quête:bar italia

"The Twits" wurde von der Band im Februar 2023 innerhalb von nur acht Wochen in einem provisorischen Heimstudio auf Mallorca aufgenommen und von Marta Salogni abgemischt. Nach einem Kinderbuch von Roald Dahl benannt, zeigt sich das Songwriting von bar italia in rauen, mystischen, ungebürsteten und gelegentlich düsteren Arrangements. Songs wie "my little tony" mit seinen harten Riffs und dem kathartischen Sound ist ein klassischer Indie-Banger für die große Bühne. In anderen Momenten wagt sich die Band auf bisher unbekanntes Terrain, auf dem sie eine hypnotische Dissonanz ihrer Stimmen schaffen. "Jelsy" zum Beispiel spielt sich wie ein Gespräch zwischen Freunden über wehmütigen, summenden Country-Blues ab, wobei die Stimmen abwechselnd tröstlich, ironisch und hoffnungslos sehnsüchtig sind. Der geschmeidige, langsam brennende Walzer "Twist" besticht durch seine nackte Lyrik und scheint jedes Bandmitglied zu einem individuellen Bekenntnis einzuladen. Während "Tracey Denim" von seinen kompakten 2-3-minütigen Songs lebte, besticht "The Twits" durch seine eher offenen und mitunter uferlosen Kompositionen. "glory-hunter" nimmt z.b. spielerische Wendungen, bevor es an einem völlig anderen Ort endet, als es begonnen hat. Das abschließende "bibs" ist ein seltener Fall, in dem alle drei im Einklang zu hören sind. Eine Prozession geradezu geisterhafter Akkorde mit einer zerreißenden Rückkopplung bildet den Abschluss des Albums. Das im Mai veröffentlichte Matador-Debüt "Tracey Denim" von bar italia wurde schnell zum Gesprächsthema der weltweiten Indieszene. Publikationen wie The Guardian ("eines der Alben des Jahres 2023 bisher"), The Times ("excellent debut album"), The Observer ("Artist To Watch"), NME ("a lasting impression that"s all of their own making"), The Quietus ("endlessly evocative") und Pigeons And Planes ("quickly establishing themselves as one of the most enticing upcoming bands") feierten das Album. Im Juni gaben bar italia ihr Live-Debüt in den USA mit fünf ausverkauften Konzerten in New York sowie vier in Los Angeles und auch ihre Debüt-Show in Berlin war binnen kürzester Zeit ausverkauft. Über einen der New Yorker Auftritte schrieb Brooklyn Vegan: "Live spielt die Band ganz natürlich und großartig auf, mit Songs wie "Punkt", "Changer" und "Nurse!" (...), die Post-Punk der frühen 80er mit Indie-Rock der 90er und einem Hauch Trip-Hop mischen".

"The Twits" wurde von der Band im Februar 2023 innerhalb von nur acht Wochen in einem provisorischen Heimstudio auf Mallorca aufgenommen und von Marta Salogni abgemischt. Nach einem Kinderbuch von Roald Dahl benannt, zeigt sich das Songwriting von bar italia in rauen, mystischen, ungebürsteten und gelegentlich düsteren Arrangements. Songs wie "my little tony" mit seinen harten Riffs und dem kathartischen Sound ist ein klassischer Indie-Banger für die große Bühne. In anderen Momenten wagt sich die Band auf bisher unbekanntes Terrain, auf dem sie eine hypnotische Dissonanz ihrer Stimmen schaffen. "Jelsy" zum Beispiel spielt sich wie ein Gespräch zwischen Freunden über wehmütigen, summenden Country-Blues ab, wobei die Stimmen abwechselnd tröstlich, ironisch und hoffnungslos sehnsüchtig sind. Der geschmeidige, langsam brennende Walzer "Twist" besticht durch seine nackte Lyrik und scheint jedes Bandmitglied zu einem individuellen Bekenntnis einzuladen. Während "Tracey Denim" von seinen kompakten 2-3-minütigen Songs lebte, besticht "The Twits" durch seine eher offenen und mitunter uferlosen Kompositionen. "glory-hunter" nimmt z.b. spielerische Wendungen, bevor es an einem völlig anderen Ort endet, als es begonnen hat. Das abschließende "bibs" ist ein seltener Fall, in dem alle drei im Einklang zu hören sind. Eine Prozession geradezu geisterhafter Akkorde mit einer zerreißenden Rückkopplung bildet den Abschluss des Albums. Das im Mai veröffentlichte Matador-Debüt "Tracey Denim" von bar italia wurde schnell zum Gesprächsthema der weltweiten Indieszene. Publikationen wie The Guardian ("eines der Alben des Jahres 2023 bisher"), The Times ("excellent debut album"), The Observer ("Artist To Watch"), NME ("a lasting impression that"s all of their own making"), The Quietus ("endlessly evocative") und Pigeons And Planes ("quickly establishing themselves as one of the most enticing upcoming bands") feierten das Album. Im Juni gaben bar italia ihr Live-Debüt in den USA mit fünf ausverkauften Konzerten in New York sowie vier in Los Angeles und auch ihre Debüt-Show in Berlin war binnen kürzester Zeit ausverkauft. Über einen der New Yorker Auftritte schrieb Brooklyn Vegan: "Live spielt die Band ganz natürlich und großartig auf, mit Songs wie "Punkt", "Changer" und "Nurse!" (...), die Post-Punk der frühen 80er mit Indie-Rock der 90er und einem Hauch Trip-Hop mischen".

third album, "Magic Seeds". The record represents his most personal and collaborative work and blends live recordings and analogue synths to create an organic, rhythmic sound reminiscent of trip-hop and hip-hop.

"Magic Seeds" explores themes of growth and reconnection, featuring unexpected musical moments and influences from 90s electronic music to neoclassical. Tracks like "Smoke in the Air" and "Inner Child" highlight his ability to balance emotional peaks with deep, moody atmospheres. The album’s dynamic range and authenticity reflect James's commitment to musical freedom and societal reflection, making it a compelling sonic collage of his recent experiences.

Over the past few years, Leifur James has steadily built a reputation as a vital new voice in electronic music on both sides of the Atlantic. He’s played prestigious London venues like the Barbican and Village Underground in London and toured Europe, as well as being named Pitchfork and KCRW’s ‘best new music’ in the US, and his music has been championed by the likes of tastemakers Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs, Bradley Zero and actor Cillian Murphy, and from BBC 6Music to NTS via KCRW and RMC Italia. James has also enjoyed further flagship press support from Consequence of Sound, Clash, CRACK, Passion of the Weiss, XLR8R, Complex, MixMag, DJ Mag, The Vinyl Factory, and more

Italian cinematic funk heroes Calibro 35 announce a limited edition 45 rpm vinyl featuring two previously unreleased singles. The record is pressed on clear orange vinyl, limited to 600 copies, making it a must-have collector’s item.

