Neighboring cultural heavyweights France and Germany have given the peaceful nation of Belgium a feisty competitive attitude. We’re already familiar with the country’s dominance in the areas of chanson and popular song (Salvatore Adamo, Jacques Brel, Lara Fabian) and as the birthplace of hard industrial EBM (by Front 242 and collaborators), but much less is known about Belgium’s influence on music during the disco era. (Spoiler: turns out it was comparatively insignificant, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t incredibly interesting!)
SDBAN Records will shine a spotlight on a long-forgotten time in Belgian music when it releases Discophilia Belgica, a collection of “next-door-disco and local spacemusic from Belgium 1975-1987,” later this month.
If that “next-door-disco and local spacemusic from Belgium 1975-1987” tagline didn’t get you quick-scanning for the “buy here!” link yet, here’s some more info: Available on 2xCD, two-part 2xLP, and digitally on November 16, the 30-song retro-sampler was compiled by cratediggers Loud E & The Wild and contains of-the-moment disco material, oddly dialogue-heavy dancefloor ditties, and wah-wah workouts by little known natives and one-hit wonders.
Listen to Love Dream’s clap-tastic “Sexy” below and check out a few other choice comp cutz here. (That was the “buy here!” link btw…ha, ha, made you read!)
Discophilia Belgica tracklisting:
01. R. Roland - Ethero-Disco
02. Carl Watson - King Kong
03. Charles Vernon - Baby Won’t You Turn Me On
04. Love Dream - Sexy
05. Fancy - Tropicana Beach
06. Marianne - Queen To The Pharaoh
07. Flame - Groovin’ To The Music
08. Steve - I’m Free
09. Carl Candy and the Candy-Chicks - It’s Magic
10. La Bush - Disco Bush
11. System Love - System Love
12. Cora Corona - Jungle Love
13. The Diskery - Star
14. The Rogers - Cosmos 81
15. C.C. Band - Be My Love Tonight
16. Quartz - Cool & Get Up
17. Kevin Morane - Ivre De Vie
18. L2 - La Gomme
19. Venus - Strange How You Move
20. Bubble - Bubblegum
21. Rendez-Vous - My Blue Bird
22. Raymond Joniaux - All’ A Bi Bi
23. Dan Davis - Feel So Glad
24. Manuel Ferrero - Fela
25. Afro-Disiak - Chant Vaudou
26. Autumn - The Third Autumn
27. Rayon Laser - Funky Meteor
28. Patrik - The Joymaker
29. Roland Delys - Love
30. DJ Bert & Eagle - I Am Your Master
More about: Various Artists