Italian Experimental Progressive
Hieros Gamos
Of all the recent Italian prog comebacks, Pholas Dactylus' return is certainly the most unexpected. Exactly, Pholas Dactylus, the authors of the unreachable masterpiece "Concerto delle menti" (1973). Forty-five years later, "Hieros Gamos" ('sacred wedding' in Greek language) marks one of the most resounding rebirths for a band that everyone believed to be lost forever. The album, divided into two parts - one that bears the album title and consists of a long suite, and a second entitled "Ognuno d…
Encyclopedia of Italian progressive rock, experimental, electronic music (Book)
A Fistful of Spaghetti, Encyclopedia of Italian progressive rock, experimental, electronic music, etc. by Steven Freeman & Alan Freeman. From the writers of The Crack In The Cosmic Egg, probably everything you needed to know about Italian Progressive music & the wider prog, electronic, experimental music scenes from Italy. Although centered on the progressive rock scene of the 1970s, the authors have attempted to cover all related genres here, amounting to more than just another prog rock guide…
Darwin!
*500 copies, numbered edition. Clear Splatter Vinyl* The perfect mixture between complex and beauty. The best of Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, a superb album. Incredible instrumental richness, lots of variations, very expressive voice, long epic tracks and beautiful short songs, all in the same bag. This stuff is the pearl of the great Banco's trilogy (the first three albums they edited), and deserves a privileged place in a serious prog discoteque. One of the Italian monsters, highly recommended! (…
Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso
*500 copies, numbered edition. Clear Splatter Vinyl* Legendary Italian progressive rock band Banco del Mutuo Soccorso released its first LP in 1971 on the label Dischi Ricordi. The lineup included Vittorio Nocenzi (keyboards), Gianni Nocenzi (piano), Francesco Di Giacomo (vocals), Renato d'Angelo (bass), the newly arrived Pierluigi Calderoni (drums), and guitarist Marcello Todara, who would soon be replaced by Rodolfo Maltese. Although plagued by poor sound quality (something frequent with Itali…
Scerizza
* Edition of 200 copies * Archeo is back with another stunner - a true gem of Italian, minimal and ambient music - Pepe Maina’s Scerizza, originally self released in 1979, and until now never reissued. Like everything they do, Archeo has taken it the next level, expanding this edition with a previous unreleased work. Almost entirely overlooked for 40 years, Scerizza is sure to leave listeners reeling and take 2019 by storm.Born in Milan, Pepe Maina, like a great many of the figures at the vangu…
Ipotesi
* Deluxe Edition. Released in a gatefold cover. Black Vinyl Numbered Limited Edition of 899 copies 1 page insert 2 OBI strips * Another great italian avantgarde progressive rarity from 1972! Complex and excellent album, with classic moments, jazz-rock influences in the Canterbury vein, acoustic parts, sudden rhythm changes and complex arrangements, in a few words everything we love from vintage italian prog! "Part of the charm of the Italian progressive rock is undoubtedly due to its inner prese…
La Banda Del Sole (LP)
500 numbered copies Remastered from the original tapes. Orange Vinyl During the 1970s, Italy was one of the most exciting and fascinating musical contexts in Europe, birthing seminal projects and artists like Franco Battiato, Aktuala, Lino 'Capra ' Vaccina, Giusto Pio, Roberto Cacciapaglia, Futuro Antico, and so many more. Defining the scene was an ethos that rigorously pursued creative freedom and experimentation, with its artists fluidly moving between popular music - rock, prog, jazz, etc. -…
Complete discography
This special bundle collects Aktuala's complete discography on three coloured vinyl LPs:Aktuala "Aktuala" (1973)**Red vinyl reissue. Milestone! Faithful reproduction of the original release!** 1973 Aktuala debut, a stunning overall work where you can hear a lot of different musical influences : avant-garde folk, mediterranean blues ,jazz improvisation, minimalism, african percussions, indian ragas all played with a true psychedelic feeling. The album was recorded in a few days in a totally acous…
Alla Periferia Dell'Impero (LP)
500 numbered copies Remastered from the original tapes. Like many of his peers, Mino Di Martino first emerged within the context of popular music, working in numerous Italian beat bands, before finding enormous success as a pop star as a member of I Giganti, whose 1971 LP, Terra in Bocca, is often cited as a spark for the sea change in Italian music that would emerge over the coming years.
