Kronos Records : A Label For Film Music Lovers

"Film music is an often unfortunately underestimated and under-appreciated art form that we care very much to promote and will always  put all our efforts fo keep on promoting this noble art form in all ways possible."

This is the welcome note of Godwing Borg,the man behind Kronos Records,when you pay a visit to the label's website. And what is following is an interview from a soundtrack specialist and a fellow music lover.Enjoy!

Why start a label?

 Music has always been very important part of my life, I have been buying cassette tapes, then LP's and then CD's since I was very little, I grew up in a family who loves music, I have been musically involved in many ways. The label was just the logical evolution of my other musical activities. It was born to promote and release film music of composers from the past and present, famous and less famous. Our aim to preserve and promote music we care never to be forgotten.

 When and how did it start?

 Kronos Records started at the very end of 2008. I had long wanted to start an independent label, Let's say I was at the right time at the right place and had some serious encouragement. from my dearest one, family and close friends.

 

Do you feel sometimes  that it is a financial struggle?

 With the financial situation as it is on a global basis yes it is a struggle but a welcome one, it is a challenge but it is also very rewarding work.

 

What other labels influenced you?

 It's not other labels that inspire me really; despite the fact that I respect many other independent soundtrack labels and their owners, many of us are friends and have in common a genuine love for music. It is music that inspires me, a beautiful piece of music that very often has lied there on some shelf or in some archive for many years. It's the beauty of music and the feelings it stirs in me that inspire me and keep me going.

 

Who are your competitors?

 Other records labels (but with these it's healthy competition, very often friendly also) if however we have to mention an adversary it is illegal downloading of music. It damages us the small independent label perhaps more than it  does with our gigantic counterparts. We have to pay for rights, licenses and sometimes go through seven hells to put out a release.

 

What's the story behind the name?

 Being very fond of old Greek mythology the name Kronos was a very familiar one for me since childhood. I went for this name for both of its two meanings, time and the mythological god often represented as a three headed creature (bull, man and lion) with the body of a snake. I took the triple meaning of these two words KRONOS,

time : PAST - PRESENT - FUTURE, because my label caters for both classical film composers, contemporary ones and up and coming ones

the divinity in its three heads which here i also put to represent past, present and future. This is what inspired the name of my label and the emblem I designed to fit this concept.

 

What's your guiding principle?

A very simple one actually. If it stirs feelings in me release it, or at least try!

 

Would  you sum up your label's outpout so far?

KRON001 CONTATTO CON L ORIENTE  OMAGGIO AL MAESTRO AKIRA IFUKUBE

Our debut release from 8th June 2009. This is a live recording featuring various orchestras, ensembles and artists, very worth of notice among other great  pieces a unique performance by the legendary EDDA DELL'ORSO. A must for all AKIRA ΙFUKUBE enthusiasts. 

 

                                 

   
KRON002  ANITA UNA VITA PER GARIBALDI
Α beautiful, melancholic score for the film about Anita and Giuseppe Garibaldi composed by MARCO WERBA.

 

                                     





                                                                       

  
KRON003  ARAGOSTA A COLAZIONE  
The soundtrack by Italian Jazz swing icon late Maestro PIERO UMILIANI. Previously released only as LP in a limited edition of 200 copies in 1979 on UMILIANI's own label SOUNDWORKSHOP and it was never commercially available.

  

                               
                          

                                            

 KRONPROMO001  DARIO ARGENTO’S GIALLO  Our fourth work which unfortunately was never available for sale is another work by MARCO WERBA, his grand score for Horror Maestro DARIO ARGENTO's GIALLO.  The CD was made into a promotional release for the composer. I would like to thank everyone who showed interest in this release, actually an immense interest  however until this very moment it is still not possible to produce this cd for the general public.

                  

KRON004  LETHE & TAGE WIE JAHREN (Days Like Years)  Τwo film scores on one cd by rising German composer CHRISTOPH ZIRNGIBL. The two scores very diverse in nature yet blend very well on this cd.

                                   

 KRON005  SVET AKE( The Light Thief)   For our 5th release we also stayed on German ground with composer ANDRE MATTHIAS and his superb score for Kyrgyz film THE LIGHT THIEF (Svet-Ake). A very moving score for this equally genial film narrating the story of a countryside electrician that makes odd meet helping his fellow villagers.

