Four Flies Italy Vinilo y CD

Review: 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 proudly back with Volume 2 of the compilation. This new release too features five exclusive 7" singles, housing a total of ten 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. As was the case with the previous volume of the compilation, 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.

Review: Back in 2017, Four Flies Records unearthed and released a previously unheard "Afro-cosmic funk" EP from Italian soundtrack and library music legend Alessandro Alessandroni. Three years on, they've decided to give the 1978 recording the remix treatment. Bolissa and guests Calibra 35 kick things off with a densely percussive, out-of-this-world take on "Afro-Voodoo", before Pad re-imagines "Afro Darkness" as a chugging chunk of beatdown-disco laden with colossal chords, arpeggio bass and intergalactic electronics. Over on side B the "Jolly Mare Lifting" version of "Afro Discoteca" is a veritable leftfield disco stomper notable for its low-slung bass and spacey Moog lines, while Luca's "Quirky Version" of "Afro Darkness" is the kind of hallucinogenic, Marimba-tinged number that you can imagine Daniele Baldelli playing at the Cosmic Club circa 1981.

Review: .The last full length we had from Federico Amorosi and Valerio Lombardozzi, AKA Dressel Amorosi, was a pretty scary place to spend time. Themed around late-mid-20th Century Italian horror movies (see: Dario Argento), the record paid homage to the iconic sounds of that culture, but also refused to simply rehash the past. An atmospheric, spine-tingling collection of suspenseful synth-first stuff, it also benefited from landing around the same time as a new Stranger Things series. A year on and things are now on a slightly less tense route. Spectrum is still looking to offer thanks to the Italian film industry as was a few decades back - specifically for gifting us so many amazing soundtracks. But this time round we're much closer to the glam and glitz of a Roma Italo party than anything like the Upside Down, while still packing depth and atmosphere.

Review: Banda Maje, an ever-changing collective helmed by composer/keyboardist Peppe Maiellano and producer/rapper/DJ Tonico Setlanta, have delivered a hugely impressive debut single here. The collective's soon to be trademark sound is rooted in vintage funk, library music and old Italian film soundtracks, but has a contemporary freshness that makes both showcased tracks avoid the pitfalls of empty nostalgia. A-side 'Formelesse' is warming and groovy, with shuffling funk beats and undulating bass guitar underpinning 1970s synth sounds, jazz-funk vocalisations and refined horn riffs. On the flip, they deliver a deliciously breezy take on one of their favourite Italian movie themes, re-casting it as a summery slab of jazz-funk/samba fusion.

Review: Hailing from Salerno in Southern Italy, Bando Maje present their debut album on Four Flies Records. UFO Bar paints a picture of the pair's interests and experiences such as the local landscape, Neapolitan music, Italian soundtracks from the 70s, as well as B-movies, a passion for vinyl and cassette mixtapes, and afternoons spent watching third-division football. Peppe Maiellano (composer and keyboards) and Tonico Settanta (producer, rapper and DJ) head up the collective, featuring a revolving cast of members, all of whom are a bit like the lively port city they are from.

Review: Internationally acclaimed Italian singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Chiara Civello unveils a new single, 'Sono Come Sono', blending a mixture of Neapolitan funk and club-infused rawness into four mixes. With the title roughly translating to 'it is what it is', the tune is a true, happy reflection on all things being immutable, and struggle being ultimately futile. Party on!

Review: For those in the know, this new collab between veteran Portuguese DJ and producer Dedy Dread and fast-rising Hawaiian singing star Olivia Ruff has been a long time coming. But it was worth the wait. The opener 'Cover Me' features Ruff's, well, slightly rough - or at least gravelly - vocals over a rhythm and bass instrumental. It's accented with wispy chords, neat little guitar riffs and crunchy claps. Flip it over and you'll find a remix by label founder The Rebel and Roman pianist and producer Shiny D. Their version is a modern update with brilliant reggaeton rhythms.

Review: It might be summer 2023 as we write this but it's Autumn 2021 for the Free Robots. This 7" is part of the Time Flies labels removed series where today's producers rework yesterday's classics from the world of Italian golden age soundtracks and library music. This focusses on music from a 1978 album Futuribile by Gianni Safred, a talented pianist and electronic producer. It is a woozy mix of jazz drums and hip hop rhythms with spaced out synth work and experimental effects. The flipside features the original version which is more retro-future and spaced out with less dynamic rhythms.

Review: An Italian library gem reimagined by beatmaker Koralle and rapper Illa J. An indelible new instalment in Four Flies' Reloved series, 'New Levels / Chartreuse', comes bundled with the original instrumental from late 70s Italian ensemble Modern Sound Quartet. With the aim of the series in mind - which is to put a modern and urban spin on tunes from Italian golden age soundtracks and library music - Koralle deploys his unique jazz-funk sound to create a smooth and stylish hip-hop beat to which Illa J adds irresistible swag and coolness. More than a remix, 'New Levels' takes 'Chartreuse' into the world of contemporary hip-hop and rap.

Review: 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.

Review: The Italian Library Songbook series is back with its second volume, offering a fresh take on hidden gems from Italy's soundtrack legends. This 7" sees beat-maker Moonbrew and composer Paolo Apollo Negri reimagine Piero Umiliani's 'Nel Villaggio,' originally featured on his 1975 library album Continente Nero. Side A, titled 'As If It Matters,' introduces a new dreamlike track where Tilde's delicate vocals float over a hypnotic marimba sample, blending with synths and a modern beat. Side B revisits the original instrumental, staying true to Umiliani's signature sound. With artwork by Luca Barcellona, this 7" is a beautiful tribute to the timelessness of Italian library music.

Review: Three years ago, Four Flies Records released a previously unknown album from library music composer Guiliano Sorgini called Africa Oscura - a set of dark, intoxicating instrumentals originally intended to soundtrack documentaries. Now they've decided to get it remixed, with the results being shared over two EPs. There's plenty to admire on this second volume. Jolly Mare step up first with a near perfect Afro-cosmic take on 'Afro Sortilegio'-all tribal percussion, doom-laden bass, funky Clavinet motifs and spacey synth sounds- before PAd [sic] delivers the 'Mondo Bali' mix of 'Notte Nella Savala' -a deep, moody and bass-heavy workout with added delay-laden keys. Elsewhere, Quiroga and Dario Bass reinvent 'Oasi Nella Giungla' is a deep synth-funk warmer, and Paine re-casts 'Miraggio' as a gently but funky Balearic gem.

Review: The latest record to waft from the Four Flies feeding ground focuses on Paolo Zavallone, an elusive musician and patron of the DIY music label Paloma Records, which only saw five records released. After venturing into the world of music publishing in 1983, Zavallone would either produce licensed-for-film music himself, or consign the task to his peers, chiefly his friend Mauro Malavasi. This record, made up of a quint of nameless, coverless records, captures the highlights of the sottofondi style, i.e. incidental music made largely for early 80s Italian comedy series on TV. Easy listening fusion blends with pots-and-pans avant-gardism ('Cronaca Nera' particularly), proving the remarkably prescient range of an obscure musician.