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DJ Loda (Typhoon/Cosmic) Interivew
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By Jeremy Campbell
Beppe Loda
Interview by Jeremy Campbell
Translation by Fabio Falcomer

Italian DJ Beppe Loda, pioneer of DJ culture and resident at Typhoon (near Brecia) from 1980 to 1987, has been searching for sounds off the beaten path since his first gig in 1973. Playing to as many as 7,000 people a night, producing in excess of 200 mix tapes and pioneering the "Italo Synth" sound with his MC1 project (just reissued on Synthonic), he has just about done it all. His "Afro" style (also called "Cosmic" or "Cosmic Afro") is as disorienting, funky and inspiring now as it was then.

I started this interview in early 2006 and relied heavily on the generous help of Fabio Falcomer for the translation—not to mention Beppe himself for taking the time to write out his detailed answers. (THANK YOU BOTH!) At some point during the process Beppe mentioned wanting to come to the US. One thing led to another and soon he was booked for PS1 Warmup and a few other gigs in New York, Chicago and Detroit. The gigs were spectacular and it was a honor and a privelege to travel, DJ with, and learn from The Man. Hopefully this interview will give you a glimpse of what I was lucky enough to experience firsthand.

I should also mention that I am not a writer. I did this (my first and quite possibly last) interview simply because I wanted to know the answers to the questions. So don't call the grammar police or anything...enjoy!

Early Years

Where are you from?

I was born and still reside in Manerbio, a town to the south of Brescia, near Lake Garda.

What are your origins in music? Who inspired you?

My very first record dates back to 1970 when I was 13: a 45 of "Venus" by The Shocking Blue. My mother gave it to me along with a turntable. After that, I collected more 45s, but my first LP was "Live Peace in Toronto" by John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, followed by Santana "3", Ten Years After "Undead", and Rare Earth "In Concert". I can say that my musical influences were first beat music, then rock and blues (after I saw the Woodstock movie). These things, as well as my wife Patrizia, were integral to the evolution of my musical tastes.

In Italy, the landmark and thus most influential factor regarding DJing was the RAI (the italian equivalent for BBC) radio broadcast Alto Gradimento, hosted by the great Renzo Arbore and Gianni Boncompagni, along with Hit Parade by Lelio Luttazzi: these highly musically skilled forerunners made the history (and more) of the italian radio.


At Le Cupole club in Manerbio, 1974
When did you start DJing?

Long before Typhoon, my first "official" gig (I was already playing for friends) took place at the end of 1973 at the Kinky club in my hometown of Manerbio. Soon after, becoming acquainted with two well-known local DJs would be crucial. These two guys (with whom I still see keep in touch) were Mec Lamonti, who had a really roaring way to present the music, and Morris, who turned me on to soul and funk and reaquainted me with Sly and The Family Stone (a group I had caught only a glimpse of in the Woodstock movie).

As you surely know, at the time there was neither mixing nor beat matching. I had no mixer at all in fact. Just two buttons and, when you pressed one, a sort of fade-out effect would result. DJs in clubs "worked" as if they were on a radio, dealing directly with the public, playing tricks, and introducing the tracks. It was all very friendly and artless—beautiful and free! Lamonti and Morris were real masters of this type of DJing. The imptortant thing I learned from them was that being a DJ is a way to express one's personality. Later, this would lead me to what I consider the most important source of inspiration: the musical search.

What was Kinky like and what music were you playing there?

Kinky was a little club in downtown Manerbio where I got regular gigs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon and night. It was a nice place to play, filled with a lot of people who enjoyed their time there very much. The owners, Tony and Oreste, were very cute and trusted my "revolutionary" musical selections in full. I played a lot of rock, blues, funk, disco, etc.—mostly 45s. The night was split up by tempo—slow periods, where lights went down and people danced cheek to cheek, up-tempo periods, where you could dance to "boogie-boogie" and "rock 'n roll", and "shake" time when I played disco and funk. Beautiful, really beautiful...even though I was very young, that was the most beautiful time I spent in a club.

When did mixing and beat matching first come into the picture?

I started to learn how to mix in 1977/78. This new way to "arrange" music was imported from Milan (just west of Manerbio) and I have to say I wasn't thrilled at first. To me it seemed like a sort of restriction to my self-expression—as there was no longer room for performance with a microphone—but it was just a matter of method. When I felt comfortable with the new technique, I realized I was still able to express myself in the music—the queen of the communication arts!

Typhoon


What about Typhoon? When did it open/close?

Typhoon opened on December 19th, 1980 and closed on September 3rd, 1987.

Who were the owners and did they have a particular vision in mind?

The owners were Nevio, Mauro Losio, Mauro Co' and Bruno. When I was at Kinky it became very popular with the fashion crowd. Nevio, his wife Susy and sister Anna (who owned the Mister Folly boutique) decided to do a Kinky/Mister Folly party. It was a huge success and we became good friends (I also frequented the boutique)...very fond memories of those days! We got to talking about new parties and how we might open a new kind of club. Nevio brought in the other partners and Typhoon was opened—a product of my musical direction and Nevio's managing skills.

What did it look like?

I am enclosing some pictures of the interior. The sound system was state-of-the-art and included:
• 3 MacIntosh amplifiers
• 8 JBL loudspeakers
• 2 Tascam M30 mixers
• 4 Micro Seiki turntables

The lighting was also excellent—a Coemar system designed by the Castelgoffredo firm from Mantova—and to top it all off, a powerful laser beam.


What was the crowd like?

At the beginning, most people going to Typhoon were from Brescia/Verona/Cremona and Mantova—regulars at the other clubs where I played. (Many of these people are still friends and acquaintances that I see from time to time.) Later, when it became more well-known, people came from all over Italy, Austria, and Germany. I would describe it as a mixed audience with a 70's post-hippy look.

What hours was Typhoon open? Did you typically play from the very beginning to the very end and how did the music you played change over the course of the evening?

As the years passed the opening and closing times changed, but the structure of the night remained the same: 1 hour of warm-up music with a laser light show (by Ivan Jugy), then 3 hours of dancing. Being the resident DJ, I played from start to end (except when there was a guest). For the first hour I played a planed set of mostly slow electronic/new wave/pop/prog stuff, while the later dance set was improvised. During my last years at Typhoon, I played a lot of obscure music, stuff like Soul, Funk-Blaxploitation, Soul-Rock, Psychedelic Soul and Jazz-Fusion.

What records did you play?

After 7 years at Typhoon and approximately 200 mix tapes, suffice it to say that it would be difficult to list all the records I played. Here are some of the artists and styles I like best.

Electronic/New Wave:
MC1 - Klaus Schulze - Tangerine Dream - Conrad Schnitzler - Meccanica Popular (the latter two inspiring my Elettronica Meccanica style) - Vangelis - Ryuichi Sakamoto - Roedelius - The Rah Band - Richard Wahnfried - Synergy - B.E.F. - Richard Bone - Kitaro - Chris and Cosey - Yello - Depeche Mode - The Cure - Cabaret Voltaire - Anne Clark - Bill Nelson...

Afro/Brasil:
Zaka Percussion (a band from Paris, for whom we organized a live concert at Brescia's Theatre) - African Djole - Olatunji - Jorge Ben - Gilberto Gil - Gal Costa - Luciano Perrone - Fela Kuti - Manu Dibango - King Sunny Ade - Sunny Okosun - Tony Allen - Milton Nascimento - Airto & Flora Purim - Nana Vasconcelos - Don Cherry - Guem - Dom Um Romao - Sivuca - Joao Bosco - Alceu Valencia - Pili Pili - Angelique K. - Azymuth...

Funk/Soul:
Undisputed Truth - Edwin Starr (I love so much the Norman Whitfield's productions) - F.A.T. - Carl Holmes - Gordon's War - Savage - Shaft In Africa - Brothers on the Run - Willie Dynamite - Rare Earth - Cane & Able - James Brown - J.B.'s - Earth Wind & Fire - Fatback Band - East Harlem Bus Stop - Jimmy Castor - Cymande - Nite Liters - Hamilton Bohannon (a favorite!) - Magum - Erotic Drum Band - Soul Searcher - Lee Field - Kool & The Gang - Aretha Franklin - Sly and The Family Stone...

Rock/Prog:
Eloy - Mike Oldfield - Gong - Tribute - Bob Seger - Rare Earth - Birth Control - Amon Duul 2 - Jan Akkerman - Brian Auger - Santana - Guru Guru - To Be - Goblin - Incredible Bongo Band...

Jazz/Fusion
Passport - Billy Cobham - Crusader - Brecker Bros. - Dave Pike Set - Donald Byrd - Herbie Hancock - Stanley Clarke - Miroslav Vitous - Deodato - George Duke - David Earl Johnosn - Codona - Max Roach - Art Blakey - Ralph McDonald - Herbie Man - Caldera - Tania Maria - Tony Esposito - Tullio De Piscopo - Stefano Pulga - John Tropea - Special EFX - Weather Report - Chico Hamilton - Jimmy McGriff - Jack McDuff and all the Jazz standards...

