1992 KOTO;
1992 ZYX MUSIC, ZYX 20228-2;
1993 SNAKES MUSIC, SM 0036 CD;
1992 RECORD EXPRESS, REC 20228-2;
2020 ELECTRIFY.


♫ Original version by KOTO:
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Koto - Anfrando Maiola

In 1982, Italian musician Anfrando Maiola (born 1954 in Parma, Italy) teamed up with Stefano Cundari and Alessandro Zanni, and released their first single CHINESE REVENGE on Cellophane Record (Studio Veronica's label). The following year, Cundari and Zanni formed Memory Records and re-released CHINESE REVENGE. The single proved to be very popular in Germany and the Netherlands, in Italy selling over 10,000 copies, which seemed like a promising start.

After the success of CHINESE REVENGE, they began writing songs for other bands, including BABY'S GANG (HAPPY SONG, CHALLENGER) and helped fellow Italian band HIPNOSIS cover Vangelis' song PULSTAR. It was released in 1983, going Top 10 in Germany and Top 20 in Switzerland. The same year, Maiola and Cundari released another single JAPANESE WAR GAME, under the Koto name, which became another hit.

In 1985, Koto released VISITORS: it sold 200,000 copies and became one of the most successful music of the year. In an interview with Maiola, he confirmed it was his favourite Koto song. The track contains a sample from Michael Jackson's 1984 hit THRILLER. The following year, he released another single, titled JABDAH (1986). Fueled by a music video, the song became a big hit, charting in Austria (29), the Netherlands (28), in Germany (23), and Switzerland (11) came to a place. Around this time, critics coined the term "Spacesynth", which combines elements of Italo-Disco and Space-Disco. VISITORS and JABDAH are considered part of the genre. In 1987, THE KOTO MIX was released, combining elements of their previous four singles.

Around 1988 House and Techno music was becoming popular, and Italo-Disco began to decline in popularity: nevertheless, Koto released another single, DRAGON'S LEGEND. Containing samples from the 1983 video game Dragon's Lair, the song proved a minor hit in the Netherlands, peaking at No. 20. A remix version was then released, titled DRAGON'S MEGAMIX. By this time, Memory Records began running into financial problems, in 1989 they remixed their debut single, CHINESE REVENGE (ASIA VERSION), for a more dance flavour. The Memory Records began releasing Techno and House music records: this did not prove a success, and the label went broke.


The other Koto - Michiel van der Kuy

In 1989, a German record label ZYX Music has bought rights to all Memory Records catalogue, including the rights to KOTO music and name. They asked Dutch composer Michiel van der Kuy (of the Spacesynth band LASERDANCE, best known for their 1986 hit single HUMANOID INVASION) to follow the steps of Maiola and Cundari. In 1989, he presented the first full-length Koto album MASTERPIECES, containing remakes of previous Koto songs, and his own compositions, including TIME, MINOAN WAR and PLAIN. In the following years, he released more singles, including TIME (1989), ACKNOWLEDGE (1990), MIND MACHINE (1992), and MECHANIC SENSE (1992), the main melody of which was clearly inspired by the song DISCO MANIAC by BABY'S GANG.

(Meanwhile, in 1990 original Koto member Anfrando Maiola came back and composed his next single - for ZYX Records - the house-flavoured, CHAMPION'S CUE. The song was not as popular as their previous singles ...)

In 1992, Michiel van der Kuy published another Koto album, FROM THE DAWN OF TIME, composed entirely by himself. He also released two cover albums in 1990 KOTO PLAYS SYNTHESIZER WORLD HITS and in 1993 KOTO PLAYS SCIENCE-FICTION MOVIE THEMES. After this, Koto fell silent ... During this period, it was revealed that Stefano Cundari had died from cancer in 1990.


In 2001, Maiola bought back the rights to the KOTO name and has released three more singles under that alias, including KOTO IS STILL ALIVE (2001), BLOW THE WHISTLE (2003) and PLANET X (2003), but the music he produces in is far from Synthesizer-Dance genre, it's rather in Techno, Dance and Trance style. Currently he is working with Alex Cundari and Roberto Bisca for new synth songs. Their first five singles are included on many Italo-Disco and '80s compilations and retrospectives.


➤Albums:
MASTERPIECES (1989)
KOTO PLAYS SYNTHESIZER WORLD HITS (1990)
FROM THE DAWN OF TIME (1992)
KOTO PLAYS SCIENCE-FICTION MOVIE THEMES (1993)

➤Singles:
CHINESE REVENGE (1982)
JAPANESE WAR GAME (1983)
VISITORS (1985)
JABDAH (1986)
THE KOTO MIX (1987)
DRAGON'S LEGEND (1988)
...

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