Calibro 35 Enter the World of James Ellroy on New Album Ellroy vs L.A., First Single “Riots” Out Now

Italian cinematic funk collective Calibro 35 have announced their new album Ellroy vs L.A., due October 9 via Record Kicks. Inspired by the dark mythology of Los Angeles and the work of legendary noir author James Ellroy, the record began as the original soundtrack to filmmaker Francesco Zippel’s award-winning documentary Ellroy vs L.A. before evolving into a fully realized album of cinematic crime funk, psychedelia, and hypnotic groove-driven compositions.

The first single, “Riots,” is available now and offers an explosive introduction to the project’s atmosphere. Built around tense rhythms, distorted textures, and propulsive instrumental energy, the track captures the volatility and urban chaos associated with Ellroy’s vision of Los Angeles—a city suspended between glamour, corruption, violence, and myth.

The collaboration emerged through Zippel’s documentary, which received Italy’s prestigious Nastro d’Argento Critics’ Choice Award. Produced by Federica Paniccia and Francesco Zippel for Quoiat Films, the film explores Ellroy’s relationship with Los Angeles through archival footage, interviews, and scenes of Calibro 35 recording the score in the studio. Rather than simply accompanying the documentary, the music became an extension of Ellroy’s world itself.

Across twelve new compositions, Ellroy vs L.A. sees Calibro 35 operating in perhaps their most natural territory to date. Drawing on the tension and atmosphere of noir fiction, the band expand their signature blend of vintage Italian soundtrack influences, jazz, and funk into darker, more narrative-driven territory. The result feels less like a traditional soundtrack and more like an imagined sonic map of Los Angeles—fragmented, seductive, paranoid, and alive after dark.

Formed in Milan in 2007, Calibro 35 built their reputation by reinterpreting the legacy of Italian film music composers such as Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, and Armando Trovajoli. Over time, they transformed those influences into a distinct contemporary sound that bridges cinematic funk, psychedelia, jazz, and crate-digger culture. Their music has since been sampled by artists including Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Damon Albarn, while earning praise from outlets such as Rolling Stone and Far Out Magazine.

Now nearly two decades into their career, the quartet—Enrico Gabrielli, Massimo Martellotta, Fabio Rondanini, and Tommaso Colliva—continue to evolve without abandoning the cinematic DNA at the center of their identity. Following the acclaim of their 2025 release Exploration and a high-profile performance at the Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Verona, Ellroy vs L.A. further expands their universe into something darker, stranger, and deeply immersive.

With this project, Calibro 35 do more than score a film—they translate the mythology of James Ellroy into rhythm, tension, atmosphere, and groove, creating a soundtrack for a Los Angeles that exists somewhere between reality and noir fiction.