AQUARIUM

In Italy, the early 1970s saw a growing demand in film, television, and radio for music inspired by underwater environments. In response, composers like Piero Umiliani, Fabio Fabor, Giuliano Sorgini, and Giampiero Boneschi brilliantly combined Italian tradition and innovation to recreate the magical atmosphere of deep blue seabeds – and continued to do so into the mid-1980s. They used acoustic classical and jazz instruments such as harp, spinet, double bass, drums, and percussion, alongside the then-new electronic instruments and technologies, including synthesizers and delays.

Over time, these exotic and pioneering compositions—and the now impossibly rare vinyl albums on which they were originally released—have fascinated generations of enthusiasts. They’ve acquired cult status as “underwater sounds” capable of evoking not only maritime and spatial imagery, but also feelings of mystery and dream-like scenarios.

Listening to these tunes today, it’s easy to imagine them as the soundtrack to an absurdist comedy, the backdrop for a sci-fi commercial advertising a new energy drink, or the sonic embodiment of a hallucination scene in a teen drama series.

And since dream and mystery are central elements in many visual projects, why not enhance their impact with an underwater vibe?