In 1974, Farlocco’s Tecnologia was released by Rotary Records, the small library music and jazz label founded by Amedeo Tommasi. “Farlocco,” better known as Stefano Torossi, is credited with composing the album of electronic-based pieces originally intended for use on film, TV, and radio.

An uncredited Tommasi performs each composition on a LP limited to 300 copies on initial release. Tecnologia, reissued in vinyl and as a download in May 2016 by Milan-based Intervallo, is one of three albums of music Stefano Torossi released for Rotary under the alias “Farlocco.”

Farlocco (aka Stefano Torossi) and Amedeo Tommasi’s Tecnologia fourteen tracks include original and alternate versions of “Superpotenza,” “Distillazione,” “Forza motrice,” “Biodegradazione,” “Virus,” “Silcosi,” “Lavoro veloce,” “Pressione,” and “Geosonda.” In 2009, the album was reissued by UK label Arison including the only CD release.

The first version of “Superpotenza,” the opening track on Farlocco (aka Stefano Torossi)’s Tecnologia featuring Amedeo Tommasi, is on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/dj-el-topo-1/superpotenza-farlocco

Tecnologia is the second LP released on the record label founded by long-time musical collaborator Amedeo Tommasi. Torossi recalls making the album with the legendary jazz man:

“Not only is Tommasi always the pianist in all our productions but he is the one who does all the electronic set up and playing. He was in fact one of the first musicians in Italy to buy and use a Moog.”

The tenth track on Tecnologia, the first version of “Lavoro veloce,” was also selected for the Big Bang Presents Italo Funk Experience: Synth Funk, Italo-Exploitation & Espresso-Jazz From Italy 1969-1980 compilation CD released by UK label Nascente in 2011.

Farlocco (aka Stefano Torossi)’s “Lavoro veloce” is on SoundCloud:

Alternatively, every track from Tecnologia is available for preview on Intervallo’s bandcamp page.

More Albums by Stefano Torossi Released Under “Farlocco” Alias

Besides Tecnologia (R 1002), a collectable LP that pops up on auction sites on a regular basis, Rotary released Giochiamo insieme the same year (R 1003). This album, reissued as a download by UK label Arison in 2008, features fourteen tracks including “Mister Magoo,” “Gulliver,” “Venerdí,” “Sport,” “Storyville,” “Lunedí,” “Martedí,” “Mercoledí,” “Armadillo,” and “Palline.” Never released in CD, it has also yet to be reissued in vinyl since the initial 300-copy printing.

When asked about the album, Amedeo Tommasi explained:

“I played all the instruments on all tracks of the disc, and the other discs.”

In fact, Tommasi played on all seven Rotary releases done at his home studio in one amazingly productive twelve-month period between 1973 and 1974, including the third Farlocco LP, The Swingers – Jazz Video: Musiche di Farlocco (R 1004). “Stadio,” “East Side,” “Panamerican High Way,” “Ouadrangolo,” “Altiforni,” “Sensazioni,” “Grill Room,” “Depressione,” “Mani,” “Mattinata,” “Giovedí,” and a track from the previous album, “Lunedi” complete the tracklist of an album that was limited to a print-run of 100 copies.

Like Tecnologia, this original, hard-to-find vinyl LP has now been reissued by Arison as both a CD and download. Both of these reissues retain the original, now iconic album cover design that was done by Amedeo Tommasi himself when he founded Rotary in 1973.

“Depressione,” composed by Farlocco (aka Stefano Torossi) and featuring pianist Amedeo Tommasi, the eighth track on The Swingers – Jazz Video: Musiche di Farlocco, is here:

Tecnologia is one of several albums Stefano Torossi made in which he was not able to use his real name due to legal restrictions common for artists in this period. “Farlocco,” the pseudonym used by Stefano Torossi, is a bit of linguistic fun. Commonly translated as “fake” or “phony” in English, Stefano Torossi recently commented:

“Farlocco is always me. Who else would choose a pseudonym that means ‘simpleton’?”

Around 1975, Stefano Torossi made another full album under his “Farlocco” alias, Progresso. The Flirt Records LP is extremely rare, probably limited to a handful of promo-only copies.

A compilation from Union Records, which seems to be yet another sub-label of Flippermusic, also contains three compositions by Farlocco, in addition to four more credited to Torossi. This LP was never released formally and is near-impossible to find.

An excerpt from Farlocco (aka Stefano Torossi)’s Progresso is over at the Boxes of Toys site. It’s also located on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/gianni-aka-cesare-b/progresso-farlocco

In 2007, “Stadio,” the opening track from The Swingers – Jazz Video: Musiche di Farlocco was released as part of Bologna Jazz Tunes, a download-only compilation by Arison.

This album is currently available in most regions from both Amazon and iTunes.

The Swingers’ “Stadio,” composed by Farlocco (aka Stefano Torossi) and featuring Amedeo Tommasi, is on YouTube:

Additional Torossi Aliases: “Fotriafa” and “Melodicon”

Another alias used by Stefano Torossi more than once is “Fotriafa,” seen most recently in the 1997 release of “Notte violenta” on the Suono libero Volume 2 compilation from Italy’s La Douce. This track first appeared on Un tema: Tante variazioni, one of at least four albums from the early 1970s, along with Guerra di cielo, di mare, di terra, in which he uses the Fotriafa pseudonym.

