We're not entirely sure what "fischiando" means, but we can definitely testify that the album lives up to the "beat" in its title – those kind of groovy, mod tunes we love so much in Italian 60s soundtracks from the great Piero Umiliani! This set's even more obscure than most of those records, though – done for the tiny Omicron sound library, as part of Piero's Sound Workshop series – with a nice mix of jazzy instrumentation on horns, plus a sweet range of keyboards that include Fender Rhodes, Hammond, and even a bit of spinet! Some tunes have bossa rhythms, others are more 60s mod – and the record also features a few sweet bits of whistling and acoustic guitar as well – although the main focus seems to come from the horns and keyboards. Titles include "Yes OK", "Autostop Per Rio", "Fischiando In Beat", "Tokio Blues", "Go Go Go", "Sono Un NJostalgico", and "Samba Mah Na", a great remake of one of Umiliani's famous themes! CD

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

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

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

A sweet little island-based soundtrack from Piero Umiliani – one that's served up in just the right blend of exotica and jazz! Some elements here resonate with Umiliani's more familiar Italian scores of the time – some sweet keyboards that trip out nicely at a level that's a few notches down from funk, with maybe a bit of bossa in the mix – while others add in a bit more percussion or strings, to flesh things out with some sunnier, more tropical elements that are a nice contrast to some of the other moments. There's a bit of vocals in the mix, but most tunes are instrumental – and titles include "Le Isolle Dell'Amore", "Tamoure Titoli", "Papete Aru", "Vele Al Vento", "Comunita' Hippy", "La Danza Del Turista", "Corale Isole Dal Tema", "Palme E Cocchi", and "Nuku". LP, Vinyl record album

Percussion and special effects – a really wonderful blend, especially in the hands of Italian maestro Piero Umiliani! The album's one of Piero's more experimental and electronic outings – done for the Liuto sound library label, with lots of cool production techniques that make the drums and percussion nice and echoey, and just ripe for layers of keyboards and electronics, too! And although the record is experimental, it's often quite groovy – in the best Umiliani manner, with a few funky passages stepping out of space as well – in a blend of acoustic, electric, and cosmic that reminds us of some of the sci-fi soundtrack work of Peter Thomas. Titles include "Ritmi In swing", "Timbales", "Protesta Giovanile", "Bongos In Suspense", "Dinimica In Beat", "Dinemica In Tensione", "Organo In Suspense", "Fascia Metallica", "Battimenti", and "Esplosioni". LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked genius from Piero Umiliani – a relatively sort record for a soundtrack, but one that packs a hell of a punch on all of its wonderful cuts! Umiliani is in his best late 60s mix of modes here – with some incredible keyboards at a few points, jazzy bossa bits on others, and even some really great vocals from Shirley Harmer on the jazzy title cuts – which almost could be the sort of thing that John Barry would use to start one of his famous James Bond soundtracks! That track is titled "You" – presented here in two versions – alongside "Paranoia M3", "Paranoia M40", and "Paranoia Sequence 1". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally cool set from Piero Umiliani – an Italian composer who was so inventive, he had to create his own studio just to find a space to express all of his many ideas! And while Umiliani's more experimental side has gotten a lot of attention in recent years, a lot of the tracks here are in his jazzier, groovier mode – the sort you'd know from his famous 60s soundtrack work – with lots of organ, Fender Rhodes, moog, and other keyboards from Umiliani – and some great guest appearances that include saxes from Enzo Scoppa, trumpet from Cicci Santucci, Fender Rhodes from Enrio Pieranunzi, and even a bit of vocals from I Cantori Modern! The tracks here were all recorded by Piero on his own – some were used on soundtracks, some on sound library albums, and a number are previously unissued – and together, the whole thing features lots of rare work from this genius that we'd never heard before. Titles include "Rakto E L'Oroso Tema Moog", "Petra Tema Jazz", "L'Invasione Dei Folletti", "Le Cascate Di Iguacu", "C'En Una Fantasma Nel Mio Letto M68", "Risaie", "Millenni", "Grand Canyon", "Il Burattinaio M8 + M9", and "Non Mollare". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the mighty Piero Umiliani – sounds initially written for a film that was an international "sexpose" of daily life in Sweden – but which have grown to even greater fame on their own over the years – thanks to the talent of the maestro! The music here is awash in groovy elements – lots of sweet Hammond organ lines, mod basslines, and some especially cool wordless vocals from the choir of Alessandro Alessandroni – scatting away in a great way alongside the instruments, and bringing an added level of breathy eroticism to the whole thing! This special LP version recreates the original Omicron release of the record – with titles that include the two lyrical tracks "You Tried To Warn Me" and "Sleep Now Little One", sung by Lydia McDonald – plus the tracks "Topless Party", "Eva Svedense", "Essere Donna", "La Signora Cameriera", "FotoModelle", and "Le Ragazze Dell'Archipellago". (Note, does not contain the track "Mah Na Mah Na", which is on other versions of the soundtrack – but it appears on the "partner" reissue of Umiliani's Psichedelica from Schema, under the title "Viva La Sauna Svedese".) LP, Vinyl record album

