Black Lights

Out on July 1st, 2022
SIDE A: Minus Group – Black Lights
SIDE B: Minus Group – Black Lights (Flute Version)

A little psych-dub masterpiece recorded in 1981 by the elusive Minus Group, a mysterious studio band led by multi-instrumentalist Enzo Minuti (aka Ezy Minus). The two tracks on this single are different arrangements of the same composition, the first, on Side A, being an afro-dub version with phrasings on sax and synth (both played by Minuti himself), weirdly processed choir vocals, and obsessively repetitive percussion. Side B, on the other hand, contains a tropical-downtempo mix, with claves and flute exuding Caribbean/cinematic vibes, as well as minimalist synths and clapping that give the impression of a jam session under the influence of psychotropic agents.

Both versions have a delicious summer flavor and will fit beautifully in any sunset DJ set.

The single anticipates the release of a compilation album of Enzo Minuti’s library music, which will be out this autumn Four Flies.

LA RAGAZZA CON LA PISTOLA

Out on June 17, 2022
SIDE A1: Peppino De Luca & I Marc 4 – Girl With The Gun
SIDE A2: Peppino De Luca & I Marc 4 – Shake Balera
SIDE B: Peppino De Luca & I Marc 4 – Rapimento In Sicilia

The Girl With The Gun for the first time on Ltd 7″ Vinyl

Another dream come true! The first 7″ ever to contain the three grooviest and most danceable tracks from the legendary soundtrack to La ragazza con la pistola, Mario Monicelli’s 1968 cult film depicting the mod subculture of 60s Swinging London and starring Monica Vitti in one of her most iconic roles. (In the mid-90s two of the tracks were compiled in the seminal compilation Easy Tempo Vol. 2.)

Starting the party is Girl With The Gun, a mod-generation classic featuring a psych-funk rhythm section and an exotic-sounding theme played by a sitar. Next on Side A we find the danceable lushness of Shake Balera, a shake number clearly influenced by the London moods portrayed a couple of years earlier by Michelangelo Antonioni in Blow Up, with Antonello Vannucchi on Hammond and Carlo Pes on guitar (the piece was later covered by Calibro35 in their first album). Last but not least, on the flip is the super intriguing Rapimento in Sicilia, which opens with a spy-movie vibe before switching to a hectic dance of sitar, electric bass and wild percussion.

All tracks were written by Peppino De Luca and performed by his trusted and recurring musicians, the legendary super-group of Italian session players I Marc 4, who bring in their signature psycho-beat sound.

Highly recommended for diggers and DJs.

PAISA GOT SOUL ★ CD VERSION

CD Digipack

Out on June 10, 2022

TRACKLIST:

1. Alberto Radius – California Bill (1979)
2. Mario Lavezzi – In Alto Mare (1979)
3. Beppe Cantarelli – Se Il Mio Canto Sei Tu (1980)

4. I Ricci – Vienimi A Pigliare (1986)
5. Eduardo De Crescenzo – Alle Sei di Sera (1981)
6. Jim Porto – Smettila (Po-Parà) [1984]
7. Barnaba – Bianco e Nero (1980)

8. Enzo Cervo – Solo Mò (1981)
9. Peppino Di Capri – Mo…(1981)
10. Franco Camassa – Non Andar Via (1981)
11. Stefano Pulga – La Mia Nave (1982)

12. Massimo Stella – C’è Una Donna Sola (1979)
13. Gino D’Eliso – Ti Ricordi Vienna? (1977)
14. Enzo Carella – Contatto (1981)
15. Serafini – Se Ti Va Così (1982)

Compiled and conceived by David Nerattini partnered by Pierpaolo De Sanctis.