On the A side, Calibro 35 reimagine Grover Washington Jr.’s jazz-funk classic “Mister Magic” with an ultra-groovy cinematic funk stormer, perfect for DJs and collectors alike. On the B side, the Milan-based combo revitalizes Can’s krautrock anthem “Vitamin C” with a fresh jazz-punk energy, a track recently brought back into the spotlight through Kanye West’s sampling. Both tracks are taken from the Deluxe Edition of their latest studio album Exploration, set for digital worldwide release on February 6th via Record Kicks.

Praised by Rolling Stone as “the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing that has happened to Italy in the past few years,” Calibro 35 have built an international reputation as one of the coolest independent bands around. Their music has been sampled by Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and The Child of Lov (featuring Damon Albarn), and they’ve collaborated with icons such as PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, and Stewart Copeland, continuing to push their cinematic funk universe further.

To celebrate the release, Calibro 35 will hit the road starting mid-October, with two special U.S. shows in Miami and Los Angeles, followed by a European tour including Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, and London.

"There is a suspicion that no one really knows how to deal with the legacy of the past." — Siarhiej Kraŭčanka

Malenčyk / Lami is a double vinyl release pairing previously unpublished archival recordings of Belarusian fiddler Stanisłaŭ Malenčyk with a response to that archive by Italian sound artist Giovanni Lami.

Stanisłaŭ Malenčyk (1928–2007) was a self-taught fiddler from a small village in Western Biełaruś, born on land that was then Polish territory. He never studied music formally and never worked on a collective farm — he supported his family solely through playing, crafting his own violins and harmonicas by hand. The music he played was made for a community: weddings, christenings, a room full of people, a shared life. As life shifted toward the cities and the village dissolved, that music lost the only place it could exist. By the end of his life, Malenčyk — nearly blind — was playing for whoever happened to be there: at the local bazaar, on district buses, moving through the aisles. He simply couldn’t stay home. He had to play.

These recordings were made by ethnographer Mykoła Kozienka in Ščučyn in 1999 and have not been released until now.

Giovanni Lami approaches this archive from a distance that could hardly be greater — geographical, cultural, temporal.

Credits:

Record 1 (Side A/B) — performed by Stanisłaŭ Malenčyk,
recorded by Mykola Kozenka in Shuchyn, Grodno Region, Belarus in 1999.

Record 2 (Side C/D) — produced by Giovanni Lami.

Mastering by Siarhej Cviki and Anton Aniščanka

Archival research by Alaksej Krukoŭski and Alaksandr Baroŭski

Cover Artworks by Volha Savič
Cover design by Ihar Jukhnievič

Project curation by Anton Aniščanka
Project assistance by Alaksiej Šumakovič

Texts by Siarhei Kraŭčanka (essay, editing, translation),
Alaksej Krukoŭski and Alaksandr Baroŭski (Malenčyk biography),
Giovanni Lami (artist statement)

nobile, one half of the former Milanese duo Voronoi, presents a new series of recordings of ephemeral ambient soundscapes, organic throbs and broken rhythmic textures that sublimate the more instinctual and playful side of his poetics.


The project is haunted by cavernous sounds and an obsession with the 'netherworld' of the videogame Minecraft, and by Le Matin des Magiciens - the classic and revolutionary book that popularised occultism, alchemy and paranormal phenomena in the 1960s. "...FANTASTICO INTERIORE is" - as the artist puts it - "a fantastic journey inside the body, perhaps also a journey into the unconscious to understand my gastritis?"

The seven tracks traverse underworlds, infused with fantastic realism, where odd sounds materialise like poltergeists of digital folklore. Creepy voices emerge from the hell-like nether, intertwined with clusters of gelatinous percussive sounds that trudge to the surface. Earthy streams of crackling white noise carry volatile sonic particles that bounce off walls with short delays and reverberations, giving an almost visible form to the space.




But it is not always serious. As soon as you come across the curiously long titles of the tracks (which are rough translations of the Minecraft manual into Italian) a subtle irony emerges. The imagery appears to be harmless and eventually, as in a video game, you can switch to safe-mode and refill your health-bar along the way... 
No panic attacks in the soft-occultism of FANTASTICO INTERIORE ;)

'Honesty Flowers' is the fourth studio album from Italian multi-instrumentalist Alessio Ferarri under the Upupayāma moniker. An epic double album set due for release May 29th 2026 on Fuzz Club, 'Honesty Flowers' finds Upupayāma's ever mind-blowing brew of organic psychedelic rock meets global grooves at its most percussive, lively and distorted. Equally hedonistic and heady, it courses through rhythmic funk grooves, doubled-down scorched fuzz riffing, winding motorik jams, tranquil drones and pastoral acid-folk across its seventy minute run time. A six-piece band live, where things take a more ever-evolving improvisation-based approach (see their recent 'Live At Fuzz Club Festival '25' LP), on the recordings Ferarri writes, plays and records everything himself – guitars, keys, flute, sitar, and an arsenal of percussion all feature. Never not working on new music, Ferarri started laying down these new tracks in his home barn studio in a small mountain village overlooking the city of Parma before its 2024 predecessor 'Mount Elephant' even hit the racks. The result was mixed by Chris Smith at Kluster Sounds (Kikagaku Moyo, Wax Machine) and mastered by Joseph Carra (King Gizzard, Babe Rainbow, ORB) On the new record, Ferarri says: "Honesty Flowers was born from listening to lots of funk music from all over the world, lots and lots of African music, and from listening to myself as I spent whole nights playing all kinds of percussion instruments. I would fall into a sort of trance and play the same rhythm for hours on congas or on a djembe. It's an album that was born above all from the beauty of being able to narrate the unknown and recognise yourself in it, which could translate into telling stories and bringing them to life.

2023 Repress


Voices From the Lake (consisting of Donato Dozzy and Neel) mark the 10th anniversary of their influential self-titled album with a fully remastered reissue on Spazio Disponibile. It arrives in full on vinyl for the first time, as well as on digital formats, first quarter of 2023 as the pair continues to play select live shows around the world. The release will see the light of day as a 4-set vinyl LP release, including download. Italians Dozzy and Neel have been friends united by a shared vision of music since their teenage years. They are immaculate sculptors of sound who fuse evocative ambient and leftfield techno into multi-layered soundscapes. For many years they worked as established solo artists but came together in 2011 to craft what is now regarded as one of techno's most pure and absorbing listening experiences. It's often said that the best music comes about as a happy accident, and that is certainly true of Voices From the Lake. The career-defining album first arose in the thoughts of Dozzy and Neel when the latter was preparing a mix for the former's wedding and named it Voices From The Lake. It was a pertinent title that stuck in the mind: both grew up by waters around the coast of Italy, and in their early days the pair even held private parties on the shores of a lake. Fittingly, Japan's celebrated Labyrinth festival at that time was also held by a river and a lake in the middle of a forest on a serene mountainside. It was that exact setting the pair envisaged when making music to play live on stage. During preparations, they "accidentally" wrote an entire album. It has only ever been performed live a few times - once at Japan's Labyrinth festival in 2011, at London's Barbican, Barcelona's Mira Festival, Paris' Marathon Festival and once during 2022's Amsterdam Dance Event. Those shows saw the pair using banks of analogue and digital equipment to improvise in the moment and essentially remix the album live on stage. That spontaneity is captured in the original Voices From the Lake recordings and on later LPs such as Live at Maxxi in 2015, and the most recent EP Quarto Freddo from 2020. But the debut album remains a standout achievement. A decade on, it's quiet intensity, musical storytelling and slowly unfolding tension remain in a class of one. Each sound is meticulously designed and placed, and the spaces left behind are just as important in conveying such a captivating mood and emotion. Rather than traditional kick drums, hi-hats or snares, this is music crafted from layers of real-world sound - dripping water, chirping birds, rustling leaves or a distant breeze - and it's that which defines the album's organic allure. From deeply contemplative to cautiously optimistic, pastoral organic scenes to more underwater worlds, Voices From the Lake is a cohesive collection of tracks that add up to one inseparable whole.

