A really groovy soundtrack for a late 60s Italian film of the "mondo" variety – one whose title literally translates as "Excuse Me, Do You Like Sex?" The music comes from the sublime pairing of Piero Umiliani and Angelo Francesco Lavagnino – both well-traveled Italian film composers, who seem to each be pulling out the grooviest sides of their talents here – using bossa rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, playful melodies, and some occasional weird instrumentation – all in shifting ways that really match the changing settings of the film! Umiliani gives us some of his especially great organ lines – the kinds you'll recognize from better-known soundtracks of the period – and the CD features a whopping 23 tracks in all, almost all of them pretty darn groovy! CD

A strange and obscure session that has the cool jazz vocals of American singer Helen Merrill backed by a small Italian combo led by soundtrack composer Piero Umiliani – a wonderful mix that really makes the album an unusual one for Helen! The music was originally recorded for a TV program in Italy, and each track is preceded by an Italian voice, reciting Italian versions of the lyrics over spare musical backing – then Merrill's voice comes in with a bigger jazz group, singing each track in English – a very nice level of presentation! And although the whole thing sounds crazy, it actually works well – and gives the album a compelling edge and kind of a sexy late-night quality – with great instrumentation that includes flute from Gino Marinacci and guitar from Enzo Grillini. Tracks include "Solitude", "Everything Happens To Me", "Night & Day", "Why Don't You Do Right", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

The cover here looks a bit 80s, but the sound of half the record is much more rich and organic – and maybe more in the kind of mode you'd know from the film score work of Piero Umiliani – who's working here under his Moggi pseudonym! Side one is orchestral – and most tracks have a standout instrument in the lead – sometimes acoustic piano, sometimes a trumpet – mixed with larger orchestrations that often have this great languid feel – almost like the aftermath of a sex-drenched steamy summer afternoon – but Italian-style, of course! Side two features the same tunes, but done completely electronically – with all these cool analogue elements that really live up to Umiliani's work in that realm – but again, with slinky sexy modes that are totally great. Titles include "Fata Morgana", 'Planetario", "Ricorrenza", "La Ballata Del Mare Salato", and "Nel Giardino Fantastico" – each done in an orchestral and electronic version! LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful record from sound library wizard Piero Umiliani, and one that really takes its title seriously – as most of the tracks here have a very news-worthy sort of vibe! There's a fair bit of keyboards and electronics in the set – and Umiliani moves between numbers that seem to replicate the flow of data feeding into the newsroom or the sound of the presses printing up a paper – to other more melodic numbers that would be perfect as the theme for a late-breaking special alert! Instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, Hammond, moog, and more – on titles that include "Telescriventi", "Prima Pagina", "Scoop", "Ultimissime", "Elzeviro", "Fatto Di Cronaca", "Rotativa", "Top Secret", and "Dossier". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A second sound library trip to Africa by Italian sound library maestro Piero Umiliani – and one that's even groovier than the first! The music here follows a similar pattern – mixing elements of 70s sound library rhythms with some older exotic modes – a blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation that's really wonderful, and which feels a lot like some of the sexier 70s Italian soundtracks that were set in more exotic locales! There's plenty of percussion on the record, used in all these wonderful ways, and combined with flute, tenor sax, and other musical elements – served up on tunes that include "Oasi", "Tribalismo", "Flauto Africano", "Ultimo Stregone", "Riscossa", "Nel Villagiio", "Nuove Realta", and "Piffero Africano". CD