Between the late 70s and the early 80s, pop music was in a transitional phase. After a return to the roots of punk, rock was morphing into new wave, while disco was rapidly declining and the electronic revolution, already on the rise, was ushering in the transition from analog to digital. This period also saw the emergence and relatively brief flowering of a commercially dominant style that mixed soul influences (especially Stevie Wonder and Ear th Wind & Fi re) , folk/pop songwriting and jazz sensibilities in equal measure, creating a hybrid easy on the ears but also emotionally and musically rich. It was the style represented by artists like Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Gino Vannelli and Kenny Loggins, who were all influenced by black music. They belonged to a larger trend that took place in all major music producing countries, including Italy where, like so many other things, the style was not merely imported or copied, but reshaped into a specifically local version based on the nation’s tastes and cultural traditions. In Italy, a soulful and sophisticated approach to pop music was embraced not only by established names like Mina, Alan Sorrenti and Loredana Berté, but also, and perhaps most importantly, by an entire generation of writers, arrangers and musicians who had grown up listening to early fusion, to Steely Dan’s refined recordings, and to Quincy Jones’s productions. So, with this compilation we hope to give new exposure to artists and songs that, despite having moderate or little success when first released, must be regarded as among the creative peaks of Italian pop music. “Paisà Got Soul” features pop veterans Peppino Di Capri, Mario Lavezzi and Alberto Radius alongside atypical singer-songwriters (Enzo Carella, Enzo Cervo, Gino D’Eliso), Italo-disco heroes (Stefano Pulga), international hit composers (Beppe Cantarelli, who has co-written for Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey), Brazilian-born naturalized Italians (Jim Porto) and complete unknowns (Franco Camassa, I Ricci, Massimo Stella).It brings together little gems that in most cases are no longer available on the market, or only available in their original and now very rare vinyl format. We believe they all deserve to be rediscovered today, partly because of the recently renewed interest in “yacht rock”, as this music style has been retrospectively named, and partly because they provide further evidence that Italian artists rework international music styles in creative and original ways.

SESSOMATTO

Out on May 13, 2022

SIDE A: Armando Trovajoli – Sessomatto
SIDE B: Armando Trovajoli – Kinky Peanuts

Woo-hoo! Two of the best Italian rare grooves ever are finally back on 7” for the first time since their original French release on the format! Both are from that most iconic film soundtrack of the Italian 70s (the LP is now a holy grail for collectors), Armando Trovajoli’s score to Dino Risi’s anthology sex comedy Sessomatto (1973) starring Laura Antonelli and Giancarlo Giannini.

In the title track the influence of Manu Dibango’s afro-funk hit “Soul Makossa” is filtered through, and enriched by, an exquisitely Italian approach, with a sweet ’n’ groovy funk base (the terrific mid-song drum break has been a DJ favorite for decades) over which Edda Dell’Orso seductively laughs and repeats the words ‘sesso’ and ‘matto’ again and again. The wild and fun electronic samba “Kinky Peanuts” on side B is a wonderful example of ‘strange incredible music’, with infectiously quirky Moog themes and runs.

Pretty irresistible.

LA POLIZIOTTA

Out on May 13, 2022

SIDE A: Gianni Ferrio – Rhythm & Sex
SIDE B: Gianni Ferrio – Step by Step

Welcome to another sonic treat from the Four Flies 45s series. This 7” combines for the first time ever the two grooviest and sexiest tracks from Gianni Ferrio’s score to Steno’s detective comedy La poliziotta (The Policewoman), only one of which (“Step by Step”) was included in the original (and now very rare and sought-after) 7” released in 1974.

Starting the party is the blaxploitation-influenced funk-blues “Rhythm & Sex” on side A, a tune chock-full of killer drum breaks and driven by an impeccable brass ensemble (a recurring feature of Ferrio’s style, due to his exquisite brass arranging skills). On side B, the supercool “Step by Step” takes funky jazz into sultry territory, with the saucy vocalizing of the Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni giving more than a nod to the film’s comedy-with-crime atmosphere.

Both tracks demonstrate Ferrio’s great mastery as a jazz-funk composer and arranger – a mastery that, back in the day, earned him the moniker of “the Italian Quincy Jones”. Listening and DJing pleasure guaranteed!

LA NOVIZIA ★ CD VERSION

Out on May 6, 2022

TRACKLIST:

1 – INTERNO NOTTE – 3:46
2 – FIORE ROSSO – 4:57
3 – PELLE MORBIDA – 2:43
4 – ATTIMI DI TENEREZZA – 1:43
5 – CAREFREE – 1:42
6 – ATTIMI DI TENEREZZA #2
7 – NIGHT BLUES – 4:17
8 – FREE DIMENSION – 2:21
9 – CANTO NOTTURNO – 4:19
10 – DOLORE E SPERANZA – 1:45
11 – CAREFREE #2 – 1:56
12 – ATTIMI DI TENEREZZA #3 – 1:31
13 – INTERNO NOTTE #2 – 3:31
14 – PELLE MORBIDA #2 – 2:42
15 – ATTIMI DI TENEREZZA #4 – 2:02
16 – ATTIMI DI TENEREZZA #5 – 1:42
17 – DOLORE E SPERANZA #2 – 1:44
18 – CANTO NOTTURNO (Versione Corta) – 1:16
19 – ATTIMI DI TENEREZZA #6 – 1:17
20 – DOLORE E SPERANZA #3 – 2:02
21 – AD GLORIAM – 1:57

