Taboo , a 2024 styled throwback single to post New Romantics era and the 80s Taboo Soho nightclub.

As part of my re-boot of Disco, the soundtrack of my very young youth, I created #DESKO, songs that I would have written if I had been able to back then but made for 2025. Here's the story behind...

“Taboo is an energetic ear-popping synth-driven, mid-80’s inspired British Electronic Disco single produced for 2024, reflecting back on the super-charged party past days at the then SOHO, London Taboo night club from a former then club-goer’s view and how life has turned out as of today.“

I arrived in London from Paris a decade too late. Not that it was too bad a timing, 94 was the very beginning of BritPop and I found a London (and country) that was having a massive vibe about it, probably not seen since the legendary 60’s. But, for me, it was a decade too late… for Taboo, that outrageous night club in the Westend, just off Leicester Square in Soho started by a larger than life Leigh Bowery in 85.

I had only converted a few years prior from a not great at all wannabe Jazz pianist to a full-on British 80s Pop again wanna-be. It was Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet over Depeche Mode to Paul Young and Tina Turner with so many artists in between. in France it only took me one single backstage concert with Norwegian A-ha in the south of France to 1… understand that playing 2000 Chords for 4 people in no way could match playing 4 Chords for thousands of fans and 2… to embrace the sound of the 80s. In the south, day by day I instantly fell more and more in love with this 80’s British music that I had largely ignored up until then and today I haven’t looked back ever since.

Upon arriving in London in 94, I settled into a large terraced house in Victoria, puzzled by the BritPop invasion having no knowledge of where all this came from, we talk Blur, Oasis, and Pulp. I had arrived in London to hopefully work with some of the great producers from the 80s, had the contacts sorted, yet quickly ended up hanging out with both the bands, the industry and all and everyone and around it, and frankly, had the time of my life in what became a little short of two amazing years.

Still, Taboo, a decade earlier, how I would have loved it, if i would have been allowed in that is, such harsh was the door policy as I understand it.

Fast forward, when i read a brilliant feature in the Evening Standard in October this year by Dylan Thomas I simply had to know more. Way to young for Studio 54 but all in 80s Bains Douches in Paris, this was a place I would have loved for sure… and just like that, one morning I woke up up, I had a flashback, googled Taboo and Boy George and bingo… Yes… it was him I saw in 2004 in a highly enjoyable musical, aptly named Taboo in a small(ish) venue again off Leicester Square also staring Matt Lucas. I had remember since Boy George performing a long monologue standing 3 feet in front of us, with one spot on him and us, and he was very good, yes… it was Taboo the musical.