Minimal disco

[born2disco]

What's the most minimal (ie minimum of instruments or production) disco song you know of? Most disco songs are big multi-layered productions, what songs are at the opposite end of the scale?

[K-Bee]

I'd say the more minimal sound probably came with the early 80s prelude/west end releases, and later turning into house music.

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Celebrating my one-year anniversary as a DM member today 8)

[SyntaxFeline]

Here are some that come to mind.. though this might not be what you're thinking/wanting to know.

If you're unfamiliar with African Suite, it's a Ritchie Rome project from 1980... that just downright verges on tribal house, albeit with a slightly dated sound. It's a relatively minimalistic production, compared with the majority of disco productions... it's pretty much just a drums, bass, and vocal track that's consistent throughout... also has a couple of electronic loops and so on. But you get the idea.

Black Sun- Heaven is a very minimalistic track, another one from 1980 from the Black Sun II album on Panache (same Black Sun as "Black Sun- Disco Heat")... similar in feel to African Suite, but without the strong tribal flavour... it's more of a electronics experiment.

Gregg Diamond- One Eigth Of Your Love
Has some very minimalistic sectons on it, from the utterly excellent Hardware LP... but, probably not what you'd think. Though, perhaps we have different definitions of minimalistic... I come over from the house world, and am used to a 'minimalistic house' definition, where a complete song, to be considered minimalistic would have a few rolling beats, some filtered voices with the pitch changed... and that was the track. This might fit your definiton.

Okay, YES! EPIFFANY!

Okay, if there's ANY minimalistic track out there, it's Tantra- Wishbone from '79. 15 minutes of virtually nothing but drums and rolling electronics and a bassline, with a vocal loop that's repeated a couple times... (I'm going through my collection while writing this...)

Another possible Minimalistic piece you'd want to watch for: Slick- Space Bass. Doesn't feel like there's much happening in that track... but it's quite good.

Instant Funk- I Got My Mind Made Up is pretty minimalistic if you can overlook some of the instrumental segments... it's hardcore early house, at its finest...

Anyway, that's all for now...

[QUINNY]

New York City - Miroslav Vitous (still can't bring myself to like this too much. It goes nowhere, fast.)
Go Bang - Dinosaur L (one that's grown on me over the years)
Love Money - TW Funkmasters (the syndrums get a bit overbearing for my taste, but it's one hell of a funky groove for the time)
plus most Dub/A'capella versions of early '80s disco thingies.

[Forrrce]

Two (quite similar) tracks mentioned in a fairly recent thread are all bone, structurally -
Disco Dub Band's 'For The Love Of Money' is drums, bass, wah-wah & sax - and
Barry Waite's 'Sting' is simply drums, bass and wah-wah...nothing else.

My personal award goes to The Reddings' 'The Awakening', which is just drums and bass.

[JoeyCuz]

I have to say "Plug Me To Death" and "Action 78" by the Erotic Drum Band as be some of the most minimal disco records I heard. Just drums! Reminds me of tribal.

[Giovanni]

Probably not strictly "disco", Manuel Gottsching's "E2 E4" remains a landmark of minimalistic electronic dance music