説明
2019年にリリースされ好評だったイタロ・ディスコ～ユーロ・ディスコ系コンピ「Night City Life」の第2弾が登場！
6年前にIlan Pdahtzurが手掛けた『Night City Life』から時は流れ、彼はロンドンを拠点とする国際的に認められたディガーへと成長した。今作『Night City Life II』では、ヨーロッパのシンセポップ・レアリティからイタロ・ダンス、ポスト・ブギーのインストゥルメンタルまで、都会の夜を彩る14曲を厳選。
前作同様、収録曲のアーティストを徹底追跡。ヴァイナル盤には各トラックの背景を詳述したライナーノーツを付属。Playgroundの1984年自主制作B面『Rainy Day Woman』のスローモーション・シャッフルから、南アフリカのシンセポップ傑作Shamorの『Close To You (Bwela Pafupi)』、ベルリーダンスを想起させるTB-303ベースのハウス・ナンバーSharon & Tracyの『The Sheik』まで、多様な音の宝石が揃う。
シシリアン・ミュージシャンClaudio D'Ignotiのブギー時代の隠れた名作『Anche Per Noi』や、ミラノのパニナーロ運動を彷彿とさせるLenaの『Embrasse-Moi (Strumentale)』、幻の7インチとして知られるJimmy Dの『Rescue Me (Imagination)』のダンスフロア・ダブ・ヴァージョンなど、知る人ぞ知る傑作も収録。
Ilanが紡ぐネオン輝くサウンドワールドへと誘うこのコンピレーションは、シンセサイザーが生み出す独特の音宇宙へ没入する必聴の一枚。ヴァイナル盤ならではの質感が、都会の夜の息遣いをそのまま伝える。
A1. Playground - Rainy Day Woman
A2. Spinnaker - The Spirit of America
A3. Natalie Ann - You've Got to Feel
A4. Shamor - Close to You (Bwela Pafupi)
B1. Cherry Laine - Land of No Return
B2. Sharon & Tracy - The Sheik
B3. Methods of Dance - Aggravation (Instrumental)
B4. Claudio D'Ignoti - Anche Per Noi
C1. Jennifer - Come Into My Life
C2. Lena - Embrasse-Moi (Strumentale)
C3. Fabrithia - I Want You (Strumentale)
D1. Jimmy D. - Rescue Me (Imagination) (Dub Version)
D2. Alison Sheryll - You're Not Alone.
D3. Precious Child - Come Alone
Much has changed for Ilan Pdahtzur since the release of his Night City Life compilation six years ago. Back then, he was a little-known record collector who shared obscure, synth-heavy music that “captured the night-time glow” of the city he calls home, London, via a dedicated Instagram page. Fast forward to 2025 and Ilan is now a respected member of the international digger-selector community, having delivered must-check mixes for the likes of Bordello A Parigi, Bayete, Hunee’s Lifetones and Sound Metaphors.
It seems a fitting time, then, for Spacetalk to unleash Night City Life II, a second deep dive into Ilan’s distinctive, neon-lit sound world – a place where European synth-pop rarities, Italo-dance treats, dancefloor-focused post-boogie instrumentals soundtrack strolls around shuttered skyscrapers, dockside housing estates and wharf-side warehouse conversions.
In the six years that have passed since the release of Night City Life, Ilan has uncovered many more rarities, private-press gems and slept-on treats, with 14 of these featuring on the dusty-fingered crate-digger’s sublime sequel. As with its predecessor, much effort has been made to track down the artists behind the synth-heavy songs on show, with the vinyl edition featuring extended liner notes where some tell the story of their track in detail. Musically, there’s much to set the pulse racing within Ilan’s superb selections, from the slow-motion shuffle of Playground’s self-released 1984 B-side ‘Rainy Day Woman’ and the brilliance of Shamor’s 1985 South African synth-pop special ‘Close To You (Bwela Pafupi)’, to Sharon & Tracy’s ‘The Sheik’ – a belly-dancing inspired slab of TB-303 bass-driven house – and the kaleidoscopic, piano-rich 1992 Euro-house brilliance of ‘Come Into My Life’ by Jennifer.
Dive deeper into the collection and more under-appreciated musical masterpieces make their presence felt. There’s Sicilian musician Claudio D’Ignoti’s lesser-known boogie-era single ‘Anche Per Noi’, where rubbery bass guitar, Nile Rodgers style disco guitar licks and spacey synths dominate the sound space, Lena’s fashion circuit-inspired, early Pet Shop Boys-esque ‘Embrasse-Moi (Strumentale)’ – one that members of Milan’s Paninaro movement would surely have enjoyed – and a sublime, spaced-out and effects laden dancefloor dub of ‘Rescue Me (Imagination)’ by Jimmy D, a genuinely sought-after jam originally released on a now impossible-to-find seven-inch single. Offering another genuinely distinctive, carefully curated collection of lesser-known musical treats, Night City Life II is another essential, immersive and synthesizer-powered journey through Ilan’s unique sonic world.