                         

KRON006  TEMPTATION & LA FIGLIA DEL CAPITANO  Our sixth Cd contains two musical gems from the late Maestro Piero Piccioni; TEMPTATION (1968) and LA FIGLIA DEL CAPITANO (1965). The music on TEMPTATION is beautiful, chilled and sensual. The ensemble plays a lovely blend of jazz and lounge with hints of bossa that make this a very recognizable Piccioni work, an easy listening, chill score for the 1968 film directed by Lamberto Benvenuti and starring Mark Damon and Stefania Careddu. LA FIGLIA DEL CAPITANO (The Captain’s Daughter) was a TV adaptation of Puskin’s “Kapitanskaya Dochka”, directed by Leonardo Cortese and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Umberto Orsini and Lucilla Morlacchi shows us a more dramatic facade to Piccioni’s ample composing skills.  This score for orchestra is solemn, romantic and very evocative of the high period of classic Italian drama.
 

                                           
 

 KRON007 AFRICA TO-DAY A library music collection of tracks by legendary Maestro PIERO UMILIANI. The tracks present on this compact disc were previously issued between 1971 and 1975 on three privately issued vinyl LP's on UMILIANI's own label LIUTO and OMICRON : AFRICA (1971), POLINESIA (1972) and CONTINENTE NERO (1975) and recorded at SoundWorkShop Studios in Rome . The pieces of this collection blend jazz, funk, world music and progressive rock with percussive breaks, marimba solos, piano riffs and moog licks in a state of the art performance  by Piero and his orchestra. Piero Umiliani was a great traveler and has done so with the eyes and ears of the musician.   Listening to Africa-Day is not  just a musical experience,  it is a journey into the infinite world  of  Piero, a journey through his love for music and life.

                                                                                 

  KRON008  EROE VAGABONDO For the first time ever on any format the soundtrack to Walter Santesso's (Paparazzo from Fellini's La Dolce Vita) Italo-Spanish film from 1966 EROE VAGABONDO.  Music by the iconic Roman composer FRANCESCO De MASI (1930-2005)  The soundtrack of Eroe Vagabondo boasts a number of truly utstanding performers:  the guitars are played by none less than Alessandro Alessandroni, the Maestro’s assistant and close friend, who's guitar playing we know in innumerable films and Dino Asciolla; impeccable soloist who has performed on hundreds of works by the Roman composer, plays the viola.  Maestro De Masi conducts the Orchestra da Camera di Roma in this heart-wrenching gem.

                                                 

ΚRON009  MAD DOG  Τhe soundtrack to Fabrizio De Angelis 1984 action film MAD DOG. starring JOHN ETHAN WAYNE, HENRY SILVA and ERNEST BORGNINE.  Music by the legendary Roman composer FRANCESCO De MASI (1930-2005) The solo trumpet is that of NELLO SALSA, a student of Maestro De MASI at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome where the latter was Professor of Orchestral Practice.  The young musician, many years later performer of Benigni’s Oscar winning Life is Beautiful (1997) started out with this soundtrack. The harmonica is played by none less than the world's most famous harmonica player (at least among us lovers of the genre) FRANCO De GEMINI. The soundtrack existed up to now only as 33 rpm LP released by Beat Records (publisher of the OST) and has become quite rare and coveted by collectors.

How important is the look and packaging of your records?

 The most important thing after the music according to me. When a title had vinyl release beforehand and if the rights are available I try to get the rights for it, when not then we create original artwork for it, We do not go for extravagant packaging though, all our releases so far come in standard jewelcase packaging.

What are your future plans for expanding the label?

 We will be publishing many more soundtracks in the coming years, rest assured of that, besides we might also expand to the world of music outside film soundtracks, but at the time being it is still just a very blurred idea.

How do you survive through the years?

 Βy being highly dedicated and never doing a step that is beyond my reach, All business has an element of risk but  risking too much one can end up losing everything. One step at a time makes for a longer but safer journey also.

How do you find new acts?

 I am often contacted by the artists themselves, besides nowadays most artists have their own webpages and that gives you more than an idea of what an artist / compser / band has to offer. I also discover new talent at concerts etc.

(As told to High Fidelity Stories)
contact : www.kronosrecords.com