Latin/Salsa
Tito Puente - Ray Barretto - Celia Cruz - Milton Cardona - Poncho Sanchez - Tata Guinez - Carlos Potato Valdez - Eddie Palmieri - Sabu Martinez - Pucho - Mongo Santamaria - Tjader - Candido - Irakere - Candela - Die Elefanten...

The musical selection at Typhoon evolved thanks to my insatiable lust for music. I've traveled all over Europe looking for records. From 1983 to 1985, my wife Patrizia, my friend Francis and I owned a record shop in Brescia called Señor Salsa—at that point, I was able to go through the distributors' warehouses. Señor Salsa became a point of reference for alternative music (on vinyl and tape). Many DJs, including (Baia degli Angeli and Cosmic resident DJ) Daniele Baldelli were regular customers, but again I digress...I have to say also that our selection improved greatly thanks to all the DJs who played at our parties. Those were the days too...just beautiful days.


It would be easy to describe some of your tapes as druggy or psychedelic. Were drugs a big part of the scene at Typhoon?

Not so much. The owners also owned other important companies, therefore the club was carefully watched by the authorities. Unlike other clubs that were shut down due to illegal drug use, Typhoon was eventually closed for public order concerns. At the September 1987 finale there were almost 10,000 people who couldn't get in and poured out into the streets of Gambara (a town with a population of 4,000). Just imagine! Well...I won't deny the occasional spliff went around.

What years did you play there and how often?

I started to play at Typhoon even before the opening, while it was transitioning from a cinema to club. (I even consulted on the construction and sound system—for instance the DJ booth was tailored to my height.)

At the beginning I played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Then the club was only open on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The last Sunday of each month would be a special party, from 3pm to 1am. It was a kind of sacred gathering with people coming from all over (2-3,000 people wandering around this same small town of Gambara, waiting for someone to leave so they could go in!).

I was the resident DJ there from the very beginning until the closing of the club, with the exception of late 1984/early 1985, when I played at Cosmic, then at a club called Chicago and then one called Futura. By March 1985 though, I was back at Typhoon.

My short residence at Cosmic would be crucial to what people now call Cosmic music. It was at that time that Baldelli's electronic style melded with my own Afro style—a term I came up with before Typhoon while playing at Le Cupole in Manerbio.

Afro was meant as a sort of container for the potpourri of different music other DJs and I played—into which you could throw anything outside the mainstream. For example, I would mix a minimal track a-la Philip Glass into a Zaka Percussion track, or a Steve Reich track into an African chant, or Vangelis' Hypothesis over a drum track, or even Richard Wahnfried mixed into the Arpadys. Many DJs adopted this style and it delights me to no end, because it shows that my ideas about DJing and music spread and were understood.

By 1982 this style had broken out at Typhoon thanks to my Afro tape series and the first Afro gathering (my idea, sponsored by Typhoon). Myself, DJs Ebreo, TBC (AKA Claudio Tosi Brandi) and Fari played to 7,000 people at the stadium in Gambara—those were the golden years indeed!

The Afro Sound


Where did the term Afro originate? It's easy to understand that Cosmic refers to the music played at Cosmic, but with Afro there is no such reference point. Out of context, one might assume it means African music.

In Italy, until 1982, people used to define music by the club's name: Typhoon sound (Beppe Loda), Les Pois sound (Daniele Mix), Chicago sound (Ebreo, Spranga and Fari), Cosmic sound (Daniele Baldelli and TBC), Les Cigales sound (Meo, Rubens, Daniele Mix and Joele), Arena sound (DJ Lollo), and so on. There were only a few of these clubs, so it was unavoidable that some records were played by all of us. Those tracks were our hits. Some were "discovered" by one DJ or another, but we all played them. Outside of those commonalities, each of us would lean more in one direction: towards electronic music, jazz, funk, Brazilian music, African music, reggae, etc. No one had yet defined what we were doing as a group though.


I traveled a lot to buy records and developed an interest in African/tribal music (bear in mind that during the 80's there was no such culture in Italy, so the music was very difficult to find). I was very impressed by a mixed (European/African) group of percussionists I saw in Amsterdam (photo below at left). I also noticed the "Afro" hair salons in the Pigalle neighborhood of Paris. Many of us loved and played a lot of afrobeat (Fela, Dibango, Olatunji) and I realized, when you think about it, almost all the music we were playing had African roots. People kept asking me, What do you call this melting pot of music? I connected the dots and my Afro series of mix tapes was born.

So you see, no one DJ can claim to be the originator of the Afro style. It is the result of the ideas and efforts of a group of DJs. I can only claim to have contributed my part and a general term to define it. My new style of DJing was born at Le Cupole in 1979 and, yes, it was a mix of different styles, but it was not the Afro style as a whole.

Unfortunately, the Le Cupole 1/79 mix tape (my first) was badly damaged during a flood in 1992. Someday I will try to restore it. Anyway, it has a lot of funky music on it: Afro-disco, percussion, fusion—Instant Funk, Machine, War, Herbie Hancock, Black Soul, Johnny Wakelin "In Zaire", Candido "Jingo", etc. Ah, and one mix of two records that could be considered musically opposite (a technique I still use): "Jerky Rhythm" by Erotic Drum Band into "Computer Game" by Yellow Magic Orchestra (which, by the way, was a bit of an anthem for me and my friends who did karate).

Back to the music...I think the term Cosmic music (often used outside of Italy) is not the most accurate way to define the melange of electronic/new wave/prog/pop that was very popular here in the 80's (and which I played a lot at Cosmic and during the first hour of my sets).

Much later, during the mid-90's, there was the Cosmic music series of parties by a group of Austrian, Italian and German DJs. They described the parties as Afro, but, while their style comes from the original Afro DJs, there's not much of the original concept left—but then I guess I'm from the old school.

Cosmic, Baia degli Angeli, etc.


How was your experience at Cosmic different than Typhoon?

In September 1984 there were several changes on Saturday nights: I became resident at Cosmic along with Baldelli and TBC (AKA Claudio Tosi Brandi who was so popular, he became a kind of icon of the club—as I had with Typhoon). Ebreo, Fari and Rudy were residents at Typhoon and many other DJs played one-off parties at all these clubs.

My experience at Cosmic was very interesting but short: after about three months the club was shut down by the police (perhaps this was due to neighboring hotels complaints, as the club was in Lazise on the shores of Lake Garda). As far as the music, it was normal for me to start with some electronic music and end with afrobeat or jazz, meandering through different genres. Sometimes the second part of the night was devoted to African rhythms, and the first was a mix of electro/new wave/prog/pop. That was also when I started to play more "world music"—Andean, Brazilian, Asian and African—forming a unique crossover between ethno-rhythms and electronic sounds...ah, and Herbie Hancock, who had some early breakbeat tracks flavored with African instruments (like the Sanza-cora). Other than that, there was plenty of prog (Andy Summers), reggae, dub, etc. This type of thing can be heard on my BL series of tapes which I started around this time.

So all these musical elements, mixed with the new wave/electro stuff Baldelli often played, formed what later became known as Cosmic music or New Afro. Baldelli's style was more electro/new wave, while mine included many other genres. TBC was a really spectacular performer and the music faded to the background for him. The nights at Cosmic with Baldelli and TBC were highly entertaining and innovative, but for me, nothing can compare to those at Typhoon.

Going back a bit here, in interviews Daniele Baldelli speaks of the club Baia degli Angeli opening in 1974 and two Americans DJs Bob and Tom who played the latest American records six months before they were available in Italy—with as-yet-unseen mixing skills. How aware were you of what was going on there?

To understand this, you must look at a map. Manerbio is close to Milan so all the latest trends came from there. People were used to going to clubs to see the hotshot model dancing, or listen to this or that famous American, English or French DJ. In 1973 the first record importers established themselves there and finding those records became much less difficult. I was very fortunate because one of those import pioneers was my insurance agent's brother, Mr. Bonandrini (now a world renown jazz producer).

The first time I heard of Bob and Tom was in 1981 when I met Mozart (AKA Claudio Rispoli who, along with Baldelli, replaced Bob and Tom in 1976). I had asked Nevio to invite him to play at Typhoon because some friends who vacationed in Riccione had gone to Baia degli Angeli and were very enthusiastic.

There is no question that Mozart and the Baia degli Angeli club were at the forefront of Italian club culture, but my references were others. Even if knowing Mozart resulted in a real improvement to my way of DJing, the Typhoon/Loda affaire was a completely different and innovative case.

What other guests played at Typhoon? Are there any that stand out in your memory?

