SCHEMA – Off The Record

Nicola Conte – Other Directions (2LP)

Tasos Samiotis — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:08:18 +0000

This record, produced with an admired respect for the classic jazz tradition yet innovative at the same time, originally licensed to the legendary Blue Note in 2004, is now reissued in a new luxury edition. It includes an extra CD featuring the tracks previously released on vinyl (“Other Directions” SCLP 386 Vol.1&2), plus some unreleased ones. Always in balance between Jazz and Bossa Nova, “Other Directions” reveals a Nicola Conte’s compositive soul bounded to accomplished acoustic atmospheres.

Furthermore the composer’s intention is to communicate not only through the music but through the lyrics too, showing a talented and learned songwriter. Inspired both by the beat literature (The Dharma Bums is a true homage to Jack Kerouac) and the English one (Wanin’ Moon is inspired by a Percy Shelley’s poem), also the cinema and dramaturgy influenced the composer: Le Depart is a reassessment of the piece written in ’67 by Krzysztof Komeda for the namesake Jerzy Skolimovsky’s movie, and All Gone is a homage to Joseph Losey’s “Il Servo,” a ’60s black-and-white movie directed by Harold Pinter. Together with a line up of Italian and international artists such as Gianluca Petrella, Daniele Scannapieco, Pietro Lussu, Lorenzo Tucci, Fabrizio Bosso,Nicola Stilo, Till Brönner, Nicola traces with great skill the sensuality of the dialogue between the winds and the piano, he beats and emphasizes its rhythms, and adds some extremely elastic voices, the most remarkable of which belongs to Cristina Zavalloni.

The bonus CD contains the unreleased Danubian, Teardrop Painted Blue and Quiet Stars; the cover of Charade, a brilliant and innovative reinterpretation of the classic by Henry Mancini; Bohemian’s Dilemma, Waltz Of The Sirens and the extended version of Kind Of Sunshine, all taken from the vinyl release; the alternative take of Wanin’ Moon, chosen by Gilles Peterson for his compilation “Worldwide Exclusive”, and a new version of Nefertiti, released on the Schema compilation “Freedom Jazz Dance”. “The music of “Other Directions” buds from the fascination which ’50s-’60s jazz influenced me for a certain period, thanks to musicians of the calibre of Horace Silver, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Yusef Lateef and many others. It represents the heart of my artistic choices as it is reflected in my way of feeling. My intention was to offer to this Afro-American tradition a European key of reading and I believe I have given a more romantic interpretation to those atmospheres.”

Nicola Conte

1 Other Directions
2 Wanin’ Moon
3 Waltz of the Sirens
4 Aphrodite’s Dream
5 Nefertiti
6 Impulso
7 Sea and Sand
8 The Dharma Burns
9 All Gone
10 Bohemian’s Dilemma
11 A Time for Spring
12 Several Shades of Dawn
13 Le Depart
14 Kind of Sunshine

The Dining Rooms – Subterranean Modern Volume Uno (2LP)

Tasos Samiotis — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 11:38:06 +0000

This 25th anniversary commemorative reissue of The Dining Rooms’ debut album “Subterranean Modern Volume Uno” is an essential release of an album that has become a true classic of instrumental cinematic hip hop through the years, the very first step in a constant evolution of a unique music style conceived by Stefano Ghittoni and Cesare Malfatti. Thanks to this double LP release various songs of the original full album appear on vinyl for the very first time. This reissue also includes a 30x30cm insert and the bonus track “Education of a Scoundrel” featuring Sean Martin on vocals.

LP 1

Occhi Neri
M. Dupont
Il Giradischi E I Tuoi Dischi
Cinemaroma 1
Keep Calm
Jazz X
Susanna 2000

LP 2

Hip Hop Hippies
Le Crepuscule Du Matin
Subterranean Modern
Cinemaroma 2
Stromboli Promenade
Triste, Solitario Y Final
Education Of A Scoundrel

The Dining Rooms – Tre (2LP)

Administrator — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 19:25:43 +0000

“Tre” is the new long-awaited 12-track album by The Dining Rooms out for Schema after two lps on the research label Milano2000, “Subterranean Modern” and “NumeroDeux” and a lot of appearances on the most important atmospheric-downtempo compilations. 12 tracks and 2 videos to be precise (Maria Arena is the brillant filmaker working with TDR). 12 elements redefining the borders of TDR music, drawing inspiration from Jazz, Africanism, Hip-Hop, House, Soul with true eclectism. “Tre” is a turning point in the history of TDR and represent a sort of change of perspectives.

A1 Tunnel 4:31
A2 La Città Nuda 4:43
A3 Fluxus 5:48
B1 Flamenco Scetches 6:15
B2 Dreamy Smiles 2:46
B3 You 6:44

C1 Fightin’ 4 Rebirth 4:18
C2 Prigioneri Del Deserto 4:45
C3 Existentialism (Milano Dub Mix) 4:36
D1 Astro Black 4:54
D2 African Loungesters 6:42
D3 Anima Per Amarti 3:46