While hardly a household name, Alberto Baldan Bembo has slowly emerged as a cult hero in the Italian library/soundtrack world. And L'amica Di Mia Madre is a stunning example why.
Originally release in 1975, the album served as a soundtrack to the largely forgotten erotic film directed Mauro Ivaldi. But while Ivaldi's film hasn't exactly stood the test of time, Bembo's musical accompaniment certainly has.
In 1998, many tracks from the composer's L'amica Di Mia Madre served as one half of the esteemed Easy Tempo label's Bembo-celebrating comp The Smart Set. But with that release now long out-of-print — and original copies of L'amica Di Mia Madre easily running you high three figures — Italian reissue house Sonor Music Editions is once again bringing the exquisite sounds of Bembo back.
L'amica Di Mia Madre came just one year ahead of Bembo's much-celebrated Lingua D'Argento, so it's no surprise the OST finds him in a very similar sonic headspace. With heavy jazz threads running throughout, L'amica Di Mia Madre is as smooth as it gets, serving beautifully dreamy orchestrations that bounce from samba beats to chilled-out bossa styles, disco-tinged exotica, late-night lounge piano and far beyond.
And while a similar description could be written about various classic Italian soundtracks of the era, Bembo's L'amica Di Mia Madre manages to rise above the multitude of like-minded albums. This partly comes thanks to Bembo's stunningly sophisticated arrangements, which pack in a mind-dizzying array of instrumental arrangements, while never sounding overly complicated or busy.
It also helps that Bembo rarely if ever repeats himself on L'amica Di Mia Madre, which offers a pleasantly diverse array of tracks rather than relying on just a few central themes on repeat.
As an added bonus, L'amica Di Mia Madre mirrors the original 1975 release, meaning the few tracks cut from The Smart Set are finally included here once again. The Sonor reissue also tacks on some beautifully remastered sound, as well as keeps the erotically charged — and rather amazing — original art intact.
Without question, L'amica Di Mia Madre is Italian film scoring at its finest, sounding as stunning in 2019 as it must have way back in '75.
(Sonor Music Editions)Originally release in 1975, the album served as a soundtrack to the largely forgotten erotic film directed Mauro Ivaldi. But while Ivaldi's film hasn't exactly stood the test of time, Bembo's musical accompaniment certainly has.
In 1998, many tracks from the composer's L'amica Di Mia Madre served as one half of the esteemed Easy Tempo label's Bembo-celebrating comp The Smart Set. But with that release now long out-of-print — and original copies of L'amica Di Mia Madre easily running you high three figures — Italian reissue house Sonor Music Editions is once again bringing the exquisite sounds of Bembo back.
L'amica Di Mia Madre came just one year ahead of Bembo's much-celebrated Lingua D'Argento, so it's no surprise the OST finds him in a very similar sonic headspace. With heavy jazz threads running throughout, L'amica Di Mia Madre is as smooth as it gets, serving beautifully dreamy orchestrations that bounce from samba beats to chilled-out bossa styles, disco-tinged exotica, late-night lounge piano and far beyond.
And while a similar description could be written about various classic Italian soundtracks of the era, Bembo's L'amica Di Mia Madre manages to rise above the multitude of like-minded albums. This partly comes thanks to Bembo's stunningly sophisticated arrangements, which pack in a mind-dizzying array of instrumental arrangements, while never sounding overly complicated or busy.
It also helps that Bembo rarely if ever repeats himself on L'amica Di Mia Madre, which offers a pleasantly diverse array of tracks rather than relying on just a few central themes on repeat.
As an added bonus, L'amica Di Mia Madre mirrors the original 1975 release, meaning the few tracks cut from The Smart Set are finally included here once again. The Sonor reissue also tacks on some beautifully remastered sound, as well as keeps the erotically charged — and rather amazing — original art intact.
Without question, L'amica Di Mia Madre is Italian film scoring at its finest, sounding as stunning in 2019 as it must have way back in '75.
