Savas Pascalidis

It looks like the Germans have made their mark yet again on the electronic landscape. On this album, however, there is an uncharacteristic and heavy influence of disco. Berlin-based Pascalidis has been a DJ since 1987, and makes no bones about his love for early electro and Giorgio Moroder-style disco-funk, a style that permeates the tracks on Galactic Gigolo. There are big washes of vintage Moog, arpeggiated synth melodies and a distinctive pop song structure. Although some tracks stray from the accessible and into the realm of the experimental, Pascalidis has a great deal going for him, and has managed to create danceable music that doesn’t rigidly follow the formula of techno, electro, or house. Tracks like "Superman” and "Fly with the Wind” have a great groove, and others like "Finding Enemies” or "Can’t Wait to Get to You” deliver a sound that harkens back to the first releases from Warp. The beats aren’t deep, but instead are tight and tinny like those on early house, or records produced by Quincy Jones and Arthur Baker in the mid-’80s. Not all of the album’s 14 tracks are noteworthy, but there are some great moments, especially the album’s closing epic "Space Woman,” an obvious ode to his beloved Mr. Moroder and his Donna Summer masterpiece "I Feel Love.”