Memories/Special Friend

Memories/Special Friend

Gabe Catanzaro [Mental Groove]

3 October, 2007 | 10.57AM

• Written by: Richard Brophy
• Filed under: Music Recommendations: gabe catanzaro, memories, mental groove, special friend

If you’re going to do Italo nowadays, you should either try to faithfully recreate the tear jerking melodies and high energy rhythms like Alden Tyrell does, or drag it into an acid-soaked chamber and temper its tendency to go off on an uptempo reverie with tight claps and primal Chicago rhythms, in the way that Legowelt or Orgue Electronique do.

Unfortunately for Mental Groove, Gabe Catanzaro – who has put out a few decent records for the label - and remixer Mark Verbos opt for a third, less rewarding route.

In particular, Verbos’ reshape of ‘Special Friend’ is nothing short of a disaster: way too fast, its pulsing, pitched up rhythm features daft bubblegum pop girl vocals.

Italo has always strove for mainstream success - there’s nothing wrong with that if it’s done properly - but this is just trashy and disposable, and it’s hard to imagine who will even DJ it.

Catanzaro’s own version of ‘Memories’ is an improvement, but again, a silly vocal, this time like a high-pitched Bernard Sumner, ruins Catanzaro’s seductive melodic sequences.

Combined with an unremarkable housey backing, it makes for a release that Mental Groove should really assign to the bargain bin as quickly as possible.

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