Tune #116: Kano - Another Life

I always thought that italo-disco was a bit cheesy for my ears. On the other hand, italo tracks with space disco & electro elements... that's what I am talking about! Many examples fit in this category and one of them is certainly Kano - Another Life!

KANO - ANOTHER LIFE (INSTRUMENTAL VERSION)

Kano was an ensemble of Italian musicians and producers Luciano Ninzatti (guitars), Stefano Pulga (keyboards) and Mateo Bonsanto (production), established in Milan during late 70's. The production trio released 3 studio albums during the first half of the 80's, accompanied by vocalist Glen White in the last one. 

Kano's music can be characterized as a fusion of disco, funk and R&B elements, but the group were not always stuck on the commercial italo disco formula (cheesy music & vocals). During their initial steps, they made heavy use of repetitive loops & arpeggios by utilizing electronic drum machines, vocoders and overdubs. The first works were pivotal to the evolution of electronic dance music, whether it was hip hop, electro or house music.

Their debut song was the international hit "I'm Ready" (1980) with various releases worldwide, while its distinctive bassline was been sampled by various electronic music tracks throughout the years. The track was included in their first self-titled studio album, along with other compositions such as "It's A War", "Now Baby Now" and "Cosmic Voyager".

Three years later, the project released "Another Life", which was another successful single worldwide. The heavy use of synths (Prophet 5 for bassline, Yamaha DX7 for bells/chords and Minimoog for the lead melody) along with the soulful vocals of Glen White made the track a huge success! Just like their first single, it was sampled in various tracks; notable examples are Lifelike & Kris Menace - Discopolis and Junior Jack - Life.

Kano disbanded as a production team in the middle of the 80's. However, vocalist Glen White used the project name in some of his first solo releases, in which the original members did not participate. After a very long time (2021), Kano regrouped for the production of a new studio album, titled "No Cents... Go Funky!", mostly oriented in funky compositions (as the album name implies).

Last but not least, you may enjoy the official promo video of the track, as feature in German TV show "Formel Eins":

KANO - ANOTHER LIFE (OFFICIAL PROMO VIDEO)