The Four Flies series bridging the gap between Italian heritage and the modern dancefloor returns with a heavy-duty reimagining of a beloved Piero Umiliani gem. This digital-first release comes ahead of a sophisticated new EP from the formidable pairing of Nicola Conte and Nico Lahs. Arriving this June, the physical release is the latest instalment of Reloved – the label’s ongoing project where today’s most forward-thinking DJ-producers put their spin on rare Italian library and soundtrack gems.
Conte and Lahs’s approach is rooted in a desire to harmonize the analogue charm, cinematic palette, and Afro-tribal pulse of the Italian 70s with a contemporary club energy. The duo focuses on a respectful dialogue with the original source material; eschewing invasive overwrites, they instead deploy beats, effects, and new dynamics that emphasize the unique identity of the compositions rather than obscuring them.
The first fruit of this collaboration is their rework of “Nel Villaggio” (originally found on the 1975 library album Continente Nero). The track is renowned for evoking the sultry, exotic atmospheres of Luigi Scattini’s erotic film trilogy (La ragazza dalla pelle di luna, La ragazza fuoristrada, Il corpo)—scores that remain a high-water mark in Umiliani’s discography.
In this Afro Club Mix, Conte and Lahs rebuild the structure through a series of hypnotic, creeping sequences, building tension until it gives way to the soaring harmonic progression of the original. By introducing sampled Afro-percussion and a deep, driving house groove, they amplify the ritualistic energy of the piece, turning it into a potent, refined tool for the discerning DJ.
The result is a tasteful, balanced homage that breathes new life into an Italian library classic, propelling it from the flickering screens and analogue airwaves of the past onto the dancefloors of the present.