PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI

I Dreamed Of Electric Sheep INSIDEOUT

Something hot and tasty from prog’s premier Italian bakery.

The first Italian band to enjoy international success in the 70s, Premiata Forneria Marconi (‘Award-Winning Marconi Bakery’ in English, lest we forget) are an institution in their home country, and remembered fondly in the UK for their time at Manticore Records. Founding vocalist and drummer Franz Di Cioccio and veteran bassist Patrick Djivas celebrate entering their sixth decade with PFM with I Dreamed Of Electric Sheep, their 20th album.

Previous works have been inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, Josephine Baker and Dracula, but this time their concept is loosely based on Philip K Dick’s classic sci-fi novel, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? – the inspiration for Ridley Scott’s 1982 film, Blade Runner. The title of Dick’s book weighed heavy on Di Cioccio’s mind as he had an uneasy awareness during the pandemic. He’d seen computers taking over every aspect of day-to-day lives and Di Cioccio wondered if indeed humankind were becoming androids. Realising that it’s the imagination that sets humans apart from robots was the starting point for the work.

Di Cioccio considers his group’s music “a free explosion of colours and sounds,” and as always with PFM, it’s that freedom that comes across, with them frequently and gleefully genre hopping. Opening with a portentous overture,

Worlds Beyond expands into driving rock with some superb Fripp-like squalls from guitarist Marco Sfogli. The beautiful piano part that arrives in the middle of If I Had Wings – based on the idea of a drone falling in love with the Earth – is touching, shifting the song from ominous prog to yacht rock, sounding akin to something from Christopher Cross’ selftitled debut album.

Transhumance Jam shows the muscle of PFM in its full glory.

Kindred Souls (Ii Respiro Del Tempo) is the album’s highlight; its playout, complete with bagpipes, is a real old-school high-prog banquet, plump with riffs. Guest Ian Anderson’s unmistakable flute carries the song to its joyous coda. PFM have always caught the eye of the discerning progger (Peters Sinfield and Hammill, Greg Lake in the past) and here, as well as Anderson, Steve Hackett guests, along with PFM founder member Flavio Premoli. Having I Dreamed Of Electric Sheep presented in both English and Italian is a great idea too; everything is even fuller of grandeur in their native tongue.

Although recorded in the file sharing fashion, I Dreamed Of Electric Sheep sounds vibrant and alive. From a group whose first album was released in 1970, it is another example of an act with a long past embracing the present with inspiration and a tuneful dignity.

AN ACT WITH A LONG PAST EMBRACING THE PRESENT WITH DIGNITY.