Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras

Seventeen years after his untimely death, dance pioneer Patrick Cowley's influence can be heard in the punk-y disco sounds of LCD Soundsystem and Metro Area. Recorded in 1979, when disco was undergoing a stylistic change, birthing gay-friendly genres like HI-NRG and Eurobeat, Catholic (shelved due to Cowley's declining health) saw him team with Indoor Life vocalist Jorge Socarras to create the strangest batch of songs of his short career. Released for the first time on any format, Catholic is highlighted by the quirky/druggy synth lines of "I Remember" and the eight-bit animated bleeps of "I Am Your Tricks," bringing to mind the apocalyptic chants of the Residents, creepy playground sounds of early Ween and the pure silliness of Flight of the Conchord's "Robots." Painting a picture of the state of disco in the late '70s, Catholic is just fantastic enough that it could have helped steer the genre into the brave new avenues only being explored today. If only.