In the seventh decade of the twentieth century, a cultural phenomenon swept this great country - nay, the world - faster than the common cold in a subway car full of sneezers. No, I’m not referring to wide lapels or polyester pants. I’m referring to disco. But before you scoff or tilt your shaggy-haired heads back in disgust, shall we revisit the antiquated sounds of disco’s greatest golden hits through the lens of one today’s most enchanting performers? Yes, we shall.
The Seven Inch Project has just released a limited edition vinyl pressing of two classic disco covers from Gnomonsong’s own Rio En Medio, aka Danielle Stech-Homsy. From their site:
“The inspiration for these disco covers came to Danielle as she was promenading through the local West Indian grocery store in Flatbush, Brooklyn. It was late and Danielle was exhausted from work. As her dazed eyes drifted over bruised plantains she suddenly became aware of a song that was playing on the radio. For days the melody filled Danielle’s head and obsessed her imagination. She had only caught a few words but managed to dig it up on the Internet…”Let this groove get you to move…It’s alright…alright…a-a-al-right.” Weeks later Danielle found herself in a Montreal hotel tapping the beat out on the desk in her room, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to alert the staff to her nefarious recording activity. The song, one could say, had bewitched her. It had awakened a certain hitherto obscured spirit inside her that, once unleashed, had the power to change her, which it did, causing Danielle to abandon her current life in pursuit of a more dangerous personal freedom and aliveness that she had never known. That’s when she understood DISCO - what must have moved so many people, as silly as it now seems to many of us - the magical hold it had on being Alive, struggling against the odds, and for no reason other than to feel something moving in your body and soul…
[download] “Let’s Groove” (Original by Earth, Wind, and Fire)
[buy the vinyl]
Click below for current European tour dates with CocoRosie!
Rio en Medio
February 1, 2007
Rio en Medio is Danielle Stech-Homsy. Danielle Stech-Homsy is crafting some of the most metaphysically beautiful folk songs that I’ve heard that have come out of naturalismo. Her debut album, The Bride of Dynamite, which was produced by Andy Cabic, comes out on February 14th and features appearances by Sierra Casady (Coco Rosie), Tim Fite, David Coulter and Devendra Banhart. The first single off her album is named “Everyone is Someone’s.” This song is the ear to the eye that was Pans Labyrnth. Hauntingly angelic, the allure of the song sweeps over you as her soft vocals are interposed with a childs laughter and other sound artifacts that help to fulfill her narrative.
Download her new single here:
Rio en Medio - Everyone is Someone’s
Pre-Order her new album here.
