Best known for his scores to cult Euro crime classics such as “Roma a mano armata” (Rome Armed to the Teeth), “Napoli violenta” (Violent Naples) and the hilariously camp rip-off of The Exorcist,  “Chi Sei?” (Beyond the Door)*, Franco Micalizzi is one of the finest yet slightly overlooked Italian composers of the seventies. If you’re a newcomer to his works, then his score to Gianni Paradisi’s 1979 film Stridulum is the perfect place to start.

Without going on about the film too much (you can read about the utterly bonkers plot here), Micalizzi’s deep euro funk and disco soundtrack seeps through the craziness on screen with effortless aplomb. The undisputable highlight is the stirring epic “Running Away From Jerzy”, which has the right balance of dramatic melodies and some serious funky flute action.

Franco Micalizzi – Running Away From Jerzy