Italian Rockaz vs. Glozzi - Bella Italia

Italian Rockaz vs. Glozzi - Bella Italia

Once again the Danish producer Thomas Koch and singer Mario better known as Italian Rockaz are back with a new single entitled Bella Italia. Though it may sound like cooperation between Italian Rockaz and Glozzi the single is actually produced by Thomas alone since he is the man behind the Glozzi project too. The single boasts an immense remix pack from various producers. Also two new versions of Italian Rockaz’ last single La Donna have fought their way through.

Tracklist:
1. Bella Italia (Radio Mix) (3:52)
2. Bella Italia (Fabrizio e Marco Radio Recipe) (3:33)
3. Bella Italia (NDS vs Tom E Edit) (3:06)
4. Bella Italia (DJ Zulan Radio Edit) (3:23)
5. Bella Italia (Domasi & Disc Jockeyz Radio Remix) (4:46)
6. Bella Italia (Extended Mix) (4:16)
7. Bella Italia (Fabrizio e Marco Recipe) (5:14)
8. Bella Italia (NDS vs Tom E Remix) (4:53)
9. Bella Italia (DJ Zulan Remix) (5:36)
10. Bella Italia (Domasi & Disc Jockeyz Ext Remix) (6:09)
11. Bella Italia (DJ Blisco Concept) (7:43)
12. Bella Italia (OverLand Extended) (5:54)
13. Bella Italia (Mariano Pop Mix) (3:50)
14. La Donna (Morty Simmons Remix) (3:48)
15. La Donna (Reality Blaster Rmx) (4:22)

First of all is the original mix produced by Italian Rockaz themselves in two versions a short and a 24 seconds longer extended version. Though Glozzi and Italian Rockaz can be considered as the same guy they do have one distinctive sound each. As seen in the two previous singles La Donna and il Mio Amore there were an Italian Rockaz mix in the genre hard dance and then a Glozzi remix in italodance style. This time there are not really any Italian Rockaz mixes which is why the original mixes can more or less be counted as Glozzi mixes. 
The track uses a typical build up with the present Glozzi sound also known from the previous singles which means a unique italo bass and a special lead going up and down all the time. Added with the characteristic vocals of Mario and you have a great combination. What I do not understand is why they used both Italian and English lyrics especially when the Italian part sounds much better than the English, a little minus in the book. Despite the lyrics the chorus is catchy and the song exudes of summer. While La Donna could be a bit dull, Thomas has managed to remove the veil and has come out with a much better and highly danceable result. 5/6

Next version is the Fabrizio e Marco remix in their typical italo sound known from most of their remixes. They have really used the definition of a remix and changed almost everything in the song. The lyrics are changed a bit, Mario still sings his part but Fabrizio and Marco have added some extra in English just before the chorus starts. A funny idea since it sounds a bit weird with Marco’s voice suddenly coming in. Musically the track is closer to the sound of nu-italo than the original mix is. The bass and background sounds fit perfectly and the chorus is not bad either only problem is that it is not really catchy enough. 4/6

Nds vs. Tom E is a group I personally did not know before hearing their contribution to this single. They deliver a track in hard dance for the hands-up hungry people in typical German sound. Actually the track starts out quite well, especially the radio version, with a great feeling of summer which was very promising for a track of this caliber. Unfortunately it all gets ruined when the bass starts for real. It is monotonous and the chorus is quite empty too with the only great being the vocal part. 3/6

Luckily it all gets much better with the DJ Zulan remix. I have previously criticized him for being a bit cheap but he has come a long way since then and is definitely past that point. He tends to use a lot of filtering and this is no exception with the so-called “Zulan-Magic” as a few people might be able to recognize. For those who know Zulan there is nothing new to come for, he even put a few of his own vocals in the track. While the DJ Zulan remix of il Mio Amore showed us good intensions the Bella Italia remix shows us the full potential. 5/6

Now to the most interesting part of this single produced by a little but highly loveable guy, it is of course the Domasi & Disc Jockeyz remix. Though the title indicates a remix produced by both Domasi and Disc Jockeyz the musical part is produced entirely by Thomas Albrechtsen better known as Domasi while some of the lyrics are sung by Michael Andersen from Disc Jockeyz.
One should think that Domasi would have a hard time keeping up in reviews but the truth is that he does not seem to have any problem doing so at all. The sounds used are typical Domasi with lots of filtering and a bass you can only love. Add the lovely voices of Italian Rockaz and Disc Jockeyz, some piano, a great main synth and take it all through a mean filter and you have the perfect receipt for a Domasi track.
The mix of two different vocals in the Fabrizio e Marco remix sounded a bit weird but the mixture of Mario singing the Italian part and Michael the English part it sounds great here. All in all another fantastic remix by Domasi which surely proves that he is one of the best italo producers at the moment. 6/6

The DJ Blisco remix is a bit different from the rest because the tempo is lowered and the sound is harder. The bass is kind of a mix between the Italian tuba and the hard kicking German one. With a runtime of 7:43 the track is quite long and monotonous and it does not get much better with an intro and an outro of over one minute each, however this track might be interesting for those who like projects such as Lento Violento Man by Gigi D’Agostino or “Musica Brutale” by Klubbhoppers (Also available from Balloon Records) because of its hard but slow lento violento sound, I think the track is a bit too long, shortening it with 2 minutes would make it better. 4/6

What does not need shortening is the Overland remix, two guys who probably do not need any further introduction. Overland’s productions have been of varying quality lately but now they are definitely back in their right element. Their remix has a lovely adventurous sound and is very much alike their previous production “The Music Is Magic” sung by Kimmy. The track has the distinctive Overland bass and is filled with effects which combined with a wonderful chorus makes a really great track that makes you dream and dance at the same time. Overland really show what they are capable of in one of their best remixes lately and in the second best remix of Bella Italia. 5/6

After all the ‘normal’ mixes there are the alternative mixes. Actually there is just one the Mariano Pop Mix which is completely different from the rest. As the title says it is a Pop mix with a touch of R’n’B where Mario shows what he is capable of as a singer since some of the lyrics are changed and the vocals rerecorded. The fact that it is a pop mix and that it is completely different from any other version on this single does make its presence a bit awkward. For an italo lover it has no interest at all and you might very well skip this track when you get to it, though Mario does a better job singing in this version than any of the others. 1/6

Last but not least are the two bonus tracks which might have been intended for the German market since they are pure hard dance with the only trace of italo being Mario’s vocals. The first of two remixes of La Donna is produced by Morty Simmons who delivers stomping for all the money in a style that reminds a bit of Ma.Bra.’s. Despite the fact that italo is preferred personally Morty Simmons actually delivers a track filled with energy and a quite nice chorus which actually lifts an otherwise average track to 4/6.
The other bonus remix is the Reality Blaster remix. It does not really bring any new to the genre or to La Donna. It is not as hard as the previous remix but not very catchy either. The chorus is average and sounds like a half hearted try to lift Mario’s vocal which by the way does not really fit in this type of music which make the track easily forgettable. 2/6

Despite a few slips here and there Italian Rockaz are back with style. Bella Italia is far better than any of their previous productions and definitely their best to this date. Having heard the first previews over 6 months ago this track was not very new personally but regardless its news value it can still move your feet even after 50+ listenings. If you enjoyed the previous singles you will without doubt love this one as it boasts both German and Italian dance with a little touch of lento violento.

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