Okay, the conference has wi-fi. Thank you, microwave
data-gods.
If you're a Brazilectronica fan, it clearly doesn't help
much to actually be from Brazil. All the better,
then, that we at "Beyond the Beyond" should get
our Brazilectronica recommendations from a DJ
in Prague. That's right, Prague! D'you know a
hipper city than that?
Note that my own commentary will be added in
(((triple parentheses))).
From: "Douglas Arellanes"
Date: Thu Dec 04, 2003
To:
Subject: Brazilectronica recommended list
Hi,
(((Yo!)))
Here are a few strongly recommended CDs in the Brazilian
electronica genre for you to check out. The odd thing about
the genre is that it's mostly Europeans or Japanese on the
samplers working as producers.
(((I'm inclined to consider that a Brazilectronica "feature"
rather than a "bug.")))
Various Artists - "Sambaloco: Brazilian Drum'n'Bass Classics"
Notable for the remix work of DJ Patife,
who also has a new remix on Koop's
"Waltz for Koop - Alternative Takes" remix.
Zero db - "Reconstruction"
Zero db are London-based DJs (((that figures)))
whose remix work is in high demand these days.
Their remix of Grupo Batuque's "E Ruim" is astounding,
a crazy Carnival parade of Batucada beats and the
deepest, heaviest bass I've ever heard.
They also remixed Suba's "Samba do Gringo Paulista,"
which appears both on Suba's "Tributo" as well as on this
record. Plus they also do a Sun Ra remix
on this record that's pretty wacked-out.
(((One might have known the late Sun Ra would
dawn again someplace.)))
Various Artists - "Bossa Tres Jazz" A pretty world-hopping
project, which brought together Japanese producers,
European nu-jazzers and Brazilian divas like Salome de Bahia.
The cover of Stevie Wonder's "Another Star" is sublime.
(((I don't yet know much about Brazilian pop music, but even
a neophyte like myself soon gets it about their odd
Stevie Wonder fixation.)))
There are two series of compilations that are also excellent.
The Break 'n' Bossa series tends to highlight the work of
Nicola Conte, who plays a Rimini brand of Brazilian electronica.
It's more chilled out, but groovy nonetheless. They're at
number six in that series now. Conte's early stuff brings a
kind of "I Dream of Jeannie" sensibility to the genre, but
nowadays he's a lot smoother.
(((It takes a tough genre to survive an "I Dream of Jeannie"
sensibility.)))
The Brazilectro series tends toward more house-y
Brazilian-esque music. More chilled-out stuff, but good
nonetheless.
In terms of Divas, the list is pretty short. Salome de Bahia
would be one. Zuco 103's Lilian Viera would be another.
But another diva on the level of Bebel Gilberto will be hard to find.
(((Yeah? How 'bout Bebel's mom and stepmom? Divas
may be hard to find, but hey, they breed.)))
If you're interested, I can set up a subsite for you to
download some of this; you gotta promise the RIAA
that you'll buy it later, though... ;-)
doug arellanes
(((Hey, that's the Recording Industry Association of AMERICA,
right? What on this Earth do they have to do with Czech
subsites for Brazilian music, especially when it's not
particularly Czech and remarkable un-Brazilian to boot?)))
(((If it makes the RIAA any happier, perhaps I can dispense
with the commercial music-product entirely,
and silently subsist on some remixed, chilled-out, house-y,
deep, heavy, Batacuda, world-hopping nu-grooviness.)))
