Till Brönner brings the golden age of Italian songwriting back to life

Recorded in Bari and Rome, produced together with Nicola Conte, ‘ITALIA’ sets out on a vibrant journey into the sun-drenched soundscape of Italy from the 1960s to the early ‘80s.

‘ITALIA’ is mainly inspired by the time where Italian songs were being played on the French radio, filled German record stores, and shaped a continental cultural mood. “Italy created a kind of pan-European sound and an atmosphere the was formative for an entire generation” says Brönner. It was a time when music was reflecting the hope for a bright future. Brönner sees a lot of hope today that things might shift toward something more human and more down to earth again. “The kind of feeling you could literally sense in the ‘70s and ‘80s.” Nicola Conte: “We focused on a moment in Italian cultural history that is still, to this day, one of the most engaging, artistically relevant and colourful.”

The album features real Italian classics by Lucio Battisti, Paolo Conte and Tony Renis but also includes songs that never gained recognition beyond the country’s borders in Brönner’s eyes. “Nothing is more boring than a records where you know exactly how it will sound from the first note.”

The album alternates between instrumental tracks, shaped by Brönner’s unmistakable tone, and vocal pieces performed by absolute dream guests like chiara Civello, Sera Kalo and Mario Biondi. And in addition to his trumpet and flugelhorn, ‘ITALIA’ also features Brönner’s singing. For the first time on a studio album, he sings in italian.