Mr Bongo proudly presents Ritmo Italiano ‘Unspoken Sounds of Italian Tamburo’ a captivating compilation of percussive-driven, Italian gems.
Italy. A country so rich and beautiful it’s given us Carlo Ancelotti and Circo Loco, pasta and Paninaro. Musically, it’s been equally varied, with dance music enriched by the piano house of the post-rave era, an array of thunderous, bare tech-house beats, and the chugging glory of Daniele Baldelli and the Rimini jet set.
The latest compilation from Mr. Bongo delves even further into the recesses of the nation’s music by enlisting its very own Mr. Bongo, Sardinian multi-instrumentalist, percussionist, and producer, Gabriele Poso. The result is an excellent combination of out-there sounds perfect for the more adventurous DJ (and the even more oddball home listener).
Let’s start with the fairly conventional. Tullio De Piscopo’s ‘Temptation’ is here, with throbbing percussion and joyous camp stabs that sound like proto-Lindstrom in speedos. ‘Police Man’ from Gegè Munari feels like a pulsating TV theme for a dapper detective, Columbo in Cavalli, perhaps, while Poso’s own ‘Ritmo Italiano’ feels like a gloriously Mediterranean and African-infused take on the late 90s broken beats era.
When it’s weirder, it’s also wonderful. Take ‘Certi giorni mi sento bene, certi giorni mi sento male’ (translated as ‘Some days I feel good, some days I feel bad’), offbeat jazz funk from Agostino Marangolo that swaggers to borderline alien rhythms, or the grin-inducing ‘Mambo Ravioli’ from Vico Anthony. But it’s the more straightforward thrust of Lumumba, an early afro-house banger from 1987, that is the high point. Think Samim’s ‘Heater’ with much more clout. As ever, Mr Bongo’s joyous crate digging once more delivers.
Gabriele Poso Presents: Ritmo Italiano ‘Unspoken Sounds Of Italian Tamburo’ is out now buy it here.
