SEALED

Music From Memory is delighted to be turning 50 with a special release: MFM050 - V/A - Virtual Dreams: Ambient Explorations In The House & Techno Age, 1993-1997 (3xLP/2xCD). The first in a series of compilations, alongside more in depth artist-focused releases, Virtual Dreams will delve into music produced during the 1990’s that redefined the boundaries of ‘Ambient’. This was music that explored the possibilities of Ambient music within a new setting, created often by House & Techno music producers for a world beyond dance floors but made very much with the pre and post-clubbing listener in mind.When House and Techno exploded out of America in the mid 1980s a whole generation was redefined not only musically but also culturally and chemically speaking. Peaking, quite literally, with a second ‘Summer of Love’ in 1988, millions of young people across the world would experience the life-changing ups of a brave new world but with it of course came the downs; enter the concept of a ‘Chill-out’ room. Whilst early Chill-out rooms lacked a specific sound and were often soundtracked by music such as reggae and soul, slowly young Techno and House producers themselves would become increasingly interested in developing a futuristic ‘Ambient’ soundtrack to a world beyond the thud of the main room.‘Ambient’ in this new age now though had sharper teeth than in Brian Eno's key text for ‘Music for Airports’, instead here the sounds were the mode of transport rather than the backdrop. While the melodies were pretty, the soundscape steered away from the pastoral, dreaming of outer-space and technology as opening up exciting new dimensions. Much like in the first Summer Of Love; the musicians were again exploring psychedelic, mind-altering and transcendental possibilities of music. And also much as in the first Summer Of Love, a psychedelic visual language would accompany the music. Though now the tracks could be accompanied by music videos, utilising early CGI techniques, they would look almost entirely to the future: envisioning technology, nature and humanity intertwined in a new Utopian future. Virtual Dreams of a better world.From Ambient and early Chill-out classics, to lesser known one-off projects, as well as Ambient deviations by some of House and Techno’s leading producers, Volume One of Virtual Dreams features tracks by Bedouin Ascent, LA Synthesis, LFO, Marc Hollander, Mark Pritchard & Kirsty Hawkshaw, Richard H. Kirk and more.To celebrate our 50th release the first 1000 copies include a holographic 'Virtual Dreams' sticker plus a special insert poster with artwork by Victoria Pacheco and design by Steele Bonus.

Rare private press 70's brazilian jazz psych album - Deluxe reissue in super nice thick carton cover + OBI + insertMandala made only one eponymous album, recorded in 1971 but released only in 1976. A very rare and influential album, featuring future members of Grupo Um (Nazário and Zeca Assumpção who also played with Hermeto and Egberto Gismonti) and Pau Brasil (Nelson Ayres) - two seminal bands from the Brazilian instrumental scene of the 80s. The sound is a mix of Jazz Fusion with a Brazilian footprint - with a dash of psychedelic atmosphere and the spiced influence of oriental music.

The fifth release on Tempo Dischi comes from one of the true pioneers of Italian disco: Maurizio Dami aka Alexander Robotnick. 'Problèmes d’Amour' and 'Computer Sourire', included in the mini album "Ce n’est q’un début" are two fundamental songs in the history of electronic music made in Italy.'I started with music very late. I was 27 years old. In the early 80s Florence became the music capital of the new rock in Italy. There was a movement, different from what we were used to in the 70s, varied in activities ranging from theater to music, from design to fashion to graphics and comics. There was also a lot of attention to what was happening in the world, starting with northern Europe and the United States, but also other countries. I went to popular music school and started learning to play jazz guitar, but I was immediately hooked by the music of Kraftwerk and in 1982 I founded my first band, Avida. It was a sort of electronica and new wave, with “stupid” and ironic Italian lyrics. Irony is a fundamental part of my music, probably due to my feelings. The following year I met the Bigazzi brothers, from Materiali Sonori, a very small avant-garde label from a very small town in Tuscany. One day Giampiero told me "You can make some money with disco music". My dream was to be able to live on music’.Within a year he produced in the same studio "Problèmes d’Amour" and "Computer Sourire", with Marzio Benelli and the production and direction of Giampiero and Arlo Bigazzi. Both songs are included in the mini Lp "Ce n'est q'un debut" released in 1984, considered a milestone of the electronic music made in Italy.‘It wasn't Italo Disco, of which I don't consider myself either a pioneer or a progenitor’ recalls Maurizio ‘My sound, I think, influenced more than anything else Chicago and Detroit house and then Dutch electro-disco and 2000's electro-house’.The vinyl includes the highly sought after Remix version of Computer Sourire, never reissued so far, the Tempo Dischi cut of the original version and the bonus track 'Dance Boy Dance', still played a lot by DJs today. An essential re-issue for your collection.

Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet– Kenny Rodgers Bass – Gene Perla, Stan Clarke* Drums – Omar Clay, Richard Pratt (2) Drums, Percussion – Elvin Jones Engineer – Carmine Rubino Guitar – Earl Dunbar Percussion – Airto Moreira Piano, Electric Piano – Harold Mabern, Jan Hammer Producer – Bob Shad Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Clarinet – Frank Foster Trombone – Dick Griffin Trumpet – Hannibal Marvin Peterson Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Cecil Bridgewater, Charles McGee* Vocals – Dee Dee Bridgewater

Records Store Day 2021 release.