ZELENO SONCE SPECIAL: CALIBRO 35 (IT) vs. L.A.
+ Udo Brenner (Zeleno Sonce)
Remember the three excellent Calibro 35 shows at Zeleno Sonce’s funk nights? One of Italy’s most renowned instrumental collectives of the past two decades — who apparently only drink Johnnie Walker Black Label — are returning to the Gala Hala stage exactly ten years later!
Formed in Milan in 2007, Calibro 35 draw on the sound and aesthetics of cult Italian films from the ’60s and ’70s, particularly crime and action movies, and transform them into their own explosive mix of funk, jazz, soul, psychedelia, rock and electronics. They’ve toured the world, opened for MUSE in Milan and, this year, performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics. Along the way, they’ve collaborated with a long list of renowned musicians and developed a cult following well beyond Italy — their music has even been sampled by Dr. Dre and Jay-Z.
Their sound is organic, cinematic and packed with heavy grooves. Over nearly two decades, they’ve released a string of acclaimed albums, including Traditori di tutti (2013), S.P.A.C.E. (2015), Decade (2018), Momentum (2020) and Nouvelles Aventures (2023). In 2022, they paid tribute to Ennio Morricone, one of the key inspirations behind the band, with the two-part project Scacco al Maestro.
And this time, film will once again take centre stage. Calibro 35 composed the original score for director Francesco Zippel’s documentary Ellroy vs. L.A., exploring the dark and complicated relationship between legendary American crime writer James Ellroy, author of The Black Dahlia and L.A. Confidential, and his hometown of Los Angeles.
The film premiered at the Rome Film Festival and this year won the Nastro d’Argento for Best Documentary in the Film, Entertainment and Culture category.
For the film, Calibro 35 cooked up exactly what they do best: cinematic crime funk packed with dark atmospheres, hypnotic grooves and urban psychedelia, where Ellroy’s noir L.A. collides with the band’s trademark Italian poliziottesco sound. The soundtrack will be released this autumn by Record Kicks, and their December show at Gala Hala will be largely dedicated to this new material.
The first half of the concert will take us deep into Ellroy’s dark L.A.; the second will bring us back to some of Calibro 35’s old favourites.
Zeleno Sonce is heading to Milan. Mamma mia!
Music policy: cinematic crime funk / groove italiano
Admission: €13 with reservation via mojekarte.si, €17 on the day of the concert
