• Giorgio Moroder E Mc2

Giorgio Moroder E Mc2

Repertoire’s Giorgio Moroder release programme continues apace with the reissue of E=MC2, the world’s first ever live-to-digital album, recorded while Moroder was at the height of his powers in the aftermath of his landmark collaboration with Donna Summer, I Feel Love. Made in Los Angeles for Soundstream Inc, a company that had specialised in digitally recording the classics, this album was its first foray into pop recording. Set amid sessions for Sparks, Three Degrees and his Midnight Express soundtrack, it was recorded quickly on myriad computers, with his trusted team of Pete Bellotte and Keith Forsey, alongside newcomer, programmer Harold Faltermeyer. It’s one continuous piece of music and, while not as tune-rich as its predecessor, From Here To Eternity, it’s a delightful diversion. That said, it also sounds quite rushed: Moroder’s falsetto is a little forced and the melodies aren’t as strong, but there’s still considerable magic. In My Wildest Dreams and If You Weren’t Afraid are up there with his very best, as is the title track, where, rather beautifully, Moroder reads the album credits through a vocoder. Never has the line “Second Engineer: Steven Smith” sounded so mesmerising.