Playlist "Psyche van het Folk", Radio Centraal, Antwerpen, 2003-06-25 Italian singer-songwriters with experiments & electronica : early Claudio Rocchi & Franco Battiatio (+ the associations with Mino De Martini & Juri Camisasca). 1. CLAUDIO ROCCHI : EARLY WORKS (1969-1975). Rocchi started to play bass in 1966 with his first college band. From 1968 on he participated with Stormy Six. Stormy Six, a famous prog / avant / psych rock group from Milano. After the first album of Stormy Six Rocchi started with his solo career. * Vinyl Magic Claudio Rocchi : Viaggio (I,1970) Tr.1, "Oeuvres" 6 min Tr.5, "Gesu'Cristo (tu con le mani)" 6 min Tr.11, "Viaggio" 8 min Tr.8, "Acqua" 6 min 26 First solo album. A perfect combination of experiment, progressive music, acoustic foundations with tape collage, singer-songwriting, with lots of inspiration and invention with a good materialisation of it with clear structures, and interesting contemporary ideas. "Oeuvres" is an inventive experimental track, way ahead its time, with backward and echoed guitar, percussion, noises, new music orchestration. Although far away from any conventions it's a highly enjoyable (dream) soundtrack like composition. "Gesu' Cristo" is a beautifully composed acoustic guitar song, with very fine additional female vocal whispers (by Annie Lerner), and with some electronic "vibrating" instrument. Also "Acqua" is very appealing, nicely produced idea to put the voice in the first part more tempered at the background (with guitar and percussion based upon a ping pong play rhythm), then, with the sudden change, it opens up, with water sounds, (guitars and handpercussion) with emotional trippy vocals by a poet on (a water) trip. Some tracks like "Viaggio" (with nice openings in guitar composition) have nice improvised flute by Mauro Pagani (future PFM member). The texts and material is philosophically intelligent. Essential. A classic. * Vinyl Magic Claudio Rocchi : Volo Magico n°1 (I,1972) Trippy streched improvisation like tracks, as if the whole album are a kind of (acoustic) outro-freak outs, as stoned composition (still song based) trips. The sound itself is nice. Although but the stretched nature of these songs does not make this the most accessible album I believe the album sold well. I preferred to play more from other albums in stead. * C.Rocchi.com Claudio Rocchi : Vado in India (I,1972) 45' Tr.2, (cdr, Tr.4), "Vado in India, part 2" 7 min 33 Improvisation folk styled song in two parts. A beautiful meditative, or if you want "psychedelic" trip. * Vinyl Magic Claudio Rocchi : Volo Magico n°2 (I,1972) Tr.7, "Per La Luna" 7 min 7 A good album, but understanding Italian might help for appreciation in detail. This last track is a psych (folk) instrumental of acoustic guitar with mellotron and sitar. (This track works beautifully after the single track I played before). Both "Vole Magico" albums were originally meant to work together as a double LP. * C.Rocchi.com Claudio Rocchi : Essenza (I,1973) Tr.1, "Essenza" 2 min (first minute with the recorded boy) Tr.2, "Sono un Uomo" 10 min 13 This album was mostly developed trough improvisations, with the cooperation from Mino de Martino (related with I Giganti). "Sono un Uomo" is a long beautiful song with improvising piano and guitar (sometimes playing banjo, or tremolo like -or how should I put it ?), flute, and xylophone ? and some textured percussion. * C.Rocchi.com Claudio Rocchi : Il miele dei Pianeti le isole le api (I,1974) Trilok Gurtu plays tabla on "Lila", another tripy acoustic track, which I left out because of time limitation. I also left out for the same reason "Le Isola e i pianeti". * PiDi Rec. Claudio Rocchi : Rocchi (I,1975) Tr.1, "Zen Session" (fragment) 7 min 8 60 A very experimental (tape collage) album. Like an experimental music soundtrack. For the first 14 minute track ("Zen Session") some other musicians, like Franco Battiato participated. Another track, which I left out because of time limitations was "Il giorno di Malcolm Azul". It has echoed electro acoustic noises with koto and world music, all remixed in a way as if everything has become electronic music. In those days Rocchi was one of the promoters of the first private radio. I wonder how much the Zen session had to do with that. * C.Rocchi.com Claudio Rocchi : "Suoni de Fronteira" (I,1975) Tr.1, "La Forza" 3 min Tr.4, "Apertura" 2 min Tr.8, "Tarantella" 2 min Tr.9, "Canzone Popolare" 3 min Tr.11, "Del R(ub)(id)are Cultura" 3 min Tr.12, "Suoni Interni" 4 min Tr.14, "Acoustic feedback" 3 min (faded out because of bad copy recording) 20 80 On this album Rocchi develops more ideas and uplift them from any accidental action. This album is very good with various electronic music / (semi acoustic and acoustic) tape collage experiments. A serious work of art. A recommended album. The quality of the (official) cdr unfortunately is not that good at all, for the LP taken for the recording