Piero Umiliani HHV Records 26 Items

Gatefold edition with poster!
Only 1 per customer.

Originally released as a double album and conceived as a collection
of episodes destined to various tv sonorizations, “To-day’s sound” has
quickly become one of the most popular works by Piero Umiliani and it
certainly is one of the best ones composed in his career. Umiliani,
here on the job with Moog, Hammond and keyboards, is accompanied
by a good group of excellent and talented jazz players, like Franco
D’Andrea and Giovanni Tommaso (both in the Perigeo group),
trumpet player Oscar Valdambrini, guitar player Silvano Chimenti
from I Grès group, percussionist Ciro Cicco and many others.
With the original intent to offer radically different styles and
atmospheres, in order to promote the use of the tracks in movies and
tv series – in fact, the the psycho-funk “Open space” was used for
the opening credits of the movie “Baba Yaga” – “To-day’s sound” is
the perfect example of Umiliani’s incredible and varied talent, capable
of mastering diverse genres and sounds without losing his personal
touch. As stated on the cover: “Rock, rhythm and blues, beat,
underground, country, pop”, we can also add electronic music and
funk, in order to complete a sound palette that only very few other
composers had. It is hard to pick the best track in a record (a double
album to be specific ) so rich of gems, from the title track to “Caretera
panamericana” (with “virtuoso” Moog improvisations ), to “Bus stop”
and “Music on the road” , to end with the wonderful soul of “Green
valley”: it is better to enjoy Umiliani at his best!

We Are Busy Bodies is proud to announce the first official reissue of ‘Playtime’ by popular and prolific Italian composer, Piero Umiliani. Incorporating styles like jazz, easy listening/lounge, rock, funk, and bossa nova to a genre largely dominated by orchestral scores, he penned some of the most outstanding film music from the '60s and '70s with over 150 titles under his belt. Originally released on Umiliani‘s own Omicron label in 1968, the album has been remastered from the original recordings by Noah Mintz.

Piero Umiliani’s “L’Uomo e la Città” perfectly fits into the urban-themed section of Italian library music, an album where our Man is accompanied by jazz celebrities Bruno Tommaso, Oscar Valdambrini, Dino Piana and Nino Rapicavoli, all part of this Umiliani-led ensemble. “L’Uomo e la Città” takes less risks in favor of an extraordinary jazz tightness (“Rete Urbana”, “Quartieri Alti”, “Città Frenetica”), but amazes even more in the two excellent renditions of “Centrale Termica” and “Suoni della Città”, among the best tracks of the album.

Originally released in 1969, “Fischiando in beat” presents twelve gems of instrumental beat music,
fabulous specimen of that music genre often labelled with the much-abused term ‘lounge’ – or ‘easy
listening’, if you prefer. Forget about the experimental “Synthi Time”: here you can only breathe an
incredible desire for fun and dream of the late 60s, Rome and its exclusive cocktail party.

The second collaboration for director Umberto Lenzi and composer Piero Umiliani, and the second chapter of the sexy thriller Baker trilogy. A Quiet Place to Kill (known in Italy as Paranoia) is probably one of the most sought-after scores by Umiliani, buried for far too many years, and finally recovered from the original reels. A great score finally resurfaces: from action-jazz to psychedelic feel, with the special gem of the opening titles song, the extraordinary "You", sung by Shirley Harmer, which is one of the most moving thins Umiliani has ever written.

Four Flies 45s Serie strikes back with this unmissable Piero Umiliani double-filler, featuring the only two tracks survived from BABA YAGA's score, a pop-mystery movie inspired by the comic books of Guido Crepax, Valentina. Limited edition: 250 copies with cyan sleeve and purple label + 250 copies with gold-cover and label.

Vinyl has some scuffs. Bonus CD is missing.

Originally released in 1968 as part of the "Serie Sonorizzazioni" series on Piero Umiliani's iconic Omicron label, "Preistoria" is the perfect example of a library music collection perfectly tailored to a theme. Through the use of orchestral accompaniment, jazzy arrangements, and tribal experimentation thrown in for good measure, the legendary Italian composer brings you back to the stone age, creating and ominous and primitive landscape, rich of caveman-style drums and deep bass lines. This extremely sought after gem is now available on vinyl for the first time since its original release, officially licensed by Piero Umiliani's family and available as a limited edition pressing of 500 copies.

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. 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.

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. 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.

