Review: The work of long-serving, previously cult Italian composer Piero Umiliano has come under the spotlight of late, with reissues of both his oddball soundtracks to bizarre European movies, and fresh pressings of some of his most enticing library music LPs (most notably collectors' favourites Polinesia and Continente Nero. This vast box set digs deeper into his work as a composer for music libraries, offering up CD editions of 13 albums Umiliani wrote and recorded between 1971 and '83. There's naturally plenty of variety across the albums -horror-friendly synth sounds, suspenseful electronica, camp disco, grandiose orchestral works, Afro-cosmic and psychedelic funk all feature - while the compositions themselves are frequently eccentric, entertaining and ear-pleasing in the best possible ways. A superb, in-depth celebration of one of Italian music's cult figures.
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