Guests played mostly on Sundays and at the aforementioned gatherings. I played on Saturdays, except when there was a special event, to which Nevio invited other DJs. They were always completely free to express their creativity, thanks to the club layout and the competent public who attended. From the closing of Cosmic and Chicago until 1987, Typhoon was practically the only big name club left. During this period, many DJs played there in turns. From 1983 to 1985 I played with a dear friend of mine, the great DJ Claus (I was a fan of Ebreo and Mozart too).

Outside Italy
Were you able to follow much of what DJs outside of Italy were doing in the 70's and 80's—in the UK, USA, Ibiza, or Germany for example?

I would have loved to have met American or English DJs (I believe there is always something to learn) but unfortunately i did not.

In Ibiza there were several Italian DJs, and I've also encountered many German DJs. I recently met two young DJs from Rotterdam, Tako and Loude at a party held by DJ Alex Mohl. It was a pleasant surprise as they introduced me to a kind of new school electro/disco/space sound. Nice! An excellent example of what I mean by "there's always something new to learn."

Can you speak about the Afro style spreading outside of Italy?

In Austria, the forerunners of Afro music were Navajo and Enne, who were regulars at Typhoon and Cosmic. Navajo started throwing parties in Innsbruck and North Tirol with many Italian DJs as guests. (If memory serves, I was the first Italian DJ to play there.) Later, the musical phenomenon would wander around Bavaria in Germany, especially Munich and Augsburg. Here are some words by Enne himself about this:

"The scene is the Italian Adriatic coast and Northern Italy at the end of the 70's. Some young Italian DJs, Claudio "DJ Mozart" Rispoli, Beppe Loda, Ebreo, TBC and Daniele Baldelli, begin developing their own funky, spacey sound. Tired of the mainstream music, they created an extraordinary mixture of German electronic music, ethnic flavored world music, obscure disco, fusion and funk. For example: Azymuth, Airto, Undisputed Truth, JB's, Jorge Ben, Weather Report, Tangerine Dream, YMO, Can, Klaus Schulze, Manu Dibango and Fela Kuti. They mixed all that stuff with Micro Seiki and Technics SP15 (used only by Baldelli and TBC) turntables and called it Afro-funky. In addition to becoming a huge musical success in Northern Italy, it was also a lifestyle. Thousands of young people, dressed in old Levi's, Clark's Wallabees (or desert boots) and drove every weekend in their Citroen DSs, 2 CVs, Renault 4s or Vespa scooters to their favorite clubs—Cosmic, Typhoon, Baia degli Angeli, Les Cigales—to dance all night. A very unique scene was born and it became one of Italy's major underground movements of the 80's. It was in 1982/83 that I first had contact with the Afro-funky or Cosmic sound, while clubbing in the Lake Garda area. I soon began to DJ in my hometown of Innsbruck and imported this Italian style to Austria and Southern Germany. Like Beppe and Daniele, I continue today and am now one of Southern Germany's most prolific DJs. Currently residing in Munich, I host residencies around Europe and am also a busy producer and remixer. My "Lago di Garda Experience" 12" (on Compost records) comes straight from my musical roots in the Italian Afro-funky Cosmic Sounds."

How much do/did you travel to DJ and where?

I've been traveling a lot in Italy and abroad in recent years—both to DJ and to buy records. In July of 2006 I was invited to play in Stockholm (on the roof of the cultural centre building!) by the Rymd-Discko crew—a gorgeous 5 hour party of 70's-80's electronica. People loved it. I was also invited to play in New York, Chicago, and Detroit by this quite curious American DJ...Jeremy Campbell! My baptism of fire will take place on August 19th at PS1 Warm Up—I'm so delighted! I'd Also like to thank Jason/DJ Spun from PS1 and Rong Music for this great opportunity.

After Typhoon and Now
Where did you play after Typhoon? In the 90's? More recently?

After Typhoon closed, I played at various Italian clubs—mainly around Bergamo, Trento, Venice and Padua. Some of them still exist, but the music is more New Afro. During the 90's I often traveled to Reggio Emilia (my second homeland) to play soul, funk and Afro at Marabu, one of the oldest clubs in Italy. Playing to 2 to 3,000 musically well-trained dancers was always great! James Brown, Earth Wind and Fire, Booker T, Jimmy Castor, Bohannon, African Djole, Temptations, Edwin Starr, Undsputed Truth...I really enjoyed those nights! The most obvious request I ever got was for the Incredible Bongo Band! Just a great, great vibe and great people.

How often do you play today? Is there anywhere you play regularly?

Nowadays I play often in Italy, but I'm far from the New Afro or Cosmic music (as many Austrians and Germans call it these days). Sometimes I play along with a DJ from Bergamo, Mauri, who's deep into the kind of Afro that mixes in a lot of electronic elements—a high quality sound. In recent years though, my taste for the funk/soul/disco of my roots has returned. I'm still up and down Europe playing Electronic stuff, but not 6 out of 7 days like I once was.

I've been to Vienna and Linz recently, playing Soul and Funk 45s and digging with with DJs Scott and Enne. It took me back to the days when I used to play all those hard-to-find 45s and LPs—so beautiful.

I am without a residency at the moment but I hope have one again. It really makes me feel like a king! My musical choices are more inspired and, most importantly, I build a strong relationship with the crowd. If you're a mobile DJ who plays at many clubs it's easy to start thinking of what you do as a job. You're inclined to play more "hits" instead of what you really feel, then you end up asking yourself what it would have been like if you had played different songs in a different order, etc...okay, one night gigs are not so bad, but it's totally different from a residency, where you love the people and they love your music.

Productions and Remixes
What production/remix/re-edit projects have you been involved in and what do you have planned for the future?

With Francesco Boscolo (a member of the prog group Egotrya) I have the Memory Control One project, a duo inspired by the kind of music known as "Italo Synth". I also produced a cover of Sixteen Tons with the band The F 50s introducing Paul and A. Ensamble. During the 90's I did a lot of remixes (almost 60, of which 30 have been released)—many of them in the Typhoon Music Machine series. I've just finished 2 compilations: one is electro/new wave flavoured (to be released on Synthonic) and the other is electronic tracks by German artists (to be released on Compost). In addition to those, there are the Elettronica Meccanica records planned for release on Gomma. And last but not least, I'm working on a remix of a New Italo track by an artist from New York, Professor Genius.

Can you give some more background on MC1?

I will let Francesco speak to that:

"Our MC1 project is still alive and kicking after 22 years, the result of a long lasting friendship and overwhelming love for the music. (We are definitely not making records for the money!) In the 80's we recorded some demos for an album and Beppe recently found them at his father's house. The second 12" is almost done (some arrangements still need to be finished and we are recording some alternate versions)."

To me, Francesco Boscolo is one of the best electronic musicians. He has an unmistakable style and plays many of the song's parts by hand. Our first 12", Basic, from 1983, was recently re-released on Paolo Scotti's Synthonic label. We have since finished the 2nd 12" (started in 1985) and it should be out shortly. We are also working on other unfinished tracks to complete the album (all at the Uhrwald Orange recording studio in Dusseldorf), and on a never before released track by Egotrya which is really nice.


Reissue of the MC1 Basic 12" (left) and Loda & Boscolo at Electric Garden studios (right).

What about the Typhoon Music Machine?

In the mid 90's, DJ Fred (from Germany) asked me if I would like to remix some of the tracks I played in the 80's. I agreed, provided that the project would be open to any DJ or musician wanted to contribute. Fred called it Typhoon Music Machine. We released 5 volumes in collaboration with Italian, Austrian and German DJs—and have material for three more. I also did a few remixes of Afro-Brazilian music for a project called Typhoon Afro Machine and another, Typhoon Celtic Machine, which focused on Celtic music. We are currently working on 5 more in the Typhoon Music Machine series. The first 5 volumes have been recently re-issued in Japan by request of DJ Dr. Nishimura (Cisco Records).

And the Elettronica Meccanica records, are these compilations? It was a series of tapes first right?

The first Elettronica Meccanica 12" is almost finished and contains new tracks, along with the remix of the opening track of tape 22/86 in the BL series, called Elettronica Meccanica. This tape was a seguey into the Elettronica Meccanica series, a culmination of the sound which had appeared as "subliminal messages" in the Dance and BL series tapes.

Technique
Many American DJs of the disco era (Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, etc.) were known for making edits and remixes with razors and reel-to-reel tapes, then playing those tapes directly in the club. Did you ever do anything like this?

Yes, I did, and others too—especially some DJs in the Milan area.

Aside from mixing, were there other ways you "embellished" the music (samples, percussion, effects, extending a song with two copies of the record, etc.)?

