Piero Umiliani HHV Records 27 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!

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.

1969 soundtrack from Piero Umiliani Pressed on Yellow Vinyl & includes a 30x30cm insert First ever vinyl release of several tracks! “L'arcangelo” (The Archangel) is a 1969 comedy characterised by police and judiciary tones, directed by GIorgio Capitani and starring, among others, Vittorio Gassman, Pamela Tiffin, Adolfo Celi, Irina Demick and Carlo Delle Piane.

This soundtrack follows the previous “La notte è fatta per... rubare” (Night is Made for Stealing) which marked the beginning of Umiliani’s collaboration with the director. Mainly displaying a Latin American flavour, it contains several elements typical of the composer’s style, mixing bossa nova and samba with beat rhythms and Hammond organ, and is enriched by various vocal contributions from Alessandro Alessandroni’s Cantori Moderni and the delightful scat singing of Giulia De Mutiis, one of the choir’s female voices. Distorted electric guitars with orchestral ensemble also create an atmosphere between spy and detective story.

None of “The Archangel” tracks have ever been released in any form for many years, and to date there are only three CD editions only issued in Japan. This clear yellow vinyl version therefore fills a void and finally returns these wonderful compositions to us in the format that suits them best!

A Record Store Day 2024 exclusive!

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.

Dive into the evocative soundscapes of the past with the first ever vinyl reissue of Piero Umiliani's 1972 library masterpiece, "Guerra E Distruzione." Known for his innovative and genre-defying compositions, Umiliani's work on this album encapsulates the raw emotions and tumultuous energies of war and destruction through a unique blend of orchestral finesse and experimental brilliance. This exclusive reissue has been remastered for vinyl by Davide "Bassi Maestro" Bassi to capture the full depth and richness of the original recordings, bringing to life every nuanced note and intricate layer. Presented in a stunning gatefold jacket with opening in the inside, replicating the original pressing, the album's artwork is a tribute to its historical significance and artistic value, offering fans and collectors a visual and auditory feast.

Limited to just 500 copies, this release is a rare gem for connoisseurs of library music, soundtrack enthusiasts, and vinyl aficionados. Immerse yourself in the hauntingly beautiful and profoundly stirring world of "Guerra E Distruzione," a timeless work that stands as a testament to Piero Umiliani's enduring legacy in the realm of cinematic soundscapes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

One of the peaks of Umiliani's creative powers, the soundtrack to Luigi Scattini's 1974 erotic film explores exotic jazz-funk rhythms. This unique double-sider is the perfect accomplice to any DJ.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

4 jazzy cuts.

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE WHOLE* PIERO UMILIANI’S PRODUCTION ON HIS LIUTO RECORD LABEL IS COLLECTED IN A UNIQUE 19-CD BOXSET!

The boxset includes a set of 18 albums for a total of 19 CD’s (the last one in the series is a double CD) enclosed in faithful reproductions of the original sleeves, plus a 72-page booklet with rare photos, two essays about Umiliani and his music production written by Maurizio Corbella and Niccolò Galliano, and a detailed discography and full tracklist section. This release has been fully approved by the Umiliani family.
* * *
Without Umiliani’s contribution, Italian jazz, film music and library music would lack some of the key identifying features we associate them with today, thanks to his ability to carve out a distinctive sound identity from his personal craft, the studio he built and the trust he gained from his collaborators. This identity for many simply encapsulates the cipher of an unrepeated age of Italian popular music.
At the Sound Work Shop studio (opened in 1968) Umiliani conceived the majority of his projects and hosted the recording sessions for numerous movie soundtracks, pop hits and library music albums by the most remarkable musicians in Rome — including himself. In this exciting environment, he had the opportunity to experiment with many different styles, from funk to psychedelic rock, from disco to avant-garde, from easy-listening to electronic music, following the ever-changing needs of the soundtrack and library music industries. He therefore mastered an extreme variety of genres, moods and atmospheres, often mixing up their peculiar features to achieve unusual combinations in albums conceived both for production purposes and for home listening.
Umiliani’s ability to reinvent the concept of musicianship in the fast-moving society of his time made him a modern musician in the most complete sense of the term, by putting himself in charge of every facet of his work, from the conception to the production, the recording, the publishing and even the packaging of his own music.
In less than two decades, Umiliani released almost 80 records on the three labels he established between the mid-1960s and the early 1970s: Omicron, Liuto, and Sound Work Shop, besides all the music he was simultaneously composing for movie productions, licensed and published by Italian major companies.
This box set allows us to fully appreciate this little-known side of Piero Umiliani in an unprecedented way: his ability to seamlessly intertwine his musical creativity with his vision as a producer and publisher emerges clearly from this series as a unique feature of this composer. This corpus altogether constitutes a remarkable contribution to the so-called Italian sound of the 1970s, covering areas such as library music and film music and a plethora of genres such as jazz, funk, psychedelia, prog, easy listening, electronic music and much more!

