FRED VENTURA レコード& CD

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


During the 1980s, Fred Ventura (real name Federico Di Bonaventura) was a well-known name in his native Italy, moving from obscure new-wave and Italo-disco underground hero to dance music-influenced synth-pop hero. Here, the veteran's 21st century collaboration with Paolo Govetti, Italoconnection, reworks four of his most loved tunes from the 80s. They begin by delivering a cheery, melody-driven nu-Italo take on 'Wind of Change', before re-framing Fairlight-heavy 1988 classic 'Hearbeat' as a Bobby Orlando-esque chunk of Hi-NRG excellence. Their take on 'Lost In Paris' is a funky, arpeggio-driven throb job that doffs a cap to the power synth-pop popular in Europe at the tail end of the 1980s, while the new version of 'The Years' is a glossy, peak-time-ready slab of classic-sounding big studio Italo-disco.

Review: During the 1980s, Fred Ventura (real name Federico Di Bonaventura) was a well-known name in his native Italy, moving from obscure new-wave and Italo-disco underground hero to dance music-influenced synth-pop hero. Here, the veteran's 21st century collaboration with Paolo Govetti, Italoconnection, reworks four of his most loved tunes from the 80s. They begin by delivering a cheery, melody-driven nu-Italo take on 'Wind of Change', before re-framing Fairlight-heavy 1988 classic 'Hearbeat' as a Bobby Orlando-esque chunk of Hi-NRG excellence. Their take on 'Lost In Paris' is a funky, arpeggio-driven throb job that doffs a cap to the power synth-pop popular in Europe at the tail end of the 1980s, while the new version of 'The Years' is a glossy, peak-time-ready slab of classic-sounding big studio Italo-disco.

Review: Gino Soccio's 'Dancer' is a standout record when thinking about the early days of disco, mainly thanks to the lush synths crafted by the Canadian producer. His magic on the keys helped set the sonic agenda of those times and led him to six hit singles and four albums. After all that success, though, he vanished in 1984 and left behind only a fine musical legacy. Random Vinyl pays homage to it with a revamped release of 'Remember,' featuring Fred Ventura's vocals and Ivy Sharrard's French verses. Producer Marc Hartman delivers a 2024 rendition, while Flemming Dalum adds a banging remix to make this a great tribute.