Although he's released on numerous labels since debuting almost a decade ago, Eduardo Barbi aka Gledd returns to his own reliable imprint Saint Wax. On his fourth vinyl missive for the imprint, My Church Is On Fire, the Italian producer delivers a quartet of cuts that happily boast samples from vintage gospel cuts. It's a simple idea, brilliantly executed, as proved by the righteous, spiritual, organ-rich stomp of opener 'Let It Shine', featuring guest lead vocals from Steve Salmaso. Elsewhere, 'Mama Don't Preach' is a whirlwind of sampled gospel soul vocals, expansive piano solos and chunky deep house beats, 'Be Real' is a heavily electronic slab of gospel-house deepness, and 'Back on My Stay' is a locked-in, late-night delight with an effortlessly soulful finish.

BAR Musica is happy to come back with its BAR Musica Re-Present catalogue and is even happier to welcome back the Italian legend Ricky Montanari - to confirm the respect and friendship with us.

Ricky Montanari has always been a forward thinking in both his production and sets. The tracks in this H.O.M. Vol II are some unreleased gems produced together with his studio partners Davide Ruberto and Edo Lo Zio in the early 2000 that never got released.

This release is dedicated to all the respect and the gratitude to Ricky, for always be a friend!”

BAR Musica Re-Present is happy to come back after the great success of BARREP05 by the master Ricky Montanari, with some new unreleased cuts by another Italian great project - Presslaboys.
Presslaboys had a massive momentum in the early 2000’s with releases on Crosstown Rebels and their own Presslab Records, delivering some of the best cuts in the new era called tech house.
We teamed with Omar J and found these unreleased cuts, a little different from what they were releasing at the time, but with a real progressive sound that we are happy to release

Phosphor’s fourth release connects two promising talents from Barcelona’s underground scene: French producer Vince Void and Mexican DJ Gamba. Together, they deliver a finely crafted EP that blends punchy club dynamics with dreamy, psychedelic touches. From electro with 80s Italian accents to glitchy grooves and spacey breaks, PHP004 stands as a floor-ready release, moving with a subtle balance of tension and elevation.

Vince Void takes the A-side with two effective cuts. “Thunder” builds on a saturated Italo-style bassline and crisp, stripped-back drums, creating a steady tension that works perfectly at the start of a set. “Fashion Victim” switches the mood with acid-tinged grooves, glitchy stabs and a playful swing. It’s less linear but just as effective, adding contrast and movement to any DJ set.

On the B-side, DJ Gamba goes deeper. “The Universe”, in collaboration with Quim, weaves lush pads and shimmering arps into a rolling club structure, with subtle breakbeat accents that add lift and fluidity. To close, “Your Vision” slows the pulse slightly, blending filtered melodies, melancholic textures and a steady groove, locking in emotion without losing the club energy.

After the acclaimed Bar Mediterraneo, Massimo Di Lena and Lucio Aquilina return with People Of The Moon, expanding their sound into a space of creative freedom. The “People of the Moon” are not fictional, but a dimension within us all: a deeply personal yet universal force, an alternative mindset that emerges when freed from social constraints.



Under moonlight, the album explores anxieties and aspirations through groove and rhythm, expressed in Neapolitan, Arabic, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It moves fluidly from Afro-Cuban influences in “Celavì” to Anatolian textures in “Ma Tu Che Bbuò”, blending highlife guitars with Nu Genea’s signature mandolins-new rhythms filtered through an Italian lens.



The first single “Sciallà” (2025) introduced this direction: dance as catharsis, not escape. The title track reflects a quiet resilience-persistent rather than triumphant. “Onenon”, featuring Tom Misch, channels Mediterranean brit-funk, while “Acelera”, with María José Llergo, evokes a flamenco-tinged pursuit of the unattainable.



“Puleza” recalls Nuova Napoli with driving energy and vintage synths, while “Shway Shway”, sung by Celinatique, captures the album’s orbital flow-measured, rich, and rhythmically complex, echoing afrobeat explorations with Tony Allen.



Melody remains central, as in “Carè”. Across ten tracks, falling, flying, and dancing merge in a suspended groove. Gabriel Prado’s “Ondas Do Mar” embodies this pull: a cyclical motion, like the tides—irresistible, transformative, and alive within us.

Repress!

Rhythm On The Loose “Break Of Dawn” is quite simply one of House Music’s all time classics.

Producer Geoff Hibbert was inspired by seeing dawn break on an Italian coast line to
draw inspiration from Moby’s anthemic “Go” and disco gem “Let No Man Put Asunder” by First Choice to create his loving homage to the UK Rave scene.

Network set up a label “The One After D” to release a limited edition press of the instant classic to create demand.

One of the first copies was picked up by Kevin Saunderson and his relentless playing of the track helped fuel interest in the USA.

The first release on Network in 1991 established the track as iconic. That original mix is here and still sounds as fresh as ever. Perfect in fact.

The 12” also contains remastered versions of the 1995 remixes by Rhythm On The Loose, Strike and Stonebridge.

Taken from Network’s extensive back catalogue and a re-issue of a timely classic that is always in-demand.

Perros' third installment is a sequel release from various artists that develops the theme Canerêve. Holding the usual multi-functional-tracker mission, this Volume 2 features four dancefloor house-lines facets.

DJ Cream struts with solid drum kicks that mellows into a structure that humps atmosphere dreams through a cheeky R'n'B sample, opening the record with warm charisma. A deep house blowgun truly on point. Following the info side of the record, we found a rising french producer based in Barcelona by the name of Groenogen, setting an elektrisch-soaked trip to tech house, throughout chunky basslines and infectious grooves that move inside a stridulous synth in combo with a sexy vocal chorus.