I started my collaboration with some recording studios very early. There I learned many tricks to manipulate sound and I can assure you I got up to all sorts of mischief behind the decks. At the time there were no samplers, so I would literally insert bits of a record into the one that was playing, quickly cutting in and out with the fader. I also often used reel-to-reel machines to make edits, or emulate mixing on three decks...or even to add some echo/delay effects. Sometimes I played a record on the left channel and another one on the right, splitting the dancefloor in two, then inverting the records. I remember also making a sort of "sonic error" by pulling the vinyl back and forth and getting an effect that later came to be called scratching. I loved playing with the vocal sections of different records too. These tricks often also required drastically changing the bpm. In the end the result was that my DJ sets were very unique. It was always a challenge, especially playing live with everyone staring at you, but I always had great fun with it.

What about drastically speeding up and slowing down records? Playing 45s at 33 and vice versa seems to have been relatively common for you guys.

At the time it was normal for Afro DJs to slow down records. When more new wave/pop/electronic music began to be played, we did the opposite. Generally I prefer to play a track at the original speed, but some electronic records sound better sped up.

Were your tapes recorded live in the club? At home? Do you have an idea how many copies were sold?

Until 1983 they were strictly live in the club, after that some of both. I would guess in the hundreds of thousands. I sold many copies, which were copied again and again and sold accross Italy in record shops, used-clothing shops and local markets. At the time it was what you Americans would call a booming business and you could find tapes of mine and other DJs literally everywhere.

This huge success brought some problems though. The booth at Typhoon allowed people to see the DJ at work and the records being played. Nothing wrong with that, but eventually the note-takers arrived, writing down the titles of all the songs. Soon after, "my" songs could be easily found (as originals or bootlegs) in the record shops, at the market stalls, on other DJs' tapes, on the radio, etc. I would have taken great satisfaction in this, but it was bad for Typhoon. Since the club was off the beaten path, it needed to remain a unique musical point of reference (i.e. the music had to be mostly exclusive) to ensure people would travel there. For me, the resident DJ with a reputation of continuous innovation, this made things difficult.

In addition, the way I put together a mix was to play it live in front of a crowd, refining the sequence each time, then eventually recording it. This was time-consuming and sometimes other DJs were playing the records before I was able to put them to tape. (Some records that only I owned were on heavy rotation for a year before I put them in a mix.) To avoid all this, in the middle of the 1983 I started covering the titles with stickers that Nevio provided for me. If I was asked nicely though, I was always happy to tell someone more about the music I played!

The Musical Search
You spoke before about importance the musical search. Can you elaborate on what it is for you and how you have approached it? How much has that changed for you over the years with the increased ease of communication and the internet/global market?

For a DJ like me who has been playing against the grain of popular music all his life, the musical search means everything. Finding alternative music is easy, but finding good alternative music that appeals to people not so obvious. Though the internet has become a very important resource, the way I find "my music" has remained essentially the same over the years: travelling and digging—and on that subject we could talk endlessly!

Italo Disco

Can you speak about Italo Disco? There isn't much of it in your mixes, though it was being produced on a large scale at the time.

Italo Disco is like any other genre. There are some good productions and plenty of crap. You can find hidden gems like Macho, Peter Jaques Band and Revanche (all produced by Mauro Malavasi), Claudio Simonetti's Easy Going (named after the first club opened in Milan), Celso Valli, Tantra, etc. Most of it was produced in northern Italy (with Milan at the center) and the producers, artists, DJs and distributors all knew each other. I took part in many sessions as a consultant (Klein & MBO, B.B. & Band, etc.), and many of those producers are still friends of mine.

---

Photos generously provided by Beppe and vintage flyer scans by Alex from Mix Archives. (All images of Typhoon Copyright © Typhoon. All rights reserved.)

Tapeography

1 - at Le Cupole
2-3 - at Bisbi
4-5 - at Good Moon
6-29 - at Typhoon
30 - The Best Of Typhoon (unreleased)
1-4 - Shantj
1-2 - Dub
1-15 - Afro (1982-1984)
1-15 - Dance (1982-1984)
1 - Remember 1982
1 - Tribute To Typhoon (1981/1982/1983)
24 - Various tapes of parties Live @ Typhoon (with other DJs)
------------------------------------
1-61 - BL (1-4 @ Cosmic, 5-12 @ Chicago and Futura, 13-31 @ Typhoon)
31-61 - Various Disco
1 - Tribute To Typhoon (January 1985)
------------------------------------
1-10 - Rock/Blues
1-10 - Afro Return
1 - Dangerous
1-3 - Global Village
1-10 - Acid Jazz More Funky
1-2 - Experimental Music Program

Current & Upcoming Releases
Deja Vu/Synthonic/Paolo Scotti
repressing of MC1 Basic 12" (out now)
second MC1 Counter 12" (out soon)
MC1 LP/CD
a Typhoon compilation
------------------------------------
Gomma Records
First records of the "Elettronica Meccanica" series
------------------------------------
Typhoon Music Machine
5 new records in the series
-------------------------------------
Compost Records
a new production with Francesco Boscolo
a new compilation
a new dance mix production on 12"

For more info

• Beppe Loda on Myspace.
• Tropical Computer System is Jeremy Campbell's site and has a couple of Beppe's mixes for download.
• The re-issued MC1 Basic 12" is availble at Piccadilly Records.
• www.cosmicdisco.co.uk interviewed Beppe in March of this year.
• Japanese DJ Dr. Nishimura interviewed Beppe last year.

Last modified 2007-08-24 15:13

Typhoon Legend Beppe Loda Exclusive Mix & Interview
March 9th, 2007 by cosmicdisco

We are extremely honored to have an exclusive interview and mix from no other than Typhoon lenend and 'Afro' pioneer Beppe Loda.

Many thanks to our good friend Fabiofal over at DJHistory for his tireless translation.

BEPPE LODA EXCLUSIVE 'COSMIC DISCO' INTERVIEW

Hi guys.

Most people around the world consider me a 'Cosmic' DJ but this is not true.

'Cosmic' music is a kind of music and also a sort of German collective (Founded by an Austrian DJ) with whom I have no connections. In fact, Cosmic Music doesn't actually exist!

Most people outside the Italian borders consider cosmic music a mixture of Electronic/Pop/Progressive and New-Wave which I played during the first hour at Typhoon club.

It's obviously also popular in the Cosmic Club itself. Personally, I think that this terminology is reductive and I don't like it because the movement which also included Cosmic was much wider and articulated and was more commonly known as 'Afro'. This movement was based in the North of Italy in the Typhoon disco, a popular meeting point for many DJ's and a starting point for new kinds of music, at least until 1987…


cosmicdisco: You were born and still live in Manerbo, a town south of Brescia near Lake Garda. How did growing up in this area as a child have an effect on your musical tastes?

None whatsoever! In the 1970s, no type of music was produced here but in the 1980's the province of Brescia became one of the reference points for the production of Italian disco music. With various labels, including 'Media' and 'Time' (The latter strictly connected to 'Disco Magic'), as well as the rest of the world, we were under the influence of English music with Pop/Beat in the 1960's, Rock in the 70's and the New Romantic/British Invasion in the 80's. Instead, in the 1960's it was Rock, Blues and then Jazz arrived from America. In the 1970's, Soul, Funky, Fusion and Disco music came which went on to invade the whole world. I must confess that I am very happy to have personally witnessed this post-Woodstock period right through the 1990's, a period in which musical production was in abundance and of excellent quality.

cosmicdisco: What are your earliest musical memories as a child?

When I was about 12, a friend of mine had an older brother who used to buy the famous 45? records. Amongst these records was a record by a certain 'Ricky S.', one of the 'Mods', who sang about a fight in Liverpool between the Mods Vs Rockers. It was the theme tune of most of our games. We used to split up into 2 groups, the Mods and the Rockers and we used to fight. At one point, the song said "I was struck on my head and I began to spin" and that's exactly what happened to me. It was as if I saw Queen Elizabeth in person. My first musical memories were of English Beat/Pop and Rock. My first record was a 45? called 'Shocking Blue Venus', which my mother gave me as a present; I also liked the theme tune of the film 'A Summer Place'.

cosmicdisco: Was your home town integrated? i.e. Are there many immigrants in the area that bring a mix of cultures to the region?

Brescia and its provinces are highly productive and include industry and tourism etc.. as a major income. As a result, Brescia was in the front line when it came down to the immigration phenomenon in the 1990's. Before then, it was very rare to see a foreigner in Brescia and it was indeed an event if you did see one.

cosmicdisco: Why 'Afro' music? What excites you about black orientated dance music?