Unlike “Farlocco,” this second alias chosen by Stefano Torossi, in his words, “means nothing.” Suono libero Volume 2 is currently available in both CD and LP format, including from the excellent music and information resource Discogs. Un tema tante variazioni tracks “Notte violenta,” “America, America” and “Mantecato,” are easily found on the Internet.

Fotriafa (aka Stefano Torossi)’s “Domani (VI versione)” is online:

In addition to “Farlocco” and “Fotriafa,” Stefano Torossi has used the alias “Melodicon,” both as a performer and as a producer. This includes albums like Melodicon (aka Stefano Torossi)’s Strumentali: Sciocchezzuole for Fonit Cetra (NRE 1171) in 1988.

The same year, Stefano Torossi also composed and produced Gruppo Sound’s Strumenti e voci album for Flower (LEW 0611) under his “Melodicon” alias–stay tuned for a closer look at Strumentali: Sciocchezzuole in the near future.

In 1999, Torossi used the same pseudonym when he produced Piero Montanari’s Digital Age CD for Rai Trade.

A video for Piero Montanari’s “Digital Age,” produced by Melodicon (aka Stefano Torossi), is online:

The following video EP showcases a trio of uncensored, fan-made videos using Stefano Torossi’s “Sweet Beat,” with Sandro Brugnolini, “Sixth Dimension,” with Giovanni Tommaso, and “Ray Ban,” credited to “Fotriafa (aka Stefano Torossi)” and performed by I Marc 4. The psychedelic NC-17 video EP is HERE.

Amedeo Tommasi and Stefano Torossi: A Productive Partnership

After making three albums for Rotary Records, Amedeo Tommasi and Stefano Torossi have gone on to make several more full length LPs as well as having their compositions licensed for numerous library music, jazz, and soundtrack compilations.

In 1986, Amedeo Tommasi and Stefano Torossi made the first of a trio of collaborations released by Italy’s Costanza Records, Musica per commenti sonori (CO 8601). The album was reissued three years later by Fonit Cetra under the title titled Strumentali: Bambini, retaining the identical running order and playing time.

The second Stefano Torossi and Amedeo Tommasi LP in 1986 Musica per commenti sonori: Tecnologia elettronica (CO 8604) was recorded at Studio 81 in Rome–reissued as part of the Commenti Musicali series in 1992 under the title, Microtecnologia: Tecnologia e Computer, with ten extra tracks credited to Tommasi.

The pair of composers did a third album for Costanza in 1986, Musica per commenti sonori: L’uomo e la natura (CO 8606), reissued by Fonit Cetra as part of their Nuovo Repertorio Editoriale series, Strumentali: L’uomo e la natura.

Amedeo Tommasi and Stefano Torossi’s “Camel Trophy” and “Natura violenta” are on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/armagideon-times/amedeo-tommasi-stefano-torossi-musica-per-commenti-sonori-co-8606-luomo-e-la-natura

More music from these albums by Amedeo Tommasi and Stefano Torossi is located in the Albums section on this site.

Audio Compilation of Amedeo Tommasi Music on SoundCloud

A selection of tracks from composer-pianist Amedeo Tommasi includes music from the following albums:

• Amedeo Tommasi – Thomas OST (1970) Gemelli, featuring Edda Dell’Orso
• Amedeo Tommasi – Zodiac (1970) Canopo
• Amedeo Tommasi – Flash internazionale (1970) Canopo
• Amedeo Tommasi – Telegiornale (1971) Octopus
• Amedeo Tommasi – The Sound (1974) Cenacolo
• Narassa (aka Sandro Brugnolini) and Trio Tommasi – Made In U.S.A. (mid-1970s) Colimbo

Several of these albums haven been recently reissued as digital downloads by Italy’s Pinball Music.

Coming Soon: An Interview with Edda Dell’Orso

This site offers an exclusive interview with vocalist Edda Dell’Orso, a seminal figure in one of the most creative and successful film periods in movie history. Among topics discussed is her daily routine as a performer in the glory years of Italian cinema, singing with Frank Sinatra, and her participation in Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi’s 2011 Rome album, which features Edda Dell’Orso on the opening theme of this author’s favorite faux soundtrack of recent years.

In 1968, Edda Dell’Orso was the lead vocalist on Stefano Torossi’s soundtrack for L’età del malessere (reissued in CD with extra tracks by Japan’s Verita Note in 2010) and in 1971 she appeared on Torossi’s Musica per commenti sonori, an album of soundtrack music released by Costanza Records (CO 10010) that features I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni, conducted by Alessandro Alessandroni. Features on each are found in the Albums section on this site.

“Tema” from Ennio Morricone’s 1972 soundtrack I figli chiedono perché, reissued in CD by Italy’s Dagored in 2003, is here:

In 2014, The Crystal Voice: Best of Edda Dell’Orso was released by Cinevox. The compilation of twenty tracks showcases the legendary soprano’s work with composers Giorgio Gaslini, Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Armando Trovajoli, and Piero Umiliani. The digital album, which features the original versions that first appeared on the film soundtracks in the 1960s and 1970s, is currently available at online music retailers such as Amazon.com and iTunes.

And one final preview, “The Theme Of ‘Rome'” by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi, featuring Edda Dell’Orso and I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni, from their 2011 album Rome:

NOTE: This Spotlight on Farlocco (aka Stefano Torossi)’s Tecnologia was first published 15 May 2014. This upgraded version adds new content.