i-robots: present phantom records

Mondo Groove celebrates Italo-disco in fine style with the most important tunes from the legendary Phantom Records; a ride deep into the world of the label that has not only produced renowned music, but has been acknowledged as a serious influence on modern disco sounds. Emerging in the late '70s to early '80s, Italo bridged the gap between disco and house, and was a staple of seminal Chicago DJs like Frankie Knuckles. I-Robots, a true connoisseur of the genre, hailing from the Piedmont area of Italy, curated and carefully selected the tracks on this compilation. This eleven-track collection features originals and rarities, officially repressed here for the first time, and two tracks re-edited by I-Robots. The sequence begins with "Come With Me" by Roberto Carlotto. Carlotto was a keyboard player and singer active since the 1960s. His solo recording career began in 1971 with a 7" release, and was followed by the progressive rock cult album Dedicato A Giovanna G, released as Hunka Munka in 1972. At the time he was distinguished by its remarkable technique and the high quality of its equipment that included an incredible number of keyboards and even the first examples of electronic measures. "Comet Music Hall" came out as a 7" as a promotional edition for the homonymous discoteque -- a kind of psychedelic-disco still currently produced by Enzo Draghi. Roberto Ferracin is the man behind the Music One project, the name by which he produced only one LP of short electro-disco jingles. Included here are four of the most powerful cuts. Every Italo funk-disco collector knows "Radio Cosmo 101", a soulful jazzy-disco-funk number produced by the homonymous radio station that was based in Alessandria in 1975, and spawned from the mind of Tony De Giglio, his two brothers, and a group of friends. Included in this LP are the vocal and instrumental versions, as well as a long-version edit by I-Robots. Don Luigi Bernini is a Piedmontese priest who has devoted his life to music. He was introduced into the world of pop music by producers Riccardi & Albertelli and debuted with a single in 1977. Of his discography, his most interesting work is undoubtedly the weird Telepatia (1979) -- an electronic experimental album with the theme of good and evil always in the foreground. "Whirlwind" from Telepatia is featured here. Also features The One "O" One's.