For the first time ever, the whole Piero Umiliani’s production on his Sound Work Shop Record label is collected in a unique 17-Cd Boxset! The boxset includes a set of 17 CD’s enclosed in faithful reproductions of the original sleeves, plus a 72-page booklet with rare photos, two essays about Umiliani and his music production written by Maurizio Corbella and Niccolò Galliano, and a detailed discography and full tracklist section. This release has been fully approved by the Umiliani family. Without Umiliani’s contribution, Italian jazz, film music and library music would lack some of the key identifying features we associate them with today, thanks to his ability to carve out a distinctive sound identity from his personal craft, the studio he built and the trust he gained from his collaborators. This identity for many simply encapsulates the cipher of an unrepeated age of Italian popular music. At the Sound Work Shop studio (opened in 1968) Umiliani conceived the majority of his projects and hosted the recording sessions for numerous movie soundtracks, pop hits and library music albums by the most remarkable musicians in Rome — including himself. In this exciting environment, he had the opportunity to experiment with many different styles, from funk to psychedelic rock, from disco to avant-garde, from easy-listening to electronic music, following the ever-changing needs of the soundtrack and library music industries. He therefore mastered an extreme variety of genres, moods and atmospheres, often mixing up their peculiar features to achieve unusual combinations in albums conceived both for production purposes and for home listening. Umiliani’s ability to reinvent the concept of musicianship in the fast-moving society of his time made him a modern musician in the most complete sense of the term, by putting himself in charge of every facet of his work, from the conception to the production, the recording, the publishing and even the packaging of his own music. In less than two decades, Umiliani released almost 80 records on the three labels he established between the mid-1960s and the early 1970s: Omicron, Liuto, and Sound Work Shop, besides all the music he was simultaneously composing for movie productions, licensed and published by Italian major companies. This box set allows us to fully appreciate this little-known side of Piero Umiliani in an unprecedented way: his ability to seamlessly intertwine his musical creativity with his vision as a producer and publisher emerges clearly from this series as a unique feature of this composer. This corpus altogether constitutes a remarkable contribution to the so-called Italian sound of the 1970s, covering areas such as library music and film music and a plethora of genres such as jazz, funk, psychedelia, prog, easy listening, electronic music and much more!

We’re thrilled to announce a reissue of Piero Umiliani’s soundtrack to the 1969 giallo thriller “Orgasmo” (called “Paranoia” in English speaking countries), the first of three erotically charged films directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring cult siren (and Oscar nominee) Carroll Baker. Back in 2020, we unveiled the first-ever release of this iconic soundtrack, whose master tapes were thought lost for decades. Due to popular demand, this reissue, unlike the 2020 release, bears the film’s original Italian title. The LP comes in a lavish 650-gram single tip-on jacket adorned with new artwork.

Another collaboration by Umiliani with director Luigi Scattini, another genius composition! Written for the 1969 film "Witchcraft 70", Umiliani's soundtrack is a unique blend of groove and magic.

Originally released in 1976 as part of the "Background Music" series on Piero Umiliani's own Liuto Records, "Temi Descrittivi Per Piccolo Complesso" is a real gem in the maestro's vast and and intricate catalogue. Flutes and horns alternate with pianofender to create some magical, sweet and intimate atmospheres, crafting an abstract and mysterious soundscape that could reminisce of medieval times as much as some distant galaxies. We are happy to bring back "Temi Descrittivi Per Piccolo Complesso" in our series of reissues from his catalog, officially licensed by Piero Umiliani's family and available as a limited edition pressing of 500 copie