Review: ANAN - Room (Space Echo Records)

Perfect for the weekend, this is 'Room' is an open house!

You may recall we got a bit excited about the single, 'Etna' / Back' (see review HERE) with the "outta-jazz dance Latin space vibes" of Cumbia dub us with ANAN (DJs Roberto Agosta and Massimo Napoli (Galathea).

The album 'Rooms' is much of the same - in a good way - with all sorts of psych, jazz, acid, dub, Afrobeat, Latin, soul rooms for us to get lost in.

It's like Jimi Tenor Philophon is the overseeer with flute gang dub 'Zoom', deep Afrohouse ('Naif'), deep space bossa dub ('Back' - Ed.this is so good) and the 'lost in space' soul-jazz dub, 'Lola'.

Three tracks come with The Invisible Sessions - 'Eden', 'Etna' and 'Call' which would be a very nice 'Jazz Version' 12": this version of 'Eden' is the garden spiritual you'd expect; Roy Ayers (RIP) would have loved it whilst 'Etna' goes a bit jazz-funkin' Lonnie Liston Smith in this format.  Add Ravi Shanker/the Coltranes and Sun Ra and there's 'Call' - is this the best album we're going to here this year?!?!

I love that the non-The Invisible Sessions version of 'Eden's just as good but it's all most Italian with echos of The Invisible Sessions on Schema.

'Room' is the first class carriage journey; very jazzy-beats-dance-dub so expect support from all DJ fans like Peterson, Forge, Beadle, Curtis, Parnell, Hill, Hectic and the like. 

Artist: ANAN  

Title: Room

Release date: 21st March, 2025

Label : Space Echo Records

Catalog Number: TBC   

Format: LP / Digital / Bandcamp

Produced by Massimo Napoli and Roberto Agosta
written, composed and produced by Massimo Napoli, Roberto Agosta and Salvatore Bruno

Salvo Bruno "Dub": programming, bass, piano and keyboards
Luciano Cantone: vibraphone on “Eden”, "Call and "Etna" / Fender Rhodes and Bongos on "Etna" - Acoustic Piano on "Call"
Kadi Koulibaly vocals on “Naif”
Gendrickson “Pucci” Mena: trumpet on “Eden”
Riccardo Onori: guitar on “Lola”
Mario Pappalardo: organ solo on “Lola”

Recorder in Nicolosi (Catania) at Studio Dub

Review: ANAN - Etna / Back (Space Echo Records)

Perfect for the weekend, this is Jazz Room magic!

It was only a couple of weeks ago that Space Echo Records brought us the return of The Invisible Session with 'What Is Wrong With Your Mind?' with Agosta Remix, and now they out Cumbia dub us with ANAN (DJs Roberto Agosta and Massimo Napoli (Galathea) on Etna and out-jazz dance Latin space vibes.

Apparently, there's a forthcoming album (Ed. can't wait) called 'Rooms' and let's hope it's as big as an Italian Villa with all sorts of psych, jazz, acid, dub, Afrobeat, Latin, soul rooms for us to get lost in.

Expect support from all DJ fans like Peterson, Forge, Beadle, Curtis, Parnell, Hill, Hectic and the like. 

Artist: ANAN  

Title: Etna / Back

Release date: 21th February, 2025

Label : Space Echo Records

Catalog Number   Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Lorenzo Morresi e Le Isole - Pop Flop (Space Echo Records)

Following the acclaimed 'Cosmica Italiana', Lorenzo Morresi returns with the new project Lorenzo Morresi e Le Isole; musician/producer Luciano Cantone being 'Le Isole'.

The two of them found their love of golden age of Italian library music with blending contemporary styles and sounds. 

There's a couple of other collaborations on 'Pop Flop', the title track features 22a label boss Tenderlonious on flute and it sets the tone as it sits in between disco, jazz funk and library, all the electronic sound were made with the rare Italian vintage synth called Davoli 

And there's the fourth element to this album as in part, it has been produced at ‘Museo Del Synth Marchigiano & Italiano’ which is home to an incredible collection of rare Italian vintage synthesizers located in Le Marche region (where Lorenzo was born).

These synth are so old, rock mamoths like Led Zep, ELP and The Doors used these models and more recently(!), Jean-Michel Jarre.  

All the 10 tracks are like a diggers find / love letter to the Piero Umiliani's of this world with beats/breaks and twangy guitars of 60/70s OST with 80s synth pop and all things library.

There's some killer tunes like the funky 'Odeon' (also featuring Tenderlonious), 'Rio De Janeiro Filter' and 'Beta Erotica' are very Penthouse magazine/BBC2 TV theme from the early 70s and wasn't 'Allegro Funerario' a car by Austin?

It's all beautifully produced and if you like a vintage synth, this is even better as you know these are real analog knobs that are being twiddled and not some computer software; J-M Jarre nerds check out 'Track ID'! 

 

Artist: Lorenzo Morresi e Le Isole 

Title: Pop Flop

Release date: 24th March, 2023

Label : Space Echo Records

Catalog Number  LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Produced by Lorenzo Morresi
all tracks written by Lorenzo Morresi and Luciano Cantone

Lorenzo Morresi: Guitars, Bass, Crumar Composer, Davoli Synth, Elgam ES-200, Farfisa Polychrome, Roland Juno-60, Synket by Paolo Ketoff.
Luciano Cantone: Drums and Percussion
Archelao Macrillò: Drums on “Odeon”, “Allegro Funerario” and “Track ID”
Edward Cawthorne aka Tenderlonious: Flutes
Giovanni Guerretti: Electric Piano
Fabio Mina: Hulusi Flute on “Savana Urbana”
Alberto Napolioni: Electric Piano on “Savana Urbana”
Francesco Savoretti: Percussions on “Savana Urbana”
Agostino Maria Ticino: Synthesizers Supervisor at Museo Del Synth Marchigiano