Oops, Four Flies did it again! Like other rare Italian gems, Berto Pisano’s La Novizia was long thought lost before the FF team rescued, restored and remastered it from the original tapes. And wow, it’s just one of the best things, if not the best thing, about the 1975 film it was written for – an erotic comedy with melodramatic overtones directed by Pisano’s long-time collaborator Giuliano Biagetti (they previously worked together on Interrabang and La Svergognata) and starring a young and mesmerizing Gloria Guida.

The film’s low budget meant that Pisano had to make a virtue out of necessity. Rather than using a big orchestra and strings (as is well known, he was a brilliant conductor and string arranger), he relied on a smaller ensemble – almost a chamber ensemble, but with a jazz-like rhythm section – to create sensual late-night soundscapes that exude a downtempo ambience. In a nutshell: smooth, warm, velvety music. The epitome of the lounge sound.

At times, whispered, sexy vocals by (the then ubiquitous) Edda Dell’Orso float dreamily over brushed drums, bass, guitars and electric pianos. At others, we find Italian library heavyweights like Alessandro Alessandroni (whose unmistakable whistle can be heard in “Canto Notturno”) and even psychedelic rock influences, as in the acid distorted guitars, furious drums and crazy synths of “Free Dimension”. At yet other times, we’re taken into more easy-listening territory – “Fiore Rosso”, for instance, offers a wonderfully cinematic example of Mediterranean, rather than Brazilian, bossa nova (did they ever thought of using a spinet in Brazil??).

The secret to the charm of La Novizia is that it encapsulates the Italian erotic sound of the 70s in all of its nuances, from the morbid, to the prudish, to the naïve. Because yes, this is a record of nuance and musicianship. And while the themes are in themselves simple, the fantastic quality of the writing, arrangement and production is a testament to Berto Pisano’s superb talent, style and professionalism.

Finally back to life after decades of obscurity, La Novizia is a thing of beauty – which, as a pretty bright fellow once said, is a joy forever. Don’t miss out on joy.

Comes on vinyl, CD and Digital, with original artwork by Eric Adrian Lee and exclusive liner notes by the Pisano family. All tracks are previously unreleased in any format.

LIVING DISCO CLUB

Out on March 25, 2022

SIDE A: Banda Maje – Living Disco Club
SIDE B: Banda Maje – Living Disco Club (Tonico 70 Reloved)

Four Flies is proud to present the second single from Banda Maje’s widely praised debut album, Ufo Bar. “Living Disco Club” is the band’s tribute to the nightclub culture of the Italian eighties and its lightheartedness. Besides capturing the cheerful spirit of the original, Tonico 70’s faster tempo rework enhances its dancefloor potential by giving more emphasis to certain instruments and adding a touch of Roland TR-808 magic sprinkled with analog dub-echo effects. Get ready to party, folks!

AGIP (Repress)

7″ Repress – Light blue cover

Out on March 25, 2022

A1 – Agip
B1 – Astrotensione
B2 – Telefono Giallo

By popular demand, Four Flies is proud to present a repress of Azzurro 80’s AGIP, this time with a blue cover. The 7″ vinyl single, which marked the artist’s debut on the label, draws its energy from and is inspired by the Italian library scene of the 80s. More specifically, its retro but innovative sonic landscape combines shiny synthesizers and dynamic jazz-funk with pop and television culture.

As he himself explains, the name “Azzurro 80” is meant to refer to a particular shade of light blue: “a worn-out, faded light blue that feels retro and outmoded”, just like the color adjective “azzurro” feels a bit outmoded these days (most people seem to prefer “celeste”). Through his music, he aims to evoke precisely that color, and the nostalgic but comforting combination of sounds that corresponds to it.

Side A features AGIP, titled after Italy’s first national oil company (later absorbed by Italian multinational oil and gas company ENI), whose famous logo is a six-legged dog spitting fire. The track transports you to a night-driving scene seen through the eyes of a kid sitting in the back of a family car (i.e., the composer himself back in the 80s), the asphalt roads dimly lit by yellowish street lights surmounted by the fire-spitting canine.

