Eurodance

1992, Frankfurt. Snap! build “Rhythm Is a Dancer” on the Roland TR-909, Akai MPC60 and Korg M1. This setup became the standard of European studios from 1992 to 1996. The hardware and prices.

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Eurodance

20 Eurodance music videos of the 90s

1992-1996. Eurodance videos set the visual code of the decade: chroma key, aerobics, neon, dancers in bright costumes. 20 international videos that explain it best.

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Eurodance

Eurodance groups: 30 projects

1992-1996. Eurodance is born in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, then spreads across Europe. 30 groups clustered by country and production hub.

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Italo Disco

Spanish Italo Disco scene

Mid-80s, Barcelona and Madrid. Blanco y Negro and Max Music license Italian hits, while local projects release their own Italo-disco. A map of the Spanish scene.

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Artists

Doctor's Cat and “Feel the Drive”

1983, Italy. Doctor's Cat releases “Feel the Drive” - a track collectors still open mixes with. Who hid behind this anonymous studio team and why the song outlived the era.

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