Caleidoscopio N. 2 was recorded in the ’70s at Meridiana Recording Studio, by Orchestra Sinfonica Di Roma directed by Gianluigi Gelmetti with flute solo by Daisy Lumini.
Max Schreiber is the more introspective guise of Mule Driver, reserved for drifting into fragile and haunted sonic territories. Variations on Memory Vol.2 deepens Schreiber’s exploration of collective sound and personal distortion. This time, fragments of lullabies and children’s songs resurface along side memorial songs – distorted by time, memory, and a quiet sense of unease. Schreiber treats these melodies not as sacred relics, but as raw material: vulnerable to noise, decay, and reinterpretation. Recorded in intuitive, often single-take sessions, the album challenges the listener’s sense of nostalgia. Sentimentality collapses into abstraction, and familiar tunes unravel into drifting soundscapes – like half-remembered scenes from a film that never existed. Variations on Memory Vol. 2 is less about what these songs once meant, and more about what they might conceal.
Unreleased themes from Kornelije Kovac for commissioned documentary short ‘Raport iz Sarajeva’, directed by Miodrag Zdravkovic in 1982. This music themes precede the official songs, idents and audio logos for the XIV Winter Olympic Games Sarajevo 1984 opening ceremony made by Kornelije Kovac in his Belgrade based studio from 1982 to 1984. Sourced from the original master tapes with full color artwork by Eric Adrian Lee. Includes insert with photographs from Kornelije Kovac private collection and liner notes by Zeljko Luketic.
Remember that period at the turn of the century when people were talking about Lounge, Exotica and Easy Listening? It was the so-called Cocktail Generation phenomenon, of which VIP 200, a quartet formed in Italy in 1999, was the ultimate expression as a band. The most important input came from the reissues and compilations of Italian soundtracks that debuted with great success at the time, and VIP 200’s interpretations of them were genuine, rustic and rich in atmospheres that led back precisely to music for the image. Their live shows, as well as their first and only record re-released for the first time on double gatefold vinyl by Cinedelic with many outtakes, alternated between danceable moments with fast rhythms such as shake, beat and soul funk, to more ethereal and psychedelic, to softer and more ironic ones. They loosely and spontaneously re-presented songs that before then no one had ever performed live with a band; 10 years later Calibro 35 would get there. Strong was the “fetishist” component that pushed them to research original instruments of the vintage, design, sound and atmosphere to be created. An iconographic record of the period, a must-have for those who lived through it and for those who want to understand its essence.
Musica Per Immagini it will release a series of albums of contemporary and electronic music often “inspired by” different sources, both sonic, if not literary and cinematographic. Heinrich Dressel’s “Polarlys” is the first album of unreleased tracks published by Musica Per Immagini, or a soundtrack for a imaginary noir film set in the icy waters of northern Europe, inspired by the book “The Mystery of the Polarlys” by Georges Simenon. Drones and ethereal atmospheres are paired with a cinematic background in order to describe the frost of the northern seas and the restlessness of the journey: beyond the classic analog sounds, a specific use of additive and vector synthesis particularly in vogue during the Nineties and typical of vintage synthesizers.
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.
Delodio label’s managing duo (Fafane and F.M), have been piling up tonnes of tapes and cassettes in their studio for many years. The tracks compiled here, by an as of now unidentified artist, come from one of these cassettes. One thing is certain, the artist who made this instrumental cosmic music loved / loves soaring synthesizers with arpeggiators and drum machines. Throughout the 8 tracks on this album, you get the impression of wandering through a planetarium or listening to an early 80s sci-fi movie soundtrack.
“Ambient Trip Commander” is a hand drawn/painted feature animation film made by Danny Wolfers. The film premiered on 28th of May 2022 at the EYE film Museum in Amsterdam Holland with a live soundtrack on synths by Legowelt. This is the soundtrack album of my 2022 Ambient Trip Commander animation film on cassette tape and digital.
Continue reading “Legowelt – Ambient Trip Commander Original Soundtrack [NW038] [Free Download]”
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).
The venerable Dark Entries celebrates it’s 300th release with “Panoramic Coloursound”, a triple LP from The Creative Technology Consortium. Traxx, Andrew Bisenius, and Jason Letkiewicz forged the CtC during the depths of pandemic isolation. Drawing from film and television music of the 80’s/90’s and armed with a mighty array of vintage analog and digital synthesizers, they set out to explore heists, vices, and catastrophe. Panoramic Coloursound collapses sound and image into a neon blur throughout its 25 tracks. While retro scores were the starting point for the CtC, the project does more than pay dutiful homage — these notes are warped and skewed, devolving into decaying digital soundscapes. EBM-inflected basslines pop up on tracks like “Catastrophe” and “A Retro Vice”, menacing numbers that recall Traxx and Letkiewicz’s legendary work as Mutant Beat Dance (a project also featuring Beau Wanzer). “Follow Our Kode” pairs heroic synths with funky bass, striking cosmic chords akin to the material that Traxx and Bisenius have released as An Anomaly. Krautrock-esque guitars slide along anthemic pads on “Beautifully Polluted Sunset”, which comes across like an alien Miami Vice closing theme. The CtC channel corroded VHS vibes while making music for the future.
“Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether” is the second album by Chris & Cosey as Carter Tutti, following 2004’s Cabal. A haunting, gothic 11-tracker that revels more in cinematic beauty than abrasive sonic gristle, its standout pieces such as ‘Woven Clouds’ recalling the heartfelt studio masterpieces of This Mortal Coil or the mysterious blackgaze dissociations of Black Tape For A Blue Girl. Cosey’s voice appears in crystal clarity, against utmostly gut-wrenching string movements and synthetic choirs of angels.
