Italian Experimental Progressive
Prati Bagnati del Monte Analogo
2023 Repress. Of all the releases on Italy's legendary Cramps Records, Raul Lovisoni and Francesco Messina's seminal LP from 1979 has long remained among the most beloved. Prati Bagnati Del Monte Analogo not only introduced the world to the work of two gifted composers, but also is notable for being produced by electronic pioneer Franco Battiato. A sister album to Prati Bagnati would be Giusto Pio's breathtaking Motore Immobile, likewise graced with the maestro's gentle hand around the same time…
Dedalus
* Crystal Clear vinyl 180gr. * One of the most experimental bands of the Italian Prog scene, Dedalus were founded at the beginning of the '70s by Michele Bonansone (keyboards, cello, vocals) and Marco Di Castri (guitar, saxophone) in Pinerolo, near Turin.Their first eponymous LP consists of instrumental jazz-rock compositions, influenced by artists like Nucleus, Miles Davis, Soft Machine, Stockhausen and many other musical innovators of the time. "Dedalus" was originally released in 1973, and i…
Suspiria
Special edition of Goblin’s masterpiece, here released on blue iris coloured vinyl with 30x30cm insert and new liner notes. After the incredible debut of “Profondo Rosso” (Deep Red), the soundtrack of the eponymous 1975 film directed by Dario Argento, no one could ever imagine that shortly afterwards Goblin would be able not only to reach its heights but even further refine what the band already delivered in their first record. While “Profondo Rosso” had been partly composed by Giorgio Gaslini,…
Samadhi (LP)
* Gatefold sleeve – a faithful replica of the original edition on 180gr. Clear transparent vinyl. * Samadhi could be considered a sort of supergroup, as most of their members came from well-known bands, it were formed after the split of Raccomandata Ricevuta di Ritorno by singer Regoli and guitarist Civitenga, along with keyboard player Sabatini (from Free Love and Kaleidon), Aldo Bellanova from Teoremi on bass and drummer Ruggero Stefani (L’Uovo di Colombo), and two other members.
The album mix…
Sabba
Recorded in 1975 this is the ideal following of Tardo Pede in Magiam Versus. Fiamma Dallo Spirito was the Lead Vocalist of the Jacula album and Federico Bergamini wrote most of the music.. Bergamini and Fiamma, together with some guest musicians, recorded "Sabba" in 1975 which remained hidden for almost 50 years. Damnation, Mystery, Magic are the main themes of this concept album where the human being gets lost in the black hole of damnation searching desperately for salvation. The story should …
Concerto delle menti
There isn't probably a single fan of Italian Progressive Rock in the world that has never heard of Pholas Dactylus and their only opus (not just a simple 'record', in fact) "Concerto delle menti" (Concert of the minds), originally published in 1973. Pholas Dactylus have left, with Concerto delle Menti, a unique example of avantgarde prog containing only spoken lyrics that can be appealing to the most adventurous listeners even because the musical background is intense and mesmerising; the album …
Tappeto Volante
Yellow Vinyl. Exclusive LP reissue of "Tappeto Volante", third and last one release by Aktuala, replica of the original Bla Bla release. "Tappeto Volante" is the third and last one of this series, made by an 'open musical collective' from milan, a fixed nucleus with many different contributes from guest musicians. As the Third Ear Band have always been inserted in the international prog panorama, the same happened with Aktuala, who were real music pioneers able to blend world, ethnic, jazz and a…
Electronic Mind Waves
** mini-lp replica, housed in a gatefold cardboard sleeve with an OBI ** Out of the mysterious mind of Andrea Centazzo came Elektriktus. Originally released on the PDU label in 1976, the LP Electronic Mind Waves offers a collection of eight synth-fueled songs that sound very close to what kraut/cosmische heads were doing at the time, think of Conrad Schnitzler, Deuter or Cosmic Jokers, and also other European experimentalists like Richard Pinhas' Heldon, Spacecraft, Didier Bocquet, Seesselberg, …
Sulle corde di Aries
* 300 copies, machine-printed numbered edition, gatefold cover, 180gr vinyl * 1973’s Sulle Corde Di Aries was Franco Battiato's third release and showed his fascination for electronic, minimalist and systemic musics, as well as his third chapter in Battiato’s foray into esoteric pop. While the artist would venture further out into avant-garde terrain on subsequent releases, his early records enjoy a lyrical and playful spirit—eschewing traditional, song-based composition in favor of kosmische vo…
Suan
Acid-psychedelic ballads, with lots of acoustic guitar, bursts of fuzz guitar and excellent use of electric instruments. The fuzz bass on “The House on the Hill” will blow your mind and… speakers away. It is considered to be one of the best and rarest European psychedelic folk rock albums. Original Mint copies go nowadays for 1000+Euro. English lyrics. Armando Piazza, singer-songwriter from Naples was joined by renowned US guitarist Shawn Phillips on bass, acoustic and electric guitar. "Suan" w…
Vietato Ai Minori Di 18 Anni?
