Materiali Sonori

Materiali Sonori (often abbreviated Ma.So.) is an Italian independent record label, music laboratory and cultural cooperative based in San Giovanni Valdarno, Tuscany. Its first productions appeared in 1977, and the cooperative Centrale Trieste — the entity behind the label — was officially constituted on 15 February 1979. From the outset the label has been defined by an international outlook and a vocation for contemporary music, experimental rock, ethnic music and singer-songwriter repertoire: 'musiche di confine e musiche del mondo' (border musics and world musics) that frequently crossed genres and fashions. Its catalogue spans instrumental music, songs, music for poetry, and soundtracks for theatre and cinema. The label is directed by Francesca Pieraccini and Giampiero Bigazzi together with Mattia Calosci, Pierfrancesco Bigazzi and Arlo Bigazzi. Over the decades Materiali Sonori has built a dense network of international partnerships, from early contacts with the German group Embryo and New York's Sire Records (which released the Fuzz Dance Italo-disco series worldwide) to European labels such as Belgium's Crammed Discs (Tuxedomoon, Taraf de Haïdouks, Cibelle, Konono N°1) and Les Disques du Crépuscule/Usura (Wim Mertens), Germany's Asphalt Tango (Fanfara Ciocârlia) and Tropical Music (Chavela Vargas), Friuli's Nota (Giovanna Marini), El Barraka (Bill Laswell), Popolo del Blues, Officine della Cultura, Musicastrada Records, ViaVai and Visage (Riccardo Tesi & Banditaliana), and Mexico's Independent Recordings — many of them distributed exclusively in Italy and sometimes in Europe by the Tuscan label. In the early 1980s Materiali Sonori 'baptised' several fundamental groups of the new Italian rock wave, including Litfiba, Neon, Rinf, Bisca, Avida, Naïf Orchestra, Novalia, Cudù and GMM. Its sub-label Urgent Label, curated by Stefano Gasparinetti, Marcello Michelotti and Bruno Casini, issued the first Neon 7-inch 'Informations of Death' in 1980. The compilation 'Matita emostatica' (1981) and Steve Piccolo's 'Domestic Exile' (1982) were notable releases of this period. The label also published the albums of the first three winners of the 1982 Festival Rock Italiano: Litfiba's eponymous EP, Avida's 'A fumme mariuà' and Bisca's first EP. Beyond records, Materiali Sonori is a cultural organiser. It runs the long-standing festival Orientoccidente — by 2026 in its 22nd edition — dedicated to musical cultures in dialogue, and the theatre-and-music review 'Materiali In Scena', whose 11th edition is scheduled for 2026 at the Teatro Comunale di Cavriglia (AR) under the artistic direction and organisation of Materiali Sonori. In 2015 Pierfrancesco Bigazzi inaugurated the cinema section to produce music videos and short films; in 2019 the label associated with Black Oaks Pictures to form Materiali Sonori Cinema, an independent film production and distribution house with several shorts and documentaries to its credit. The label remains active, releasing new music such as Flame Parade's album 'Cosmic Gathering'.

