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Jet Sounds Revisited |
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Nicola Conte |
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Itália |
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15-03-2002 |
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Over the last decade Nicola "Fez" Conte and Schema introduced a new model for modern sounds out of Italy. It was mainly connected with a retro aesthetic restyled for the contemporary. The inclusion of visual and musical references of 60's and 70's Italian productions was introduced for the first time nation-wide and therefore internationally. With a sophisticated almost intellectual approach the angry young men from Bari gained a world-wide recognition for their music and concepts. It never was just a one man thing but mostly a collective output yet the mind behind all that was the one of Nicola Conte.
He became involved in the international new jazz scene as a DJ first and as a record producer then. He assembled and designed a sound for the Paolo Achenza Trio, Quintetto X, Fez Combo, Intensive Jazz Sextet, and Balanco among others; he gave a name and an identity to Schema label, possibly the Italian label with the highest profile out of Italy nowadays. The Fez was the first to put Bossa Nova back to the public eye in Italy, and putting jazz elements into club culture was another achievement as well as the crafty cover arts which created the strong image of bands and DJs. Sometimes regarded as an elitist set the Fez movement is now getting into an experimental stage again. The Italian retro sounds from jazz to soundtracks are reconstructed to a new perspective.
"JET SOUNDS"
Scene 1 - A young woman is walking beneath the sea. She's alone, only the white sand and a crystal blue water. It's late in the afternoon and the sun is glancin' over her shoulders while a soft bossa nova fills the air.
Scene 2 - He's drivin' fast, there's only a short time left and a man to chase. The black spider screams at the beat of a big band 5/4 jazz theme
Scene 3 - It's night in the park and every shadow tells a mystery. A far eastern sound is pulled by a psychedelic beat. What's the next move...
Whose is this soundtrack? Are we in Italy and when?
It's the year 2000 and the avant-garde of the new jazz pop Italian scene is called JET SOUNDS.
The debut album from Nicola Conte tells a cinematic story, a sound for moderns.
It includes all the successful singles like "Bossa Per Due", "Arabesque", "Forma 2000", "Missione A Bombay" plus a handful of new tunes like "Dossier Omega" and "Il Cerchio Rosso". It features nearly 20 different musicians and moreover the visionary, sophisticated appeal of Nicola with a sound that is already his trademark and the one of Schema, the Italian label which is gaining recognition worldwide.
Releases:
"Bossa Per Due",12"
"Jet Sounds", 12"+ 7"
"Forma 2000", 12" |
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