VA – Africamore – The Afro-funk side of Italy (1973-1978) [FLIES65]

March 30, 2024March 28, 2024 hipodromeafrican, african revival, afrobeat, beryl cunningham, chrisma, compilation, four flies records, funk, i-robots, lara saint paul, outernational, prognosi riservata, ramasandiran somusundaram, soul, walter rizzati, weyman corporationLeave a comment

Continuing Four Flies’ dedication to delving into lesser-explored periods of Italian music, Africamore takes us on a captivating journey into the intersection of Afro-funk and the Italian soundscape during the six years between 1973 and 1978 – a time when disco was looming on the horizon and the nightclub market was rapidly expanding. Before reaching Italian shores, the infectious sound originating from African and Afro-Caribbean roots traversed both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, landing on New York dancefloors, where DJ Dave Mancuso discovered “Soul Makossa” by Manu Dibango. In 1973, from Mancuso’s Loft parties, the song’s hypnotic groove spread to the rest of the globe, including in Italy, where it sparked a wave of imitations and variations. Tribal influences thus found their way into Italian soul-funk and early-disco productions released between 1973 and 1978. Combining feel-good vibes with driving rhythms, world-style percussion, and even synths, all these productions pushed the boundaries of dance music at a time when disco had not yet taken over. In doing so, they sowed many of the seeds of the later Italian cosmic scene and its unique mixture of African elements, disco-funk and electronic music.

Larry Manteca – Zombie Manding LP [FLIES67]

February 18, 2024February 15, 2024 hipodromeafrobeat, album, four flies records, funk, jazz, larry mantecaLeave a comment

Larry Manteca’s Zombie Mandingo album arrived back in 2013 and in the danced plus has only ever been available digitally. Now it makes its debut on wax and remains a bold listen that was devised as a soundtrack to a non-existent exploitation film. It fuses funk, jazz, and Afrobeat influences with plenty of niche cinematic references such as the zombies in Lucio Fulci’s horrors and Umberto Lenzi’s cannibalistic adventures. The resulting mash up is beguiling to say the least with horror-tinged exotica next to Fela Kuti rhythms and elements of Italian Library music and colourful psychedelia. A boundary pushing work to say the least.

Alessandro Alessandroni – Alessandroni Proibito Vol.2 (Music from Red Light Films 1976-1980) [FLIESBX02]

December 16, 2023December 13, 2023 hipodromealessandro alessandroni, four flies records, jazz, soundtrackLeave a comment

After the success of the first Alessandroni Proibito box set, which sold out in pre-sale before it even hit the stores, Four Flies is back with Volume 2 of the compilation. This new release too features five exclusive 7-inches, housing a total of 10 seriously rare tunes. All previously unreleased in physical format, the tracks have been carefully selected from the soundtracks of five obscure Italian films from the late ‘70s – sexy flicks that flirted with the line between erotic and explicit, and which are now largely forgotten, having been out of circulation for decades. Alessandroni’s music rises above the films’ flimsy plots, improvised actors, and amateurish production, exuding his distinctive touch thanks to the (typically Italian) artisanal approach he took to his musical craft. The composer let his creativity run free, playing with his instruments at home as if he were in his own little amusement park; trying to have fun and produce something entertaining and captivating with just the few means at his disposal.

Fratelli Malibu – Tema di Susie Reloved [RLV02]

November 10, 2023November 8, 2023 hipodromealessandro alessandroni, banda maje, disco, four flies records, fratelli malibuLeave a comment

Tema di Susie’ is one of the main themes from the soundtrack composed by Alessandro Alessandroni for the 1976 Italian noir ‘Sangue di sbirro’, known in English as ‘Blood and Bullets’. At once sweet and sentimental, haunting and melancholic, ‘Tema di Susie’ stands out from the other tracks in the film, which are more action oriented. Like the rest of the score, however, it exemplifies the way in which, during the ’70s, Italian film composers created their own version of the sound of American blaxploitation cinema, with its groovy blend of funk, jazz, and soul. Neapolitan duo Fratelli Malibu have taken Alessandroni’s melodic theme and woven it into a mesmerizing tapestry of rhythmic beats, world percussion and ethereal atmospheres. Drawing inspiration from funk/Afrobeat, synth-pop and Italo-disco, they’ve conjured a psychedelic-tinged, afro-cosmic groove that’s bound to transport you to another dimension. On the B-side we have a vocal retouch version, courtesy of the Italian funk/soul collective Banda Maje. Their vocalists, Chiara Della Monica and Cristina Cafiero, elegantly infuse cinematic and Balearic vibes into the mix, paying a wonderful homage to Fratelli Malibu’s exquisite arrangement.