Artwork side, by the italian painter and tattoo guru FASE, starts with a showcase of layered high-quality projects throughout instruments knowledge and improvisation that just a live-act maestro like Emi Ömar can guarantee. Tribal, Deep, Acid, Electro,Funky. An immersive mixture of textures and emotions that enhances a full storytelling, a whole venture narrated by a hypnotic vocoder. The fourth and final track, comes up with a glimpse criteria, climbing the heights gradually. Then, when DJ Rou finally decides to start, that moment is just a boom! The break comes with energetic grooves, intricate percussions, sci-fi samples bounce all around with both acid and melodic flows of a potential hard-house hit.

The Éthiopiques series returns! Essential archive recordings from an extremely fruitful period in Ethiopian music.

Before “Swinging Addis” took over the world, there was Moussié Nerses Nalbandian — the Armenian-born composer who shaped modern Ethiopian music. Mentor, arranger, and pioneer, he laid the foundations of Ethio-jazz.

This Éthiopiques volume revives his forgotten legacy, recorded live by Either/ Orchestra First issue ever with new exclusive photos and in depth liner 8-page insert.

“Ethiopian jazzmen are the best musicians that we have seen so far in Africa.
They really are promising handlers of jazz instruments.”

Wilbur De Paris
(1959, after a concert in Addis Ababa)

አዲስ፡ዘመን። *Addis zèmèn* **A new era.**
The time is the mid-1950s and early 1960s, just before "Swinging Addis" bloomed – or rather boomed – onto the scene. Brass instruments are still dominant, but the advent of the electric guitar, and the very first electronic organs, are just around the corner. Rock’n'Roll, R’n’B, Soul and the Twist have not yet barged their way in. Addis Ababa is steeped in the big band atmosphere of the post-war era, with Glenn Miller's *In the* *Mood* as its world-wide theme song, neck and neck with the Latin craze that was in vogue at the same period. Life has become enjoyable once again, with the return of peace after the terrible Italian Fascist invasion of Ethiopia (1935-1941). The redeployment of modern music is part and parcel of the postwar reconstruction. *Addis zèmèn* – a new era – is the watchword of the postwar period, just as it was all across war-torn Europe.
The generation who were the young parents of baby boomers** were the first to enjoy this musical renaissance, before the baby boomers themselves took over and forever super-charged the soundtrack of the final days of imperial reign. Music is Ethiopia's most popular art form, and very often serves as the best barometer for the upsurge of energy that is critical for reconstruction. Whether it be jazz in Saint-Germain-des-Prés or the *zazous* who revolutionised both jazz and French *chanson* after the *Libération*, be it Madrid's post-Franco Movida, or Dada, the Surrealists and *les années folles* that followed World War I, the periods just after mourning and hardship always give rise to brighter and more tuneful tomorrows. Addis Ababa, as the country's capital, and the epicentre of change, was no exception to this vital rule.

**Two generations of Nalbandian musicians**
Nersès Nalbandian belonged to a family of Armenian exiles, who had moved to Ethiopia in the mid-1920s. The uncle Kevork arrived along with the fabled "*Arba Lidjotch*", the** "*40 Kids*", young Armenian orphans and musicians that the Ras Tafari had recruited when he visited Jerusalem in 1924, intending to turn their brass band into the official imperial band. If Kevork Nalbandian was the one who first opened the way of modernism, pushing innovation so far as to invent musical theatre, it was his nephew Nersès who would go on to become, from the 1940s and until his death in 1977, a pivotal figure of modern Ethiopian music and of the heights it. Going all the way back to the 1950s. Nothing less. And it is Nersès who is largely to thank for the brassy colours that so greatly contributed to the international renown of Ethiopian groove. While the younger generations today venture timidly into the genealogy of their country's modern music, often losing their way amidst a distinctly xenophobic historiographical complacency, many survivors of the imperial period are still around to bear witness and pay tribute to the essential role that "Moussié Nersès" played in the rise of Abyssinia's musical modernity.
Given the year of his birth (15 March 1915), no one knows for sure if Nersès Nalbandian was born in Aintab, today Gaziantep (Turkiye/former Ottoman Empire) or on the other side of the border in Alep, Syria... What is certain is that his family, like the entire Armenian community, was amongst the victims of the genocide perpetrated by the Turks. Alep, the place of safety – today in ruins.
Before Nersès then, there was uncle Kevork (1887-1963). For a quarter of a century, he was a whirlwind of activity in music teaching and theatrical innovation. *Guèbrè Mariam le Gondaré* (የጎንደሬ ገብረ ማርያም አጥቶ ማግኘት, 1926 EC=1934) is his most famous creation. This play included "ten Ethiopian songs" — a totally innovative approach. According to his autobiographical notes, preserved by the Nalbandian family, Kevork indicates that he composed some 50 such pieces over the course of his career. This shows just how much he understood, very early on, the critical importance of song as Ethiopia's crowning artistic form. Indeed, for Ethiopian listeners, the most important thing is the lyrics, with all their multifarious mischief, far more than a strong melody, sophisticated arrangements or even an exceptional voice. (This is also why Ethiopians by and large, and beginning with the artists and producers themselves, believed for a long time — and wrongly — that their music could not possibly be exported, and could never win over audiences abroad, who did not speak the country's languages).

Last but not least, one of Kevork's major contributions remains composing Ethiopia's first national anthem – with lyrics by Yoftahé Negussié.
Nersès Nalbandian moved to Ethiopia at the end of the 1930s, at the behest of his ground-breaking uncle. Proficient in many instruments (pretty much everything but the drums), conductor, choir director, composer, arranger, adapter, creator, piano tuner, purveyor of rented pianos,... he was above all an energetic and influential teacher. From 1946 onwards, thanks to Kevork's connexion, Nersès was appointed musical director of the Addis Ababa Municipality Band. In just a few years, Nersès transformed it into the first truly modern ensemble, thanks to the quality of his teaching, his choice of repertoire, and the sophistication of his arrangements. It was this group that would go on to become the orchestra of the Haile Selassie Theatre shortly after its inauguration in 1955, which was a major celebration of the Emperor's jubilee, marking the 25th anniversary of his on-again-off-again reign.

At some point or other in his long career, Nersès Nalbandian had a hand in the creation of just about every institutional band (Municipality Band, Police Orchestra, Imperial Bodyguard Band, Army Band, Yared Music School…), but it was with the Haile Selassie Theatre – today the National Theatre – that his abilities were most on display, up until his death in 1977. To this must be added the development of choral singing in Ethiopia, hitherto unknown, and a sort of secret garden dedicated to the memory of Armenian sacred music, and brought together in two thick, unpublished volumes. Shortly before his death (November 13, 1977), he was appointed to lead the impressive Ethiopian delegation at Festac in Lagos, Nigeria (January-February 1977).

