FRED VENTURA Vinilo y CD

Review: Lovin', freedom, passion... just three key ingredients make up the bare necessities of wellbeing, which must be secured before we venture into the endless subjectivities of human happiness. Crack this emotional code, and you're in for a good time, so say the Bordello A Parigi resident players Also Playable Mono (Rafal Lachmirowicz) and Fred Ventura. Teaming up for the first time for a blistering take on nu-glossy Italo disco - informed by the former's nascently needly version of the sound, and the latter's contrastingly classic post-punk come club education of the same - this insanely glittered plumper features Ventura feature on vocals through alternating takes on the present global condition, the A-sider marking a stark contrast to the A2 side's suddenly socially charged statement, 'System Breakdown On Wikileaks'. The B-side ventures veer vocoded, flipping the script onto two further, emphatic pleas for change.

Review: During the 1980s, Fred Ventura (real name Federico Di Bonaventura) was a well-known name in his native Italy, moving from obscure new-wave and Italo-disco underground hero to dance music-influenced synth-pop hero. Here, the veteran's 21st century collaboration with Paolo Govetti, Italoconnection, reworks four of his most loved tunes from the 80s. They begin by delivering a cheery, melody-driven nu-Italo take on 'Wind of Change', before re-framing Fairlight-heavy 1988 classic 'Hearbeat' as a Bobby Orlando-esque chunk of Hi-NRG excellence. Their take on 'Lost In Paris' is a funky, arpeggio-driven throb job that doffs a cap to the power synth-pop popular in Europe at the tail end of the 1980s, while the new version of 'The Years' is a glossy, peak-time-ready slab of classic-sounding big studio Italo-disco.

Review: Given that Fred Ventura has been a mainstay of the Milan electronic underground since the late 1970s, we can't think of anyone better to curate a compilation of 'modern Italo-disco, synth-pop and house' from the Italian city's celebrated scene. Naturally, there are a couple of well-known names present - see the excellent contributions from Italoconnection and Italo-house veteran S-Tone Inc - but the majority of material comes from talented but lesser-known artists. It's these tracks that really set the pulse racing, particularly the Mono Han remix 2 version of Through Twelve's 'This Love' (a cheery deep synth-pop number with Ventura on vocals), the Patrick Cowley-esque thrills of Soul Boy ('B-Side') and the synth-wave swell of 'Il Vuoto' by Livio Fogli.

Review: A compelling selection of unreleased tracks from influential Italian artists and producers who continue to shape the underground electronic scene. The project features a mix of electro, synth-pop and new wave, each track pushing boundaries and exploring new sonic frontiers. Rimini Metafisica, led by Paolo Gozzetti (known for Sigma Tibet and Italoconnection), presents a fresh exploration of sound, while TenGramsione of the Piatto brothers' aliasesidelivers dark, minimal synth with an essential edge. Diego Montinaro, aka Sandiego, contributes a cybernetic ballad, while Mono Han, another Piatto project, shines with bright, authentic synth-pop, powered by a Linn Drum and Roland Jupiter 8.Other standout contributions include Deep Field, a synth-pop venture from Danilo Carnevale and Castelli's new-wave disco track. Fogli and Ventura's collaboration brings isolationist minimal synth, while Through Twelve offers a post-punk-synth-pop blend with contemporary flair. Body System, a collaboration between Enrico Colombo and Ventura, aims to revive the EBM sound and Italoconnection, with Francesca Gastaldi, presents a "lost" track reinterpreted by TenGrams in a Kraftwerkian style. Spittle Italy continues to bring out some excellent compilations for their followers.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks ***


The Milano Undiscovered series has been expertly overseen by Fred Ventura and now clocks up a third installment. It again delves into Milan's dynamic techno and house scene between the years of 1988 and 1992. Unveiling a trove of unreleased demos, it highlights the city's burgeoning underground culture during this period. Influenced by the pioneering sounds of Chicago, Detroit, London, and Sheffield, Milanese producers embarked on a creative journey, crafting their own distinct interpretations of electronic dance music. These demos offer a glimpse into the innovative spirit and diverse sonic landscape that defined Milan's contribution to the global dance music scene during this transformative era.

Review: The Milano Undiscovered series has been expertly overseen by Fred Ventura and now clocks up a third installment. It again delves into Milan's dynamic techno and house scene between the years of 1988 and 1992. Unveiling a trove of unreleased demos, it highlights the city's burgeoning underground culture during this period. Influenced by the pioneering sounds of Chicago, Detroit, London, and Sheffield, Milanese producers embarked on a creative journey, crafting their own distinct interpretations of electronic dance music. These demos offer a glimpse into the innovative spirit and diverse sonic landscape that defined Milan's contribution to the global dance music scene during this transformative era.