A triple-header of Italian grooviness – 3 rare soundtracks, back to back on one CD! The score to La Malizie Di Venere is wonderfully jazzy – in a way that mixes together flute, piano, and some modder instrumentation that gives the album a cool late 60s feel. The music is handled by Gian Piero and Gian Franco Reverberi – and there's a lot of nice acoustic piano lines that are offset by the electric guitar and organ on the tracks – as well as some nicely placed sitar too! 28 Minuti Per 3 Million Di Dollari is even better – a groovy little soundtrack by Carlo Savino, done with a blend of snapping rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, and some sweet mod and bossa touches – in a way that reminds us of our favorite work by Armando Trovajoli! Last up is Piero Umiliani's great score for the film Hypnos – represented here by only 6 tracks, but all of them great! The main theme has some great swirling vocals – and following cuts feature some great moody electronics, percolating rhythms, and echoey piano lines! Great stuff all around – and although the set's a bit short on notes, it features some of the best Italian soundtrack work of the time, all packaged on one CD! CD

Rare and wonderful music Helen Merrill recorded in Italy and with some of the hippest figures in Italian music of the time! Includes lots work with Piero Umiliani, the Quintet of Milan featuring Gianni Basso and Renato Sellani, and a rare big band session arranged and conducted by Ennio Morricone. CD

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 CD also includes 12 alternate takes – with 24 tracks in all! CD

An early 80s soundtrack from the great Piero Umiliani – but one that seems to echo some styles from deeper in his past, including some of of the jazz elements he used in his early days – and some of the more unusual sonic textures he created for his sound library projects in the 70s! The film's a comedy, but as usual with Umiliani, the music is way more than you might expect – sometimes light and melodic, other times served up with unusual sonic elements – maybe more in the warmer side of the spectrum than the cold, but always with a knowledge of darkness at all the right points. The main theme gets some strong renditions in a few different ways – and there's also a great instrumental titled "Ultimissime", which has great Fender Rhodes – and the killer "Samba Mah Na", which uses Brazilian percussion and brassy horns to rework Umiliani's classic "Mah Na Mah Na" theme! A few tracks even get a bit funky – and the CD features 20 tracks from the film, plus notes in Italian and English. CD

A gem of a record from the great Piero Umiliani – and maybe one of his funkiest, grooviest projects ever! The set is more sound library funk than soundtrack – and features some very strong keyboard work in the lead on most track – including Fender Rhodes, moog, Hammond, and even Lowrey organ! Other instrumentation is nice and spare – lots of tight and slight rhythms – which lets the keyboards carry equal parts of the groove and the melody, in a really wonderful style! Players on the session include Umiliani on moog and Fender Rhodes, Oscar Valdambrini on trumpet, Giovanni Tommaso on bass, Franco D'Andrea on piano, Dino Piana on trombone, Antonello Vannucchi on Hammond, and Marcello Boschi on flute. The whole thing's wonderful – a deep deep treasure all the way through – and tracks include "Lady Magnolia", "Open Space", "Goodmorning Sun", "Railroad", "Safari Club", "Free Dimension", "Truck Driver", and "Music On The Road". LP, Vinyl record album

