By Darren Allison
I’m
very proud to say that I have travelled alongside Cineploit Records since the
summer of 2012, and what a journey it is proving to be. Since then, they have featured regularly in
the print edition of Cinema Retro. Unfortunately, Cineploit’s latest two
releases arrived shortly after our print deadline; nevertheless, I wanted to
make sure they received the exposure they fully deserve.
Omaggio a Bruno Nicolai ed alle sue musiche
per il cinema Giallo - Orgasmo Sonore
The
efforts of Cineploit really do demand applauding. Over the past couple of years
their devotion to the music genres of Euro Horror, Poliziotti, Italian westerns
and Giallo have begun to find broader audiences. Among the label’s artists is
Orgasmo Sonore, a group that have already produced two previous albums of
diverse delights. For their latest release, they have focused on the work of Bruno
Nicolai. ‘Omaggio a Bruno Nicolai ed alle sue musiche per il cinema Giallo’ (Exploit
05) arrives in the form of a 12†180g Vinyl mini album (45rpm) with a
beautifully Euro flavoured gatefold sleeve. Containing 6 tracks (26 mins), the
album is a tribute to Nicolai, selecting music from five of the composer’s
Giallo soundtracks from 1971-1975. Ok, so there may not be anything new here
for the Nicolai collectors, however, it has been put together exceptionally
well, and if anything serves as a perfect introduction to the composer’s
bulging body of work. The music is certainly faithful and true, ‘La Dama Rossa
Uccide Sette Volte’ (or The Lady in Red Kills Seven Times) (1972) kicks off the
album impressively, from its haunting childlike intro – right through to its
razor sharp Harpsichord strings. Whilst still beautiful, a track such Sergio
Martino’s Magico Incontro (1972) loses its edge to some degree – which is no
doubt due to the absent wistful tones of vocalist Edda Dell'Orso. Dell'Orso became
such an integral element of Nicolai’s (and Morricone’s) sound, it set an almost
unattainable level, and there the bridge becomes blatantly apparent.
Nevertheless, do not be deterred from this fine album If anything, I find adding
alternative or cover versions of my favourite composer’s work somewhat
welcoming, especially when produced with such impressive quality. Orgasmo Sonore has (unobtrusively) mixed
various sound bites to the music, which, as a result, also refreshes the entire
concept.
Producer
and band member François Rideau has delivered an excellent tribute to the
legendary composer. Oh, and to add a further dash of retro flavour, the record
is pressed in a glorious yellow vinyl with blood red splatter! Stylish, original and above all, hugely
enjoyable – it’s just a shame that it isn’t beefier in terms of its content. Regardless
of this, I have little doubt fans of Giallo will absolutely lap it up.
http://www.cineploit.com/?p=926
Non bussare alla porta del diavolo –
Sospetto
It
was great to hear the latest offering from Sospetto. Whilst Sospetto are
extremely modern in their execution, it is clear that they are heavily
influenced by the Giallo soundtrack traditions of the 60s and 70s. Every so
often, ripples of Fabio Frizzi and (arguably more often), the work of Euro-horror
specialists Goblin, seem to transcend from their music. Of course, for fans of Giallo
in particular, this isn’t a bad thing – and probably the reason why ‘Non
bussare alla porta del diavolo’ (Cine 07) will surely prove successful. As with
their previous album ‘Segni Misteriosi, Con Il Sangue Dipinto Sul Muro’ the
music is oppressive, ethereal and sometimes heavy. However, despite their
obvious influences, Sospetto have a unique talent of sounding both fresh and
unique. With this latest release, the German duo of Christian Rzechak and Hobo
Jeans have raised the bar to some degree, smoothing out some rough edges and
producing a much more polished album in the process. Tracks such as ‘Sulla
Strada Verso Il Nulla’ and ‘Viena Da Me’ are a pure delight, enhanced by the
laid back, lounge-like wordless vocals of Christine Marks - they are simply
crying out for a film to accommodate. On the flip side tracks such as ‘Citta
Che Esplode’ are sharp and funky, percussion driven pieces that wouldn’t sound
out of place in a Richard Roundtree Shaft film from the 70s.
Diversity
seems key to this album, and there’s almost 35 minutes to enjoy spread over its
14 tracks. The packaging for Sospetto’s 180g LP comes in a super gatefold
sleeve with a design to fit seamlessly alongside the Giallo soundtracks of the
day. The LP is also available as a special set containing the 180g Vinyl, a CD
version of the album and a bonus DVD (PAL encoded only) containing a 23 minute
film by the group in 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced). A classy album, and arguably the group’s
finest album to date.
http://www.cineploit.com/?page_id=840
If
interested in either of these titles, please be aware that they are strictly
limited, so please contact Alex at Cineploit to check availability, tell him I
sent you and he’ll see you right.
informazione@cineploit.com
-Darren Allison, Soundtrack Editor,
Cinema Retro Magazine