from the 12” single, Sound Proof Quality Records, 1983The resurgence of vocoders in popular music has got my mind divided: on the one hand, when used atmospherically or oddly (see: Black Moth Super Rainbow), it can still be a thing of strange beauty---but, when utilized in place of actual talent or ability (see: 90% of the crap they are calling “hip-hop” these days), it begins to grate on one’s nerves. Thankfully, this minimal Italo nugget from established producer & record label owner Alessandro Novaga and his partner in crime Giorgio Paganini falls into the former category, employing the vocoder mainly as another level of rhythm, but also in a creepy manner which makes the words mostly undecipherable; frankly, there’s an ominous vibe running through the core of this whole track, like an ‘80s horror movie on speed or something. This duo, known here as ‘Cellophane’, also mixed and/or produced a handful of other in-demand Italo cuts under a string of differing aliases, but this song is my absolute favorite.