Piero Umiliani at his funkiest – with two great tracks from the Baba Yaga soundtrack! "Open Space" has a killer bassline at the start, with fast breaking drums – then moves into this cool moogy keyboard part that fills the groove and gets all cool and moody over the top! "Slogan" has a jazzier vibe overall – but then strings step in and echo the rhythm, while the drums get all this freedom to dance around the kit and really open things up! Plus, there's more moogy magic too! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Two great vocal numbers from Piero Umiliani – the kind of strong English language tunes he used to kick off his best soundtracks of the 60s! Both of these were from the film Orgasmo – and Lydia MacDonald does a great job on "Fate Had Planned It So" – a tune that has cool organ alongside stepping basslines, in the best Umiliani way! "Just Tell Me" is a bit more upbeat and jerky – a nice mod groover with male vocals from Wess – a soul singer that we don't know at all, but who does a great socking soul job with the tune! 7-inch, Vinyl record

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

Not the sort of psychedelic music you'd expect from an American rock band of the late 60s – and instead, a stunning set of funky genius from Italian soundtrack maestro Piero Umiliani! The record's actually a precursor to Umiliani's famous global score for Sweden Heaven & Hell (Svezia Inferno E Paradiso) – and shares many of the themes that went onto that record, complete with romping funky rhythms, sweet jazzy Hammond lines, and mod fuzzy guitar! Many numbers are upbeat groovers, without any of the longform indulgence you'd expect from psychedelia – and Umiliani draws on his jazz background to allow just the right space for solo instruments to take the lead in the instrumental setting. Titles include "Birra Vermouth E Gin", "Contestazione", "Hippies", "Nel Cosmo", "Stoccolma My Dear", "Notte Di Mezza Estate", and "Viva La Sauna Svedese" – a version of the classic "Mah Na Mah Na". CD

A definite new sound from Italy – served up by one of the hippest groups on the scene at the time! The combo of trumpeter Oscar Valdambrini and tenorist Gianni Basso was easily one of the best of their generation – and here, they're working in a slightly expanded octet mode that features guest work from Swedish baritone sax giant Lars Gullin! The album's great proof of Gullin's ability to slide into any sort of a setting – and his baritone provides a great bottom to the already-dextrous horn interplay between Basso and Valdambrini. Gullin arranged about half the numbers in the set – the rest were scored by George Gruntz or Piero Umiliani – and titles include "Blues For Gassman", "Indiana", "Fascinating Rhythm", "There Will Never Be Another You", "How About You", and "Peter Of April". 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

A wonderful soundtrack from Stelvio Cipriani – penned for this 1969 Italian thriller with psycho-sexual overtones, and done with music that has elements of both! At some points, Cipriani has all the erotic touches of his best early 70s work – but at others, he uses late 60s modes that evoke Morricone and Piero Umiliani, especially the latter's playful use of instrumentation in his more outlandish soundtracks! The music grows a bit more tense as the film moves on, but usually has a sense of lightness overall – and a number of tracks feature wordless vocals, sung either by Edda Dell'Orso or I Cantori Moderni. Titles include "Week End With Mary", "Love Symbol", "Hot Skin", "Chorus & Brass Fugato", "Rendezvous In The Castle", "Femina Ridens", "The Run In The Alley", and "The Shower". LP, Vinyl record album

We've heard some funky sounds from Misha Panfilov in the past, but this record is something else entirely – more like a groovy set of sound library electronics from the 70s – the tuneful sort, not the noisy kind – served up in ways that are wonderfully tuneful and extremely playful! The work is like the best music of its sort from Piero Umiliani – always with a rhythm and a melody, and sometimes even a little groove – a great addition to Misha's funk legacy, but with a whole different set of sounds and flavors! Titles include "Spiraalid", "Elu Margid", "Hommik", "Kallistus", "Tagasi Teele", "Eha", "Labi Oometsa", "Luidja", and "Veealune". LP, Vinyl record album

As is ably demonstrated by the large number of Brazilian-sounding bands to come out of Italy in the past 10 years, the bossa nova sound has always had a big big influence on the direction of Italian music. This cool set from Cinevox traces some of the roots of that influence – by focusing on the rich legacy of bossa-influenced sounds in Italian soundtrack music, particularly that of the Cinevox imprint, home to some of Italy's greatest scores of the 60s and 70s. Some of this work has been reissued before, but the setting of the package opens the grooves up even more, and the whole thing's sparkling throughout! 15 tracks in all – including "I Due Kennedy" by Carlo Savina, "Papaya" by Stelvio Cipriani, "Piedone L'Africano" by Guido and Maurizio DeAngelis, "Gungala Nido" by S. Brugnolini, "Il Maschio Ruspante" by Gianni Ferrio, "Il Costruttore" by B. Lauzi, "Bossa In California" by Marcello Gigante, "Bob & Helen" by Piero Umiliani, and the always-classic "Metti Una Sera A Cena" by Ennio Morricone! CD

