Any excuse…literally, ANY excuse to up these images of Giorgio Moroder is enough to warrant a blog post dedicated to the man and his machinery. From experimental subversive sounds, still with the trademark android polish, to most good records of the ’80s (Bowie, Debbie Harry and Phil Oakey spring to mind), Moroder did it. That mechanised Dilla looped (and subsequently recycled) refrain Jay Electronica found e-fame with? Moroder.
From yayo-frantic sounds to plodding robo-Turk reinterpretations, Giorgio is the godfather. Sonically, the whole Ed Banger clan know what time it is when Moroder gets mentioned, and by a lineage of influence, Giorgio birthed many a club soundtrack. But seriously, a great site like FACT can give you a more professional outlook on his best work (FACT mainman and Vinyl Factory honcho Sean Bidder took a chance on a certain chancer freelancer back in 2001 and it’s appreciated).
Sadly, you readers get props over here and a debt of gratitude, but shelling out to get a Getty image cleared is a costly step too far. Still. Despite the intrusive lettering, while the pot-bellied stripe tee studio gesturing image is good, the images below are a great deal more powerful. Charting the many moods of Moroder, the big sunglasses, razor blade chain black and white shoot’s killer, but the alfresco music making poolside is fresh too. Not sure what’s going on with the powder at the table though. This guy was bigger than even Mannie Fresh could fictionalise.
Good to see some images of the ultimate collaboration too – the Cizeta-Moroder V16T supercar, premiered in 1988 and sold between 1991 and 1995 at a $600,000 pricepoint. Pharrell would have a tough time topping that one on the premium dual-label stakes. Around seven were made, and Giorgio’s business partner, Ferrari dealer Claudio Zampolli apparently went to the USA after Cizeta Italy went bankrupt. According to Cizeta USA’s site, if you’ve got $100,000 for a deposit, you can still get one built. This FAQ breaks it down – but a slicker site would be appropriate. Bear in mind that a 1994 version was seized in December by United States Customs without even being on the road as a danger to the public. They can shift.
The two reasons for this Moroder-centric meandering is down to two recent books – the release of ‘And Party Every Day – The Inside Story of Casablanca Records’ meant some new additions to YouTube of unseen Casablanca Records reels from music industry conventions – can you comprehend the sheer volume of chop being consumed at those late ’70s shindigs? Check the otherwordly, seizure-inducing ‘Battlestar Galactica’ montage at the end of the ‘Midnight Express’ teaser, and there’s a snippet of a Munich Machine ‘Let Your Body Shine’ promo too. Plus, just because…that oft-seen Casablanca footage of some robo-voiced studio time (“Moogs, memory boards and Moroder”) deserves inclusion too.
The second book is Taschen’s ‘Extraordinary Records’ in association with Colors magazine. 432 pages of coloured, etched and shaped vinyl oddities – Giorgio Moroder is an author of the book (well, he writes the introduction), and it even includes a Mastodon record in the mix. From Moroder to Mastodon in one easy step – this is a necessary release. For all his passion for synthesized sound, his passion for vinyl at its most tactile is evident too. Undisputed demigod status…
GWARIZM 
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