Camilo Rocha - Disco Demolition Derby

Published: Nov. 20, 2007, midnight

Back in the peak of the “disco sucks” movement, Ted Nugent-adoring redneck crowds would promote “disco demolition derbys”, where they would proceed to torch piles of disco records. They were expressing their hatred of a music that was: a) pansexual; b) of black, Latin and gay origins; c) produced by studio boffins; d) exuded cosmopolitan savoir faire. Disco was, then, also ‘dying’ in the mainstream, thanks to an onslaught of extremely cheesy tunes that clogged the airwaves. Unfortunately, to a lot of people this is the disco they know: Village People-style crap, bad karaoke fodder. Disco, of course, was so much more than that. It not only carried on breathing, thanks to a creative and thriving underground, but also became the blueprint for the next dancefloor revolution just round the corner — namely house music. To this day, it remains one of the key influences in the music many of us dance to. This podcast pays tribute to this magnificent movement by ‘demolishing’ disco in a much more positive way: mixing, editing, juxtaposing and mashing up new and old interpretations. From the galactic bliss of Orlando Riva Sound to the symphonic sass of the Salsoul Orchestra, from the synthetic homages of Lindstrom & Prins Thomas to the shiny funkiness of Le Grand David, from the leftfield proto-garage of Loose Joints to the classic italo sounds of Klein & MBO, there is a bit of everything in here. You'll also hear Chicken Lips, Giorgio Moroder, Jermaine Jackson, Donna Summer, Dinosaur, Padded Cell and, erm, The Glitter Band (funky as fuck, check it out!). Brazilians make two decisive contributions: Azymuth's anthemic Jazz Carnival and Jorge Ben's discofied samba Taj Mahal (which Rod Stewart stole for Do Ya Think I'm Sexy — Ben sued and won, you'll be pleased to know). Before you ask, this mix was done in Ableton Live, so those ever-shifting live drummer beats from the 1970s would behave and sit where they were told.   Camilo Rocha, November 2007   Tracklisting: MFSB — Love is the Message (12” remix) (Philadelphia Intl', 1978) Dinosaur — Kiss Me Again (beats) (Sire, 1978) Donna Summer — Summer Fever (bits) (Casablanca, 1976) Concorde Music Club — Models are not Angels (Le Grand David remix) (Stereofiction, 2003) Salsoul Orchestra — Chicago Bus Stop (Salsoul, 1976) Mock & Toof — Black Jub (Tiny Sticks, 2007) Loose Joints — Is It All Over My Face (edit) (West End, 1980) Phreek — I'm a Big Freak (R U 1 2) (groaning) (Atlantic, 1978) Chicago — Street Player (Pseudo-Bucketheads edit) (CBS, 1979) Orlando Riva Sound — Moonboots (edit) (Salsoul, 1977) Padded Cell — Moon Menace (DC, 2007) Roxy Music — Angel Eyes (12" version) (vocals) (Polydor, 1979) Cosmic Hoffmann — Space Disco (edit) (EMI-Electrola, 1982) Alden Tyrell — Disco Lunar Module (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas remix) (Clone, 2005) The Trammps — Zing Went the Strings of My Heart (guitar) (Buddah, 1972) Giorgio Moroder — From Here to Eternity (Oasis/Casablanca, 1977) Chin Chin — Appetite (Chicken Lips Dub) (Dialect, 2007) The Spirals — Permission to Fly (Darkroom Dubs, 2007) Klein & MBO — Dirty Talk (USA Connection Instrumental) (25 West, 1982) Gaz Nevada — IC Love Affair (vocals) (ZYX, 1983) Michel Polnareff — Lipstick (Atlantic, 1976) Klein & MBO — Dirty Talk (beats) (25 West, 1982) Jermaine Jackson — Erucu (edit) (Tamla, 1976) Azymuth — Jazz Carnival (Milestone, 1979) First Choice — Let No Man Put Asunder (accappella) (Salsoul, 1983) Mekon — Boy Bitten (Padded Cell remix) (PIAS/Wall of Sound, 2006) Dinosaur — Kiss Me Again (edit) (Sire, 1978) Le Grand David — Montre-Moi Ton Experience (Stereofiction, 2007) Richard Dorfmeister & Madrid de los Austrias — Boogie No More (Reverso 68 remix) (G-Stone, 2007) Donna Summer — Summer Fever (edit) (Casablanca, 1976) Dinosaur — Kiss Me Again (beats) (Sire, 1978) Vernon Burch — Get Up (edit) (Chocolate City, 1979) Glitter Band — Makes You Blind (Bell, 1975) Jorge Ben — Taj Mahal (Philips, 1977)   Camilo Rocha lives in São Paulo. He is widely credited for helping establish Brazil's dance music scene during the nineties. As a DJ he has performed throughout South America and Europe, and as a journalist he has written articles for magazines, newspapers and websites both in Brazil and the UK.