Italian musician Dario Bassolino released his debut album, Città Futura. In it, he reinterprets the soundtrack to the cult films about Gomorrah, which were characteristic of Italian pop culture in the 1970s.
The album was created for movie listening and continuous sound. It was recorded with analyst Paolo Petrella and drummer Andrea De Fazio (Nu Genea, Parbleu). To be more precise, 14 people, including vocalists, took part in the recording. The album features a lot of electronics and clear rhythmic beats that instantly transport listeners into the mood of the Ocean’s film trilogy. Meanwhile, improvisation is heard, which leans more towards jazz and groove. “Napoli Visionaria,” the opening track, stands out from the rest of the album for capturing the modern city with its bustle, polyphony, and noise.
The album was conceived in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and recorded in 2022. Observing the gloominess of the world, Dario Bassolino used his boundless imagination to revive forgotten stories about unsung heroes of Italian cinema. He writes about his love for gangster films. Some of the compositions transport you to the cinema atmosphere of the 1960s and 1970s, especially the final composition, “Fuga Finale.”
The album’s most melodic and airy composition is the second track, “E Parole”, which features featuring LNDFK, where acoustic instruments such as guitar, piano, and flute are prominent, combined with a high female voice. What can you envision while listening to the other tracks? They emit a cosmic vibe. Listening evokes images of the vastness of the universe and a lonely ship flying into the unknown, as depicted in mid-20th-century science fiction films.
“In fact, the record embodies the idea of a collective,” Bassolino writes about the creation of the album, “We spent days in the studio trying to find various harmonies and make music from the 1970s resonate with modern listeners. Since each musician has their own style, we tried to break certain genre stereotypes, aiming for the music to be called a ‘Renaissance.‘”
“The main idea of this album is: ‘You shouldn’t believe words; they speak for you but you are no longer the same. Evil has not found peace for a lifetime.”
Città Futura is out now via Periodica Records / Jakarta Records. Stream it and get your copy HERE