Limited to 700 copies. 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. 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.

“Atmospheres” is one of his most interesting Piero Umiliani's albums, published in a limited edition in the mid-Seventies. A period of musical confusion, even though not for him, who had always been eclectic. The charming soundtracks for Luigi Scattini's documentaries were already behind him, as was the great orchestral jazz production: his career had already been long and full of professional satisfactions. The present for the composer consisted of the scores for a number of Italian comedies and, most of all, a set of sonorizations. These appeared projected into the future, thanks to their avant-garde attitude and the electronic sounds which seemed to arrive from a parallel universe.

The sixteen tracks of “Atmospheres” belong to this group of works which were not tied to specific cinema projects, where the composer's incredible imprint is at its height. In all this creative freedom, it is clear how the titles of several pieces pointed to specific thematic suggestions, so that they could instantly be adopted by producers and documentary film editors. A choice that is not accidental. Just like that of Musica Per Immagini which continues to select hidden treasures from the rich catalog of the maestro to be reprinted for the first time in over forty years, remastering them from the original tapes.

“Polinesia” is another incredible example of Piero Umiliani’s versatility, showing how he could combine an artistic path intimately bound to Italy and to its traditions with the world’s sounds - and even more, given the cosmic ventures of some of his releases. Fully recorded with glowing percussion and exotic suggestions that remind of Martin Denny, bringing to mind sunny white beaches, Oceania and the famous Bora Bora island, “Polinesia” is the perfect soundtrack to a full-moon exotic night.

Piero Umiliani’s Africa was released in January 1972, a years-ahead record that includes the prog-tingedblack rhythm of “Africa To-Day”, the ‘fourth world’ inspiration coming from Jon Hassell’s “Green Dawn”, the‘exotic’ references in Martin Denny’s style (“Lonely Village”, “Echos”), the electronic new wave (hearing is believing!) of “Sortilège”, the folk music (“Rite”, “Folk-Tune”). An incredible album summarizes sounds and styles that will make the fortune of much more celebrated and popular musicians and artists.

Africa (1972) In 1972 Piero Umiliani was above all the man of a thousand soundtracks and the first Italian jazz experiments; from his later career we’ll soon learn that wasn’t enough for him, showing just a tiny part of a more complex picture. Closed within the walls of his Sound Work Shop Studio, the Maestro was weaving much more complicated and satisfying plots, incorporating dozens of influences from a life spent experimenting and discovering new sounds. Among the most fascinating ones, those who came from a continent like Africa, as much fabled as actually little known, but enchanting to the point that Umiliani dedicated to it the entire Africa - which is paired with its twin-record Continente Nero - and released it as M. Zalla, pseudonym used when it came to tidying up uncompromising and avant-garde music textures, as will later happen with masterpieces such as Suspense, Problemi D’Oggi or Mondo Inquieto. Always keep in mind when this album had been released, in January 1972, before approaching its content: here the prog-tinged black rhythm of Africa To-Day, the ‘fourth world’ inspiration coming from Jon Hassell’s Green Dawn, the ‘exotic’ references in Martin Denny’s style (Lonely Village, Echos), the electronic new wave (hearing is believing!) of Sortilège, the folk music (Rite, Folk-Tune). Many years in advance, in Africa Piero Umiliani summarizes sounds and styles that will make the fortune of much more celebrated and popular musicians and artists.

Released in 1975, “Continente Nero” is the perfect flip side of “Africa” (1972), an album that significantly expanded Piero Umiliani’s music perspectives, incorporating partially explored rhythmic variations already used in “Percussioni ed Effetti Speciali” and “To-Day’s Sound”. It does so by taking inspiration from a tradition that starts from the divine Fela Kuti and reaches the amateur and field recordings by musicologists such as David Toop, but also from the Afro-American jazz history of Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Coltrane, Max Roach and hundreds of others.

