listening
title: Digital Love, creator: Kazuhisa Takenouchi, source: Makeagif
driving
title: Drive, creator: Nicolas Winding Refn, source: Makeagif
dancing
title: Night Moves, creator: Roosevelt source: Makeagif
walking
title: Giffing the Screen, creator: Gary Swindell, source: Pintrest
dancing
title: One More Time, creator: Leji Matsumoto and Kazuhisa Takenouchi source: Makeagif
lights
title: Plastic Love, creator: Kyotaro Hyashi, source: Makeagif
cards
title: Friends of Mine, creator: Duran Duran source: Makeagif

History of Nu Disco


Feeling different tonight? Can't get to sleep? Dance the night away with something both retro and futuristic. Nu Disco is a genre in the 21st century that borrows heavily from 70s disco, 80s synth pop, and early 90s house music to create a new style of dance music that looks back and forwards. It began in the early 2000s and has continued to grow and evolve.


The genre began in the early 90s mostly through bootleg remixes that took old disco tracks and applied new house sensibilities. In Europe, several DJs and labels experimented with mixing different 70s and 80s sounds like dub, freestyle, vocoder vocals, and post disco synth sounds. Daft Punk were among the first to achieve worldwide commercial success with this style. Their style utilized vintage 70s and 80s disco with the French House sound. Throughout the 2000s, artists continued fusing new technology with older dance styles like Italo Disco, Space Disco, New Wave, and 80s synths.


This style has gone in and out of style over the past two decades. Just when people seem tired of these styles someone finds a new way to remind people why they were so nostalgic for these sounds. Several examples of artists incorporating nu disco sounds include the Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, and even Taylor Swift with her song Style.



Some recommendations


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Discovery by Daft Punk

This album also acts as the soundtrack to their animated film Interstellar 5555. That movie has character designs by Leji Matsumoto who created Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, and Space Battleship Yamoto.

The duo uses robot personas to conceal their real identities.

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Its Album Time by Todd Terje

His name is a homage to the influential house music producer Todd Terry.

Bryan Ferry was the singer of the hugely influential band Roxy Music and has had solo success.

Johnny and Mary was originally written and performed by Robert Palmer and has strong ties to Renault cars.

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Dawn FM by The Weeknd

He has explored several genres in his career incorporating elements of hip hop, trap, dance, and new wave.

His song Secrets borrows elements from Talking in Your Sleep by the Romantics and Pale Shelter by Tears for Fears.


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Roosevelt

He has remixed songs for Purple Disco Machine, Chrvches, and Glass Animals.

His debut single was listed by Pitchfork as Best New Track in 2013.

His style mixes synth pop with Balearic beats.




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Exotica by Purple Disco Machine

He has remixed songs for Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Gorillaz, Diana Ross, the Human League, and several others.

This album features several guest artists like Sophie and the Giants, Agnes, and the Knocks.

He began as a DJ and slowly stransitioned into becoming more of an international artist.

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Confessions on a Dance Floor by Madonna

This album samples various tracks from the 70s like ABBA's Gimme Gimme Gimme and Donna Summer's I Feel Love.

This album and the single Hung Up topped the charts in a record breaking 40 countries.

She was ranked the second biggest artist by Billboard.

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Random Access Memories by Daft Punk

The album features Giorgio Moroder, the father of Disco, and Nile Rodger one of most succesful producers who has sold over 500 million records and 75 million single sales.

This album features more live musicians than prior albums to recapture the sounds of the 70s and 80s.

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Disco by Kylie Minogue

This album marks the 5th decade that she has had a number one album in the UK.

She began as an actress in the Austrailian series Neighbors that several others like Margot Robbie have come from. She also played Cammi in the Street Fighter movie.

She is the most succesful female artist from Australia.

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Hamtrack 16 by Moon King

His style is a mixture of dream pop, synth pop, and disco.

This album is named after the Detroit area neighborhood.

His album The Audition is about learning to become an actor.




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Whats Your Pleasure by Jessie Ware

This album marks a new direction for her as her sound had mostly been more sad R&B before deciding changing directions in a more uplifting sound. The album incorporates disco, hi NRG, and house elements. It has become the biggest hit of her career so far.