Definitely the Soul! As I've already mentioned in other interviews, Afro is only a name to describe a mix of different types of music coming mainly from Africa and which contain a high percentage of percussion music, but above all, alternative and non-commercial. Obviously, from this term, New-Wave/Pop/Electronic and Progressive Rock are excluded. At the Typhoon disco, many people used to come and ask me (And other DJs, too…) how we would define the type of music we played. It was a bit difficult to explain that African Fusion/Jazz/Brazilian/Funk/Blaxploitation/Percussion etc. so it definitely needed its own definition. What do these types of music have in common? Their African origin: Afro-Jazz, Afro-Funk, Afro-Brazilian, etc… The 'Afro' style means liberty of choice of music. I realise that abroad it can assume a different meaning, but this term was being used in Italy at the beginning of the 1980's (From my series of Afro tapes) in a social context in the North of Italy completely different to that of today. Today, if I had to give myself a definition as a DJ, I would consider myself 'Free-Style'.

cosmicdisco: Where did you collect your early records from?

My mother used to buy me my first records and I used to choose them from the shop next to my parents' business.

cosmicdisco: Your wife was also integral to your development in your musical tastes. How exactly?

Actually, Patrizia (My wife) didn't contribute to my musical tastes, she just kept me anchored to reality, especially when I played at the Typhoon; a reality which consisted not only of a public full of 'Connoisseurs' or 'Strange-Music' geeks, but also of girls who liked some 'Easy-Listening', as Antena, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben, Sivuca and so on.
It was a sort of sonic trip to me: A great sound system made up of JBL, Macintosh, Tascam, Micro Seiki, along with a gorgeous light system… Then it was my wife who took me back to reality, when we stare at one each other.

cosmicdisco: Who are your favorite Italian artists?

Plenty; here are some of them that spring to mind:

MINA
LUCIO BATTISTI
NEW TROLLS
IL BIGLIETTO PER L' INFERNO
LA LOCANDA DEL LUPO
PFM
BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO
EUGENIO FINARDI
IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO
I SIGNORI DELLA GALASSIA
DORIS NORTON
OSANNA
TRIP
ENNIO MORRICONE
BRUNO LAUZI
PINO DONAGGIO
AUGUSTO MARTELLI
GOBLIN
ARMANDO TROVAJOLI
TONY ESPOSITO
AREA
PERIGEO
TULLIO DE PISCOPO
and so on …
cosmicdisco: Your first 'Official' DJ gig was at a local club called 'Kinky' in your home town of Manerbo at the end of 1973. Can you describe the club, the people who visited and the music you were playing at the time?

Kinky was a 'Classics' club: 250 people admitted, it had a good sound system and modern decor; something like the "Salon des Amateur" in Düsseldorf. Back in the day; in Brescia, there were quite several little clubs but Kinky stood out for music and for being fashionable yet full of fun people (many of them were friends of mine). I used to play some Rock, R'n'B, Soul and Funky, something along the lines of:

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
DOOBIE BROTHERS
SWEET
JIMMY CASTOR
SAM E DAVE
ISAAC HAYES
WAR
BTO
and so on… (in other words, what I was able to lay my hands on).

cosmicdisco: Not long after your first gig you became acquainted with Mec Lamonti & Morris (Two well known local DJ's) who you quote as being crucial to your development as a DJ. Can you please explain why?

They formed a duo, both in radio and in the club. Mec was brilliant and played Rock, Pop and Beat with an uncommon taste. Morris was more soul-oriented and put me onto many black artists. Back in the day, this duo was a kind of point of reference for young people around, indeed, at least until 1977. Both are still alive and kicking and are good friends of mine, too.

cosmicdisco: You say the 'Musical Search' is the most inspiring part of your love affair with music. Can you explain how you go about searching for music?

This year I've started digging again, after a loooong, long time. Looking for records is very simple: To discover you've got to search hard, traveling to many countries allows you to get in touch with different cultures and this also gives you a good chance to find new music, so… Go travel and search!

cosmicdisco: When you started DJ'ing technology did not permit you to beat match. When did these new techniques come into play and did you become more involved in selecting/playing music based on these new techniques and advances in technology?

Absolutely not! One of my strong beliefs is that you must not give up the quality of music to achieve a technical improvement, or; an ugly mix between two beautiful tracks is far better than a perfect mix of two shitty records. When I started to play, my style was very 'Radioesque' and mixers were far different from how they look today. You could mix by only twiggling two buttons, to create a sort of transition (Fade in - Fade out), so it was simpler! Anyway, the mixing trend touched base at our clubs around 1977/78 and it came from Milan.

cosmicdisco: Typhoon was a cinema before it became a club in 1980. Who was the owner who asked you to play, how did he find you?

Back then I was quite well known around here and the Typhoon's owners weren't the same as cinema's. Nevio (the boss) owned a cutting-edge clothes shop, near Manerbio, where I used to go. The saleswomen came to Kinky and really appreciated what I was doing. I used to spend a lot of time talking with Nevio about how to properly set a new club up and some years later Nevio and other people made the dream come true.

cosmicdisco: At Typhoon you had a part in choosing the sound system and other decisions based on the structure of the building. What was the result of your input & ideas for the club?

The club as it was.

cosmicdisco: What type of clientele did you/Typhoon attract?

In the beginning, 'People of Typhoon' were mainly from Brescia/Verona/Cremona/Mantova, having many of them follow me when I moved to the club. When success became huge, people started to come from the whole of Italy and from Austria and Germany, too. Many of them looked like hippies: long haired, laced ankle-boot wearing types who used to travel in French cars (Citroen's 'Pallas' or Renault's 'Deux Chevaux'), fully plastered with stickers of their favourite discos… and the music was very slow in rhythm, funky, all kinds of Disco, New-Wave, Industrial, Electronica, Percussive, Fusion, Pop, Rock, Prog… It was a real melting pot.

cosmicdisco: You were resident at Typhoon from 1980-1987 (With the exception of late 84/early 85 when Beppe played at Cosmic Club). What nights did you play at Typhoon and how many hours did you play each night?

My residency at Cosmic only lasted 3 months (from September to November, 1984) and I didn't like it; so, when the club was shut indefinitely, I held some residencies at other clubs such as Futura (Parma) and Chicago (Bologna) until March-April 1985 when I got back to my beloved Typhoon, which was back open both on Saturday and Monday (One Monday a month though, the so called 'Non-Stop' night). Being the resident, I used to play alone, except when there was some guests.

cosmicdisco: What is your approach to your DJ sets?

Experimenting and improvising new combinations.

cosmicdisco: What format's do you DJ with? Vinyl/CD's/Computer/Instruments – All of them?!?

Both vinyl and CD's.

cosmicdisco: Do you play any instruments?

When I was a child I miserably hit some drums, ha ha! And I also applied for some percussive lessons in the 1980's, while the 90's saw my efforts in learning how to play piano. To be honest, I was quite low skilled as a musician, hence the reason I went into DJ'ing.

cosmicdisco: You could pick your all time 'Super Group', who would be in the band playing which instrument?

What kind of music this 'Super Group' should play?

cosmicdisco: You are responsible for over 200 mix-tapes. Were there any particularly popular tapes and do you have a favourite?

I don't really know which is the most known as I sold many of them; more recently it seems that "Electronica Meccanica" tapes are gaining popularity… Anyway, my favourite ones are those bearing my musical innovation and my inner way of playing, like that 'BL-49-psychedelic soul', where you can listen to a nice mix of The Temptations and Willie Hutch.

cosmicdisco: Can you tell us a little about the 'Afro Gatherings' you were responsible for around 1982? How did the idea come about and how were they organised?

I never actually organised any afro gatherings; it was just a my suggestion to the club owners in order to solve the problem of keeping Typhoon open also during summer. I was quite aware that afro music was getting more and more success and there was a real need of places and happenings where youngs could meet one each other (there was a real 'Prohibition-ism' on this kind of things in Italy). So the summer version of Typhoon took place and it was a great, great success.

cosmicdisco: Around the time of these gatherings you were among the elite group of 4 or 5 DJ's that could draw audiences of more than 5000 people. Who were the other DJ's in this team?

The leading Afro DJ's were: Mozart, Loda, Ebreo, TBC, Spranga and Lollo; there were other DJ's, as well, but they're not considered 'Afro' DJ's. Musically speaking, all changed in 1982, but also people evolved… The best DJ's survived, but others lagged behind, due to technical matter or lack of skills.To be an Afro DJ it didn't mean to do some bedroom tapes: you had to do gigs, make people dance (and this isn't an easy thing)… in other words, we had to push this movement forward but, as it always happens, we also had got our burdens to bear.

cosmicdisco: Did all these DJ's have good relationships or was rivalry commonplace?

There were rivalries in the clubbing scene and I've always been on good terms with all but one: I don't like people who want to take all the credits, because these guys are exactly the ones who don't have them at all.

cosmicdisco: Can you describe the experience of performing to over 5000 people?!?

After my experience at Kinky I started to play at Le Cupole (in Manerbio, too), a club which holded some like 2,000 people, so I was used to playing for a huge audience. Out of curiosity, in 2001 I've played for 12,000 people in Augsburg (Germany).

cosmicdisco: The authorities in Italy were particularly hard on nightclubs that closed many venues for 'Public Order' offences and drug use. What do you think of Italian youth culture and how it has changed from the 1980's to the present day?