Side B opens with ASTROTENSIONE, a cosmic synth-pop journey through a nebula, almost like the sonic depiction of someone touching a fast traveling asteroid, while TELEFONO GIALLO is a tribute to the late 80s Italian true crime and docudrama TV show of the same name.

Just let the tunes spin on your turntable and follow Azzurro 80 into his reimagined version of the Italian Eighties.

MAD TOWN / ULTIMA CACCIA

Available for the first time on 7″

Out on 25 February 2022

A1 – Mad Town
B1 – Ultima Caccia

Four Flies is delighted to present a super juicy treat for all 7-inch vinyl devotees: the first 45 single ever to feature tracks from Giuliano Sorgini’s masterpiece Zoo Folle. To ensure maximum DJing pleasure, we’ve picked two of the grooviest tracks from the original recording session, never before released in this format.

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.

If you want an ace up your DJing sleeve, look no further.

PAESAGGI ★ CD VERSION

Out on February 18, 2022

TRACKLIST:
1 – Prime nebbie
2 – Nel parco
3 – Risaie
4 – Lungo il canale
5 – Ciliegi in fiore
6 – Oriente rosso
7 – Pianure d’Asia
8 – Tanto lontano
9 – Borgo montano
10 – Laguna tropicale
11 – Vecchie strade
12 – Porta d’Oriente

Finally putting an end to a long wait for library music lovers, Four Flies Records is proud to present the first reissue of Piero Umiliani’s Paesaggi – a record that, despite remaining for many years pretty obscure compared to other titles in the maestro’s discography, is now regarded by collectors and experts as the gold standard in Italian library music.

Originally released in two versions with different sleeves, the first on Liuto Records in 1971 and the second on Ciak Record in 1980, the album features tracks composed by the maestro himself (under his alias Zalla) and performed by the legendary super-group of Italian session players I Marc 4, this time with Angelo Baroncini instead of Carlo Pes on guitars (which probably explains the name being spelled with a ‘k’ instead of a ‘c’ on the album cover).

The Italian word paesaggi means “landscapes”, and that is exactly what the music in the album has been designed to evoke – a journey of moods and emotions, through exotic and pastoral scenery, with loungey sounds that caress your ears like the song of an enchanted nightingale. Mysterious yet captivating
soundscapes transport you to a faraway and peaceful place, possibly somewhere in rural Asia. While listening to the record, you’ll feel as if you are sitting under a pavilion, right in the middle of a tea plantation, enjoying a freshly brewed green tea and watching the calm sunset.

In addition, Paesaggi is paradigmatic of Italian library music and its genre-defying nature. By using a multitude of instruments, such as flute, vibraphone, harpsichord, sitar, gong and others, it brings together a variety of arrangements, styles, and genres spanning from bossa nova to jazz, easy listening to psychedelic, Latin, exotica, and many more.

Under Umiliani’s brilliant direction, the pianos and keyboard instruments of Antonello Vannucchi, the guitars of Angelo Baroncini, the bass of Maurizio Majorana, and the drums of Roberto Podio dance together and – enriched by other instruments played by top session musicians like Bruno Battisti D’Amario (sitar), Franco De Gemini (harmonica), or Franco Chiari (vibraphone)– create the sound that makes Paesaggi so unique.

With the honour of reissuing this masterpiece so many decades since its release comes a responsibility to do full justice to one of the greatest Italian composers of the 20th century and his now celebrated legacy. Four Flies have done their best to put out a record that replicates as closely as possible the value of the original as a cultural artefact, providing Italian library connoisseurs and novices alike with an exquisite sonic, and tactile, experience.

Paesaggi will be available in 3 different formats: Limited Edition Vinyl LP – 1971 album cover, thick tip-on sleeve, 700 copies only; Vinyl LP – !1980 album cover; First ever CD version – 1980 album cover.

SHINE ON / PROHIBITION

Previously unreleased

Out on 3 December 2021

A1 – Shine On
B1 – Prohibition

Four Flies keeps digging into the secret archives of Alessandro Alessandroni to bring hidden treasures back to light. After two successful releases – the EP Afro Discoteca and the compilation album Lost & Found -, it is now the turn of a new 7’’ single featuring two tracks with a strong soul-funk influence, sung by the Maestro’s beloved Cantori Moderni in a typically Italian harmonizing style, poised somewhere in between gospel and disco music. Both tracks are previously unreleased and were recorded in the same 1976 sessions that birthed Sangue di sbirro (Knell / Bloody Avenger), his most blaxploitation-inspired soundtrack.

