ORM – Tropic

Featured in the “Floating” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Tropic by pioneering Czech electronic duo ORM and vocal duo Kamelie is an impressive DIY electronic album that touches on various genres including synth-pop, ambient, disco and jazz fusion. ORM rose to fame in the late 70’s as one of the country’s leading pop producers, creating countless hits with singers like Karel Gott and Josef Laufer. On the side, the duo produced their own less commercial albums, pushing sonic boundaries with an array of state-of-the-art synthesizers (like the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5) that had to smuggled into the country due to the Soviet Iron Curtain. Tropic features many solid upbeat disco tunes, but the obvious winner here is the synth fusion title track that features powerful live drums, soaring synth lines, and dreamy vocals from singers Hana & Dana (Kamelie).

– Phil Cho

Recommended – A1 Víkend Začíná (Weekend Is Beginning), A5 Poseidon, B1 Tropic