Legacy
The idea behind and the story of Miraloop Diamonds, the treasure of Miraloop Records
The first classical and contemporary label of the digital era
Miraloop Diamons, the first ever classical and contemporary label of the digital era, from 2007 has been dedicated to the richness of music. The idea of a classic-contemporary label open to cinematic music and jazz, administered by a label capable of handling all different kind of genres was an unparalleled novelty.
Born from the necessity of giving space to a purer musical creativity, and at the same to, creating a world where traditions could explore new post-ideological territories, both acoustic and electronic. Thanks to these peculiarities Miraloop instantly roots itself in the environment attracting attention of composers and performers from Bologna and Firenze.
A place for composers and performers of the future
Diamonds has been active as a record label since the 2008-2009 season, releasing works by Italian and international composers and performers. Initial artistic direction was entrusted to musicologist Alessandro Ratoci, whose research in the field of contemporary music shaped the label's profile from the very beginning towards rigorous, research-driven production.
The launch features two names destined to make their mark: Andrea Portera, with "Cube" — a five-act work performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra at Tokyo Opera City Hall for the Toru Takemitsu International Competition, where Portera wins second prize — and Alessandro Ratoci himself, with "Six Minutes". It is a debut that immediately sets the coordinates: music that happens in the world, not just in Italy.
In the years that follow, Diamonds releases the notes and colours of many other composers and performers: Francesco Giomi, Massimiliano Viel, Dominic Thibault, Andrea Sarto, Paolo Ingrosso, Giampiero Gemini, Raffaele Sargenti, Valerio Murat. For many of them this is their only recording venture — an archive of voices that would otherwise have gone unrecorded. Andrea Sarto's "Tau IV" wins an award at the Venice Biennale: only one recording exists, the one you will find in this catalogue.
Over time Diamonds expands its scope without betraying its original calling. In 2020 comes "Songs of the Water Spirits", the soundtrack to Nicolò Bongiorno's documentary of the same name — filmed in the Himalayan region of Ladakh over three years of fieldwork — composed by Matteo Milani and Walter Marocchi through an approach that weaves composition, sound design and editing into a single creative gesture. The film and its music travel through festivals around the world: in 2022 the soundtrack wins the Best Music award at The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival.
The most recent chapter is also the most deeply rooted in the history of Italian music. In 2023 a partnership takes shape with the Associazione Studi Giusto Pio and Cramps Music S.r.l. for the publication and promotion of the catalogue of Maestro Giusto Pio — violinist, composer, arranger and long-standing collaborator of Franco Battiato, co-author of some of the most important pages of Italian music between the late 1970s and the 1990s. The first result of this work is "KUM – Percorsi intrecciati con Franco Battiato" (double vinyl, 2024): four compositions from the period 1978-1993 — "Rappel", "Alla Corte di Nefertiti", "MeDea" and "A.D.A.M. Ubi Es" — three of which are absolute world premieres. A release that, nearly half a century on, restores to the public a part of Giusto Pio's post-avant-garde vision that had never before found its definitive form on record.
In 2025 the partnership continues with the digital release of "Alla Corte di Nefertiti", originally published in 1988 on Franco Battiato's label L'Ottava — now finally available on all major platforms.
Between the rarity and beauty
Diamonds’ catalog, initially managed by Alessandro Ratoci and Luigi Mastandrea, contains more than 250 records, some of which very rare, like for instance vinyl recordings from Bologna GB Martini Conservatory, Fiesole Music School, Firenze’s Centro Tempo Reale founded by Luciano Berio, or records from Tokyo Opera City Hall by Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. You can also find vinyl recordings of the historical Fontanamix Ensemlbe’s performances by Aralla e La Licata.
Miraloop Diamons catalog offers not only unpublished scores like “Hommages” by Sargenti, but also restored ancient scores, taken directly from the libraries and made into records for the first time, as it happened in “Rare and ancient Italian music of the XVI century”, recorded from the scores never used before, also by minor composers like Lambranzi and Rubini.
In the catalog you’ll also find purely historical music, like the records of Lelio Camilieri between 1981 and 2013, which inspired the first ever (remastered) restoration of the celebrated Tape for Live Musician by Albert Mayr, recorded in NY in 1971.
Post - ideology
Besides the rare and precious records, Diamonds proposes also more “pop” visions, connected to the notion of “music for pictures”, that you can find and listen to, in the “cinematic” section. Already few times music from Diamonds has been included in national and international charts, for instance “Tides” by Leo Stesili was awarded the second place on iTunes Italy chart. Recently, the same chart included the already mentioned “Rare and ancient Italian music of the XVI century”, two years after its publication. Another thing you can find in the catalog are some extreme sound explorations, like vinyl recordings of Thibaout, Spanghero, and Marco DIbeltulu, all of which play the main role in Radio Miraloop’s Extreme Sleepers broadcast, a program wholly dedicated to the avant-garde electronic music.
Listen to us on Radio Miraloop
You can listen to everything Diamons has to offer on all streaming platforms and stores, browsing through the website, starting from the section “Music”. You can also listen to the daily "Radio Miraloop" broadcasts.
The Extreme Sleepers (contemporay electronica, cinematic) from 1:00 to 2.00am
Notte Contemporanea (contemporary suite) from 2.00 to 6.30am
Oro (medieval, ancient) from 6.30 to 7am
Cinematica (music for pictures). Four daily programs.
Night Edition: from 12am to 1am. Sunrise Edition: from 7am to 8am. High Noon Edition: from 1pm to 2pt. Dinner Edition: from 8pm to 9pm
Listen for free from any device clicking here: www.miraloop.com/radio
Symbology: Diamonds
In the ancient symbology they represent the quadripartition, the richness. Not the material, but the spiritual one, connected to earth. When Miraloop Records was created, we wanted it to be connected to this element, to represent value and beauty with a pinch of madness.
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