His status as a stateless foreigner regularly excluded him from the most senior positions, in spite of the respect he commanded (and commands to this day) from the musicians of his era. Naturally gifted and largely self-taught, Nerses was tirelessly curious about new musical developments, drawing inspiration from the very first imported records, and especially from listening intensely to the musical programmes broadcast over short-wave radio – BBC *First*. A prolific composer and arranger, he was constantly mindful of formalising and integrating Ethiopian parameters (specific “musical modes”, pentatonic scale, and the dominance of ternary rhythms) into his “modernisation” of the musical culture, rather than trying to over-westernise it. It even seems very probable that *Moussié* Nerses made a decisive contribution to the development of tighter music-teaching methods, in order to revitalise musical education during this period of prodigious cultural ferment. Flying in the face of all the historiographical and musicological evidence, it is taken as sacrosanct dogma that the four musical modes or chords officially recognised today, the *qǝñǝt* or *qiñit* (ቅኝት), are every bit as millennial as Ethiopia itself. It would appear however that some streamlining of these chords actually took place in around 1960. It was only from this time onward that music teaching was structured around these four fundamental musical modes and chords: *Ambassel*, *Bati*, *Tezeta* and *Antchi Hoyé*. A historical and musical “details” that is, apparently, difficult to swallow, especially if that should honour a *foreigner*. Modern Ethiopian music has Nersès to thank for many of its standards and, to this day, it is not unusual for the National Radio to broadcast thunderous oldies that bear unmistakable traces of his outrageously groovy touch.

Produce, arranged and mixed by Visnadi at 77 Studio, Mestre – Venice
X-Static are: Paolo Visnadi, Massimo Artusi, Riccardo Stecca and Cristina Dori (vocals)
A1 Additional Production & Remix by Alex Neri and Marco Baroni For Bass Productions
B1 & B2 Remix & Additional production by Gianni Bini at House of Glass Studio for HOG Productions
℗ ©2025 Undiscovered Recordings Ltd.

"I'm Standing" is a popular 1990s dance and house song by Italian band X-Static, produced by Visnadi. Originally released in 1994, the single was a huge success, spawning multiple remixes and versions, including the "Heavy Organ Mix" and the "Kamasutra Remix" by Alex Neri and Marco Baroni. This vinyl reissue features these two remastered mixes, along with two "2025" versions produced by Gianni Bini for HOG Productions.

With his new offering"The Stone Tablet", New Jersey native Brainorchestra solidifies his legacy in underground hip-hop, carving out a raw and unfiltered masterpiece that feels as timeless as it is bold. Produced entirely by Brainorchestra himself, the album is a testament to his relentless pursuit of authenticity and artistry, drawing listeners into a world where intricate beats meet introspective bars, and sticking to his proudly independent operation.

Featuring guest appearances from UK’s SonnyJim and Toronto's Raz Fresco, "The Stone Tablet" brings together diverse voices that seamlessly blend with Brainorchestra’s visionary beats. Each track adds to the album’s mystique, with moments of reflection, hustle, and sharp wit, all contributing to Brainorchestra’s mark on the modern hip-hop landscape.

The album cover, crafted by Italian artist Claudio Scialabba, embodies the album’s theme with its raw, textured feel — reflecting Brainorchestra’s relentless, chiseled approach to his craft. "The Stone Tablet" is a statement, a monument that etches Brainorchestra's name alongside the genre’s most revered creatives.

On 9th December Modern Obscure Music presents Cascades, the new album from Pedro Vian & Mana, which premiered during their immersive live set at the most recent Sonar Festival in Barcelona.
Cascades was recorded over a three-day studio session in Turin during the winter months, which is reflected in the musical narrative, as the eleven tracks flow gently like an icy river, filled with a mixture
of hazy melancholy, uncanny dream-states and euphoria.
Various recording techniques and instrumentation was utilised, including the Lyra-8 organismic analogue synthesiser, which takes principles from living organisms to produce sounds resembling a
conversation between nature and technology. The result is a spellbinding ambient odyssey that features a luminous synthesis of neo-classical strings and orchestral drones, together with strange
voices, and abstract passages designed to evoke Dante’s Inferno, which represent the soul’s journey.
Pedro Vian is a renowned Catalan artist who has released three solo albums (Beautiful Things You Left Us For Memories, Pedro Vian and Ibillorca) and a collection of singles on his Modern Obscure
Music imprint – a multi-disciplinary platform based on deep listening and music research. The ‘PRSNT’ compilation, which Pedro curated in 2021 and featured Laurie Spiegel, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Visible Cloaks, received support from Pitchfork, Crack, Brooklyn Vegan, The Quietus, The Wire and Metal. Pedro has been remixed by Inga Copeland and Pye Corner Audio, and has recorded mixes for of Bleep, Self-Titled and Juno Daily.
As part of a new generation of Italian electronic music artists, Piedmont born composer and producer Mana has released two full length albums (Seven Steps Behind and Asa Nisi Masa) on Kode 9's
Hyperdub imprint, plus an EP on Nicolas Jaar's Other People label under his Vaghe Stelle alias.
Earlier in his musical journey, Mana supported Laurent Garnier, James Holden and Skream across the Torino club scene, and in 2011 teamed up with Italian friends Lorenzo Senni and A:RA to form
the experimental group One Circle.
Pedro Vian & Mana’s previous work as solo producers has pushed the limits of electronic music, and together they’ve garnered critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, The Quietus, The Vinyl
Factory, Resident Advisor and more. They now join forces to traverse new sonic territories between electronica, ambient, drone, and trance-inducing soundscapes.

Swiss-born, Berlin-based artist Stallo makes his anticipated vinyl debut on Casanova Bar Records with Mifepan EP.

After first appearing on the label in 2020 with a contribution to CBB007 a digital VA, he now returns as the main artist on CBR008, delivering two original tracks that define his signature sound.

The EP opens with Bleenthal, a hypnotic journey built on rolling drums and immersive textures. On the flip, "Wavoom" pulsates with a constantly evolving synth, pushing forward with relentless energy.
Elevating the release, Japanese techno legend Takaaki Itoh delivers a raw and powerful remix of Wavoom, while Italian innovator Fabio Florido reinvents Bleenthal with his cutting-edge sound design.
Mifepan EP is a bold statement from Stallo, an immersive exploration of deep grooves and evolving driving textures.





d B2 Bleenthal Reinvented (Fabio Florido remix)




Reinvented (Fabio Florido remix)

effgee returns on his own imprint fellice with three deep house cuts, warm, soul-inspired and topped with dreamy sampled vocals. fellice 005 comes as a special edition: each sleeve is hand screen-printed by the artist, limited to 250 copies.

Another special feature is the label's first remix: a greeting from sunny Bari to the dance floors by Italian deep house fratello Nico Lahs.

"Your Light" reaches back to effgee's production roots - soulful sampling, dreamy textures and groove-heavy. "Birds" shifts into a fresher club direction, while "Roland Bass" brings together the essentials of his production recipe: analogue synths, sampling, and a punchy kick at the core. fellice 005 is a deeply personal record - both musically and visually.