A second sound library trip to Africa by Italian sound library maestro Piero Umiliani – and one that's even groovier than the first! The music here follows a similar pattern – mixing elements of 70s sound library rhythms with some older exotic modes – a blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation that's really wonderful, and which feels a lot like some of the sexier 70s Italian soundtracks that were set in more exotic locales! There's plenty of percussion on the record, used in all these wonderful ways, and combined with flute, tenor sax, and other musical elements – served up on tunes that include "Oasi", "Tribalismo", "Flauto Africano", "Ultimo Stregone", "Riscossa", "Nel Villagiio", "Nuove Realta", and "Piffero Africano". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweetly funky and very slinky – this is one of the best early 70s scores by the great Italian composer Piero Umiliani! The record has lots of bubbling electric piano, rumbling electric basslines, warm acoustic percussion, and moody wordless vocals. At some level, the album sounds a lot like the contemporaneous work by the great Italian Fender Rhodes combo Crossfire – but it's also filled with a spacey madness that could only come from the pen of Umiliani! One of the best of the recent Easy Tempo reissues – and very nicely put together, with a consistent sound throughout! Titles include "The Body", "Tidal Stream", "Chaser", "White Sand", "In The End", "Free Life", "Stream", and "Dusken". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweetly funky and very slinky – this is one of the best early 70s scores by the great Italian composer Piero Umiliani! The record has lots of bubbling electric piano, rumbling electric basslines, warm acoustic percussion, and moody wordless vocals. At some level, the album sounds a lot like the contemporaneous work by the great Italian Fender Rhodes combo Crossfire – but it's also filled with a spacey madness that could only come from the pen of Umiliani! One of the best of the recent Easy Tempo reissues – and very nicely put together, with a consistent sound throughout! Titles include "The Body", "Tidal Stream", "Chaser", "White Sand", "In The End", "Free Life", "Stream", and "Dusken". Schema CD version includes 7 bonus alternate takes – with 21 tracks in all! CD

A very cool soundtrack from the great Piero Umiliani – done during a period of great electronic exploration! The record is credited to "Piero Umiliani & I Suoi Oscillatori" – an instrument you can definitely hear at work here – as Piero uses lots of cool keyboard lines with a very moogy feel, and some sweet beats from a very early version of a drum machine! The music ranges from moody to groovy – and the whole thing has a sound that's way more future-feeling than you'd ever guess from the image on the cover – a bit like Umiliani's Musica Elettronica record, but more tuneful overall. Titles include "Veni Vidi Vici", "Roma Amor", "Bucolica", "Bucina", "Neronis Cetra", and "Miles Gloriosus". LP, Vinyl record album

A hip set of swinging urban tunes – recorded by Piero Umiliani in 1976, in a mode that recalls American "urban" jazz tributes from the 50s and 60s – especially some of the albums that were dedicated to New York! Yet the difference here is that he session's got a bit of a 70s sound – with some slight electric instrumentation, and some backings that feel a bit like they were lifted from a Lalo Schifrin soundtrack – an influence that's more than ok in our book! The work is quite different than some of Umiliani's mad 60s work – but no less great, and a welcome addition to his rich catalog of work. The record is definitely one of Piero's jazziest from the 70s – thanks to work from Italian legends who include Oscar Valdambrini, Bruno Tommaso, and Dino Piano – on titles that include "Citta Amica", "Citta Frenetica", "Viadotti", "Piazza Di Siena", "L'Uomo E La Citta", "Rete Urbana", "Suoni Della Citta", and "Centrali Termiche". LP, Vinyl record album

Weird and wonderful sounds from a very electric man – the mighty Piero Umiliani, an Italian composer who first rose to fame for a set of groundbreaking film scores in the 60s – then moved into even more experimental sound library work in the following decade! This set has Piero working in all sorts of cool electronic styles – never too outside or avant, but definitely in the darker side of his spectrum – although almost always with that playful sense of a tune that made his 60s music such a delight! The range of instruments varies – Umiliani clearly had a studio that was full of brand-new, top-shelf technologies – and titles are mostly from the mid 70s, with a few later cuts from 1983. Tunes include "Danza Magica", "Soundmaker Blues", "Fruitori", "Batticuore", "Sinistro Carillon", "Dolomiti", "Apocolaisse Atomica", "Description", "Lavorazione A Mare", and "Elettrone". CD

