The collective was formed by Italian composer
Franco Evangelisti in Rome in 1964. Drawing on
jazz,
serialism,
musique concrete, and other avant-garde techniques developed by contemporary classical music composers such as
Luigi Nono and
Giacinto Scelsi, the group was dedicated to the development of new music techniques by improvisation, noise-techniques, and anti-musical systems. The group members and frequent guests made use of extended techniques on traditional classical instruments, as well as
prepared piano,
tape music and
electronic music. During the 1970s the music continued to evolve to embrace techniques and genres such as guitar feedback and
funk. In addition to concerts, the group issued a series of albums and contributed to many scores by group member
Ennio Morricone, including
A Quiet Place in the Country (1968) and
Cold Eyes of Fear (1971). The group slowly disbanded after Evangelisti's death in 1980. ==Main Members==