Piero Umiliani - Open Space

Year Released: 2025 (7" EP reissue)
First release in 1973 on the album To-Day's Sound
Genre: Library Funk / Jazz Groove / Breakbeat

Description:

Open Space by Italian maestro Piero Umiliani is a standout piece of European library funk — a shimmering fusion of jazz groove, space-age lounge, and tightly arranged rhythm-section work. Known for his deep catalogue of film and library compositions, Umiliani crafted “Open Space” as a mood piece: light, hypnotic, and subtly funky, with a rhythm pocket that feels at once effortless and meticulously arranged.

This edition — the 7-inch EP released on Palace Records in 2025 — brings the track into a modern, DJ-focused context. Palace’s pressing is loud, clean, and perfectly suited for selectors who want Umiliani’s grooves in a playable, club-ready format.

The bassline and break on the intro always reminded me of the guitar break from Herbie Hancock’s Wiggle Waggle. Anyway, this record somehow slipped past many of us crate diggers from back in the day and now provides an untapped treasure trove of sample-ready breaks.

Released on the DJ-friendly 45 format for the first time in 2018, this 7-inch EP edition brings the track into, DJ-focused context. Palace’s pressing is loud, clean, and perfectly suited for selectors who want Umiliani’s grooves on a club-ready 45, and gives beatmakers and collectors a rare opportunity to grab a piece of European library history in a compact format.

With its crisp drums, warm production, and unmistakable groove, “Open Space” remains one of Umiliani’s most coveted cuts — now revived for a new generation of producers, DJs, and left-field funk enthusiasts.