Weird and wonderful sounds from a very electric man – the mighty Piero Umiliani, an Italian composer who first rose to fame for a set of groundbreaking film scores in the 60s – then moved into even more experimental sound library work in the following decade! This set has Piero working in all sorts of cool electronic styles – never too outside or avant, but definitely in the darker side of his spectrum – although almost always with that playful sense of a tune that made his 60s music such a delight! The range of instruments varies – Umiliani clearly had a studio that was full of brand-new, top-shelf technologies – and titles are mostly from the mid 70s, with a few later cuts from 1983. Tunes include "Danza Magica", "Soundmaker Blues", "Fruitori", "Batticuore", "Sinistro Carillon", "Dolomiti", "Apocolaisse Atomica", "Description", "Lavorazione A Mare", and "Elettrone". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from the legendary Piero Umiliani – a perfect soundtrack to show the warmer sound of his talents, which are sometimes eclipsed by his weirder electronic modes! The soundtrack's from an erotic film starring sex-goddess Zeudi Araya, but despite the kinky origins of the material, the music's actually got a lot more sophistication than you'd expect – and the score feels more like a Morricone cerebral one than a cheesy sexy one – with dreamy wordless vocals floating around in the mix, and these sweet-stepping basslines that are especially wonderful – setting a slow funk current at great moments, in that Euro easy way of blending some hip bass with warmer strings and other instrumental touches. There's some haunting piano at points, too – and Umiliani has a great way of making the music sound emotive, but never sappy at all. Titles include "Pelle Di Luna", "Addio All'Isola Felice", "L'Ultima Spiaggia", "Seyga Seyga", "Nostalgia Dell'Isola", and "Tanto Tempo Fa". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from the legendary Piero Umiliani – a perfect soundtrack to show the warmer sound of his talents, which are sometimes eclipsed by his weirder electronic modes! The soundtrack's from an erotic film starring sex-goddess Zeudi Araya, but despite the kinky origins of the material, the music's actually got a lot more sophistication than you'd expect – and the score feels more like a Morricone cerebral one than a cheesy sexy one – with dreamy wordless vocals floating around in the mix, and these sweet-stepping basslines that are especially wonderful – setting a slow funk current at great moments, in that Euro easy way of blending some hip bass with warmer strings and other instrumental touches. There's some haunting piano at points, too – and Umiliani has a great way of making the music sound emotive, but never sappy at all. Titles include "Pelle Di Luna", "Addio All'Isola Felice", "L'Ultima Spiaggia", "Seyga Seyga", "Nostalgia Dell'Isola", and "Tanto Tempo Fa". CD features 14 more bonus alternate takes! CD

One of the coolest Italian soundtracks we've heard in a long time – a wonderful set of tunes that moves from slinky, to easy, to groovy, and beyond! The tunes start out bubbling very spare and slow – with floating piano, moog, and other nice bits – and as the record progresses, the sound gets heavier, with some nice funky elements thrown into the mix! The whole thing's a brilliant exercise in understatement – not only one of the best soundtracks by Umiliani from the 70s, but also a perfect example of why we dig Italian soundtracks so much! Titles include "Volto Di Donna", "La Rinuncia", "Il Tuo Volto", "Nostalgia", "Le Ore Che Contano", "Cantata Per Maryam" and more. Schema vinyl version includes the CD version – with 12 bonus alternate takes – and 24 tracks in all! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest Italian soundtracks we've heard in a long time – a wonderful set of tunes that moves from slinky, to easy, to groovy, and beyond! The tunes start out bubbling very spare and slow – with floating piano, moog, and other nice bits – and as the record progresses, the sound gets heavier, with some nice funky elements thrown into the mix! The whole thing's a brilliant exercise in understatement – not only one of the best soundtracks by Umiliani from the 70s, but also a perfect example of why we dig Italian soundtracks so much! Titles include "Volto Di Donna", "La Rinuncia", "Il Tuo Volto", "Nostalgia", "Le Ore Che Contano", "Cantata Per Maryam" and more. Schema CD also includes 12 alternate takes – with 24 tracks in all! CD

One of the coolest Italian soundtracks we've heard in a long time – a wonderful set of tunes that moves from slinky, to easy, to groovy, and beyond! The tunes start out bubbling very spare and slow – with floating piano, moog, and other nice bits – and as the record progresses, the sound gets heavier, with some nice funky elements thrown into the mix! The whole thing's a brilliant exercise in understatement – not only one of the best soundtracks by Umiliani from the 70s, but also a perfect example of why we dig Italian soundtracks so much! Titles include "Volto Di Donna", "La Rinuncia", "Il Tuo Volto", "Nostalgia", "Le Ore Che Contano", "Cantata Per Maryam" and more. Schema CD also includes 12 alternate takes – with 24 tracks in all! CD

