>>> BTF NEWSLETTER >>> March 05th 2009

Welcome to the new BTF Newsletter! This is a special one! We have a good stock of Ma.ra.cash titles and we want to suggest you many CDs which deserve attention. Take note and don't miss this opportunity! Bye! BTF STAFF

PROGRESSIVE   Picchio Dal Pozzo, Magma, Zappa influenced crazy jazz/prog/fusion. Great stuff! Between RIO and jazz rock.

PROGRESSIVE   "Alphaterra" is an interesting new CD full of pathos, displaying many influences: it's a mixture of progressive rock, celtic folk and jazz-rock atmospheres. Giorgio Gabriel and Gianni Viaggi are the two musicians behind this work.

PROGRESSIVE   Finally a brand new Banco CD release! A vintage Banco live concert from 1975 is now available from BTF. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso at their very best, recorded live in Salerno's Teatro Verdi, on April 23, 1975, performing 8 classics from their songbook: "RIP", "L'albero del pane", "La danza dei grandi rettili", "Passaggio", Non mi rompete", "Dopo... niente è più lo stesso", "Traccia II" and "Metamorfosi". An excellent CD, digitally remastered recording, total running time almost 75 mins. www.bancodelmutuosoccorso.it

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Il Castello di Atlante was formed in 1974 with Paolo Ferrarotti on drums, Aldo Bergamini, on guitars, Massimo Di Lauro, on violin and Dino Fiore on bass. Roberto Giordano on keyboards joined the band in 1982. (Paolo, Aldo, Roberto are lead singers as well) and it’s quite inique the fact that IL CASTELLO has today has THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP!!, so the 70’s sound and approach is more thank ever in the music of the band. The band has been approaching the tunes as they were real books, each one with its own world, linked to each other by the reader's intention. “The reader” listens and feels the music that’s on the album, while he's reading the books. He's imagining the music in the same way a reader imagine the scene that's suggesting the book he's reading. Like "Pictures at an exhibition" we find a main theme that portraits the "Promenade" of the reader, while he's looking for the next book. This is the seventh album recorded by Il Castello di Atlante. A great come back on the prog rock scene after the good acoustic CD a couple of years ago.

PROGRESSIVE   Second album by new italian progressive group from Sicily. A very nice work, with delicate prog sounds close to Celeste, english lyrics and a female keyboardist-singer! Featuring a long suite called "Morgana" with medieval influences.

PROGRESSIVE   Third CD for Conqueror, a new italian prog band from Sicily. This time it's a concept album divided in 13 chapters. Hammond organ, technical drums pattern, dreamy guitar lines and a nice female voice drive our mind into their fantastic journey. Influences from Banco, Locanda Delle Fate and Apoteosi are melted with the classic british neoprog-inspired sound of the band (ref: IQ and Marillion).

PROGRESSIVE   Brand new second CD for this gifted new italian progressive band from Milan. Their sound is very rich and is influenced by VDGG, Genesis, IQ, Twelfth Night and Marillion. Suited for all lovers of british progressive rock.

PROGRESSIVE   Great new promising italian progressive band, coming from Naples !!! Gecko's Tear formed in 1999, then won first prize at the Demetrio Stratos festival organized by the Movimenti Prog website, then opened for Isildurs Bane and Arti & Mestieri during a recent tour, then... they released "Contradiction", a very interesting debut CD, sounding somehow close to Yes and Rush, but also Genesis and King Crimson, and ELP too. Gecko's Tear music is prog mixed with jazz-rock mixed with RIO. "Contradiction" is made of rich compositions and unusual tracks, with plenty of precious clues. Singer Claudio Mirone is the leader of this new band, with lyrics and vocals in english.

PROGRESSIVE   The brand new CD by italian prog group Imagin'aria !!!

PROGRESSIVE   Second studio album from this very talented italian progressive band. Together with other groups such as "La Maschera di Cera" and "Il Giardino delle Delizie" (both available from BTF too!) they represent the actual trinity of keyboards-driven, typical italian seventies prog. Michele Mutti is the rightful heir of Keith Emerson, and he's italian! A great comeback and a nice improvement from their previous records!

PROGRESSIVE   MALAAVIA is a new Italian band. Their music is symphonic prog in the Italian tradition with some Arabic and modern experimental sounds. This makes the music a fusion of different expressions. The closest comparisons from the seventies scene could be bands like OSANNA and SAINT JUST. Lino Vairetti from OSANNA makes a guest appearance in one track in their debut album “Danze D’incenco”. This album has strong keyboard work by Oderigi Lusi and the vocal sections between the male singer & guitarist Pas Scarpato and female singer & flautist Solimena Casoria are especially delicate.

PROGRESSIVE   A renaissance-style pagan music, reminds the well-known band Blackmore's nights.They use ancient and modern istruments to create a unique magical sound!

PROGRESSIVE   October Equus is a new progressive band from Spain. October Equus is a nice debut album, influenced by the progressive rock of groups such as Anglagard, Gentle Giant, King Crimson and Universe Zero, while maintaining its originality.

PROGRESSIVE   Live CD for this talented italian band. The music is dominated by the powerful Hammond organ as usual. Great show from Torre dell'Alchimista's performance at Nearfest 2002!

PROGRESSIVE   Debut CD for this new reality in the italian prog scene. YOu can find influence form Banco, Le Orme, Locanda delle fate but also more recent influences like Maschera di Cera, Ubi Maior, Deus Ex machina. Great musicians skills!