I hear that in the Afro scene only 3-4 clubs were shut down for drugs-related problems, others being closed because 'public order issues' occurred (too many people entered causing safety issues). Anyway, those were the 80's and in Italy you could be arrested for simply having a joint. Nowadays, in the globalization era, changes occurring here are the same as in other European countries, with all the pros and cons that come with it. I'm convinced that English young people listen to 'Better' music, though.

cosmicdisco: The Typhoon club seemed to be a victim of its own success and was closed due to it being too popular! For a club that was so professionally ran but offered an alternative music policy seems strange today. What were you doing that was 'Alternative'?

Typhoon has been a victim of its own success and had 'structural' insufficencies: The club was in the centre of Gambara, bordering private houses, there was no parking and could only facilitate some like 450-500 people. You just can imagine how it was when there were 3,000-4,000 people standing outside waiting to enter… and it was one in, one out.
Anyway, the music and the club were alternative, yes, that's because radio's broadcast mainly italo-disco and some British stuff (New-Romantic etc.), a kind of music heard also in the mainstream clubs… and when you came to Typhoon you're about to enter another world, where Olatunji was mixed with Tangerine Dream while a laser beams crossed the air…alternative, yes, but I think that this could be considered 'Alternative' also today.

cosmicdisco: The 'Afro' style is currently experiencing a revival in the UK underground music scene with producers making more 'Afro' sounding tracks and DJ's championing this style for people to dance to not only to continuous 4/4 beats but by playing all styles and rhythms in one evening. Can you hear your influence in new music and DJ styles today?

I've been in UK once, in 1982, just for digging; I don't know the UK underground scene, though, and I never wanted to influence anyone: this is my way to be a DJ! What guides me is refusing to follow any mainstream scene, whilst many DJ's apply to it at all costs. You know, buying all the new stuff, be faithful to the 'Hit Parade' or listening to the radio to know what tracks are hammering the audience… all of this is a sort of slavery and this is not my thing at all. To be an 'Afro' DJ (or, as I'd say today, a 'Free-Style' DJ) puts you in the centre of the music, from where you can look forward, backward, in every direction and still it's up to you what to play and when, it's up to your personality… it's up to you not to be a 'musical slave'. Being alternative it's not just related to the music, but also to the methods applied to your lifestyle, expressing yourself by playing music is great! And it's great to know that others are on this wavelength, good for them!

cosmicdisco: What 'new' music do you enjoy at present?

Talking about dance music, few, very, very few.

cosmicdisco: Your 'Roots' music (Soul/Funk/Disco) has always had a big influence on you. What would you say are your favourite 'Roots' tracks of all time?

I'd say my roots are in the Rock and Soul/Funk of 60's/70's, Deep Purple, Ten Years After, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Santana, BTO, Blue Oyster Cult, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Bob Seger and so on… great stuff. And I like all the Soul/Funk stuff; in both genres each artist is essential, one way or another.

cosmicdisco: It seems that you and other pioneering Italian DJ's were not particularly aware of the New York disco and DJ scene whilst styles and techniques seemed to develop during the same period. Why do you think this is so?

The USA is so far away, but indeed we felt the need to improve what we're doing as well, and also the ways of carrying the job out were the same; it's pretty understandable that evolution run in parallel… it must have been the same in other places.

cosmicdisco: Do you currently hold a DJ residency in Italy?

No, just one-night gigs.

cosmicdisco: What other DJ's do you admire?

Those who're not strictly related to the hits and get their hands dirty by digging crates. I like the Rotterdam fella's so much: Tako and Loud-E (Real discoverers of obscure-disco), I-F (The father of Electronica's throwback)… and Jeremy Campbell, DJ Spun, Lee Douglas, Andrew Lovefinger and Tim Sweeney too… (USA); Albion and Karolina (Sweden); DJ Scott and DJ Enne (Austria); Dr. Nishimura (Japan); DJ Detlef (Resident @ Salon Des Amateur in Düsseldorf, Germany; this is the guru of obscure stuff).

cosmicdisco: What records are still on your 'Wants' list?

First LP by MC1 and the second one by Egotrya, which are wonderful; unfortunately, they never got released.

cosmicdisco: Is the 'MC1' project with Francesco Boscolo still alive? What do you have planned?

Along with Ralf Beck we've just finished to record the new MC1-Counter's 12" at Uhrwald Studio in Hilden (Düsseldorf), and also a never seen before Egotrya's track - Wind. This stuff is really great, pure Italo-synth.

cosmicdisco: In 1985/86 it seemed the record companies were not willing to release an 'Italo-Synth' LP as the 'New Romantic' and 'New Wave' sounds came to the forefront of popular culture. How do you look back on this period and do you like these musical genres?

Those were the times of New Romantic and New Wave (which was a sort of 'Alternative' sound, just for few). During the first hour of a set I threw a sort of mixed slow Electronica, New-Wave, Pop, Prog, Industrial (this is what they call 'Cosmic' today, I guess…). But I like some new romantic stuff and many New-Wave releases (Just take a look at www.myspace.com/beppeloda). I have fond memories of that period, even if recurring delusions involving Italo-Synth made me abandon this kind of music at the end of 80's.

cosmicdisco: You have previously said you have lots of 'Japan' in your style. Can you elaborate?

Ok, so… Playing different musical genres, not intended for being mixed, it's not so easy: the secret is the concentration, which I've also learnt to get by doing Karate (I like also Bushido and Samurai and people like Takeshi Kitano, Kurosawa, Sakamoto, Kitaro, Hosono, etc. along with the Japanese culture and history, obviously). Strictly related to the technique, I would have not been able to play many tarcks if I had not got the infamous "Micro Seiki DQX 1000" decks: with a +/- 20% pitch adjustment (amongst other features) they're a real jewel of the Japanese technology

cosmicdisco: You ran a record shop called 'Senor Salsa' with your wife and a friend which gave you access to the biggest Italian wholesalers and records importers. Are there any specific countries that were/are consistently producing great music?

Strange question from an English man! Ha ha. I think that you can find good musicians from every country, but in UK it's different: there's a lot of real good music there; also in the USA there's great stuff. Regarding electronic music, Germany was on top, though.

cosmicdisco: What is your favourite city for buying records?

The one I've never been to.

cosmicdisco: During the 'Italo-Disco' boom period many producers would come to your home where you would act as a consultant by suggesting music that they could draw inspiration from. As a result you have contributed to several 'Italo-Disco' records. What are these records, who visited you (From what label) and what music would you recommend?

This is a long chapter of my life and you could write a book on the subject alone but I won't tell you others' secrets so I'm going to give you a short version. Most of italo-disco was produced in northern Italy (Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padua) but when records had to be printed and distributed all the people involved came up to Milan: producers, musicians, DJ's, distributors, sellers, all meeting each other in that city (many labels were import firms first). I knew them all, being in Milan back when all the importing business started. Labels such as Fraschini bros' 'Gong', Fusarpoli and Scalera's 'Discotto', Severino Lombardoni's 'Disco Magic'…they knew me as 'That DJ who plays strange music' and I became (along with Andrea Anzani) a sort of "trait d'union" between them and those record shops which were well into that kind of music. There was a great feeling with Gong's label (Roberto Fraschini also owned the 'Mary Posa' record shop in Porta Romana, Milan) and I gave him some advice about the artists signed on his Zanza Records label: BB&Q Band, Klein & MBO, D.A.N, etc.
Next time I'll tell you about my involvement in the music business of Bergamo, Brescia, Verona and Padua but for now I want to put the closing title at this: When I left italo-synth and electronica, also Francesco Boscolo spread his wings for other genres: he opened a recording studio in Padua and produced more than 200 italo-disco records, including that huge success by Brian Martin - Sex Tonight. Every now and then we meet each other at my home or in his studio.

cosmicdisco: Is there any 'Commercial' music you find appealing either in the past or present?

Yes (Mainly in the past, though): Disco (the good type), spacey-electronic disco, some italo and new romantic. But also today there are many talented new pop/rock musicians… and naturally all the new releases by 'Classic' artists, whatever genre they do.

cosmicdisco: Can you give us some examples of 'Typhoon' classic tracks?

Two compilations are about to be released, full of 'Slow Motion' classics I used to play at Typhoon, one on 'Synthonic' label and the other on 'Compost'. Check our interview and mix with DJ Mooner for details!

cosmicdisco: What tracks are getting heavy rotation on your turntable at the moment?

Mainly space disco, electronica, italo and obscure disco (Tako and Loud-E had a big influence on me, they're really great!).

cosmicdisco: If not involved in music, what would you most likely be doing?

Who knows? My mother tells me that when she was expecting me and listened to the radio, I moved all the time… maybe I could have been a dancer!

cosmicdisco: What is your idea of prefect happiness?