A totally groovy gem from the great Piero Umiliani – and one of his rarest soundtracks of the 70s – and a set that brings together so many different wonderful strands of his sound! Some tunes have sweeping strings, others have offbeat vocals, some have quirky instrumentation, and a few even have those weird "Mah-Nah" vocals from his huge international hit! The music is playful one minute, dreamy the next – and plenty groovy all the way through – with titles that include "A Caccia Di Donne", "Io E La Mia Schiava", "In Rissho", "Battesimo", "Flirt A Rio", "L'Indigena Piu Bella", and "La Schiava". CD

Fantastic music from the great Piero Umiliani – one of Italy's greatest soundtrack composers, and definitely at the top of his game here! The music was recorded right around the same time as Umiliani's legendary work for Sweden Heaven & Hell – and there's a similar mix of styles going on here – a strong leadoff track with female vocals, groovy swingers with a nice degree of jazz, some excellent use of organ, and some really cool mellower numbers that have this subtle sonic power that's really wonderful – often again dosed with some nice use of organ! The score features 16 tracks in all – with subtitles that really give you an idea of the groove – including "pop jazz", "bossa", "psychedelic suspense", "samba jazz", and "jazz pour l'action". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning sound library material from Braen's Machine – one of the coolest, grooviest, and most obscure acts that were part of this underground Italian scene in the 70s! Quarta Pagina follows into even more trippier territory than the group's famous Underground album – a wild blend of psychedelic elements with hip soundtrack styles – the kinds of aspects that Piero Umiliani and Alessandro Alessandroni brought to the group, but with an even weirder feel. Track are all nice and compact – no overindulgent jams, but there's still a wonderful range of sounds in the short tunes – and most numbers are vocals, filled with guitars, keyboards, and loads of odd elements – but there also seems to be an Edda Dell'Orso-like singer in a few spots too. Titles include "Frode", "Addescamento", "Rimorso", "Il Covo", "La Vittima", and "Nel Penitenziario". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest and grooviest music we've heard from the obscure Braen's Machine sound library project from early 70s Italy – a record that's less tripped out than its predecessors, and instead has this great style that's heavy on bossa elements and funky jazz! The vibe's a bit like the best Italian soundtracks of the period – especially work by Morricone or Trovajoli – and the group still apparently features contributions from Alessandro Alessandroni, working with Piero Umiliani – which gives the whole thing a very strong soundtrack pedigree! Instrumentation includes some mighty nice keyboards – both Hammond and electric piano – and lots of great production on familiar instruments, which can give things like a snare drum a very odd crackle, or a flute this weirdly spacious sound. Titles include "Movimento", "Dinimica", "Gara", "Passeggiata", "Aspetti Grotteschi", "Esercizi Ginnici", "Ritmica Sportiva", and "Rinuncia". LP, Vinyl record album

The first set we've seen from Kid Loco in awhile – and a nice mix of new music and older sounds from Italian film scores! The album's very nicely placed on the Temposphere arm of Easy Tempo – as it features Loco remixes both of newer music from the former label, and some old soundtracks from the latter – topped off with one or two Loco tracks of his own! The whole thing's somewhat understated – never too gimmicky, beat-heavy, or over the top – and although the music is from a range of different sources, the sound is more than unified enough to make the album feel like a Kid Loco record all the way through. Titles include "Crepuscolo Sul Mare" and "La Seduzione (2007 version)" by Kid Loco, "Sessomatto (Kid Loco sexamental mix)" by Armando Trovajoli, "Magic (new experience mix)" by Piero Piccioni, "Lady Magnolia (Belleville B-Boy mix)" by Piero Umiliani, "Fearing Much (Kid Loco's AM session mix)" by Stefano Torossi, "Per Il Disco Che Piu Amo (Kid Loco viva la Rockola mix)" by I Maniaci Dei Dischi, and "Clapsoy (Cumbia Loco mix)" by Gak Sato. CD

