Review: Brooklyn based Mighty Eye welcomes the Michael Leonhart Orchestra - which features some 20+ musicians - for their first single since 2018, although the collective has put out three albums in that time. These two cuts on this 45rpm are the first and second movements in Michael Leonhart's The Normyn Suite #1, which is a soundtrack to the five stages of grieving and is both a celebration and a requiem. The soundtrack is inspired by the death of an old dog and first appeared on The Normyn Suites album. Here it is expanded with the original brass, woodwinds, and strings now siting with choir and found percussion as well as gritty breakbeats from Nick Movshon.
Review: The Globeflower Masters Vol 1 is a new Mr Bongo release that has been put together with classic soundtracks, 70s library music and cinematic compositions in mind. It was assembled in summer 2020 by Brightonian musicians Glenn Fallows and Mark Treffel who drew on their arsenal of vintage synths, pianos, 'other fun toys' and all manner of drums, guitars and bass. The result is a soothing album that will work in the dead of winter as well as the light of the summer thanks to its warm sounds, lush productions and luxuriant arrangements. A fine piece of wax, for sure.
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: This is the first-ever reissue of Gianni Marchetti's 1978 LP Solstitium, which was originally released as part of RCA's "Original Cast" series in limited promo copies and has long been considered one of the most rare and enigmatic pieces of Italian library music. Library music was primarily created for television, radio and film but often yielded hidden gems that fused jazz, lounge and soul into storytelling vignettes of sounds. Marchetti's wonderful Solstitium is a prime example of innovation within this space which rightly remains a classic in the history of Italian music.
Review: Gianni Marchetti's 1977-78 LPs Equinox and Solstitium are truly rare gems from Italy's library music scene. Long thought lost, these tracks were unearthed from original DAT tapes and remastered for vinyl. They are loved for their ethereal, imaginative compositions as Marchetti's work blends driving rhythms, lush strings and intoxicating jazz sounds that offer a cinematic, dreamy feel. These albums, previously promotional-only and still highly coveted by collectors, now shine as part of Dialogo's initiative exploring RCA's "Original Cast" series. They lay bare the brilliance of Italian library music.
Review: Marie Guerin, or maybe you know her as Marie de la Nuit, is a sound artist who has explored field recordings, radio archives and "hertzian ghosts" for almost a quarter of a century since her debut in 2001. Her work blends voices, textures and ambient sounds that examine sound heritage and its preservation. Transportees is an electroacoustic composition that connects archaic and electronic trance and in doing so weaves a musical thread from Brittany to Tunisia. It follows a trance-like journey through recordings and oral traditions, all rooted in Guerin's passion for archives. The album reflects her fascination with capturing and preserving songs and transforming them into a soundscape that bridges past and present.
Review: Yet more Italian soundtracks and music libraries are adoringly looked pined over. But this time - unlike the simple reissues that have come out so far this year - Frank Maston's Panorama LP seeks to emulate the era's best qualities with his own original music. Following on from similar endeavours such as 'Tulips' and its follow-up 'Darkland', Maston show off his to-a-T compositional chops, emulating only the best Italian session sounds via a commission from British library KPM.
Review: At 85, free jazz legend Joe McPhee delivers a knockout performance of spoken word improvisation paired with Mats Gustafsson's sparse yet electrifying brass work on this great new long player. This transfixing collaboration is part of Smalltown Supersound's Le Jazz Non series and captures McPhee's lifelong commitment to jazz at its freest. In 11 parts, McPhee reflects on everything from NYC's neon grit to political satire and mixes urgency with dreamlike contemplation. Gustafsson's multi-instrumental approach provides a rich backdrop that allows McPhee's dynamic phrasing to shine. This is both playful and profound.
Review: The Diamonds Four has seen its share of action of the years, but remains a rare piece of Mario Molino history which is finally available thanks to this Sonor Music effort. One of the most prominent figures in the library sounds world, the Italian composer, musician, and guitarist first released this collection on B.M.P. in the 1970s. It was then reissued on the Music Scene label, rebranded as Action Beat Group, with track titles named and the artist changed to the pseudonym Luigi Ferracioli. All of which only adds to the intrigue surrounding Molino, a name few seem to know much about, but one that has contributed to the development of fizzy pop, hip hop, jazz, funk, and psychedelic rock via forward-thinking arrangements. A hidden gem in the true sense, finally unearthed and polished to its original glory.
Review: Renowned DJ and selector MURO is a Jedi-level compiler and this new collection of his delves into Victor's extensive archives to spotlight a world of Japanese jazz, fusion and AOR. It take sin plenty of internationally known names like Yasuko Agawa on the sunset sounds of 'L.A. Night', Sadistics who offers the more psyched out guitar leans of 'On the Seashore', Yuji Ohno's neo-Balaeric bliss-out 'The Dawn of Seychells' and Hiroshi Fukumura's soul soothing Ry Ayres-style melodies on 'White Clouds.' These are luxurious sounds and timeless tracks with MURO's signature funky perspective making this a brillaint choice for brighter, warmer days.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.