My wife's love, my family and…now, that's a scoop: Music I like!

cosmicdisco: What's next for Beppe Loda?

Supper in an hour; Tomorrow, I don't know…

1) When did you start djing? What was the reason why you started dj at the
first time?

I' ve got to start it off with a precise fundamental statement: my style
isn't "cosmic music" but "afro style".

I started working as a dj in the public sector even though I had been
working in the private one for friends towards the end of 1973 at the
Manerbio (BS) based "Kinky" Club. It was the great passion for music which
encouraged me to start such a new experience.

At the age of 11, I had already been listening to my sister's 7" records.
Almost all the artistes were Italians: Lucio Battisti, Mina, Adriano
Celentano, etc. and I'm however still in possession of some of these
records.

I lived with my parents in a popular quarter and in a group of youngsters,
we used to pay visits in turn to one another's home to listen to various
records we could fetch somewhere. You can figure out where mine came from!



2) It's quite famous that you were resident dj in "Typhoon", could you tell
us anything about "Typhoon"? What is the capacity like? Where was it
located? How did it look like inside of the building and outside of the
building? What about sound system? Any interesting audience? We would like
to know everything about "Typhoon".

I started working at "Typhoon" long before it was even opened, thus when it
was transformed from a movie house into a club.

During the club renovation project, I took part in choosing and setting up
the sound system, not to mention many other decisions of structural
importance; for instance the dj sound control counter was set up in a
tailored manner upon the basis of my height.

I was therefore the resident dj of "Typhoon" all its life long from 1980 to
1987 except for two short periods that I spent at "Cosmic", "Chicago" and
"Futura".

The club owners were four local businessmen who wanted to diversify their
activity and had besides, found my artistic and musical proposals quite
interesting.

"Typhoon", a 450 people capacity club, was situated at Gambara, a provincial
township of Brescia.

The sound and lighting systems were of a high level quality, thus the best
so far that could by then be bought in Italy:

3 "MacIntosh" amplifiers.

8 "JBL" loud speakers.

2 "Tascam M30" mixers.

4 "Seiki Micro 1000" turntables.

"Coemar" lighting system with a highly powerful laser.



At the beginning, the people who frequented "Typhoon" came from the
neighbouring cities of Brescia, Verona, Cremona and Mantova. A part of the
audience had even followed me up when I worked in other clubs before
"Typhoon"; I still today meet lots of them around and some others have even
become my friends.

As the club became more and more famous, the places of origin of the
audience got more extended with the club fans coming from all over Italy and
quite frequently, it was easy to find audience arriving from Germany and
Austria.

The look of the people who frequented "Typhoon" could be defined as the "70'
s post hippy ".

In order to have a clear idea of what really "Typhoon" was, it would be
worth listening to the dj set over the entire seven living years of the
club; there would even be adequate materials, thus sufficient enough to
write a book.

I hereby however, attach some of the few existing photos.



3) Your dj style is so unique and so deep. especialy when you mix 8 beat...
Could you tell us about your character or any special technique about your
dj style? What makes your dj style so unique and deep?

Yeah, I also claim my style is unique and profound since I have always
maintained my identity as well as stuck with determination to my
professional choices which I have always considered the best.

Of course, both the experience and acquaintance with other djs have helped
me become professionally mature.

For further clarification, I claim the reference points to be always taken
into consideration are as follows:

a) the quality of the chosen music;

b) the creativity and filing the dj is capable of establishing with the
public;

c) the song sequence;

d) the mixage techniques.

I have personally never sacrificed the first three in favour of the fourth.
In short, I rather than programming, prefer creating and I adopt various
techniques upon the basis of the music I'm programming in that particular
moment and these are the factors or features which differentiate some djs
from others.

Concerning my character, I believe the most appropriate person to talk about
it is my wife Patrizia: "Beppe is very creative and determined even though
he can sometimes be stubborn or hard headed. He is however a very good and
positive guy".



4) Disco scene was supposed to be commercialised but we are surprised that
your type of experimental dj mix caught people's heart around that time.
Could you tell us what is the reason why people like your dj? There is a
rumor which said that all people in disco around that time was taking heroin
and they were all stoned and moved so slow. That's why when dj played music,
they had to play with very slow BPM... is this true story?

One of the greatest merits of the owners of "Typhoon" was that of having
wanted as well as through a great risk, having set up a club which truly and
exclusively constituted an alternative. Alternative even with respect to the
other such defined clubs.

During the 80's and till the second half of the 90's, the only alternative
to commercial music was "afro" music. The audience of "Typhoon" therefore
consisted of all those people who refused that music pre-packaged and
already exploited by commercial discos and radios.

"Typhoon" didn't just program different music but also got its fans so much
involved to the extent of making them outstanding!

Considering the fact that the owners of "Typhoon" were very much known and
their professional status being very important, checks and controls inside
the club were very accurate and severe, purposely to prevent the
introduction and the use of drugs from taking place in it. Unlike many
others which were closed down due to the massive presence of all sorts of
drugs, "Typhoon" was closed as a result of excessive success and the
consequent problems of public order.

During the 1987 post-summer-break re-opening of the club in September,
10,000 people turned up, yeah! you've got me right; I mean 10,000 people.
Such a state in which not all the fans were able to enter, created a hellish
congestion at Gambara, a 4,000 inhabitant township which hosted "Typhoon"
and you can imagine what was the reaction of the local security forces.

I don't believe there is any link between the use of drugs and the BPM of
the programmed music.

Spinning a 33 rpm record, the normal speed of which was 45 and or playing a
45 rpm record with a normal speed of 33 rpm was another way of proving to be
alternative and differentiating oneself from all the others.

Personally, I have always as a reference point, kept the rhythmic cadence of
reggae /dub music.



5) Which turntable were you using when you djed? When we listen your mix,
the general turntable like TECHNIQUES SL-1200 can not change the pitch like
the way you did in your mix...

In those years, the "Technics SL-1200" record players weren't yet in
existence and I used some "Micro Seiki 1000". These turntables constituted a
true magical beauty of the Japanese technology for they had within them an
incorporated regulator which allowed the speed axis to be shifted at one's
own taste, ranging from +20% right down to roughly -20%.

Only a few people know that there is so much of Japan in my style, thus in
my personal taste as well as the sport I have practised.



6) When you picked up the record, was there any rule or any special thing to
pick up certain records? Where did you buy your record at that time? Please
tell us your favourite artist around that time?

I've never been conditioned, neither have I ever wanted to be, in my musical
choices and I have always purchased just the records I liked or fancied.

Having to cover at least a 3 hour dj set, the time to dedicate to the
research of the ever changing new music has always been quite a lot. It's
impossible for me to list all the shops where I have bought records but I
can claim to have toured record shops almost all over Europe and part of
the USA purposely in search of music that is suitable for my programs.

As from 1983 to 1986, I together with my wife and a friend in Brescia, ran a
record shop called "Senor Salsa" which paved the way for me to have access
to all the biggest wholesale shops of Italian importers; wholesale shops
which usually precluded the non-shop owners. "Senor Salsa" soon became an
important reference point for those interested in buying alternative music.

Besides everything, Milan has always been the most significant core all over
Italy with respect to record importation and in this city, I got to know
dealers, operators of the sector and record collectors worldwide. Among
these personalities, I wish to cite Andrea Anzani, a dear old time friend
and a fine music connoisseur to whom I owe part of my success.



7) It seems now the legend about italian disco scene in 80s are spreaded in
all over the world. we think your dj style has a lot of common thing with
Daniele Baldelli who was djing in "Cosmic". Was there any special reason why
people started this unique style dj around that time? And why this unique dj
style was so much loved by people around that time?

The fact that the legend of the Italian record scene is getting diffused all
over the world fills me up with great joy and pleasure. My thinking of all
that I have done to distinguish myself from the "italo disco" however makes
me smile and now as it especially stands abroad, people ask me to program
specifically "italo music".

There were obviously among these productions of easy going listening, some
very interesting tracks such as those of the "Peter Jacques Band" and
"Macho", both of which were produced by Mauro Malavasi, as well as "Easy
Going" by Claudio Simonetti or Celso Valli's productions.

On the contrary, I'm not at all surprised by the constant success of the
electro/new wave of the 80's since it's a question of extremely high level
quality and quality never dies out.

Absolutely not!!! Perhaps we have some kind of musical genre in common but
my approach and executing strategies are the exact opposite.

I never in advance prepare the song list for I prefer creating it instantly
upon the basis of the atmosphere that sets in during the evening session.

By 1979, I had started a weird mix of musical genres at "Le cupole"
discotheque at Manerbio and proceeded with such musical proposals at "Bisbi"
and "Good moon", all resulting into a great achievement of success in
audience.