Materiali Sonori's origins lie in the cultural ferment of post-1968 Italy. In 1977, in San Giovanni Valdarno, a group of cultural operators — Francesca Pieraccini, Lucia Baldini, Luciano Trevisan, the photographer Luciano Morini and later the brothers Giancarlo and Gianpiero Bigazzi, formerly of the folk group Canzoniere del Valdarno — came together. Under the Materiali Sonori name, the Canzoniere del Valdarno self-produced the record 'Cade L'Uliva' with the pupils of class IV B of the elementary schools of San Giovanni Valdarno. Although the label grew out of the post-'68 cultural humus, it distinguished itself from other independent labels of the period by its constant transformations, without following a strict ideological or commercial line. Early productions included artists influenced by Bertolt Brecht and political cabaret, such as Daniele Lombardi's 'Costellazioni' and Paolo Lotti's 'Solo', as well as Guido Bresaola, the Zeit of former Aktuala member Andrea Tamassia, and the Collettivo Victor Jara of David Riondino. Two albums of Breton music by Véronique Chalot were also important. In these early years the output was still tied to progressive rock and folk rock, and only later did the label open up to the new post-punk wave; nevertheless, with catalogue code 'Maso 007', the second album of the Canzoniere del Valdarno appeared in 1979, featuring Leo 'Tormento Pestoduro' of Skiantos on drums. On 15 February 1979 the cooperative Centrale Trieste was officially founded, and Materiali Sonori would henceforth be part of it. In 1980 Materiali Sonori joined the new rock wave, and the Canzoniere del Valdarno changed its name to Naïf Orchestra to release the single 'Io vorrei essere la torre di Pisa' in a Materiali Sonori / Frigidaire collaboration. The early 1980s saw the first contacts with the German group Embryo, whose first Materiali Sonori production was 'Anthology' (1980), and with New York's Sire Records, which a few years later published and distributed outside Italy the Fuzz Dance series dedicated to Italo disco. Gianpiero Bigazzi, then art director of the label, summarised the new direction. In 1980 the sub-label Urgent Label was created, curated by Stefano Gasparinetti, Marcello Michelotti and Bruno Casini. Its first release was the 7-inch 'Informations of Death' (1980) by Neon, co-produced with Controradio. In the following years the imprint issued productions by Ship of Fools, Rinf, Cudù, Redox, X-Offender and Novalia. The 1981 compilation 'Matita emostatica' featured tracks by Al Aprile, Monofonic Orchestra, Alphaville and Le Jouur Prochain. An important MaSo album of this period was 'Domestic Exile' (1982) by former Lounge Lizards member Steve Piccolo, released exclusively worldwide. The label also expanded through collaboration with other realities such as the Festival Rock Italiano of 1982, for which it published the albums of the first three winning bands: the eponymous EP by Litfiba, 'A fumme mariuà' by Avida and the first eponymous EP by Bisca, the soundtrack to the theatre show by Falso Movimento. In these early years the label expanded increasingly, establishing contacts with foreign labels such as Belgium's Crammed Discs and Les Disques du Crépuscule/Usura, then Germany's Asphalt Tango and Tropical Music, Friuli's Nota, and also El Barraka, Popolo del Blues, Officine della Cultura, Musicastrada Records, ViaVai and Visage, and Mexico's Independent Recordings — all distributed exclusively in Italy and in some cases in Europe by the Tuscan label. This distribution activity, sometimes referred to as MaSo Distribution, became a significant part of the company's identity. The cinema section was inaugurated by Pierfrancesco Bigazzi in 2015 to produce music videos for the label's artists and various short films. Among its productions are 'Berlin' and 'A New Home' by Flame Parade, 'Nel mio giardino' by The Gang, 'U don't need a Power Glove' by Q*ing, 'Semaforo' by Hugolini, 'Secret Love' by The Love Thieves, 'Garrincha' by Baro Drom Orkestar, 'Dub Sunset' by Caracas feat. MisTilla, and two short films, 'Dove noi non siamo' and 'Moon On Fire'. In 2019 Materiali Sonori associated with the production company Black Oaks Pictures to form Materiali Sonori Cinema, an independent film production and distribution house with several short films and documentaries to its credit. In the 2020s the label remains active both as a record company and as a cultural organiser. It runs the Orientoccidente festival, which reached its 22nd edition in 2026, and the theatre-and-music review 'Materiali In Scena', whose 11th edition is scheduled for 2026 at the Teatro Comunale di Cavriglia (AR) under its artistic direction. New releases continue, including Flame Parade's album 'Cosmic Gathering'.

• 2026

  Orientoccidente reaches its 22nd edition; Materiali In Scena reaches its 11th edition.

• 2019

  Materiali Sonori Cinema formed in association with Black Oaks Pictures.

• 2015

  Cinema section inaugurated by Pierfrancesco Bigazzi.

• 1982

  Steve Piccolo's 'Domestic Exile' released worldwide; label publishes albums by the first three winners of Festival Rock Italiano (Litfiba, Avida, Bisca).

• 1981

  Compilation 'Matita emostatica' released.

• 1980

  Label joins the new rock wave; first contacts with Embryo and Sire Records; sub-label Urgent Label created; Neon's 'Informations of Death' 7-inch released.

• 1979

  On 15 February the cooperative Centrale Trieste is officially founded; Materiali Sonori becomes part of it. Canzoniere del Valdarno's second album (Maso 007) released.

• 1977

  First productions under the Materiali Sonori name; Canzoniere del Valdarno self-produce 'Cade L'Uliva'.

Independent Italian label and cultural laboratory focused on contemporary, experimental, ethnic and singer-songwriter music, with a strong international distribution network and a multidisciplinary approach spanning records, theatre, festivals and cinema.

• 1977

  Cade L'Uliva

• 1980

  Anthology

• 1980

  Informations of Death

• 1981

  Matita emostatica

• 1982

  Domestic Exile

• 1982

  Litfiba EP

• 1982

  A fumme mariuà

• 1982

  Bisca EP

• 2025

  Cosmic Gathering

1. 1Materiali Sonori | homematson.it
2. 2Materiali Sonori | about usmatson.it
3. 3Materiali Sonoriwikidata.org
4. 4Materiali Sonoriit.wikipedia.org