Sampled EP by IchiSan: A Retro-Futuristic Love Letter to Italo-Disco
Alright, let’s dive into Sampled EP by IchiSan—a little gem that slipped out of the Netherlands in 2020 under Violette Szabo. If you’re into electronic music with a heavy dose of nostalgia, this one might just slap you right in the feels. The vibe? Pure Italo-Disco magic, baby. Think neon lights flickering on wet streets, roller skates gliding across disco floors, and synth lines so smooth they feel like velvet.
Now, I gotta shout out two tracks here because, honestly, they stuck to my brain like gum on a hot day. First up is “Jugoslavija.” Oh man, this track hits different. It’s got that driving bassline that makes your chest vibrate, paired with arpeggios sharper than your grandma’s cheeky comments at Thanksgiving dinner. There’s something about the way it builds—layer upon layer of shimmering synths—that pulls you back to the ‘80s but also kinda propels you forward into some alternate retro-future universe. You can almost picture yourself cruising down an empty highway in a DeLorean while munching on stale candy from a gas station. Yeah, it’s THAT kind of vibe.
Then there’s “Mače Moje,” which flips the script a bit. This one feels warmer, more intimate, like someone whispering secrets in your ear at 3 AM. The melody has this haunting quality, like it’s pulling threads from memories you didn’t even know you had. The vocals (if we can call them that) are chopped and screwed just enough to sound otherworldly without losing their soul. It’s the kind of track that sneaks up on you when you least expect it, wrapping itself around your mood like a cozy blanket made of static and stars.
What’s wild about this EP is how IchiSan manages to honor the classic Italo-Disco sound while still making it feel fresh. Like, yeah, you’ve heard these vibes before, but not quite like this. It’s as if someone took all those vintage records, threw them in a blender with modern production tricks, and hit puree. And guess what? It works. Big time.
But here’s the kicker—the thing that really got me thinking—as much as this album screams “dance floor,” it also feels kinda lonely. Not sad lonely, though. More like… introspective lonely. Like, you could be surrounded by people busting moves, but deep down, you’re lost in your own head, vibing to your own rhythm. Maybe that’s why I keep coming back to it. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I can’t stop humming “Jugoslavija” every time I walk past a mirror. Who knows?
Anyway, give Sampled EP a spin if you’re craving music that sounds like a glitchy dream dipped in chrome. Just don’t blame me if you start daydreaming about time machines and forgotten Europop anthems.