Limited Time Offer Deluxe ltd. ed. LP edition with original gatefold cover artwork and 180 gr. Clear Red Vinyl. One of the best italian progressive rock/experimental album released in Italy "Vietato ai minori di 18 anni?" is Jumbo's third album from 1973, is their most ambitious work, containing strong lyrics and fragments of avantgarde-inspired music, with the help of Franco Battiato's great VCS3 oscillators and Lino Capra Vaccina's (of Aktuala fame) bells and chimes' sinister tolling. Long spa…
Palepoli
* Deluxe LP reissue on 180 gr. Clear Red vinyl * Third album, and Osanna best one, "Palepoli", from 1973 sees the band at their peak. The album only contains three long tracks and is housed in a nice gatefold whose inner picture is based on the band live stage background. 18 minutes of sheer heavy progdom is 'Oro Caldo', a raw jambalaya of moody atmosphere, experimental samplings, greasy garage dirt, and some flat out classic symphonic prog with a great-sounding mellotron - and other unique and…
El Tor
* Deluxe LP reissue on 180 gr. Clear Red vinyl * Another band from Naples, and also connected to Osanna, formed by Lino Vairetti and Massimo Guarino when that band split in 1974. But Città Frontale were in fact two different bands, the first one being active in 1970 before Osanna were formed with four of that later band members and Gianni Leone, that left to join Balletto di Bronzo. After first Osanna's split up in 1974, former members Lino Vairetti (vocals, guitar, mellotron, harmonica) and Ma…
La Valle Dei Templi
** Limited edition red vinyl 180 gr. numbered edition ** Perigeo were founded in Rome in 1971: five professional musicians, all of them already largely active in the jazz and rock circuits of those years, who gathered in the studio to wisely blend together the two aforementioned music genres: this is probably the first example of jazz-rock music in Italy, admittedly influenced by Miles Davis and that legendary “Bitches Brew” that just two years earlier had shocked the jazz scene worldwide.Purist…
Non E' Poi Cosi' Lontano
* 45th Anniversary. 180g pressing, Coloured vinyl, numbered edition of 600 copies * A heavy-hitting, full-on jazz-rock progressive record from this Italian group – and probably their most underrated effort of the early years! Perigeo is in great form throughout, with a talent for time and chord changes that displays many years spent woodshedding solos from their biggest influences. Claudio Fasoli's reeds are nice and choppy, and work very well with Tony Sidney's strident guitar parts. Frando D'…
Suddance
High quality vinyl reissue with remastered sound. Osanna are considered one of the best bands to emerge from the fertile Italian prog scene of the 1970s known not only for their excellent blend of various musical genres but equally for the live performances that made them stand out from the pack from the getgo. This band from Napoli formed all the way back in 1970 and was known for changing things up radically on each album with the 1973 magnum opus "Palepoli" still considered one of the greates…
Giro Di Valzer Per Domani
Temporary nicer price * 500 copies, numbered edition. Clear Splatter Vinyl * Originally released in 1975 on Cramps. This is Arti E Mestieri's second album. More dynamic and inspired than their debut title, The sound has not changed much in comparison to the previous album, but it is slightly less raw and vocals prevent from getting much focus on instrumental prowess. Arguably, there is less space for brass instrument and more vocalized sections. Drums are usually more aggressive and fast than …
Juke Box
*White vinyl repress* The highly neglected record by Franco Battiato! Originally intended as the soundtrack for TV movie 'Brunelleschi', it was rejected — allegedly, for being "not appropriate enough". Their loss. It is also the first official collaboration with Giusto Pio, at the time engaged as violinist in the RAI orchestra of Milan, as well as first violin at Orchestra - Teatro alla Scala. Over the following decades, Pio and Battiato formed a close collaborative relationship – chasing each …
Gudrun
* 180 Gr. Vinyl Transparent Red Vinyl. Numbered Edition* Along with the likes of Franco Battiato, Opus Avantra and Piccho dal Pozzo, Pierrot Lunaire were one of the artists that contributed to the small, but artistically significant, avant progressive scene of Italy in the mid-70s. The second album of Pierrot Lunaire of 1977, long out of print, is finally reissued! One of the most important Italian electronic progressive, formed in Rome in the early '70s by Arturo Stalteri and Gaio Chiocchio, th…
Event '76
Wonderfully varied Free Improv, with a nice balance of different elements to keep it interesting (and not overly self-indulgent). One of those elements is Demetrio Stratos' voice, which is put to good use as a wild instrument (complete with duck quacking). It's rare for a band, that features Steve Lacy and Paul Lytton, to pull off free improv so completely convincingly when it is not within their normal milieu, but this performance is a testament to their musicianship and their listening skills.…