The new Mono Jazz series - The Jazz Sinners - is designed, crafted and produced to the highest standards allowed by today’s music industry.
The tracks featured come from either rare, top-condition vintage first pressings or from meticulously sourced recordings to ensure the
best possible sound quality. Thanks to the expertise of Giorgio Cencetti (DJ Farrapo), we've created a fully organic mastering process that offers a
360° sound spectrumfor a truly high-fidelity listening experience. The vinyl itself is pressed under the supervision of Elettroformati - Milano.

The cover is 100% Italian-made, using premium 350g cardstock with a luxurious hand feel, with inner sleeves lined in polyliner for complete protection of the record.

Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness is a 2024 biographical drama based on the life of renowned Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.
Directed by Johnny Depp, the film stars Riccardo Scamarcio in the title role, with supporting performances by Stephen Graham,
Al Pacino, and Antonia Desplat. The film’s original soundtrack plays a pivotal role, blending evocative original compositions by The Tiger Lillies
with classic tracks from artists such as Charles Trenet, Augie March, Tom Waits, and The Velvet Underground & Nico.
The soundtrack is available as a deluxe 2LP vinyl set in a gatefold sleeve with imagery from the film
And as a 2CD Box Set with lift-off lid, featuring a 24-page booklet including exclusive notes from Johnny Depp and behind-the-scenes images

RedNilo is an Italian-Moroccan duo composed of Reda Zine and Danilo Mineo, two musicians based in Bologna linked by a deep passion
for world music, particularly African music. Their ongoing and tireless musical exploration has led them to collaborate for over a decade
on numerous artistic and recording projects. Their new album, eponymously titled RedNilo, features six tracks characterized by a sound
reminiscent of Gnawa, Hassani, Tuareg, and experimental rock. The psychedelic, raspy riffs of the electric guitar, the repetitive rhythms
of the percussion, and the rhythmic-melodic lines of the guembri represent and evoke their journey. The resulting sound material is the
culmination of their journey and their encounters with masters, artists, griots, artisans, and instrument makers in the Draa Valley in
southeastern Morocco, bringing together the two musicians' urban and experimental backgrounds and souls. The album's artwork was
designed by Moroccan artist Aali Wica, initiator and mentor of their spiritual and artistic journey to the southern African continent,
across the long black snake.
Réda Zine, a musician and documentary filmmaker born in 1977 in Casablanca, launched his musical career in the 1990s, contributing
to L'Boulevard, Africa's largest independent festival. Raised in the Casablanca medina, he was introduced to Gnawa music by various
Maallems. After studying at the Paris 3 Sorbonne University, he founded Café Mira, a project that has performed at several international
events.
From 2011 to 2014, Zine was artistic director for Creative Commons (Middle East and North Africa), where he won the #CC10 Korea
award in 2012 with the project "It will be Wonderful," which brought together musicians from over 12 countries. He has also been
involved in exhibitions on music and censorship, participating in events in major cities such as Paris, Buenos Aires, and Seoul. In Italy,
he continued his musical research with the Hardonik project and was part of the Afrobeat group Voodoo Sound Club, recording the
album Mamy Wata. Zine collaborates with artists such as Seun Kuti and has initiated educational activities related to Gnawa music,
contributing to initiatives such as the African Symphony Laboratory for improvisers. He is the co-founder of Fawda, a Gnawa-based
project, and is part of the Gnawa Rumi collective, which explores the music of the Moroccan diaspora in Italy. He directed the documentary "The Long Road to the Hall of Fame" about Public Enemy, which won an award at the Pan African Film Festival in 2015.
Danilo Mineo graduated as a national educator from the AMMnationalscholl music academy in Milan, with a thesis entitled "Afro-Cuban
Music and the Rhythm Section." Over the years, he has attended workshops and masterclasses with international artists and masters
of percussion and drums, including Horacio El Negro Hernandez, Airto Moreira, Trilok Gurtu, Luis Agudo, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Dudu
Tucci, Dom Famularo, Karl Potter, Rodney Barreto, and Eno Zangoun, exploring the rhythmic language of various musical genres and
styles.
In addition to publishing several educational manuals for percussionists, music critics consider him a versatile percussionist, active in
various musical productions and recordings: Mop Mop, Fawda, Guglielmo Pagnozzi "Voodoo Sound Club," Fabrizio Puglisi "Guantanamo," Panaemiliana, The Mixtapers, and many others, with whom he has performed at numerous national and international music festivals (in Europe and Africa). As a percussionist and side man he has recorded numerous albums and collaborated with Italian and
international artists including: Giancarlo Schiaffini, Gianluca Petrella, Roy Paci, Roberto Freak Antoni, Famoudou Konate, Melaku Belay, Baba Sissoko, Kalifa Kone, Jamal Ouassini, Deda, Dj Lugi, Bioshi.

D.S.A. and Night School Records are once more teaming up to release a limited edition 7”: Certe Notti by Molly Nilsson. The
record contains the two new songs Un Po’ Più Vicino al Cielo and Il Peggior Bar di Caracas.
The songs were written and recorded in August 2024 in San Giorgio del Sannio, Benevento, during a month long artist
residency, made possible thanks to the kind invitation and hospitality of AUNA a.p.s.
A whole moon spent between local festivities, sagras and late nights in the best of worst bars, making new friends
forever and life-long memories (including an unforgettable Inti-Illimani concert), all infused with sweet drinks and ancient
lore of local witches.
The cover art depicts the view from the window on one of those nights, the rising moon, Liquore Strega yellow, and the
inlay hints at Nilsson's favourite crosswords magazine. With all these distractions it’s really a wonder any music was
made at all. But thanks in large part to endless espressi and ginseng, two new songs came to be. The first is Nilsson’s
first opus in the Italian language! The second, a hommage to her favourite joint and hang out, The Worst
Bar in Caracas.

Italian DJ Plant Texture drops ambitious techno odyssey 'Mondo Nuovo' on Mutual
Rytm sub-label, X.

Bari-based underground mainstay Dona Basile, aka DJ Plant Texture, has been crafting forward-thinking techno for a decade, releasing on leading labels from Ilian Tape to Tresor Berlin. Adding to his rich catalogue, his label debut on SHDW's Mutual Rytm sub-label X is a homage to the spirit of space travel. With the label boss already a long-time fan and having dropped tracks from this EP in his sets for a while, the partnership creates an ideal match for an artist and label looking to push the boundaries of the genre. With Basile's distinctive style perfectly fitting with the label's vision, each of the productions provides a tribute to space exploration - fusing analogue hardware and deep rhythmic invention while channelling everything from early sci-fi cinema to the 80s ambient soundtracks. "Space exploration is the ultimate metaphor for creative freedom. This album is my way of sonically mapping the cosmos, not through melody but through mood, modulation and motion", notes Basile.