One of the coolest, grooviest Christmas records we've heard in years – a set that's the first-ever effort from Roman Coppola's Molto Groovy Productions – and which has a mod 60s vibe all the way through! The styles here are steeped in the best Italian soundtrack modes from years back – cool keyboards, fuzzy organ, funky basslines, and lots of offbeat instrumentation that really transforms the tunes – almost as if someone like Piero Umiliani or Ennio Morricone recorded a whole album of Christmas instrumentals! The sound is perfect – even better than you might suspect from the cover – and you can take it from us, as we're not easily fooled by "fake" retro projects – and really tip our hat to these guys for getting the instrumentation, arrangements, and production just right. Most titles are familiar songs, but done in very unusual styles – and tracks include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Feliz Navidad", "Little Drummer Boy", "Silver Bells", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". CD

One of the coolest, grooviest Christmas records we've heard in years – a set that's the first-ever effort from Roman Coppola's Molto Groovy Productions – and which has a mod 60s vibe all the way through! The styles here are steeped in the best Italian soundtrack modes from years back – cool keyboards, fuzzy organ, funky basslines, and lots of offbeat instrumentation that really transforms the tunes – almost as if someone like Piero Umiliani or Ennio Morricone recorded a whole album of Christmas instrumentals! The sound is perfect – even better than you might suspect from the cover – and you can take it from us, as we're not easily fooled by "fake" retro projects – and really tip our hat to these guys for getting the instrumentation, arrangements, and production just right. Most titles are familiar songs, but done in very unusual styles – and tracks include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Feliz Navidad", "Little Drummer Boy", "Silver Bells", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite volumes in this now-legendary series – a set of grooves that runs from 70s electric back to 60s groovy – with plenty of space in between! There's a number of cuts on here that feel like they were lifted from lost CTI sessions of the 70s, thanks to warm keyboards and spare, subtle beats – while others mix together mod 60s styles, and even bits of Latin and Brazilian influences! The track selection is sublime, and still one of the best illustrations of the genius of this period – with tracks that include "Diamond Bossa Nova" by Franceso De Masi, "Lady Magnolia" by Piero Umiliani, "Nago" by Luiz Bacalov, "Bob E Hellen" by Piero Umiliani, "North Pole Penguin" by Piero Piccioni, "Beryl's Tune No 2" by Agusto Martelli, "Flute Sequence" by Franco Micalizzi, "Danza Citar Free" by Piero Umiliani, "Honey Rhythm & Blutter" by The Green Future, "Esquetando Os Tambourinos E Cuica" by Sergio Nilo, and "Soul Samba" by Attilio Donadio. CD

Slammin's a definite good choice for the title of this one – as this 5th entry in the Easy Tempo series seems even funkier than the other volumes – a set that's got plenty of full-on grooves, hand-picked from the genius Italian soundtrack years of the 60s and 70s! If you're looking for a place to start digging the full range of talents of the maestros of this time, you'd be hard pressed to find a better collection – as the Easy Tempo name always means the best bits from this scene, served up in a package that packs a lot more punch than any single individual soundtrack! Titles include "Loco Love Motor" and "The Frog" by Augusto Martelli, "Montreal Non Stop" and "Anice Nuraghi" by Luiz Bacalov, "L'Arcangelo" by Piero Umiliani, "Running Fast" by Stefano Torossi, "Blazing Magnum" by Armando Trovajoli, "Trop's" by Alberto Baldan Bembo, "Vuca" by Tony Mimms, and "The Chicken" by Dick Oliver. CD

Genius! Pure mad genius – and one of the best volumes in this always-great series! After 10 volumes, the folks at Easy Tempo have become incredibly well skilled at picking groovy soundtrack tunes – and this beautiful 20 track package is as much a delight for the ears as it is for the musically-driven mind. The range of grooves is incredible – with elements that include swinging Hammond organ, breezy wordless vocals, spare sax and reeds, cool vibes, and just about anything else the Italian soundtrack composers of the 60s and 70s could get their hands on! Titles include "Swing E Sesso" by Carlo Rustichelli, "On Ce Voit Ce Soir" by Philippe Sarde, "Allora Il Treno" by Bruno Nicolai, "Tough Guys" by Carlo Pes, "Face To Face" by Stelvio Cipriani, "L'Isola Misteriosa" by Piero Piccioni, "Mary's Theme" by Stelvio Cipriani, "Qualcosa Piu Grande Di Noi" by Armando Trovajoli, and "La Pupa Del Gangster" by Piero Umiliani. CD

