Baffo Banfi – The IC Years (Ma, Dolce Vita & Hearth)
Giuseppe Banfi, aka Baffo Banfi, former keyboardist of Italian Progressive Rockband Un Biglietto per l’Inferno, started a solo career; using the name J.B. Banfi; in 1978 with the album “Galaxcy My Dear”, which was released on the Italian Milan based Red Records label. Baffos musical style is deeply inspired by the visionary sounds of Cosmic electronic music, the “Berliner Schule”, and artists like Klaus Schulze, Manuel Göttsching or Tangerine Dream. It features gorgeous spaced out synthesized soundscapes and floating melodies. “Galaxy My Dear” was entirely played by Banfi, including five long tracks, one of them, “Goodbye My Little Star”, is more than 18 minutes long.
One year later, Baffo signed contracts with Klaus Schulze’s IC label in Hambühren, Germany. “Ma, Dolce Vita” was released in 1979. Again Baffo played all instruments, Klaus Schulze produced, recorded and mixed the album. Schulze had already been approached to be the producer of Biglietto Per L’Inferno’s second album, but the band split up and so the common project could never be realized. Baffo’s second album for IC, “Hearth”, was released in 1981. Klaus Schulze produced the album again, it was the only one featuring a rhythm section of guest musicians. Following the release of “Hearth”, Baffo Banfi quit the music and started creating a video production studio in Milan. More than three decades later, in 2015, Baffo released an album again, together with the Italian sound-engineer, producer, composer and keyboard-player Matteo Cantaluppi.
Tracklist:
CD 1 “Ma, Dolce Vita”:
- Oye Cosmo Va 06:45
- Quelle Dolce Estate Sul Pianeta Venere 06:11
- Vino, Donne E Una Tastiera 07:18
- Astralunato 03:54
- Fantasia Di Un Pianeta Sconosciuto 18:01
CD1 Total: ca. 43:00 min.
CD 2 “Hearth”:
- Indian 06:37
- The Incredible Doggy 05:48
- Dancing On The Ship 04:58
- This You Was 09:03
- Heart Circuit Machine 08:57
Bonustrack:
- Love Magnetic Research 08:48
CD2 Total: ca. 43:00 min.
CD1+CD2 Total: 86:20 min.