”Metropolis Metropolis” album is an abbreviated version of the most recent electronic music soundtrack for Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) by Jeff Mills. Unlike his first soundtrack version (released in 2011) where tracks addressed specific segments of the film in a track listing form, this version is more a symbiotic mix of compositions that proposes a nuanced representation of the plot and storyline. As an electronic symphonic music creation, Mills proposes a few interesting points in the schematics of this album. First, the positioning and role of the listener as the soundtrack is based on the environment of the scenes, rather than pure transcription and second, as a storyline that takes place in the year 2000, the choice of sound elements refer to some future commonality and foresight between the genres of Classical and Electronic music – between man and machine.
Cristiano Grim is back with the second number of his experimental zine/compilation , FAKE2-120AMERICA. Obsessed by the work of the cult poet Pierpaolo Pasolini and his seedy film “Salo or 120 Days of Sodom” , the original short story behind by Marquis De Sade and Dante’ s “Divine Comedy” structure which Pasolini mirrored during his screenwriting session with Sergio Citti, Cristiano Grim coded that “ anarchy of the power” in the contemporary North American society, through a desecrating prose and poignant portraits of a country drowned in 3 masochist “circles” : BLOOD, MANIAS and SHIT. Original film photography was taken in the streets and the underground scenes of New York, Memphis, Nashville, Durham, Virginia and South Carolina. Jonathan Castro nailed his second collaboration with Cristiano Grim , disrupting his photography with a spirited overexposed technique and metallic colors. Music by : Alessandro Adriani which featured the whole A side of the release with 3 tracks with the contribution of Cosimo Damiano and Riccardo Chiaretti, legendary IDM musician CEX, Italian psychedelic duo Mushrooms Project, Californian musician Aaron Coyes (1/2 Peaking Lights), italian ambient musician Alexia Robbio, Roman techno producer Ida Mandato, New York industrial band INTRZN, Riga’s sound artist Reinis Semevics, San Francisco’s video artist and musician YNV, mystery vocalist VETA DAY.
WRWTFWW Records announce the worldwide reissue of Midori Takada’s solo album from 1999, Tree of Life, available on vinyl for the first time ever in a new audiophile mix by the Japanese percussionist herself, and in full half-speed-mastered glory. Originally recorded in September 1998 at legendary Ginza (Tokyo) studio Onkio Haus and released on CD only for the Japan market in 1999, Tree of Life is Midori Takada’s best kept secret, a lost gem of minimalism and percussive ambient. The album is separated in two parts, the first one finds Takada exploring her trademark environmental soundscapes with precise mastery of marimba, drums, and bells, notably on the magnificent fan-favorite ”Love Song Of Urfa”. The second half is a collaboration with Chinese virtuoso Erhu player Jiang Jian Hua, allowing Midori Takada to unveil new layers of her artistic mind with a slightly more theatrical approach and a beautiful crystallization of complex simplicity.
+/-, a modern version of the yin/yang symbol, is the title of the debut album by Avé Eva 369. It’s a nine track journey, seen through the eyes of a spirit who has landed on planet earth and makes a labyrinthine trip through its dualistic nature. Worlds of sound arise from subtle electronic textures, transitions and rhythms. Vocals overlay these worlds creating dreamscapes. The songs examine the balance and friction between opposites like heaven/hell or male/female. Avé Eva 369 embodies archetypical and mythical figures, like Eve (from Adam) and the Greek goddess Aphrodite. It’s as if these Goddesses are channeling their ancient wisdom to the artist as a form of coping with modern life. As the album gradually comes to an end, a balance between opposites is found and a long lost paradise becomes visible.
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.
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.
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.
The telephone rings at midnight. The sound echoes through the halls of your home in the Hollywood hills. Nervously you pick up the heavy receiver only to hear the desperate breathing of a lunatic… The same lunatic that has been calling for months. Welcome to ‘Deranged Fan’ the score to an imagined American thriller by Tom Guycot. Laying somewhere between the Italian and French legends and Harold Faltermeyer, Deranged Fan is Beverly Hills Cop on mescaline and chloroform. Vintage strings sing over analog bass on a journey to the darkest places of your mind… Can you escape your fate as one of the highest paid stars in Hollywood? Or will you end up just another tabloid fable…
Snow white cassette in a special neon green snap box with printed foil inlay. The album is a relic of three sessions that were created next to or in bed. A small case equipped with a looper, an EQ, a chorus and a delay is the basis. Each track is unique due to the different sound devices used, whether it is a synthesizer, microphone or tablet. Searching for the mood of the moment, even if the next moment can be completely different, if not even should. A field recorder is an infinite tool for capturing these moments. Also, these songs are indeed infinite. In the sense of a spiral-shaped interplay of musical influences, states of the moment, errors and coincidences, almost like the magnetic tape of a MC. Fortunately, the acoustic proof of this creative process is now available on an appropriate sound carrier. Expect swirling excursions into brightly illuminated Ambient territories, Lo-fi beat adventures in the outskirts of hidden rave countries and inverted Hip-Hop-experiments from the parking lots of long forgotten shopping centers. ”Das unendliche Konstrukt” translates into ”The Infinite Construct”. And that is what this tape here truly is. Constructs are facts that are intellectually claimed but not directly tangible. The same can be said about the music that Jacob Stoy made in 2020 instead of writing Corona diaries. This is music that must be felt. But if you try to grasp it only with your mental powers, it will slip through your fingers.
The Hipodrome Of Music 