Originating in Italy at the end of the 1970s, cult genre italo-disco quickly took a life of its own outside its native borders to dominate dance floors around the globe- first throughout Europe then North America. From Chicago house to Detroit techno and countless other subgenres of electronic music, italo disco's influence on modern dance culture is immense, and still not fully measured. From its early use of drum machines, synthesizers, and vocoders to its off-kilter and sometimes terribly cheesy yet delightful lyrics, there is something about this music and the culture around it that has stood the test of time, still influencing a new generation of artists decades later. With panel moderator Andy Beta (Pitchfork/Rolling Stone) and panelists, record store owner Charlie Grappone (Vinyl Mania), NYC dance icon Justin Strauss, label head Josh Cheon (Dark Entries), and veteran DJ/producer Dan Selzer, we will be diving into the history of the genre, its import into North America, and what it is about italo-disco that keeps music lovers coming back.