I go through odd musical phases sometimes. For some reason, lately, I've really been feeling freestyle (well, it's probably because I've been listening to the classic dance station all day at work that plays way too many ballads). Not freestyle as in MCs rhyming off the top of their heads, I mean that odd post-disco stuff from the 80's. It's a form of music that's totally ripped on by house and techno purists (myself included), but damn if there weren't some gems from this era. It's also fun picking up on stuff that flew right over my head when I was a kid, like how Coro's "Fallen Angel" samples Kraftwerk's "Numbers" (how's that for street cred, yo?).

As with most music on now defunct independent labels, the bulk of this stuff is currently unavailable for purchase or download, and I can't help but feel that there will be some sort of organization created within the next few years that will preserve (by digitally cataloging) much of this stuff, as well as early house, techno, and rave (for a good laugh, of course). I'm sure I have Lisette Melendez' "Together Forever" in mint condition somewhere (you really must watch the video).

And no, I have no idea why it's called "freestyle". Yeah, it really doesn't make any sense.