An amazing treasure for fans of Italian soundtrack music – the fresh discovery of rare material from the vaults of Cinevox Records – one of the most important Italian soundtrack labels of the 60s and 70s! All of the music here is previously unreleased – and runs from full songs to snippets, all laid out in this really beautiful way – so that the package is not only presenting some great grooves from Cinevox, but also tracing a history of Italian cinematic styles – moving back and forth from the 60s through the 70s, with a superb presentation that really has the music sounding tremendous in this setting! These aren't clunky discards, but really wonderful tunes – unused extra material from soundtrack giants who include Piero Umiliani, Armando Trovajoli, Riz Ortolani, Giorgio Gaslini, Piero Piccioni, Gianni Ferrio, Franco Bixio, Enrico Simonetti, and many others – laid out here in a limited package, with 161 titles in all. CD

One of the weirdest Italian soundtracks you're ever likely to hear – mad music from the 70s, originally written for a demonic religious performance! Stefano Marcucci has roots in the psych scene, but also recorded the set in the Sound Workshop of Piero Umiliani – and the work has just the sort of mix of fuzz and electronics you'd expect from that pedigree – some really way out analogue electronic elements at times, mixed with more familiar song structures and some chorus vocals – often set to a psych funk groove that reminds us of some of the grooviest French arrangers at the end of the 60s, such as Michel Colombier and Jean Claude Vannier. The chorus vocals are especially offbeat – as they sound like they're going to be sweet, but feel more satanic in the end – and titles include "Pange Lingua", "Inferno", "Coro Dei Penitenti", "Allejua", "Rendete Grazi", "Gli Occhi Di Tutti", and "Roma Nobilis". LP, Vinyl record album

From the cover of this one, you'd think the Italian Way to bossa nova meant that you had to run around without your shirt on! However, past the cheesy packaging – or maybe in addition to it, depending on your perspective – this is a killer set of bossa-tinged groovers from Italy, mostly pulled from rare soundtracks of the 60s, featuring a beautiful selection of tunes that may not be the most "autentico" when it comes to the sound, but which are filled to the brim with the light dreamy spirit of the bossa, a mixture of sad and playful instrumentation that's a delight throughout! There's some great organ and guitar on the set – and plenty of the percussion that makes a bossa number great – and titles include "Mexican Lounge" by Ennio Morricone, "Parangua" by Luis Bacalov, "Diva Samba (new edit)" by Armando Trovajoli, "Rhumba Shake" by Armando Trovajoli, "Belinda May" by Ennio Morricone, "Alla Serenita" by Ennio Morricone, "L'Amica" by Luis Bacalov, "Bossa Beat" by Piero Piccioni, "L'Arcangelo (new edit)" by Piero Umiliani, and "Sambinha" by Piero Piccioni. CD

Soundtrack funk doesn't get any better than this – thanks to a head-expanding of tracks from the Italian scene of the 60s and 70s – served up with the usual ear for a great cut by the folks at Easy Tempo! The groove here is far from the "easy" you might expect – and most numbers have tight drums, funky basslines, and other heavy elements – all put together with an approach to the music that's far different than anything happening in the US at the time, especially in the way the instruments sound in the end – and in the way that the production techniques make them do really crazy things! Titles include "Parangua" by Luiz Bacalov, "Flirt a Rio" by Piero Umiliani, "Side Sleep" by Berto Pisano, "Little Shakie Girl" by Armando Trovajoli, "Tremendous Stars" by Piero Piccioni, "Under Drama" by Giancarlo Gazzani, "Realta No 5" by Stelvio Cipriani, "So" by Lara Saint Paul, "Israelites" by Capuano, and "Citta Viva" by Ennio Morricone. CD

