Milwaukee's electro-funk duo Codebreaker teams with London dance diva Kathy Diamond for "Fire," a new 12" single on Disco Demolition Records. The record is the label's first release.
Steven Hawley and Sage Schwarm continue to conjure the late ‘70s New York disco underground with this synth-fueled dance pop number layered with low-key vocals from Diamond, a Sheffield-born singer inspired by Donna Summer.
Diamond's first solo disc, "Miss Diamond to You," earned a 7.8 from Pitchfork Media.
The Codebreaker b-side, "R.I.M.L. (DDR Extended Mix)," has a Nile Rodgers guitar figure and a chimey Chic melody that topped with Hawley's vocal and a Sugarhill-era rap.
The single is available from Oct. 7 in record shops across Europe and digitally worldwide via iTunes, Amazon.com, Napster, Rhapsody and other major outlets.
Get a taste at Codebreaker's MySpace page and the label's, too.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
