By Disco DJ standards this man could walk on water and part the Red Sea while conducting a 48 piece orchestra at the same time. he was responsible for some if not most of the greatest productions of the Disco Era. You would be hard pressed to find a DJ from that time that doesn’t include this man’s work on his list of Top 5 greatest Disco tracks of all time.
Greek/Egyptian Alec R. Costandinos made records unlike anyone else could, he pioneered the use of the first LP recorded on 48 tracks ( Trident Studios). In only three years, 1977-79, he recorded an astounding 15 albums of beautiful, one side-long disco suites and concept albums without comparison. Costandinos is a musical genius and his records simply sound as fantastic today as they did when they were first released. In 1974 Costandinos would become involved with a group called Kongas, whose drummer was none other than future disco auteur Jean-Marc Cerrone. Later in 1975, the two would collaborate on Cerrone’s first solo project “Love In C Minor” , one of the greatest disco classics which launched both of their careers as Disco producers. The two original tracks off Cerrone’s three-track “Love In C Minor” LP (the title track and “Midnite Lady”) would unfortunately be the last products of the Cerrone/Costandinos collaboration. As for why that was, it’s a question mark. It is a subject that Alec told us on our Open House Interview ” I prefer to let somethings as they are “
His Masterpiece Romeo And Juliette released on the Casablanca label showed the complexities of the true genre and is an excellent example of what DISCO was and should be seen as ……ART
After all his Disco projects , Costandinos seemed to slow down considerably. He would release one more album in 1981 called “Americana,” ( The Only album that featured a picture of him on the cover ) ironically not released in the US.
And by the way on Romeo and Juliette “the most excellent and lamentable tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, newly corrected, augmented and amended” is Alec himself.
Hear our EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON OPEN HOUSE RADIO CLICK HERE
Open House Radio #54 Alec R. Costandinos by Open House Radio on Mixcloud