Dressel Amorosi – Synthporn / Cargo [FLIES4554]

October 18, 2023October 18, 2023 hipodromedisco, dressel amorosi, experimental, federico amorosi, four flies records, funk, heinrich dressel, valerio lombardozziLeave a comment

First 7” release from Dressel Amorosi, the duo of Federico Amorosi (bass) and Valerio Lombardozzi (keys, synth & programming). Halfway between cosmic-funk and Italo-disco, the two tracks on this release are infused with the fusion- and electronic-oriented spirit of late ’70s and early ’80s Italian soundtracks and library music. “Synthporn”, on side A, is a midtempo instrumental with a voluptuous electronic feel, a mixture of glamour and retrofuturism driven by Amorosi’s pulsating bass and Lombardozzi’s elegant oscillators. “Cargo”, on the flip side, brings infectious ’80s dance vibes to the table with a warm slice of synth-pop that can fit any scenario and filmic mood, from action to comedy.

Dressel Amorosi – Buio In Sala [SPE79]

June 18, 2023September 13, 2023 hipodromeambient, dressel amorosi, experimental, fabio frizzi, federico amorosi, four flies records, heinrich dressel, soundtrack, valerio lombardozziLeave a comment

The new digital single from Italian duo Dressel Amorosi, like many of their previous productions, is perfect as a theme for the soundtrack of an imaginary film inspired by the great Italian horror films of the 70s and 80s. Indeed, it has all the sonic ingredients of that fascinating and yet disquieting world and its inextricable mixture of suspense, dream and adventure. The theme starts at the piano, originating from a sweet but haunting melody that seems to evoke distant memories, and then developing into a brilliant arrangement that combines the warmth of the prog bass played by Federico Amorosi (former bassist of Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin and a recurring collaborator of composer Fabio Frizzi) and the coldness of the razor-sharp synths played by Heinrich Dressel (aka electronic music composer Valerio Lombardozzi).

Giuliano Sorgini – Mad Town / Ultima Caccia [FLIES4540]

March 6, 2022March 4, 2022 hipodromeafrobeat, enzo restuccia, experimental, four flies records, funk, giuliano sorgini, jazz, soundtrackLeave a comment

Four Flies presents a super juicy treat for all 7-inch vinyl devotees: the first of its 45s series singles to feature tracks from Giuliano Sorgini’s masterpiece Zoo Folle. The psychedelic funk number “Mad Town”, on Side A, drags you in with its infectious drum breaks and the rapid yet hypnotic flute of Nino Rapicavoli. “Ultima Caccia”, on Side B, is sheer afro-tribal bliss, with drums by Sorgini himself and massive funky percussion by legendary session player Enzo Restuccia.

Lallo Gori – Italia: Ultimo Atto? [FLIES58]

January 15, 2022January 13, 2022 hipodromealbum, four flies records, jazz, lallo gori, soundtrackLeave a comment

LALLO GORI - Italia: Ultimo Atto? (Soundtrack)

