Film scores have seeped into the collective consciousness of musicians since they were first introduced to cinema. Their influence is widespread and unmistakable, but few artists have derived so much of their aesthetic from this sub-genre as Calibro 35, an Italian instrumental five-piece that works to pay homage to the Golden Age of Italian cinema.
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/02-La-Morte-Accarezza-A-Mezzanotte.mp3|titles=Calibro 35: “Death Comes at Midnight”]
During the 1970s, the Italian film industry produced approximately 250 films that fell under the Italian cop sub-genre poliziotteschi. The films were ultra-violent takeoffs of American cop and mafia movies such as The Godfather, The French Connection,and Dirty Harry. Always brutal and sometimes filled with nonsensical violence, poliziotteschi films had it all: car and motorcycle chases, political corruption, mafia wars, heists, shootouts, tough rogue cops, and not to mention properly trimmed mustaches.
To match the over-the-top action, films began replacing traditional orchestrated scores with driving sounds that drew influence from rock, funk, and jazz. A close listen beyond the double-machine-gun-toting criminals and the occasional poor dubbing job reveals the swankiest music ever set to film.