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

I arrived in London from Paris a decade too late. Not that it was bad timing, 94 was the very beginning of BritPop and I found a London (and a country) that was having a massive vibe about it, probably not seen since the legendary 60s. 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 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. So, day by day I instantly fell more and more in love with this 80s 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 it all 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 BritPop bands, the industry, 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 the nightclub, a decade earlier, how I would have loved it, if I would have been allowed in, that is, so 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 too young for Studio 54 but all in at the 80s Bains Douches in Paris, this was a place I would have loved for sure… and just like that, one morning I woke 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 remember 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.

Back to my Taboo, since last year, I’ve been in the middle of what I call my very personal re-boot of Disco, the music that I discovered as a very young teen and that hit me like a flashlight and became the soundtrack of my youth. A songwriter, producer, and artist since always, I have since last year written original Disco styled tracks based on pure memory from back then, I call it #DESKO, with a manifest that states, that there can be absolutely no referencing the many hits from back then. I write the songs in volumes, 10 tracks each, I’m at Vol. number 6 at the moment. #DESKO bySaabye have an official release date the 31st of December this year, New Years, obviously how could it be any different?!

So, as I’m dropping pre-releases of a bunch of the singles regularly, to get reactions for could-be future fans, and put a simple video visualizer together, I tested Taboo, a dark Disco electronic track, after that Evening Standard feature, and frankly it only to took a moment before YouTube emailed me to say that I had reached out to ‘un-aware’ fans and had racked up 120 hours in a flash. Good times are here and are coming with a touch of the fabulous Thursday nights in the Taboo nightclub. 

Taboo by #DESKO bySaabye in Vol. 3 ‘Dark Disco’ will be officially launching together with the #DESKO brand on the 31st of December but can already now be previewed with selected #DESKO songs from Vol. 1 to Vol 6. on the… 

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