8 Tracks: To Get Nostalgic To With Whodamanny

“L’Uomo nello Spazio” was the first album i bought from Piero Umiliani’s production. Not too much to say, it speaks for itself. It’s actually the most visionary music from that period- the sound of space, something totally unknown during the ‘70s. It’s all about imagination and synthesizers.

Endless Discogs searching brought me here. Avantgarde jazz experiments from a super famous icon from Poland. This is a Minimoog and EMS synthi A opera (with a touch of super freak funk), but totally faraway from a classic. No perfection of the sound is actually the most inspiring thing for me.

With this record a few things comes together. It was my friend Riccardo Schirò talking to me about this weird producer. After two or three months, I had been at Bongo Joe Records in Geneva and saw this one on the shelves there in the shop. I still have to say thank you to Nadim, Bongo Joe’s owner, for that precious gift. It never leaves my bag. Moog freakness!

This one is the reason why i decided to release my first solo album, “Cosmic Morphology” (Periodica Records 2016). Dario (of The Mystic Jungle Tribe) let me hear this super unique collection of experiments on synthesizers creating sequences and electronic effects mixed with true fusion/jazz-funk jams. In the beginning I had no idea about what I was doing with Cosmic Morphology and this record was an illumination: I realised what I needed to do.

I have to say thank you to Deejay Ermi (Vinyl Pusher) for this. Ermanno is one of our most important private record sellers here in Napoli, and he always has super rare and weird gems like this obscure Ron Hardy secret weapon. The thing is that he gave this to me when it wasn’t so diffused. The sound is in the middle between lo-fi and hi-fi, something that for me fits perfectly between these minimalistic electronic disco tools. Super useful in the DJ mix.

Satire kings, Squallor are one of the most representative bands from my city, Napoli. Behind those ironic and sexually-oriented songs, they were excellent instrumentalists as well. Their records always sounding interesting: synthesizers, well-mixed drums and high tension melodies. I’ve known this band since I was a child but one day three years ago, while i was at the Prisma Studio (Luca Affatato [aka BOP] basement – one of my mentors), this came to me and we all started dancing. To play this in Italy is always strange because of its lyrics but at the same time it’s super funny on the right crowd as one last tune or abroad!

Still talkin’ about Napoli with the duo Antonio&Marcello. They were musicians and TV showmen during 70’s/80’s. They became very famous thanks to their “piano-bar” entertainment style as well as making the cheap cover record “Concertando con Antonio&Marcello”. The thing is that inside this jukebox 12” there is “Ralle’N’faccia”, an unknown Napolitan jazz-funk gem produced by Mr. Tullio de Piscopo.

Last but not least to mention, this Tony Esposito electro-tribal Napoli-disco track is very important for me. I played it for the first time during a night in which lots of things in my life changed – after the Ge-ology takeover in Napoli x Soul Express night in June last year it was the number one record of my set. I was so upset for personal reasons before, than after just 30 seconds everything changed, I started to smile as the trumpet section started and the crowd came with me. The power of the music, the power of my city.