“Shine On”, on Side A, is a disco-funk anthem driven by a killer rhythm section, with heavy drum breaks and bass lines enhanced by a powerful brass section, string interludes and Fender Rhodes phrasings with a distinctly jazz-funk flavour. In the same vein, “Prohibition” on Side B is a mid-tempo funk floor-filler built on a super groovy bass line on top of which are layered prominent brass and Wurlitzer passages. This is another great find that expands the known horizons of Alessandroni’s
discography. And it won’t be the last one…

NON SI DEVE PROFANARE IL SONNO DEI MORTI

Available for the first time on 7″

Out on 8 October 2021

A1 – John Dalton Street
B1 – Manchester M2 6LD

Four Flies is proud to present 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, one who, being perfectly at ease with a certain type of Italian horror cult films, has gradually come to represent the quintessence of frightening Italian film music.

Side A features the soundtrack’s main theme, “John Dalton Street”, a psychedelic-zombie funk number with infectious drums and an exquisite orchestral interplay between lush strings, psychedelic flute and a funk-inspired rhythm section. At once modern in conception and rhythmically dark and obsessive, it is exactly what you would expect from 1974 Sorgini (i.e., the same composer who, at the time, was writing stuff like Zoo Folle and Africa Oscura). The same theme is reprised in the version titled “Manchester M2 6LD” on Side B.

This 7” edition comes in an exclusive cover reproducing the original, terrifying film poster by painter Sandro Symeoni, a close friend of Sorgini’s — the same Symeoni who, a few years before, drew the iconic “Under Pompelmo” album cover.

AGIP

Limited edition 7″ – 300 copies

Out on October 8, 2021

A1 – Agip
B1 – Astrotensione
B2 – Telefono Giallo

Italian producer Azzurro 80 makes his debut on Four Flies with a super limited edition 7 inch (300 copies only) that draws its energy from and is inspired by the Italian library scene of the 80s. More
specifically, its retro but innovative sonic landscape combines shiny synthesizers and dynamic jazz-funk with pop and television culture.

Side A features AGIP, titled after Italy’s first national oil company (later absorbed by Italian multinational oil and gas company ENI), whose famous logo is a six-legged dog spitting fire. The track transports you to a night-driving scene seen through the eyes of a kid sitting in the back of a family car (i.e., the composer himself back in the 80s), the asphalt roads dimly lit by yellowish street lights surmounted by the fire-spitting canine.
Side B opens with ASTROTENSIONE, a cosmic synth-pop journey through a nebula, almost like the sonic depiction of someone touching a fast traveling asteroid, while TELEFONO GIALLO is a tribute to the late 80s Italian true crime and docudrama TV show of the same name.

Just let the tunes spin on your turntable and follow Azzurro 80 into his reimagined version of the Italian Eighties.

MONDO DI NOTTE OGGI

Available for the first time on 7″ (Limited Edition – 350 copies)

Out on 9 July 2021

A1 – Soul Meeting
B1 – Teenager

Welcome to a new exciting chapter in the Four Flies 45s series, which brings to DJs, producers and music lovers all over the world a collection of super-groovy themes from the finest Italian soundtracks, issued on 7-inch vinyl for the very first time. This release presents the two funkiest tunes from the soundtrack to Gianni Proia’s Mondo di Notte Oggi, a 1976 Mondo movie whose score was composed, arranged and produced by Gianni Oddi and Gianni Dell’Orso. While Oddi had several successful albums under his belt, either as writer or arranger, Gianni Dell’Orso, one of the most versatile producers of his time and the brother of multi-talented maestro Giacomo Dell’Orso (the husband of Morricone’s favourite singer, Edda), had worked in a wide variety of genres, from prog rock to library music.

Side A contains the afro-funk classic “Soul Meeting”, a vibrant, infectious and psychedelic piece driven by percussion and flute. Side B features the equally irresistible “Teenager”, an afro-influenced funk track with a soulful brass section and wah wah guitar, used in the soundtrack as a sort of background music but, in fact, released a couple of years before as part of Oddi’s album “Oddi 4”.

A must-have for any DJ and collector, this exclusive 7-inch comes in a limited edition of 350 copies. Don’t wait and grab yours before it’s too late!