I kept these same vibes at "Typhoon" thereby improving both the proposal and
the techniques and in 1982, "Afro" music got to an explosive climax together
with all its force, thereby reaching an incredible level of success thanks
in the beginning, also to a series of my tapes known of course as "Afro".

The term "Afro" was born out of the need to define with a single keyword,
the mix of various alternative musical genres the other djs and I used to
play in that period.

"Afro" is therefore a container holding various alternative musical genres
and which well identifies the dj's mixed style.

The first "Afro gathering" of the legend was idealized and proposed by me in
19.; it was then organized by "Typhoon" and held at Gambara communal
stadium 09/07/1983

The "Afro gathering" consisted of the dj sets of 4 djs who after that
incredible alternative music festival, must have officially sparked off the
"Afro" era: thus T.b.c. , Ebreo, Fari, and myself. There was also Tony
Esposito and his band's concert with their well marked percussion and tribal
rhythm to round up the evening program.

About 7,000 people took part in the gathering; those were the golden years!

Thanks to such a success, the concept of the dj myth strongly set in and
consequently the cult of the "Afro" discotheques. The tendency to attribute
a mythical value to a dj and a discotheque had already started with Mozart,
the resident dj of "Baia degli angeli" and it got reinforced by the coming
of this absolute novelty in the form of "Afro" music.

We were invited to play in other clubs and treated as superstars, a
situation which still proceeds today. Being the best djs around, we were
called to revitalize the evening sessions in the most famous Italian
discotheques.

We in a team of 4 or 5, succeeded in drawing in 4,000 to 5,000 people in the
stadiums or the sport halls: thus the right djs with the right music at the
right moment in the right clubs. This is why many djs followed up the "Afro"
style.

This in my opinion, is the reason for so much success. Had this phenomenon
taken place in the USA or England, we would have become famous all over the
world.



8) The artist like Daniele Baldelli or Mozart, Meo, TBC were all djing in
the same period of time, and were they all related as friend or what was the
relationship between them? Did you have any rivalry with all those people.

I don't believe there's a spirit of friendship among them. My relationships
with all the other djs except one, have always been normal.

There has always been a little bit of rivalry but a constructive and
respectable one; of course my preference goes to those colleagues with whom
I had a greater collaboration.



9) You once worked with Francesco Boscolo as Memory Control One, and
released the track called BASIC in 83. And you also released for the typhoon
music machine series including BASIC's remix in 90s. Could you tell us if
you have any policy when you produce the track or any special episode when
you were producing tracks?

Francesco Boscolo and I formed the MC1 band in 1983 and we straight away got
into a recording studio to come out with "Basic" the publication of which
took place in 1984 and the realisation of which can be defined as the first
"italo synth" track.

Nothing in particular happened during the recording if not after it.
Immediately after the recording of "Basic", the owner of the label, meant to
present its publication made us get back to the studio together with a new
sound technician, Massimo Noè (an excellent Milan based studio sound
engineer), to work out a much more commercial version. Francesco didn't want
to be bothered about it and so I then happened to be the one to assist in
the dismantlement of our beloved "Basic" which had been built up with its
own logical purpose as well as an almost totally spontaneous style and all
this can easily be noticed by listening to the two existing versions.

A new issue of "Basic" is underway for "Synthonic" label of Paolo Scotti, a
regular attendant of "Typhoon".

In 1985, the second 12" mix and part of the MC1 album both of which ought to
have come out in 1986 were ready, yet no record company was interested in
the publication of instrumental electronic music records, thus the "italo
synth" style; unfortunately, those were the years of "italo disco" and "new
romantic" and such an attitude, even though incomprehensible, was very much
diffused.

The MC1 project is however alive and kicking. The objective continues to be
that of creating very expressive music which can also be suitable for
dancing as well as talk about us; with all this coming in by means of a
style and vintage sound effect, strong enough to represent visions and
imaginary views as was being done by Walter Wendy Carlos, Isao Tomita,
Conrad Schnitzler and Klaus Schultze.

After almost a four year break, we got back in 1986 to work out two tracks
of the "electro dark" style which Francesco and I had renamed as "electro
monster" but once again this time, we were too much ahead with respect to
the prevailing taste and had gone too far. Some years later, we authorised a
musician friend of Francesco's to use part of "electro monster"

After this ultimate disappointment, we decided to abandon the carrying out
of these projects which were too innovative for the Italian musical scene
and I personally stopped programming electronic music during my dj sets;
"BL27 Elettronica Meccanica" by the end of 1987 which represented the last
tape of the 1980's electronic style.



I got to know the German "DJ Fred" halfway through the 90's. Fred asked me
if I would have liked to remix by my own choice some tracks of the 1980's
style. I accepted it enthusiastically but upon the agreement that this
project remained open to all those djs and, or musicians who for having
something interesting to express, would have wanted to take part. Fred
thought of naming the project "TYPHOON MUSIC MACHINE". We came out with the
publication of 5 records, yet we already had other three of them ready, thus
in collaboration with other Italian, German and Austrian djs.

We had also prepared other remixes of "Afro Brazil" music for a project
which ought to have been called "TYPHOON AFRO MACHINE".

They are projects which still remain open and some djs spread all over the
world continue to contact me for participation.

I hope you too, Nishimura, can soon collaborate with us.



10) Francesco Boscolo was the member of the progressive rock band called
"Egotrya"? And we heard that your DJ mix called Elettronica Meccanica was
inspired by Conrad Schnitzler... Did you have any relationship with the
artists or music scene of progressive rock or new age music with synthesized
instrument around that time?

To this question, Francesco Boscolo directly answers: " I formed the Egotrya
group in 1978. We came out with two albums but only the second one had its
publication.

The name Egotrya is the fusion of two words: ego which in Greek means I and
trya, a Latin word meaning three, like the (rock, electronic and melodic)
styles which we wove together to create our sound.

The extremely beautiful sleeve of our album was worked out by a Milan based
female painter".



The "Electronic Meccanica" tapes are six: five are included in the "Dance"
and "BL" series, with the sixth still remaining in my mind.

As a result of my living in an industrial area as well as listening to
"Meccanica Popular" and Conrad Schnitzler's music, I had the idea of
preparing dj sets by using tracks with a rhythm based on syncopated beat
combined with other tracks which recalled the mechanical movements of the
machines and the alienation characterising life in the factory. I also used
sounds directly recorded in workshops and then sampled.

Although I like very much the "New Age" and progressive rock, I never had
any direct contact with musicians of these two genres in those years.



11) Do you think your dj style gave some impact on the italo disco music
which was released a lot from many italian labels later? Please tell us if
you have any thoughts or comment on italo disco.

Despite my knowing lots of "italo disco" artistes and producers and in spite
of some of them being my friends, I'm firmly convinced of having just in
some way influenced it. Often in that period, most of them called in at my
home to listen to records in order to find new inspirations or make me
listen to their new productions. As a consultant, I have contributed towards
the production of several records.

Just like all musical genres, also "italo disco" has got some tracks which
appeal to my taste and others I find non-admirable.



12) At that time, did you know about the other disco scene like NY's The
Loft" or "Paradise Garage" or "The Saint"?

Unfortunately, I know far too little about the New York disco scene of that
period.



13) The italian unique dj style like you gave a lot of impact or influence
on the outside of Italy such as Germany or Austria and made their own unique
scene on their own, could you tell us if you had any relationship with those
yonger generations who got influenced by your music? What did you think
about those younger generations who got big impact from your music?

After a thirteen year great success by the mid 1990's, "Afro" music was
beginning to undergo a phase of decline. Some of the historical "Afro" djs
had effected a change of style by getting themselves oriented towards a more
commercial music; besides, new Italian, German and Austrian djs, inspired by
the fathers of "Afro" and willing to make a comeback, were proposing a mix
of "Afro", electronic, dance and Brazilian music of my repertory, thus by
simply adding a 4/4 bass drum.

This solution termed as "Cosmic music" made it particularly easy for the
mixing of the tracks but it was difficult for these new djs to maintain the
qualitative standard of the historical "Afro" djs.

Many djs especially in Germany were taking their inspiration from my sets;
with some throwing more light on the electronic aspect, some on the African
and Brazilian one and others on that of soul/funky/blaxploitation which
characterized my final working period at "Typhoon".

I must say that some of these guys for whom I was a sort of "little music
father" ("padrino musicale") have really become great.



14) If you have any favourite artist or the music you think you like, please
tell us.

By listening to all musical genres except the commercial one, I have always
in each one of them found something valid which pleases me as well. I would
have to make a list of roughly 8,000 artistes.



15) We heard that you are working on new release of Memory Control On,
including this plan, please tell us your forthcoming plans or release
information.

Yeah, as MC1, we are recording some new versions of the second 12" and also
working towards the completion of the album.

I've also got many other projects underway which I'll make known at the
right time; there will however be several surprises.!