Off The Record at Rialto reveals the story behind the music

About the author

Rozemarijn, pleased to meet you. Interested as I am in very many things - cities, musicians' biographies and early morning swims to name but a few - in the end I like to stick to the basics: music, food and the image. Suffering from limitless energy and curiosity, I'm always up for something.

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If you’re not the music buff, stop reading. If you are, proceed. For those of you who have an infinite hunger for music and, more specifically, the story behind it: a new ritual might be coming your way. Every month at film theater Rialto, guest programmer Christian Pazzaglia will pick one music documentary – golden oldie or new kid on the block – and give an in-depth introduction to the film. Every screening is followed by an after party inspired by the documentary’s musical style. After the kick-off in April (featuring documentary The Furious Force of Rhymes, that tells the story of how hip-hop is used as a common language of protest for oppressed groups around the world), disco will be examined in May, while in June we can take a closer look at the legendary recording studios of Sound City in L.A.

Disco: The Secret Disco Revolution

The Secret Disco Revolution discusses the effects of disco beyond the dance floor. The disco era coincided with the era of emancipation and freedom. Donna Summer for example, in her 1975 hit Love To Love You Baby, is said to be the expression of the female critique of the so-called ‘three-minute sex’. Although the film maker’s conclusion that disco originated in Nazi Germany might seem a bit far-fetched, the mix of material from the archives and interviews with both experts and the disco heroes of those days, among which Gloria Gaynor, Kool & The Gang and the Village people – who are interestingly called ‘one of the most incredibly subversive fruits [of disco] ever’ – results in a critical yet entertaining film.

L.A. recording studios: Sound City

June will feature a recently released documentary on the Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. The director, Dave Grohl, recorded the Nevermind album with Nirvana at Sound City, and decided to make his début as a director a tribute to the studio, after it was closed in 2011. Sound City – located in the San Fernando Valley surrounded by rows of abandoned warehouses – was home to recordings of, among many others, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Metallica, Guns ‘n Roses and Cheap Trick, and more recently Death Cab for Cutie and Arctic Monkeys. The documentary tells the story of the studio from its early days until its closing, and of the creation of the soundtrack for Sound City that reunited many of its recording artists. An interesting insider’s look into the history of an epic recording studio.

More titles to be announced!

Off The Record

When: The Secret Disco Revolution – May 7th, 21:30h | Sound City – June 12th
Where: Rialto, Ceintuurbaan 338
Tickets: €9
Website: Rialto

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