FORNELLESSE / BIANCO ROSSO E VERDONE

Limited edition 7″ – 300 copies

Out on April 9, 2021

SIDE A: Banda Maje – Fornellesse
SIDE B: Banda Maje – Bianco rosso e verdone (titoli)

More a family than a band, BANDA MAJE formed in a home studio in the historic district of Salerno, in Southern Italy, on the initiative of Peppe Maiellano (composer and keyboards) and Tonico Settanta (producer, rapper and DJ). The collective has an ever-changing number of members, all of whom – a bit like the lively port city they are from – exist at the crossroads between Italian melodies and imported genres like funk, soul and disco.

With a strong cinematic feel and an infectious funk groove, Banda Maje’s first single “Fornellesse” is a great introduction to their forthcoming debut album “Ufo Bar”, which transports you to a version of Salerno that combines local tradition and 70s pop and film culture.

The song is inspired by a real event from the late 19th century, when the traditional procession of Saint Matthew was banned by the city’s mayor. In an act of rebellion against the ban, the ‘Fornellesse’ – i.e., the women who lived in the Rione Fornelle, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salerno – stole the statue of the saint and, like modern wonder women, carried it themselves in procession among a jubilant crowd.

The single’s B-side is a live cover of the opening titles from Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack to the 1981 Italian comedy “Bianco, Rosso e Verdone” (directed by Carlo Verdone and produced by Sergio Leone) – a respectful tribute to the greatest Italian film composer of all times, and to a film that has shaped the imagination of many Italians.

Welcome to the sound of… Salifornia!

L’UOMO ELETTRONICO ★ CD VERSION

CD digipack edition
out on February 19, 2021

Cosmic electronic environments from an Italian synth music Maestro (1972-1983)

TRACKLIST
1 – Roma Amor – 2:37 (1972)
2 – Soundmaker Blues – 4:08 (1980)
3 – Elettrone – 1:31 (1976)
4 – Fruitori – 2:43 (1972)

5 – Lavorazione a mare – 6:17 (1974) previously unreleased
6 – Batticuore – 2:46 (1983)
7 – Danza magica – 2:10 (1975)
8 – Attività – 2:26 (1973)

9 – Sinistro Carillon – 2:46 (1983)
10 – Pianeta spento – 4:12 (1983) previously unreleased
11 – Apocalisse atomica – 1:39 (1976)
12 – Civiltà lontane – 2:34 (1975)

13 – Dolomiti – 4:20 (1975)
14 – Eliogabalus – 2:37 (1972)
15 – Lavoro nero – 2:32 (1975)
16 – Description – 2:04 (1983) previously unreleased

compiled & conceived by Pierpaolo De Sanctis

artwork by Luke Insect

restored from original master tapes by Riccardo Ricci

mastered by Fabrizio De Carolis | Reference Mastering Studio

very special thanks to the Umiliani Family

Twenty years ago, what is probably still the best collection of music by Piero Umiliani, “Musicaelettronica”, was released on Easy Tempo (in our opinion, the finest Italian soundtrack label ever). The album, curated by Rocco Pandiani, focussed on the astonishing creative mastery with which Umiliani played around in his Sound Work Shop studio, where he had all kinds of analogue machines to
experiment with.

Not only did albums like “Musicaelettronica” inspire the very existence of Four Flies Records, but our new Umiliani release, L’Uomo Elettronico, follows on precisely from where “Musicaelettronica” left off. While Pandiani’s selection provided an insight into the playful, lighter side of Umiliani’s electronic music, our release explores its introspective, esoteric side.

Thanks to unwavering support from the Umiliani family, who keeps granting us access to the Maestro’s archives, we have been able to continue a journey we started three years ago with Studio Umiliani, this time unearthing some stunning electronic, cosmic pieces characterized by atmospheric vibes and
carefully arranged sounds and sequences. Once again Umiliani emerges as a tireless, versatile composer whose output went well beyond ‘Mah Nà Mah Nà’, the hugely popular song that made him eternally famous.

The idea behind the album is to view Umiliani’s electronic output as the work of a scientist of some sort – a chemist or master craftsman who created magic in his laboratory or workshop. There is a dreamy, ambient quality at work here: the Maestro builds hypnotic, minimalist sonic landscapes through layers of sharp synths, including Moog, Arp, and VCS3. This music could fit equally well in a sci-fi documentary, a post-apocalyptic film, a television report on climate change, or a journey through outer space.

L’Uomo Elettronico features 3 previously unreleased tracks, as well as rarities and hidden gems, all composed between 1972 and 1983 and remastered from the original analogue tapes.