Mindblowing work from the Italian soundtrack scene of the 60s and 70s – a true treasure of tracks that more than lives up to the "psycho beat" promise of its title! The tunes are a heady brew of tripped-out styles – floating organ, slinking bass, stepping strings, fuzzy guitar, and bumping drums – all in a space that's just the right place between funky and easy – with a sublime kind of sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! If you've only ever dug funky groovers from the Anglo side of the spectrum, this is the kind of record that will definitely open up your ears – and even though the collection's an old one, it's still one of the best illustrations around of the genius of Italy at the time! Titles include "Fotomodelle" by Piero Umiliani, "Red Face" by Barigozzi Group, "Shake Psycho" by Mario Molino, "Schegge" by Lesiman, "Rapimento In Sicilia" by Nino De Luca, "Essere Donna" by Piero Umiliani, "L'Appartamento Vuoto" by Gianni Ferrio, "La Fine Di Cobb" by Stelvio Cipriani, and "Hurricane" by Cesco Anselmo. CD

We know you're probably overstuffed with compilations of rare Italian grooves – but believe us, this one's a real standout! Not only does it have the kind of cool breezy material you'd expect from a comp like this, but it's also got a large number of tracks with a harder sound and heavy drums and guitars. Plus, the mix of artists pushes way past the usual gang that's been exported over the past few years – making the set nice and fresh. The cover art's got a bunch of Italian kids having a groovy time, which is what you're bound to do once you hear tracks like "Snap Dragon" by Montori-Chiti, "Carrefour" by Luiz Bacalov, "Happy Year" by Angel Pocho Gatti, "A Bocca Chiusa" by Piero Umiliani, "Ankara" by G&M De Angelis, "O Rugido Do Leao" by Piero Piccioni, and "Chase" by Pasquale Catiglione & Paolo Casa. There's 17 cuts in all, and the whole thing was compiled by Italian DJ Paolo Scotti. From the same folks who did Third Millenium, which was one of our faves from last year! LP, Vinyl record album

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

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. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing lost trove of work by electronic music Raymond Scott – sounds that were never issued commercially, and which may well represent the last corner of his genius yet to be explored! The music here was all created in Scott's home studio on Long Island – and is a fantastic blend of playful modes and more exploratory sounds – very much in the spirit of Bruce Haack or Perry & Kingsley at the time, and maybe a bit like the electronic work of Piero Umiliani – but with a weirder, wilder vibe overall! There's definitely a few noisy moments – ala Soothing Sounds For Baby – but many of the tracks are short experiments, and also include some jingles or commercial music too – which makes for a fantastically large array of analogue elements throughout. The package also features detailed notes, and a look at this obscure chapter of Scott's career – a time when he was maybe at his most experimental, with amazing results. Titles include "Ohio Bell Mystery", "Idea 35", "Nice Sound 3", "Cindy Alternate", "The Toy Trumpet (demo 1)", "Rhythm Sample", "Tone Stepper", "Super Cheer", "Baltimore Gas & Electric Test", "Nice Set Up 7", "Cyclic Bit 3", "Sparrows (part 1)", "Ripples (fugue)", and "Auto Lite Wheels (effects)". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent funky and groovy tracks pulled from the catalog of the legendary Cinevox Records – home to some of Italy's greatest soundtrack work of the 60s and 70s! Sure, we've had some of the label's great stuff on single CDs – but this set pulls from a lot of soundtracks that haven't been reissued yet, and also includes a number of tracks that were never issued before at all! There's plenty of funky drums, fuzzy guitars, groovy organ, and lots of other nice bits in the set's 16 tracks – and the overall sound is a nice departure from some of the other Italian compilations. Titles include "Unknit" by Carlo Rustichelli, "2968" by Carlo Savina, "Up To Date" by Fred Bongusto, "5 Bambole Per La Luna D'Agosto" by Piero Umiliani, "Milano Rhythm & Blues" by Gianni Ferrio, "Serata Al Night" by Guido De Angelis, and "Il Dopolotta" by Piero Piccioni. CD