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Its Not Funny by Luxxury

His songs have been featured in several of the Forza video games.

He done several official and unoffical remixes for artists like Duran Duran, Blondie, and New Order.

He has opened for Giorgio Moroder.


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Kids in LA by Kisses

They were ranked 40 on NME's list 50 best bands of 2010.

The lead voaclist and instrumentalist, Jesse Kivel, started a band called Princeton with his brother in elementary school.




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In Ghost Colours by Cut Copy

Cut Copy originally began as a solo project of Dan Whitford. While in college, he became interested in dance music as well as indie music. He was doing to school for graphic design. After graduation, he merged these interests together to form Cut Copy.


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In Our Heads by Hot Chip

They have had success as a band, solo acts, remixing songs for artists, and performing DJ sets.

Acts like Roxy Music, Prince, Arthur Russell and Madonna have influenced their sound and Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark. They even remixed the OMD song Enola Gay.

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Adapt by Sakanaction

Their name is a combination of sakana meaning fish and action.

They originally began as British rock inspired two member band but this didn't go far. Eventually, they came up with the idea of mixing traditional Japanese sounds with electronic music.


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We Will ALways Love You by The Avalanches

The group is known for using large amounts of samples. Their album Since I Left You has 900 samples.

The track Interstellar Love samples the track Eye in the Sky by The Alan Parsons Project.



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Metro Area

This album was on several lists of the best albums of the 2000s.

The duo was inspired by artists like DEVO and Thomas Dolby.

Member,Morgan Geist also performs under the name Storm Queen and had the hit song Look Right Through.


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Im a Rainbow by Donna Summer

This album was originally supposed to be released as the followup to her successful album The Wanderer and continue her transition from disco to a more new wave and rock sound. However, her new label felt that her work with Giorgio Moroder had grown stale and shelved the album.

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Mr Experience by Donny Benet

He has listed artists like Jan Hammer, Prince, and Bernard Edwards as inspirations.

His song Konichiwa was on the Weeknd's Handpicked Playlist showcasing songs inspiring After Hours.

His lyrics portray a more cartoonish suave ladies man.


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Future Past by Duran Duran

They were the first artists to commercial sell a digital single with their song Electric Barbarella. It was controversial with record stores boycotting due to fear digital would take off.

They performed for the 50th anniversary of the NASA moon landing.

Album cover citations:

(1) title: Discovery, owner: Virgin Records, source: Wikipedia, fair use , (2) title: It's Album Time, owner: Olsen Records, source: Wikipedia, fair use , (3) title: Dawn-FM, owner: XO Republic Records, source: Discogs, fair use , (4) title: Roosevelt, owner: Greco-Roman, source: Discogs, fair use (5) title: Exotica, owner: Columbia, source: Discogs, fair use (6) title: Confessions on a Dancefloor, owner: Warner Bros, source: Wikipedia, fair use (7) title: Random Access Memories, owner: Columbia, source: Wikipedia, fair use (8) title: Disco, owner: BMG Rights Management, source: Wikipedia, fair use (9) title: Hamtrack '16, owner: Arbutus Records, source: Discogs, fair use (10) title: What's Your Own Pleasure?, owner: Virgin/EMI, source: Wikipedia, fair use (11) title: It's Not Funny, owner: Expensive Sounding Music, source: Discogs, fair use (12) title: Kids in LA, owner: Cascine, source: Discogs, fair use (13) title: In Ghost Colours, owner: Modular Recordings, source: Wikipedia, fair use (14) title: In Our Heads, owner: Domino, source: Wikipedia, fair use (15) title: Adapt, owner: Victor Entertainment, source: Spotify, fair use (16) title: We Will Always Love You, owner: Modular, source: Wikipedia, fair use (17) title: Metro Area, owner: Source, source: Wikipedia, fair use (18) title: I'm a Rainbow, owner: Mercury, source: Wikipedia, fair use (19) title: Mr Experience, owner: Dot Dash, source: Discogs, fair use (20) title: Future Past, owner: BMG, source: Wikipedia, fair use

Background image: title: DJ Music Audio, creator: sick-street-photography, source: Pixabay, cc