In 1977, in the midst of a period of political turmoil and social unrest that went down in Italian history as “years of lead”, screenwriter and director Massimo Pirri made a film no one else had the courage to make: Italia: ultimo atto? (Could It Happen Here?). Here, Pirri explores the controversial (and, in the 70s, very current) topic of left-wing armed struggle. He does so through a storyline that is almost prophetic: in the film, a mysterious ultra-leftwing armed group plans and executes the killing of the Ministry of the Interior; in 1978 Christian Democrat leader and former premier Aldo Moro was kidnapped and killed by the Marxist-Leninist Red Brigades).
The violence of Pirri’s storyline is fully captured by the score composed by Lallo Gori, who uses obscure synths, analog keyboards, and dry-sounding acoustic drums to create an extremely tense and frenzied soundscape of electronic textures. The result is an album that combines dark, haunting jazz-funk with ambient atmospheres and suspenseful electronic sounds, and which ends up sounding like an instrumental proto-hip hop record where Moog synths take the lead together with drums. At the time, this must have seemed like a low-budget, ramshackle soundtrack – essentially, a B-movie soundtrack. Indeed, the extensive use of electronic sounds was meant to compensate for the lack of acoustic instruments, such as the bass or (alas!) brass, which were replaced by keyboards and MiniMoog synths. Today, however, Lallo Gori’s odd and minimalistic style of arranging makes this score sound unexpected, avant-garde, and innovative. In short, modern and contemporary. Previously unreleased in any format, all tracks have been remastered from the original master tapes.

Giuliano Sorgini – Non si deve profanare il sonno dei morti [FLIES4525]

November 21, 2021November 19, 2021 hipodromeexperimental, four flies records, giuliano sorgini, jazz, soundtrackLeave a comment

SORGINI, Giuliano - Non Si Deve Profanare Il Sonno Dei Morti (Soundtrack)

Four Flies presents the first Italian 7-inch release of “Non si deve profanare il sonno dei morti” (also known as “The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue” and “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie”), the soundtrack that gave Giuliano Sorgini eternal and worldwide fame as an occult composer \ occult-oriented composer, one who, being perfectly at ease with a certain type of Italian horror cult films, has gradually come to represent the essence, the quintessence of Italian scary music, horror soundtracks.

Piero Umiliani – L’uomo elettronico [FLIES50]

March 14, 2021March 11, 2021 hipodromealbum, experimental, four flies records, piero umiliani, soundtrackLeave a comment

UMILIANI, Piero - L'uomo Elettronico: Cosmic Electronic Environments from an Italian Synth Music Maestro 1972-1983

Four Flies Records continues to explore the vast archives of synthesizer-loving cult Italian composer Piero Umiliani. This fine compilation focuses on the more cosmic and intergalactic side of his electronic work, drawing together a mixture of classic cuts, overlooked gems and previously unreleased material recorded between 1972 and ’83. There’s plenty of highlights to be found amongst the 16 tracks on show, with our picks including the echoing melodic motifs, spacey flourishes and chugging low-end of ‘Soundmaker Blues’, the deep space creepiness of ‘Fruitori’, the intergalactic minimalism of ‘Batticuori’, the Cold War-era spookiness of ‘Apocalisse Atomica’, and the gently funky ‘Eliogabulous’.

Giuliano Sorgini – Occulto [FLIES47]

November 29, 2020November 26, 2020 hipodromealbum, experimental, four flies records, giuliano sorgini, soundtrackLeave a comment

SORGINI, Giuliano - Occulto (Soundtrack)

Two years after the stunning ‘Africa Oscura’, Four Flies Records is back with another gem from Giuliano Sorgini’s secret archives, this time one which unearths some of his darkest, eeriest music – that is, pieces he composed in the mid-70s for some of the most infamous, low-budget horror movies ever made in Italy. This collection brings together a selection of original recordings from those movies, which were directed by “Italian Kings of the B’s” Angelo Pannacciò, Salvatore Bugnatelli, Luigi Batzella, and Guido Zurli, with whom the Roman composer worked intensively throughout the 70s. Due to the very low-budget nature of the films, Sorgini recorded the soundtracks entirely on his own, in his Cat & Fox Studio in Rome. He played drums and percussions and added overlapping layers of analogue synths to create a superbly sinister soundscape, thus turning a constraint into an opportunity. The result is a journey into the mysterious atmospheres of the Italian occult-sounding music of the time, something very close to the dark electronic masterpieces that made Sorgini famous. ‘Occulto’ features ten previously unreleased tracks characterized by enigmatic moods, obscure beats and esoteric themes. All tracks are taken from original master tapes that remained buried in the composer’s archives for decades.

