Hour-long set of exclusive edits and remixes in conjunction with long-time collaborator Chris Cox
NY dance music legend François K and Academy participants also performed at special Deep Space night
Moroder’s informative and inspiring lecture at Red Bull Music
Last night, Brooklyn’s Output was sold out and packed to brim, as fans came to witness dance music revolutionary Giorgio Moroder’s first ever live DJ set as part of the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy in New York. Joined in the booth by long-time collaborator Chris Cox, Moroder played an hour-long set featuring fully re-arranged versions and exclusive remixes of some of his greatest hits, as well as live vocals on vocoder. The set list spanned his entire career, from his seminal, synth-heavy work with Donna Summer in the mid-70s, to his much talked-about collaboration with Daft Punk, “Giorgio by Moroder”, which is out in the US today.
One of the true greats of disco and electronic music, Giorgio Moroder brought a distinctly European aesthetic to black American dance grooves in the 70s with his visionary, synthesizer-driven production work for Donna Summer (“I Feel Love”, “Love to Love You Baby”). He was also a supreme composer of soundtracks, scored an unlikely chart success with “The Chase” (the theme from Midnight Express) and won three Oscars(c), as well writing theme songs for no less than three Olympic Games.
With a whole new generation of dance music artists turning to his motorik disco sound for inspiration, the Italian-born producer is currently kick-starting a new career as a performer. His New York appearance, hosted by the Red Bull Music Academy in conjunction with local club scene fixture Deep Space, was his “first ever live DJ set” and his first performance in the US. Other artists to perform on the night included New York dance music legend and Deep Space resident DJ, François K, as well as 2013 Academy participants T.Williams (London) and Benjamin Damage (Berlin) who have both been making major waves recently with their respective takes on soulful house and twisted techno.
Earlier on the day, Giorgio Moroder gave a private lecture to a select set of 31 music makers from around the globe at the Red Bull Music Academy, which is currently residing in a custom-built studio space in New York’s Chelsea district. In the two-hour conversation, Moroder touched on everything from his inspiration behind the Scarface soundtrack to being sampled by the hip hop generation and his surprising return to the limelight. ”I was quite happy just doing my crosswords,” he commented with a smile. “And then Daft Punk came and pulled me back in.”
A video of the entire conversation and the full audio of Moroder’s set will be available soon on www.redbullmusicacademy.com
