Library
These records were intended for background music on television/radio/film, and were never commercially released to the public at the time. The library records included on this site will range from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s.
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Rene Roussel - RubriquesOk, so I realize this is sort of going against the grain of most reviews on here, but I couldn’t resist posting a (dare I say) PROTO Italo/house library track (yes, these actually exist). The release date on this was not included but it had to be either 1979 or 1980 (probably ‘79 - [...]
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Orlando Kimber & John Keliehor - East Meets WestWow, an 80’s library record that doesn’t sound like it belongs in a corporate training video for IBM! Unfortunately these types are few and far between, but thankfully for fans of floating synths and electronics, this one delivers. The first side mainly consists of gamelan jams that (for the most part) do a [...]
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Eric Siday - Musique ElectroniqueI wrote a little review on J. Matthews’ Electronic Music a while ago on this site. Here’s another very cool one that comes in the same pre-1968 library format, 78rpm microgroove. This one has the same title, be it in French, but it is 5 years earlier, from 1960. It’s by Eric Siday, an English [...]
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Musique ModerneHere’s an unusual title that may interest ethnic beat and library music aficionados. “Musique Moderne” is a somewhat mysterious release which appears to have been produced by the Moroccan government. I’m guessing early 1980s from the look and sound of it. A possible agenda for it was to display the ability and versatility of the [...]
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Edward Williams - Music for Life on Earth“Life on Earth was a groundbreaking television natural history series made by the BBC in association with Warner Bros. and Reiner Moritz Productions. It was transmitted in the UK from 16 January 1979. I chanced upon this in a local thrift shop for a golden English pound and was intrigued by the lack of [...]
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Zalla (Piero Umiliani) - PaesaggiPaesaggi in Italian means ‘landscapes’ (I checked on Alta Vista Babel Fish translator). With a dull cover and very non descript name, I’m not sure what I was thinking in shelling out almost $80 for this record on Eb*y. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. Seems as if (almost) everything Umiliani touched turned [...]
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The “Easy Listening” Group - Vol 1The messages on the sleeve of this record are somewhat confusing. First, the front promises us “easy listening” and adds a logo saying we are dealing with “background music” (or “BGM”). The back adds to the titles classical indications what style and tempo they are in. So we have scherzoso, moderato but also tempo di [...]
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Oronzo De Filippi - MeccanizzazioneSmall-group jazz library LP which at times could easily be mistaken for a Morricone soundtrack. Very distinct mix of harpischord, bossa rhythms, abstract electronics, and the classic Italian lounge sound on here. This record (which sounds great I might add - nice and loud mono pressing) was released on the scarce Italian library label [...]
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JJ Perrey & Pat Prilly - Moog ExpressionsThe first father-daughter electronic library record? I can get with this. I’m sure most of you who read this site are already well aware of Jean Jacques Perrey, one of the biggest names in the 60’s moog scene. Well apparently his daughter (a musician herself), would join him in the [...]
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Bernard Estardy - Electro Sounds Volume 2Bernard Estardy was one of the most prolific (and sought after) sound engineers in the French music scene during the 60’s and 70’s. After being involved on a number of sessions with Nino Ferrer, he took the initiative to build his own studio from scratch (the CBE as it’s known, built in 1967). It [...]
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Guy Des Joncs / Guido Giovagnoli - Flute And SaxRegency Line were a small library label based in Brighton, England (home of Fatboy Slim and Brad Pitt designed architecture) who issued a run of 30 LPs before disappearing into the ether. Their albums are some of the lesser known and tougher to find UK library LPs and were often issues of obscure mainland European [...]
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Patrice Sciortino - Percussion PowerStrange “exotica” library disc out of Paris, France from what sounds like the late 60’s (no date listed on the label or back cover). A “composition for 30 instruments and percussion accessories” by French composer Patrice Sciortino, and one of the finest of its kind. Sciortino does a great job of creating a distinct [...]
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Puccio Roelens - Research of SoundFirst i’d like to thanks Ed for his help and kindness …
Ok people now let me tell you about this little baby. I’m sure you library lovers know about the desirable and perfect “Feelings” by Stefano Torossi, well in my opinion this LP is Puccio’s masterpiece as far as i know is discographie. Very complete [...]
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BBC Sound Effects Centre - Comedy SoundsAn in-house 7″ BBC sound effects disc from about 1967 by the look of the house style. The ‘handle with great care’ suggestion should have been taken more seriously, as there’s a big chunk out of the edge of the disc, depriving us of “Things Falling and Clanging”. Not very musically inspirational, as you might [...]
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Felice Fugazza - MegamoogHere is another ’space electronics’ library, quite similar to the Electronic Age LP i posted a week or two ago. Released on Orly’s “Kaleidoscope” series, these tracks probably first appeared on a small Italian label and were soon after re-licensed to this particular French library (there are a few other records in this series [...]
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Electronic Age - Modern Science, Space & MysteryAbsolute classic as far as avant garde/electronic library records are concerned. A number of Studio G regulars are on this LP, all of whom display a deep appreciation for tape delay, distortion, warbling synths, and minimal ’space age’ electronics. If there were ever a soundtrack to everyday space station living in the 22nd [...]
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J. Matthews - Electronic MusicThe moment time travel will be made available to the general public, this is the kind of record I will be ordering, in retrospect, from 1965. Those who love vintage record oddities will agree this disc has a lot going for it. First, the very format is peculiar. It’s a 10†microgroove record, but it [...]
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Walt Rockman - PollutionI now have a new pick for favorite library record cover ever. It’ll probably change in a few months but wow is this great. “Pollution” comes from the German SONOTON label and features some excellent electronic drone action. The record is mainly electronic, aside from two very kraut-rock / motorik percussion tracks, [...]
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Phasing Drums & Electronic SoundsDon’t worry, I won’t bore you with a discussion on how cool the “Phasing Drums” part is. As a matter of fact, that’s the most uninteresting part of the record (gasp!). The highlights of this record therefore fall under the “electronic sounds” section, which makes up the entire A side and a quarter [...]
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Remigio Ducros - T.S.T. Cronaca ‘73This is yet another one of those library records where you wonder how one great track found it’s way on such an otherwise dull LP. I guess I should be used to this by now, as it’s basically the case with about 95% of the libraries out there. “Disadattati” is the sought-after tune [...]