Alessandro Alessandroni – Background Disco [FLIESDJ03]

April 7, 2019November 26, 2020 hipodromealessandro alessandroni, disco, four flies records, funk, jazzLeave a comment

Just say ‘Background Disco’ and you’re quickly reminded of the super-groovy sound that pervaded certain sequences of 1970’s Italian films, generally set in discos or clubs with a strong presence of music. Soul, disco, and funk tracks playing in the background, between a dance on the floor and a glass of J&B at the counter, that were supposed not to overcome the dialogues. Two of these jewels, signed by Alessandroni for the sexy comedy Frittata all’italiana (1976, Alfonso Brescia), are proposed in a new edit designed for the dancefloor.

20 Albums from 2018

December 28, 2018November 3, 2022 hipodromeaxis records, bordello a parigi, boysnoize records, childhood intelligence, curses, dan piu, dischi autunno, djedjotronic, e.r.p, eindkrak, șerb, fabrika records, forgotten future, four flies records, franz falckenhaus, fred ventura, gavin guthrie, giallo disco records, giuliano sorgini, heinrich dressel, heinrich mueller, hospital productions, jeff mills, kondi records, le syndicat electronique, lebanon hanover, mannequin records, medical records llc, mutant beat dance, night defined recordings, nu guinea, rush hour, sacred bones records, silent servant, tresor records, unknown precept records, vive la void, weme records, xor gate2 Comments

With just a few days from the current year left, I’ve compiled a list of 20 albums from 2018 that I enjoyed this year. Among these I have to highlight the much anticipated Mutant Beat Dance debut album, the first ever album from Gerard Hanson under the E.R.P. project, a new Gerald Donald project and a compilation of unreleased Heinrich Mueller remixes, a Silent Servant follow-up on Hospital Productions, a very interesting Fred Ventura compilation of unreleased house tracks, a new Lebanon Hanover, the beautiful debut album of Curses, the impressive Eindkrak album and the debut album of the Romanian producer Șerb.
The list is compiled in chronological order.

Eindkrak – Brullend Staal [Unknown Precept]

EINDKRAK - Brullend Staal

Continue reading “20 Albums from 2018” →

Giuliano Sorgini – Africa Oscura [FLIES33]

November 25, 2018November 19, 2021 hipodromealbum, experimental, four flies records, giuliano sorgini, soundtrackLeave a comment

SORGINI, Giuliano - Africa Oscura: Afro Dark Electronic Percussions

The unreleased dark side of Zoo Folle! Recorded by composer and multi-instrumentalist Giuliano Sorgini between 1974 and 1976 in his studio in Prati district in Rome, a stone’s throw from Italian television offices, Africa Oscura is a set of tracks inspired by the wildest and most obscure secret s of those lands, intended to be the background of some TV documentaries. Some tracks were recorded during the same session of “Zoo Folle”, the album widely recognized as his masterpiece, celebrated today by the most influential connoisseurs from all over the world. Some others came right after, for a mysterious documentary whose title was supposed to be “I corsari della savana” (as stated by the credits written on the reels that we have found). All these tracks remained unbelievably unreleased until now, forgotten on some old and dusty ¼-inch reels, amazingly survived up today, then transferred and restored to compile this much-needed release. A sort of concept-album about darkest Africa, with a kind of eerie mood, nearly esoteric, to which Sorgini was very close in these years, working on horror and b-movies soundtracks or experimental libraries. All tracks are entirely played by composer himself, with drums, percussions and all sorts of analog synths overlaps, to create an afro-ambient soundscape, something halfway between electronic and minimalism, with a vibrant prog flavour. Among John Carpenter’s reminds, occultism, large prairies and Saharan landscapes, this amazing score truly reveals the creepy dark-side of “Zoo Folle”.

