Name: Malebox
Brand: Patrick Cowley

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

DE 305 LP

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2022-11-11

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Revol­ver

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

794811515531

Total Cap

Black LP

Artist

Patrick Cowley

Genre US

Synthwave

Label US

Dark Entries

Patrick Joseph Cowley (October 19, 1950 - November 12, 1982) was a San Francisco-based musician and record producer known as an early pioneer of electronic dance music. He made significant contributions to the HI-NRG and experimental genres.

Born in upstate New York, Cowley began his musical journey playing in local rock bands before studying English at the University of Buffalo. After relocating to the Bay Area, he immersed himself in synthesizer studies at San Francisco City College.

Cowley's recording career took off when he collaborated with *Sylvester*, a fellow San Francisco artist who recognized Cowley's innovative techniques with the synthesizer. Their collaboration resulted in the album "Step II," which propelled Sylvester to international fame and led to Cowley joining him on a world tour as a backup musician.

Remaining connected to the vibrant San Francisco club scene, Cowley partnered with producer *Marty Blecman* to establish Megatone Records in 1981. This partnership enabled Cowley to create successful dance-oriented singles and his acclaimed LP "Megatron Man."

In addition to working on his own music, Cowley wrote and produced hit dance singles for other artists such as *Paul Parker*. His collaborations included producing chart-topping tracks like "Right on Target" and reuniting with *Sylvester* for the popular song "Do You Wanna Funk." Sadly, Patrick

Malebox brings us six previously unreleased funk-fueled jams from the archives of the cybernetic disco titan himself, Patrick Cowley. Best known for his chart-topping disco anthems, Cowley left us with an incredible body of work before his tragic death in 1982 due to AIDS-related illness. Since 2009, Dark Entries has been working with Cowley’s friends and family to uncover the singular artist’s lesser-known sides, including his soundtracks for gay pornographic films on compilation albums School Daze, Muscle Up, and Afternooners. But Malebox gives us more of the Cowley we know and love: churning disco-funk and hi-NRG tracks that are spacey and sleazy, gritty and sublime. Recorded from 1979-1981, these six tracks illuminate what was one of Patrick’s most creatively exciting periods. “If You Feel It” and “Love Me Hot” were both early Paul Parker demos; the former is a peak hour hi-NRG bomb, while the latter dips into Cowley’s zoned-out space disco sound. Jeanie Tracy’s soulful vocals feature on the demo version of “Low Down Dirty Rhythm,” which was later re-recorded by Sarah Dash. The slower, less-varnished rendition here hits with a wild psychedelic edge. Meanwhile, Patrick’s gifts for careful orchestration and infectious melodies shine on “Floating” and “Love and Passion,” which were likely demo tracks for Loverde. The songs on Malebox display the vitality and inventiveness of a brilliant composer taken from us too soon.

Malebox

Music US