Soundtrack funk doesn't get any better than this – thanks to a head-expanding of tracks from the Italian scene of the 60s and 70s – served up with the usual ear for a great cut by the folks at Easy Tempo! The groove here is far from the "easy" you might expect – and most numbers have tight drums, funky basslines, and other heavy elements – all put together with an approach to the music that's far different than anything happening in the US at the time, especially in the way the instruments sound in the end – and in the way that the production techniques make them do really crazy things! Titles include "Parangua" by Luiz Bacalov, "Flirt a Rio" by Piero Umiliani, "Side Sleep" by Berto Pisano, "Little Shakie Girl" by Armando Trovajoli, "Tremendous Stars" by Piero Piccioni, "Under Drama" by Giancarlo Gazzani, "Realta No 5" by Stelvio Cipriani, "So" by Lara Saint Paul, "Israelites" by Capuano, and "Citta Viva" by Ennio Morricone. CD

A wonderful idea for a record – a project that offers up new recordings of older Italian jazz soundtrack themes – a perfect set to bridge both aspects of the mighty Schema label! The group's led by altoist Rosario Giuliani – a player with a really classic ear, and a great choice for the date – as his guidance of the group is perfect – and really hits the best elements to make these classic tunes come out sounding nice and fresh! Instrumentation also features Pietro Lusso on piano and Fender Rhodes, Joseph Lepore on bass, and Lorenzo Tucci on drums – plus a bit of guest trumpet from Fabrizio Bosso on one track. The set features great compositions by Italian soundtrack giants – like Piero Umiliani, Gianni Ferrio, Riz Ortolani, and Piero Piccion – and titles include "Tension", "Moroizzazione", "Emanuelle", "Gassman Blues", and "Amore, Amore, Amore". CD

A fantastic little collection – one that gets at a special side of the 70s European scene that wasn't quite prog, wasn't quite art rock, and wasn't quite experimental – but which definitely lay to the left of the mainstream during the decade and really helped set the tone for years to come! The music here is heavy on influences from the German scene, but also features some British tracks too – often in a way that makes a leaner approach to some of the bigger ideas of prog – with a more stripped-down approach, and often a less top-heavy sound – so that these cuts slide right in and sneak up on you with a really subtle sense of power. You'll recognize some of the names here, but the choice of tracks is key – put together by Bob Stanley, who gave us some other excellent "imaginary soundtrack" compilations from Ace. Titles include "Way Star" by Rubba, "L'Eroe Di Plastica" by Toni Esposito, "Tommy" by Focus, "Octave Doctors" by Steve Hillage, "Troupeau Bleau" by Cortex, "Canoe" by Piero Umiliani, "Penny Hitch" by Soft Machine, "Eileen" by Streetmark, "Jennifer" by Faust, "A Morning Excuse" by Amon Duul II, "Pony" by Annette Peacock, and "Don't You Know" by Jan Hammer. CD

A fantastic little collection – one that gets at a special side of the 70s European scene that wasn't quite prog, wasn't quite art rock, and wasn't quite experimental – but which definitely lay to the left of the mainstream during the decade and really helped set the tone for years to come! The music here is heavy on influences from the German scene, but also features some British tracks too – often in a way that makes a leaner approach to some of the bigger ideas of prog – with a more stripped-down approach, and often a less top-heavy sound – so that these cuts slide right in and sneak up on you with a really subtle sense of power. You'll recognize some of the names here, but the choice of tracks is key – put together by Bob Stanley, who gave us some other excellent "imaginary soundtrack" compilations from Ace. Titles include "Way Star" by Rubba, "L'Eroe Di Plastica" by Toni Esposito, "Tommy" by Focus, "Octave Doctors" by Steve Hillage, "Troupeau Bleau" by Cortex, "Canoe" by Piero Umiliani, "Penny Hitch" by Soft Machine, "Eileen" by Streetmark, "Jennifer" by Faust, "A Morning Excuse" by Amon Duul II, "Pony" by Annette Peacock, and "Don't You Know" by Jan Hammer. LP, Vinyl record album