VA – Esterno Notte Jazz [FLIES031]

April 28, 2018April 26, 2018 hipodromeamedeo tommasi, armando trovajoli, compilation, four flies records, funk, jazz, piero piccioni, piero umiliani, robby poitevin, romano mussolini, silvano d’auriaLeave a comment

A volume entirely dedicated to the jazz atmospheres of the Italian movies from the ‘60s, including genres such as noir, melò, giallo, dark comedy and crazy ‘musicarelli’. With a great variety of styles and moods, jazz represented the perfect soundtrack for the Italian “nouvelle vague” season: an element of great innovation that radically disrupted the way traditional scores were conceived. No longer entrusted to cumbersome orchestras but light combos, with a fresh and dynamic sound. This record is the result of a research that focused on the soundtrack archive of RCA Italy and consists of songs that have remained unpublished until today. It demonstrates how Italian jazz benefitted from its relationship with the film industry, which provided a fertile ground to experiment and create to great musicians such as Piero Umiliani, Romano Mussolini, Amedeo Tommasi, Robby Poitevin, Piero Piccioni or Armando Trovajoli.

VA – Esterno Notte Volume 2 [FLIES030]

April 28, 2018April 26, 2018 hipodromealessandro alessandroni, compilation, Ferrio, four flies records, funk, jazz, piero piccioni, sandro brugnolini, silvano d’auria, soundtrackLeave a comment

A new stunning chapter of the Esterno series, dedicated to the rediscovery of rare and unreleased soundtracks and library music from Italy. While the previous volumes consisted of unreleased material from the mythical RCA Italy archive, the research has been extended thanks to some new mysterious sources, unveiling some of best kept secrets from the ‘60s and ‘70s. The result is a deep journey into the secret history of Italian Library music, dedicated to sounds that were designed for a cityscape pervaded with action, car-chases, and hightension scenes set in smoky nightclubs. Jazz-funk, deep breaks, prog and psych flavors from some of the most hip names from the Italian scene: Alessandro Alessandroni, Piero Piccioni, Carlo Pes and I Marc 4, Sandro Brugnolini. This all-star cast is completed by Silvano D’Auria, here with another terrifying unreleased track after the shocking ‘Sortilegio’, presented for the first time in volume UNO.

Riz Ortolani – Si Puo’ Essere Piu’ Bastardi Dell’ispettore Cliff? [FLIES023]

June 4, 2017January 13, 2022 hipodromealbum, four flies records, funk, jazz, riz ortolani, soundtrackLeave a comment

ORTOLANI, Riz - Si Puo Essere Piu Bastardi Dell'ispettore Cliff? (Soundtrack)

Previously unreleased full edition for this explosive jazz-funk score by Italian Maestro Riz Ortolani, created in 1973 for the crime-movie Si può essere più bastardi dell’ispettore Cliff’ (also known as Mafia Junction’). Only two tracks from this OST were published at the time in a now extremely rare C.A.M. 7-inch, but that was enough to create the legend. Four Flies had access to the original C.A.M. master tapes, so to present here the complete session for the first time. Just expect one of the funkiest piece of the whole Ortolani’s career: car chases, sex scenes, vicious kills are served here by amazing drum breaks, fat bass lines, captivating horn section and wonderful guitar effects. Totally outstanding session, and a real new classic for all crime-funk lovers.

Alessandro Alessandroni – Afro Discoteca [FLIESDJ001]

April 17, 2017December 13, 2023 hipodromeafrobeat, alessandro alessandroni, disco, four flies records, funk, jazz, outernational, soundtrackLeave a comment

ALESSANDRONI, Alessandro - Afro Discoteca (Soundtrack)

Four Flies Records is back in full force, this time with an EP that looks at the more sophisticated and modern dancefloor… The Italian label embarked on another journey of rediscovery, a specialty they seem to master. The destination of this trip was a dusty vault in Africa, where a famous Italian musician moved years ago… The Italian film and TV industry provided in the 60s and 70s countless opportunity for talented musicians to compose and produce a rich variety of music: soundtracks, library music, experimental music – an infinite amount of recordings that still represents a paradise for the most curious and passionate diggers. So here we have the proof that there’s still lot to discover. Alessandro Alessandroni is one of those pioneers, a maestro that built the legend of Italian soundtracks and library music along with Ennio Morricone, Piero Umiliani and many others. His vault testifies how prolific had been those times, with hundreds of tapes and obscure recordings from that period. Among the many, a dusty tape bearing the hand-written label “Afro Discoteca” captured the attention of Four Flies. The music contained in the tape had never been released until now.