was very damaged by having played it (too often) with a bad needle. The music however is terrific. Musically it sounds very interesting. (I would have played a bit more from it if this recording quality would have been better). If anyone can provide me a better copy, please contact me. * C.Rocchi.com Claudio Rocchi : A Fuoco (I,1977) Very experimental tape collage and electro acoustic soundtrack music. I also heard his 1979 album, "Non ce n'è per nessuno", which is not really interesting singer's rockpop. * Vinyl Magic Claudio Rocchi : I think you heard me right (I,comp 1968-1993) Tr.4, "Piccoli Pavoni" 1 min Tr.5, "No,No" 3 min Tr.14,"Cnosso" 1 min A compilation of outtakes, and side-takes, with some experimental tracks, compiled as one musical life's overviewing "soundtrack". * interview with Claudio Rocchi will preferably be done by E-mail, and will be published later. Info about Claudio Rocchi : www.claudiorocchi.com http://stage.vitaminic.com/main/claudio_rocchi -> CAMISASCA * Artis Rec. Camisasca : La Finestra Dentro (I,1977) Tr.4, "Scavando Col Badile" 7 min Tr.7, "Il Regno Dell'Eden" 10 min 17 102 Very expressive singing, and a progressive band production, with Franco Battiato on VCS 3, produced by Alfredo Tisocco. Two terrific tracks. Webpage : http://www.juricamisasca.it/ About Camisasca : http://www.btf.it/ita/battiato/friends.htm 2. EARLY FRANCO BATTIATO * Artis Rec. Franco Battiato : Fetus (I,1972) Tr.1, "Fetus" (only intro) 2 min Tr.2, "Una Cellula" 5 min Tr.4, "Energia" (fragment, abrubt until ..gisi) 2 min 10 112 A album, with fine electronic music combined with singer-songwriting and acoustic elements, new music. Like "Viaggio" from Rocchi this album has a similar balance in inspiration. * Artis Rec. Franco Battiato : Pollution (I,rec.1972) Tr.1, "Il silenzio del Rumore" 2 min Tr.2, "31 dicembre 1999-ore 9" 2 min Tr.5, "Plancton" 5 min Tr.6, "Pollution" 9 min Tr.7, "Ti sei ma chiesto quale funzione hai ?" 4 min 22 134 A very similar, conceptual album as "Fetus" -both albums once made it on one CD reissue together-, being more consistent/even more interesting & structured. Beautiful musically interesting ideas and rich inspiration. Zappa found this early Battiato a genius. It is difficult to leave out more tracks. Makes us conscious on the matter of indifference and the destructive pollution of the world, with a pleasant "musical soundtrack". A classic. A recommended album. * Artis Rec. Franco Battiato : Sulle Corde di Aries (I,1973) Tr.4, "Da Oriente ad Occidente" 7 min 141 Varied contemporary / new music progressive, instrumental & electronic music with song, a with some minimal music ideas. An album that needs a few listens, to enfolds it's fine concept. Last track is a beautiful experimentally arranged song, with some medieval raga at the end (aka Third Ear Band). Franco Battiato : http://www.battiato.it/ http://www.btf.it/ita/battiato/franco.htm & http://www.infonegocio.com/battiato PS. Juri Camisasca participated with Franco Battiato's next release, Clic. I didn't hear that album yet. In stead I choose to play the following side project : -> ALBERGO INTERGALATTICO SPAZIALE * Pick Up Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale : Luglio 1978 (I,1978) Tr.8, "Sabbie Vergini" 3 min Tr.6, "4 Trace" (fragment) 3 min Tr.7, "Variazonii su "Angeli di Solitudine" (fragment) 3 min Band led by Mino di Martini (ex I gigantic°), with Franco Battiato, Juri Camisasca (also played before !), Roberto Mazza, "Capra" Vaccina (from band Aktuala). Not a completely easy project, with lots of dadaistic improvisations of prog / electronic, and beyond, with special mention for the ghostly odd female vocals by Terra. Italian prog : "Mino also released in the mid 90's a theatrical piece, Le campane del gloria, based on film director Pier Paolo Pasolini's poetry with help from former Stormy Six keyboard/violin/guitar player Tommaso Leddi." : this make the circle round. Info : http://www.soundohm.com/albergo.htm & http://www.italianprog.com/a_albergointergalattico.htm °PS : I Giganti made a wonderful prog conceptual album "Terra in Bocca", about a giant. There exist two different versions of it. Both are fine. Releases of I Giganti : http://www.btf.it/ita/giganti/dimartino.htm Info : http://www.italianprog.com/a_giganti.htm & http://www.manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/G/GIGANTI-I/giganti.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other playlists : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/2003.html General index page : www.radiocentraal.be/psychevanhetfolk More detailed index page : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/index.html Receive weekly playlist before the radioshow with new on line reviews and various additional comments / news : ontvang wekelijks playlist vòòr de radio-uitzending : Subscribe / schrijf u in : psychevanhetfolk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com