After his experience with Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale (together with the actress and singer Edda 'Terra…
Lassa sta' la Me Creatura
** Audiophile pressing (Pure Analogue Cutting, One-Stage Pressing Process, 180 g.) edition of 490 copies ** More than 40 years after its publication, the album Lassa sta 'la me creatura continues to be systematically cited in the stories of Italian music related to the' 70s as a completely unique and innovative event in the music scene of those years. A remarkable Italian folk/ethnic album with experimental tendencies, released in 1974 on the legendary Intingo label, Canzoniere Del Lazio was one…
Dedicato A Frazz
**LP reissue, on red coloured vinyl!** it's an established fact that in Italy during the period between 1971-1974, a music movement existed where bands would challenge each other to see who could be the most imaginative, who could create the album for the ages. They were all painters and sculptors, just as in Renaissance Italy. Dedicato A Frazz is Michaelangelo's 'David'. At one point in time, utter genius struck five men and the masterpiece has been laid down for future generations to discover…
Naus + Suan
"Suan" and "Naus", respectively published in 1972 and 1973, are the only two LP ever recorded by Neapolitan singer Armando Piazza; both see the participation of a very special guest, the American folk musician Shawn Phillips. Printed in limited quantities at the time on label B.B.B. (Beautiful Black Butterfly) and scarcely distributed, they went unnoticed for decades until a few years ago, when the recent interest in a certain type of music has lifted up the original editions prices, tran…
Melos
* 180g pressing, Coloured vinyl, numbered edition of 600 copies * One of the most elegantly complex and fully realized of the "difficult" Italian classics. Cervello was a band from Naples like Osanna, and each band had a brother in it. Melos, originally released in 1973, is a stunning combination of primarily guitars, flutes and saxes are tightly woven into a very dense, often dark, unsettling, and just plain eerie feel. There is great deal of excellent acoustic guitar work and mellotron-like …
Volo Magico N.1
****50th Anniversary Edition, blue vinyl, 700 copies numbered**** One of the Claudio Rocchi's finest albums, included in the Nurse With Wound's influential list. A perfect combination of experiment, progressive music, acoustic foundations with tape collage, singer-songwriting, with lots of inspiration and invention with a good materialisation of it with clear structures, and interesting contemporary ideas. Trippy streched improvisation like tracks, as if the whole album are a kind of (acoustic)…
Dedicato A ...
** Official Reissue. 500 copies. Clear purple vinyl reissue with inner 8-page booklet and silver-foiled gatefold cover ** A legendary short-living band founded in Rome by guitarist Urbano Orlandi and collected together by visual artist and movie-maker Mario Schifano, who was for Le Stelle what was Andy Warhol for The Velvet Underground. "Dedicato a..." is probably among the most wanted, rare and expensive italian vinyl album of any time. It was released in 1967, it mixes improvvisation, medieval…
Duello Madre
** This is italian jazz-prog at its best!! The album is available on a beautiful gatefold sleeve with clear transparent vinyl. ** Finally available again, this rare Italian prog classic! Duello Madre, from Genua, only released a Soft Machine jazz-oriented album with just a single vocal track (probably the most convincing one on the LP), in 1973 on the Produttori Associati label (Maxophone). After the band split, the bass player Callero went to Il Volo, and drummer Lo Previte played in Nova. Duel…
L'uomo
**Clear green vinyl. LP in the original triple-gatefold** Osanna ( from Naples) are generally regarded as one of the best and most innovative bands to come out of the entire Italian '70s progressive scene. Their groudbreaking debut, L'Uomo the debut of one of the greatest bands in the Italian prog field, Osanna. Formed in 1971 by the members of I Volti di Pietra and Città Frontale their debut was L'uomo, released in a memorable triple gatefold cover, already containing their distinctive elements…
Qualcosa Ca Nu' Mmore
* Remastered edition, Blue vinyl * Napoli Centrale were formed in Naples in 1974 on the initiative of James Senese (sax, vocals) and Franco Del Prete (drums) after their experience in another band called the Showmen 2. They joined forces with American keyboardist Mark Harris and British bassist Tony Walmsley and in 1975 released an eponymous debut album blending in an original way Mediterranean roots and jazz rock. James Senese’s father was an American soldier who had been working in the base of…
Tempi Dispari
** Limited edition black vinyl 180 gr. ** Tempi Dispari is a live album from 1974 by the Atomic System variation, a line up formed by guitarist Vittorio DeScalzi after three members left to form what would end up being Ibis. DeScalzi is aided by future Nova keyboards player Renato Rosset, who influences this variation in a more jazzy oriented way than any other New Trolls incarnation. Two side-long suites (including a theme from Concerto Grosso 1) of excellent and innovative music, reminding me…
Io Sono Nato Libero - Legacy Edition
** Limited edition green vinyl 180 gr. numbered edition** A new Legacy edition of "Io sono nato libero", historic third album by Banco del Mutuo soccorso, one of the most famous and important italian progressive rock bands.
"Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's third LP, Io Sono Nato Libero, was released only a few months after the impressive Darwin!, and featured the same lineup (brothers Vittorio and Gianni Nocenzi on keyboards, Rodolfo Maltese on guitar, Pierluigi Calderoni on drums, Renato d'Angelo on…