INCREDIBILE?! – LE FORBICI DI MANITÙ & FRIENDS 2 x Vinyl

Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo

Tribute to the Incredible String Band by Forbici di Manitù. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Incredible String Band gained an underground but well-established following among a certain hippie audience. The two main members were Robin Williamson and Mike Heron. They were among the leading exponents of so-called acid folk and have several albums to their credit that are now considered classics, such as The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter and U. There is indeed a connection between the ISB, hippie culture, and the ancient spiritual tradition of Britain. Today, in today’s mass culture, all this seems very distant.

This heartfelt tribute by Le Forbici di Manitù is therefore both necessary and commendable. Imaginative reinterpretations (with lyrics sung in Italian) have been made from the ISB repertoire. For the occasion, Forbici di Manitù (Manitù Rossi, Gabriella Marconi, Vittore Baroni, and Fabrizio Tavernelli) enlisted the help of some Incredibili Amici (Incredible Friends) from the Italian underground and psychedelic music scene, such as Maisie, No Strange, Patrizia Oliva, Fabrizio Tavernelli, Andrea Tich, and Rudi Veo.

In addition, sound material provided by the elusive Incredibly Strange Orchestra was also used, featuring several names from the Italian experimental scene, including Vittorio Nistri (Deadburger), Teho Tehardo, Massimo Olla, and My Cat Is An Alien. The first track, entitled “Mike e Robin,” is an original composition, as is the suite “Incredibile?!” (about 18 minutes long), characterized by a mystical, dreamlike, and hypnotic atmosphere. No Strange, with “C’è una musica,” bring their unmistakable psychedelic touch to ISB’s music, demonstrating that they have fully immersed themselves in the “hippie” spirit of the Scottish group. All the compositions succeed in bringing ISB’s ancient esoteric message into the present day, and this, ultimately, is the most important aspect.

Incredibile?! is released as a double LP or double CD and is published in a limited edition of 300+300 copies, plus a digital download with the extra track This Moment by Patrizia Oliva. The cover artwork, depicting the musicians involved, by Giuseppe Casini is clearly inspired by the classic album The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter. The work is dedicated to the late Matteo Guarnaccia, a historic figure of the Italian underground, illustrator, painter, and essayist, whose illustration paying homage to ISB can be found inside.