Continente Nero (1975) Released via the Omicron label in 1975, three years after Africa, Continente Nero is the perfect flip side of an album that significantly expanded Piero Umiliani’s music perspectives, incorporating partially explored rhythmic variations already used in records such as Percussioni ed Effetti Speciali and To-Day’s Sound or experimenting new solutions that drew from a musical heritage little known at the time such as the African one. Without bothering with the usual alias M. Zalla, Umiliani reveal his birth name and surname for a second foray into a territory that pays homage to an entire continent. And it does so by taking inspiration not only from a tradition that starts from the divine Fela Kuti and reaches the amateur and field recordings by musicologists such as David Toop, invaluable documents of an artistic heritage still today almost impossible to map in its complexity, but also from the Afro-American jazz history by Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Coltrane, Max Roach and hundreds of others. It sounds clear in tracks such as Nuovi Fermenti, Rivoluzionari, Riscossa or Ultimo Stregone that show Umiliani’s extraordinary ability to grab a distant tradition essential traits and put them effortlessly into a personal imaginary world, as much exciting as the original one.

A new comp focused on the electronic output of the Italian library legend Piero Umiliani. 16 tracks which explore the introspective, esoteric, and dreamy ambient quality of his music, which combines hypnotic, minimalist sonic landscapes through layers of sharp synths, including Moog, Arp, and Vcs3. The album 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. Artwork by Luke Insect.

To complete the the Orgasmo/Paranoia soundtrack set, Four Flies adds two songs to the cake (both not included in the LP version released today). An alternate take of Lydia MacDonald's “Fate Had Planned So”, more rhythmical and dynamic than the one used for the titles sequence, and the soul hit “Just Tell Me”, sung by Wess, and performed by his Airdales. A Fantastic funk-soul stomper, perfect to dance.

Four Flies 45s Serie strikes back with this unmissable Piero Umiliani double-filler, featuring the only two tracks survived from BABA YAGA's score, a pop-mystery movie inspired by the comic books of Guido Crepax, Valentina. Limited edition: 250 copies with cyan sleeve and purple label + 250 copies with gold-cover and label.

From the legendary Omicron label secret archives, one of the rarest and nearly impossible
to find album signed by Piero Umiliani. Gli italiani e l’industria is the soundtrack of a
mysterious TV documentary by Romolo Marcellini broadcasted in 1967, and never
appeared again from then, which was focused on virtue and vice of Italian post-economic
boom industrialization. The music perfectly reflects the contrasts of the Italian society of
that period, equally divided by consumerism and alienation, with a number of tracks
deliberately easy-jazz and pop-beat on the one hand (with gorgeous ballads for
vibraphone, like Natascia or Negozi alla moda, and killer organ tracks, like Music Box, later
reused in some movies of the 70s, as Aragosta a colazione), and on the other with a
bounce of compositions ultra-jazz, close to free jazz, with electronics and avant-garde
solutions that Umiliani will explore completely in the further years (it is not by chance that 3
of those tracks are also included nine years after in a new library Umiliani’s LP named
Atmospheres). An essential album of easy-listening and experimental sound, necessary to
comprehend the richness of a genius of Italian soundtracks.

Recorded at Umiliani’s personal Sound Work Shop Studio in Rome, this double album spreads
its four sides over percussive experiments and other more abstract ones, with excellent results
in both cases. The first disc includes also beat and swing elements, while the sixteen tracks
from “Effetti speciali”, though less immediate, are equally fascinating. A perhaps less known
Umiliani, but this is just one more reason for a deserved and fast rediscovery.

“Questo sporco mondo meraviglioso” is one of the numerous collaborations between the director Luigi Scattini and
Piero Umiliani, and one of the most interesting and varied soundtracks within the composer’s repertoire. A work full of
influences and musical quotes, with guests and valuable collaborators such as Edda Dell’Orso and I Cantori Moderni di
Alessandro Alessandroni. Some of the songs presented in this album are among his best works.

Another excellent soundtrack by Piero Umiliani, maybe his famous one ever,
this time composed for Luigi Scattini’s film “SVEZIA, INFERNO E PARADISO”
(Sweden, Heaven and Hell), a so-called ‘mondo movie’ entirely shot in the scandinavian
country which the title refers to. Umiliani’s music is able to emphasize the different moods
of the movie: at times dramatic, on other occasions ironic or peaceful.

The most ‘avant-garde’ Umiliani can
be found here, with excellent examples of a Maestro exploring new sounds and the future of the music.

The last one of Luigi Scattini’s trilogy, which started with “La ragazza dalla pelle di luna” (1972) and then continued with “La ragazza fuoristrada” (1973). Umiliani’s music privileges jazz and funky moods, dominated by the Hammond organ and wah wah, alternated with languid and almost “sleazy” instrumental ballads. This soundtrack finds its strength in melancholy, but also in drama and tension.

4 jazzy cuts.