Opener 'Wormhole' is a raw, driving sound with synth pulses and jacked-up drums for peak time chaos, while 'Echoes' evokes ramps it up further with panel-beating percussive loops, earth-shattering bass and twisted stabs. The title track pairs more physical and booming drums with introspective synth craft that encourages deep thought. 'Flex The Beat' is the first of two digital only cuts and offers a chaotic collision of overdrive percussion, manic vocal loops and reversed stabs for utter dance floor carnage, before 'Let It Go' (Jungle Mix) provides a dark exploration of
frenzied jungle breakbeats with drilling bass to close the offering.

Mr Bongo proudly presents Ritmo Italiano ‘Unspoken Sounds of Italian Tamburo’ a captivating compilation of percussive-driven, Italian gems curated by Sardinian multi-instrumentalist, percussionist and producer, Gabriele Poso. A journey into the heart of Italian musical history, it celebrates Italy’s rich rhythmic traditions, showcasing a selection of genre-traversing, Italian treasures from the ‘60s to the early ‘90s. Honouring the timeless rhythms of Italian percussion masters, alongside a brand-new exclusive composition by Gabriele, ‘Ritmo Italiano’ shines a light on the universal, primal language of the drum.

A connection sparked from an early age; percussion has always deeply resonated with Gabriele. It led to years of studying percussion traditions across Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Brazil, crafting his own songwriting skills in the process. An acclaimed producer and compiler, his releases on Yoruba Records, BBE and Soundway Records have garnered global support. Yet a growing need to rediscover the essence of his country’s cultural heritage laid the foundations for this new compilation.

In Gabriele’s own words, “Italy has always been a crossroads of civilizations, with influences from the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe converging over centuries. Ports like Naples, Genoa, and Venice played a crucial role as gateways for musical exchange, a melting pot of sounds and cultures brought by sailors, merchants and travellers. These influences blended with Italy’s own folk and religious traditions, creating Italy’s unique and emotionally resonant rhythms.”

Across the 12 absorbing tracks, there’s jazz influences, Italian library music aesthetics and experimental beats mixing with Afro-Cuban and Mediterranean rhythms. It’s a broad selection anchored by the drums. The synth-heavy, ‘80s jazz funk flavours of Gegè Munari's ‘Police Man’, sit side-by-side with the samba-infused ‘Napulitano D' 'O Brasil’ by Don Marino Barreto Jr. Tribal, earthly energy radiates from Naco’s ‘Volando Con Milton’, with Tullio De Piscopo serving up cosmic disco brilliance, and blistering jazz funk mastery coming courtesy of Agostino Marangolo. Taking the name of the compilation, a new original track by Gabriele, ‘Ritmo Italiano’, blends traditional rhythms with contemporary energy, Afro-Latin influences with Italian jazz essence. Recorded live in one take, it captures a raw, unfiltered vibe.

“Each track tells a story, connecting the past with the present, and highlighting the deep-rooted traditions that shape Italy’s rhythms. The collection also offers a glimpse into the diversity of Italian music with a variety of styles from the organic, earthy beats to the more experimental and modern takes on traditional rhythms. It’s a reflection of how these rhythms have not only shaped Italian culture but also influenced global music.”

In 1970, Italian composer Sandro Brugnolini recorded the two psychedelic lounge masterpieces Overground and Underground at Dirmaphon Studios in Rome. Featuring a lineup of some of Italy’s finest musicians—Silvano Chimenti (guitar), Angelo Baroncini (guitar), Giorgio Carnini (organ and piano), Giovanni Tommaso (bass and effects), and Enzo Restuccia (drums)—these sessions were deeply rooted in the late 1960s psychedelic sound but uniquely fused jazz improvisation, funk, and Latin and African rhythms with cinematic melodies.

This fusion defines their distinctive character and cements them as two of Brugnolini’s most impressive works, remaining among the most sought-after artifacts from the golden era of Italian library music. Overground—which Sonor Music Editions reissued in 2024—was originally released as the soundtrack to Persuasione, a documentary commissioned by Ente Provinciale Per Il Turismo Di Trento. Meanwhile, Underground was issued in two separate releases, RT 104 and RT 16, on the library and soundtrack label Record TV Discografica, founded by Alessandro Derevitzky in the late 1950s. In 2014, we compiled both versions for Underground's first-ever reissue (SME 3), featuring the longer version of ”Psichefreèlico" from RT 16, instead of the shorter ”Sostenuto” and ”Ballata" versions from RT 104, along with new artwork. Now, in this 2025 reissue, Underground returns in its original RT 104 attire, with its original track listing and artwork. Sourced and carefully remastered from the original mono tapes and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting, this edition features carefully restored Record TV Discografica label design artwork, printed on high-quality card stock.

2025 Repress

Bar Part Time launches its record label with none other than Toronto UFO hunter, certified bad boy DJ, and good friend Cal-C. Cal comes correct with a ripper of a 4 track EP, Bath Bomb. A deep digger and wild style DJ in his own right, Cal brings you a grip of tracks that a tasteful selector can make use of throughout all points of a night time music party. Title track "Bath Bomb" is a blissed out, downtempo joyride that would make a perfect companion for either sunset or sunrise. "Morning Dew" evokes sounds of all your favorite early 90s Italian records, with a particularly euphoric crescendo. Hey man, did you say this guy was from Toronto or Torino? Either way, molto bene! As we move on, "Blurry Moon" is a slice of dancefloor perfection that sounds like something Jose Padilla would've made if he were from San Pedro instead of San Antonio. And lastly, the aptly named "Wine 69" (nice) is an M1 organ cruiser that's practically begging to be heard in front of an azure sea in balmy temps. Vamos a la playa!

‘Pearz is the evocative project of Italian-born, LA-based multi-instrumentalist Francesco Perini. His debut album, Pacifico is the culmination of a five-year journey through the cities that shaped him: Florence, London, and Los Angeles. Drawing inspiration from a mix of disco, electro, nu-jazz, and Japanese City Pop, Pacifico, reflects his eclectic musical evolution. The title, Pacifico—meaning “peaceful” or “calm” in Italian—embodies the album’s theme of the closing experience of his travels.

The album features collaborations with a diverse range of artists, including Kuntessa (East London’s DIY queen), Vanbasten (The voice of Roma’s suburbs) Natalie Findlay, Jules Apollinaire, Gimmy El Helou, David Bardon, Oscar Robertson, Ruari Meehan, Luca Landi, Fabio Ricciolo, Andrea Palombi and Jamie Allen.

Googling “paradise house”, the first results to pop up are an endless list of European b&b’s with whitewashed lime façades, all of them promising “…an unmatched travel experience a few steps from the sea”. Next, a little further down, are the institutional websites of a few select semi-luxury retirement homes (no photos shown, but lots of stock images of smiling nurses with reassuring looks). To find the “paradise house” we’re after, we have to scroll even further down. Much further down.

