How The Italians Invented House Music

A talk about Italo, the missing link between disco and house music.

Disco became house, and the rest is history. Much has been said and written about the emergence of house music in New York and Chicago, but the role of Italo disco is often overlooked. Daniël Mol, Italo DJ under the name Rimini Express, takes you on a journey through the history of Italo disco and the emergence of house music.

The productions from Italy did not go unnoticed in the United States. As early as 1983, the first Italo disco records, imported by the Italian and Afro-American community, could be heard on radio stations and in nightclubs in Chicago and New York. Shortly thereafter, house music emerged, partly inspired by the raw Italo disco productions of the early '80s.

Daniël discovered the genre through his father. The music, an important part of the nightlife culture in the '80s, immediately captivated him. Sometimes progressive and futuristic, sometimes sounding like the soundtrack of a cheesy B-movie. The extremes in Italo disco are close to each other. The genre is now also increasingly heard in clubs and festivals. Daniël hosts a monthly show on Birdcage Radio and regularly performs in Utrecht and its surroundings.

How the Italians invented house music
Saturday, September 27th
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Location: PHIL (Van Beijnumzaal)
Tickets: this listening session is accessible to weekend and day pass holders, available here.

Later in the afternoon, from 4 pm, Daniël will play a vinyl set at PHIL Café (free entry). Check out his latest mix here.

Photo credits: Connor Clerx, Discogs en Reggie Corner (Ron Hardy, the way we were)