Purple Disco Machine - Exotica (2LP)

Dropping the needle on Exotica feels like stepping into a mirror-ball time warp where Italo shimmer meets modern dancefloor punch. Purple Disco Machine, the Dresden-born producer also known as Tino Piontek, built a second act as sleek as a vintage sports car, and his sophomore album, released in October 2021, is the full showroom tour. The singles had already staked out the terrain by the time the record landed. “Hypnotized,” with Sophie and the Giants, turned into one of those European radio fixtures you couldn’t outrun, the kind of track that smuggled disco melancholy into supermarket aisles and sunset drives. It became a major hit in Italy and across the continent, and you can hear why. The synths glow like sodium lights over wet pavement, the vocal is pure longing, and the groove does not let up.

Exotica works because it keeps that balance between gloss and grit. Piontek has always been a student of classic disco and synth-funk, but here the references are trimmed to the chassis. “Fireworks,” featuring Moss Kena and The Knocks, is a summer postcard with the ink still drying, handclaps tucked under a bass line that actually wants you to move rather than pose. It is pop in the best sense, bright and direct, but you can feel the studio craft in the way each element snaps into place. “Dopamine,” with Eyelar, aims for the sugar rush and lands it, using bright arpeggios and a chorus built for festival fields and sweaty basements alike. Then “Playbox” flips to chrome-plated space disco, all vocoder hooks and squelchy leads, a reminder that Purple Disco Machine can go full gearhead when he wants.

The album flows like a night out plotted by someone who knows the room. Peaks arrive, spill over, then give you a breather before the next lift. The kick drums stay fat, the basslines stay rubbery, and those guitar licks trace clean neon arcs through the mix. Piontek has spoken often about his love for the old stuff, and you can hear the tape-machine daydream in the textures, yet the finish is thoroughly contemporary. It is the trick he pulled off on Soulmatic and doubles down on here, taking crate-dug DNA and tightening it until it slots seamlessly into present-day radio and club sets.

What hits as you live with Exotica is the emotional clarity under the polish. “Hypnotized” carries a wistful ache. “Fireworks” fires confetti but also glances at the mess the morning after. That duality is why these songs stuck on airwaves from Italy to Germany while clubs were still in limbo. They are built for dance floors, sure, yet they travel well in headphones, cars, everywhere. The drum programming has weight, not just volume, and the synth palette nods to late 70s and early 80s textures without feeling like a museum tour.

There is also the expanded life of the record to consider. A deluxe edition followed in 2022 and added “In The Dark,” another hit with Sophie and the Giants that proved the chemistry was more than a one-off. It slotted next to the original cuts like a missing puzzle piece, extending the album’s run in clubs and on playlists without watering down its identity.

On vinyl, the album shines. Low end is thick, tops are crisp, and the stereo placement flatters those rhythm guitar stabs and string pads. If you are a DJ who still mixes wax, Exotica vinyl will not fight you in the booth. If you are a listener who loves a front-to-back spin, the sequencing rewards it. I have seen copies fly out at a Melbourne record store near my place, and it makes sense. This is the kind of modern disco that works as a gateway record, the one you hand to a friend who wants something new that still scratches a classic itch. If you are hunting for Purple Disco Machine vinyl or want to buy Purple Disco Machine records online, this is the one that earns a permanent slot. It also sits nicely next to other Purple Disco Machine albums on vinyl, a reminder that he has carved out his own lane in the dance-pop landscape.

Exotica is not trying to reinvent the wheel. It is making sure the wheel is perfectly inflated, aligned, and ready to eat the city at night. That is its charm. Clean songwriting, high-gloss production, and a reverent ear for disco history. Put simply, it is a great spin, whether you are crate-digging for vinyl records Australia wide or flipping through the new arrivals at your local shop.