It feels like yesterday, and at the same time it seems like a million years ago. The Eighties had just ended, and it was still unclear what to expect from the Nineties. Mobile phones that were not the size of a briefcase and did not cost as much as a car? A frightening economic crisis? The guitar-rock revival?! Certainly, the best place to observe that moment of transition was the dancefloor. Truly epochal transformations were happening there. From America, within a short distance one from the other, two revolutionary new musical styles had arrived: the first one sounded a bit like an “on a budget” version of the best Seventies disco-music – Philly sound made with a set of piano-bar keyboards! – the other was even more sparse, futuristic and extraterrestrial. It was a music with a quite distinct “physical” component, which at the same time, to be fully grasped, seemed to call for the knotty theories of certain French post-modern philosophers: Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Paul Virilio... Both those genres – we would learn shortly after – were born in the black communities of Chicago and Detroit, although listening to those vinyl 12” (often wrapped in generic white covers, and with little indication in the label) you could not easily guess whether behind them there was a black boy from somewhere in the Usa, or a girl from Berlin, or a pale kid from a Cornish coastal town.

Quickly, similar sounds began to show up from all corners of Europe. A thousand variations of the same intuition: leaner, less lean, happier, slightly less intoxicated, more broken, slower, faster, much faster... Boom! From the dancefloors – the London ones at least, whose chronicles we eagerly read every month in the pages of The Face and i-D – came tales of a new generation of clubbers who had completely stopped “dressing up” to go dancing; of hot tempered hooligans bursting into tears and hugging everyone under the strobe lights as the notes of Strings of Life rose up through the fumes of dry ice (certain “smiling” pills were also involved, sure). At this point, however, we must move on to Switzerland.

In Switzerland, in the quiet and diligent town of Lugano, between the 1980s and 1990s there was a club called “Morandi”. Its hot night was on Wednesdays, when the audience also came from Milan, Como, Varese and Zurich. Legend goes that, one night, none less than Prince and Sheila E were spotted hiding among the sofas, on a day-off of the Italian dates of the Nude Tour… The Wednesday resident and superstar was an Italian dj with an exotic name: Don Carlos. The soundtrack he devised was a mixture of Chicago, Detroit, the most progressive R&B and certain forgotten classics of old disco music: practically, what the Paradise Garage in New York might have sounded like had it not closed in 1987. In between, Don Carlos also managed to squeeze in some tracks he had worked on in his studio on Lago Maggiore. One in particular: a track that was rather slow compared to the BPM in fashion at the time, but which was a perfect bridge between house and R&B. The title was Alone: Don Carlos would explain years later that it had to be intended both in the English meaning of “by itself” and like the Italian word meaning “halo”. That wasn’t the only double entendre about the song, anyway. Its own very deep nature was, indeed, double. On the one hand, Alone was built around an angelic keyboard pattern and a romantic piano riff that took you straight to heaven; on the other, it showcased enough electronic squelches (plus a sax part that sounded like it had been dissolved by acid rain) to pigeonhole the tune into the “junk modernity” section, aka the hallmark of all the most innovative sounds of the time: music that sounded like it was hand-crafted from the scraps of glittering overground pop.

No one knows who was the first to call it “paradise house”, nor when it happened. Alternative definitions on the same topic one happened to hear included “ambient house”, “dream house”, “Mediterranean progressive”… but of course none were as good (and alluring) as “paradise house”. What is certain is that such inclination for sounds that were in equal measure angelic and neurotic, romantic and unaffective, quickly became the trademark of the second generation of Italian house. Music that seemed shyly equidistant from all the rhythmic and electronic revolutions that had happened up to that moment (“Music perfectly adept at going nowhere slowly” as noted by English journalist Craig McLean in a legendary field report for Blah Blah Blah magazine). Music that to a inattentive ear might have sounded as anonymous as a snapshot of a random group of passers-by at 10AM in the centre of any major city, but perfectly described the (slow) awakening in the real world after the universal love binge of the so-called Second Summer of Love.

For a brief but unforgettable season, in Italy “paradise house” was the official soundtrack of interminable weekends spent inside the car, darting from one club to another, cutting the peninsula from North to centre, from East to West coast in pursuit of the latest after-hours disco, trading kilometres per hour with beats per minute: practically, a new New Year’s Eve every Friday and Saturday night. This too was no small transformation, as well as a shock for an adult Italy that was encountering for the first time – thanks to its sons and daughters – the wild side of industrial modernity. The clubbers of the so-called “fuoriorario” scene were the balls gone mad in the pinball machine most feared by newspapers, magazines and TV pundits. What they did each and every weekend, apart from going crazy to the sound of the current white labels, was linking distant geographical points and non-places (thank you Marc Augé!) – old dance halls, farmhouses and business centres – transformed for one night into house music heaven. As Marco D’Eramo wrote in his 1995 essay on Chicago, Il maiale e il grattacielo: “Four-wheeled capitalism distorts our age-old image of the city, it allows the suburbs to be connected to each other, whereas before they were connected only by the centre (…) It makes possible a metropolitan area without a metropolis, without a city centre, without downtown. The periphery is no longer a periphery of any centre, but is self-centred”.

“Paradise house” perfectly understood all of this and turned it into a sort of cyber-blues that didn’t even need words, and unexpectedly brought back a drop of melancholic (post?)-humanity within a world that by then – as we would wholly realise in the decades to come – was fully inhuman and heartless. A world where we were all alone, and surrounded by a sinister yellowish halo, like a neon at the end of its life cycle. But, for one night at least, happy."

For its tenth release Pareidolia Recordings has brought a squad of young talents coming from the Italian Electro scene. Despite their stylistic and melodic differences they create a compact united music front. Feel the energy of the future

Those who possess BARBATUS001 have already read the first chapter of Captain Barbatus D. Wreckords’ journey. The odyssey continues with the second episode, as the pirate voyages across The New World.

In the sophomore album of the Barbatus tales, the story delves into the mystery of the “Void Century”. The epic is musically deciphered by two young, yet seasoned Napolitan sailors Luigi and Andrea, better known as Two Opposites.

The duo delivers an episode of Barbatus' interpretation through the lens of Italian romanticism. You will hear trance-infused electro, you will hear sirens calling, you will hear the secret government’s conversations.

Find the next poneglyph on Valentine's day, February 14th at your favorite record stores around the world.

BAR Musica is happy to welcome italian duo Carebears, with a great remix by the master Thomas Melchior aka Melchior Production LTD.
Carebears and BAR Musica owner Bartolomeo have a long friendship that goes back in years. This release comes naturally after all the moments share together and always being on the same music path.

Introducing our latest release by Barcelona based corsican DJ and producer Groenogen, a captivating exploration of the duality between light and darkness.

This EP features four distinct tracks, each representing a unique identity within a syncretic soundscape. Dive into complex chopping and interrogative feelings, as he constructs an emotional journey inspired by the 90s progressive house. Expect electro patterns and dreamy outcomes reminiscent of iconic Italian and German Electro House tracks, all infused with tight grooves and unexpected drops that harken back to the golden era of 2000s Tech House.