Italo dance
Italo dance | |
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Other names | Italodance |
Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Mid 1990s, Italy |
Derivative forms | |
Other topics | |
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Electronic music |
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Experimental forms |
Popular styles |
Other topics |
Italo dance (also written Italodance) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the mid 1990s in Italy as a regional development of eurodance; its sound subsequently evolved into a distinct, yet closely related form.
The genre had its peak of popularity from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s, chiefly in Italy and San Marino, but it also enjoyed great success in the rest of Europe and in the Americas.
Most successful acts include Eiffel 65, Gabry Ponte, Paps'n'Skar, Kim Lukas, Neja, Prezioso & Marvin and Gigi D'Agostino.
Sound
Influences
The sound of the genre evolved directly from
Characteristics
The sound of Italo dance usually tends to be positive and uplifting. Lyrics are mainly about
The genre is characterized by the extensive use of
History
Through the 1990s, several
In the meantime, from the mid-1990s, the sound of some artists began to evolve and become gradually distinct from "general" Eurodance; this new sonority broke through from the end of the decade.
During 1999, several Italo dance artists dominated the international music charts, in particular dance group Eiffel 65, but also Ann Lee, Gigi D'Agostino, Neja, Kim Lukas and Prezioso & Marvin.
Eiffel 65's first single, "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", was released in late 1998 and became an international hit in the following year, peaking at #1 on the music charts in several countries, including Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada. In the United States, the single reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album Europop peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200. Amongst other successful singles from the album, "Too Much of Heaven" and "Move Your Body" (both 1999).
In summer 1999, Gigi D'Agostino released his hit single "Bla Bla Bla", mixing Italo house and Italo dance: the song reached #3 in Austria and #4 in Germany. In 2000, he repeated the success with his signature single "L'amour toujours".
Also in summer 1999, Italy-based English singer Kim Lukas released her hit single "All I Really Want": the song entered the top 10 in Italy, Canada (peaking at #2), Denmark and Austria. Prezioso & Marvin released their single "Tell Me Why", also entering the top 10 in various countries.
These successes paved the way for the new genre: in 2002, Eiffel 65 DJ
Since the beginning of the new millennium, other artists began to release new material inspired in the Italo dance sound, even outside Italy: as an example, German group ItaloBrothers
After the mid-2000s, however, Italo dance's popularity began to decrease, as other genres were rising to prominence: amongst these, the electro house pioneered by Italian DJ Benny Benassi with his 2002 single "Satisfaction", and the music of EDM producers like Bob Sinclar and David Guetta.
Nowadays, Italo dance is still cultivated by fans, and songs in the genre are sometimes aired by radios all over the world. The genre is also usually present in retrospective music festivals, such as Arena Suzuki (
In 2022, the genre experienced a revival thanks to Dargen D'Amico's hit "Dove si balla", heavily inspired in Italo dance sound and atmospheres.[1][2]
References
- GQ Italia. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ Marino, Gabriele (3 February 2022). "Dargen D'amico con "Dove Si Balla" a Sanremo ci invita a fottercene del disastro". Sentireascoltare (in Italian). Retrieved 6 February 2022.
Bibliography
- James Arena, Stars of 21st Century Dance Pop and EDM : 33 DJs, Producers and Singers Discuss Their Careers,
- Riccardo Sada, EDM, E Dio Mixa: Guida polifonica all'Electronic Dance Music, Nobook, 2017 (in Italian)
- Andrew Whittaker, Italy: Be Fluent in Italian Life and Culture, Thorogood Publishing, 2010
External links
- Paoletta, Michael. "For Italo Dance-Pop, "Business Isn't Great, It's Huge"" (PDF). ISSN 0006-2510
- "Market Place > Gabriel Giusty: Happy Summer – New Music (Italy)" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 30. 27 July 1996. p. 10. Archived from the original on 2017-11-29.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Dezzani, Mark (26 November 1994). "Southern Dance in Prime of Life, Majors Get Into Action" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 48. p. 8. Archived from the original on 2017-06-29.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 9981". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- "Best of Italo Dance Vol. 14". swedishcharts.com.
- "Gigi D'Agostino e Gabry Ponte rivivono in Germania grazie agli Italobrothers" (in Italian). vice.com.
- "Dieci pezzacci dall'era d'oro dell'italodance" (in Italian). vice.com.
- "Italodance". discogs.com.