Tune #80: 141 G - What You Gonna Do (Dub)

Just what the Youtube commentator said: More (808?) cowbell!

141 G - WHAT YOU GONNA DO (12" DUB)


In 2012 Tako Reyenga and Ilias Pitsios (a.k.a. DJ Dynamons) compiled the collection Into The Light: A Journey Into Greek Electronic Music, Classics & Rarities (1978-1991), a finest mixture of obscure & classic Greek electronic tracks that were released a long time ago... I am starting to think that an alternate title of the collection could be After Vangelis, Before Stereo Nova!

The collection includes tracks of different genres, varying from Ambient & Experimental to Synth-Pop & Italo Disco. According to Discogs, only 750 copies of the compilation circulated in the market (this fact could explain the high prices in market places 5 years later).

One of the standout tracks (and possibly the most club-friendly) is the dub version of What You Gonna Do?, a rework of an Italo Disco song by 141 G, consisting of Costas Charitodiplomenos & Marina Skiadaresi. Needless to say, Costas was a prominent figure of the 80's, as he was dominating the Greek music scene of this era with classics such as Lost In The Night, Fill Me Up and Talk About Love. Concerning Marina, I was not aware that her career had already started so early, since he gained more fame during the 90's in the Greek Folk Rock genre.

WYGD? was originally released in 1984 by EMI in Greece. While the original is (in my opinion) pretty much forgettable, the dub version is rather interesting. Twangy bass, playful piano and (more) cowbell blend together to form an electrified psychedelic result. The highlight of the track is undoubtedly the distorted vocals (the benefits of the vocoder!), which are sounding like Costas was replaced by his robotic equivalent!

Besides WYGD?, the compilation by Into The Light Records is a must-have for listeners interested in the Greek experimental music of this era, curated by masters such as Akis Daoutis, Dimitris Petsetakis, George Theodorakis (son of the legendary Greek composer Mikis) and Lena Platonos (a major influence on Stereo Nova's music)...

What can we except from Into The Light Records in the future? Hopefully, a repress of the compilation!