• Music

    Kawol Samarqandi and George Christian – Telegraph Paths

    The Internet, for all the garbage one finds on it, amazes me some days.  This album, a collaboration of a friend of the blog, George Christian (out of Brazil), collaborates with Kawol Samarqandi (based in Japan) and release this collection on a Spanish record label, Bestiar and an Australian label, Ramble Records.  The world becomes smaller everyday. The is a pure guitar album.  George performs on acoustic-electric flat-top guitar, electric guitar, while Kawol performs on electric oil can guitar.  The plucks and twangs blend into each other seamlessly, and the music suits the day rather well, as it is rainy in Brno…

  • Music

    Alex Malheiros – Tempos Futuros

    The London-based record label Far Out Recordings is killing me a little these days!  I was honored to receive tracks from Alex Malheiros’ new album, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking it up on disc, but I loathe having to wait too long such treasures to come out.  Still, an album of this magnitude is worth the wait, trust me.  November 21st will come quickly, judging by how fast 2021 has blown by. For those of you who know something about Brazilian jazz, especially of the fusion variety, Alex Malheiros is not going to need any introduction.  For those…

  • Music

    SHAPER – More Remixes

    Every now and then, a crunchy, loud, nearly abrasive (but pleasantly so) release is needed to shake me out of having too much calm in my day.  Our dear friends at Porto Alegre’s finest experimental label, The Church of Noisy Goat have released another heavy release full of rough post-Industrial sound remixed and chopped into oblivion.  It features friends and those I admire, such as Bode, SRVTR, Wilfried Hanrath and RAUPPWAR among others.

  • Music

    Various Artists – The Psychedelic Sounds of The Blog That Celebrates Itself, Volume II

    The Blog That Celebrates Itself was a website and record label based out of São Paolo, Brazil which dedicates itself to promoting shoegaze and other underground artists from all over the world, of course specializing in young Brazilian acts. This particular comp leans more towards pop-psych music, with covers from bands such as the Velvet Underground and Herman’s Hermits done in a drone-like, hazy fashion.  The blog and the label are worthy reading.

  • Music

    Various Artists – Brazil USA 70: Brazilian Music In The USA In The 1970s

    We’ll have to rely on a different way of hearing the tracks on this phenomenal comp released by Soul Jazz Records and Mr. Bongo.  Consider heading over to Sounds of the Universe’s page to sample tunes from one of the best and widest-ranging comps I’ve had the pleasure of hearing in some time now. From Sounds of the Universe’s website: All of the music featured here on this new Soul Jazz Records collection was created by Brazilian artists living and working in the USA in the 1970s. The album brings together some of these finest works and comes complete with…

  • Music - Spotify

    Corciolli – Valse D’Adieu

    The word seems to be burning at the moment.  All around, there is misery, anger and a sense of hopelessness.  One can either be consumed by it (and it’s been a battle not to be), or you can relax, listen to something calming, and get on with life. Corciolli is a pianist out of Brazil who also owns the record label Azul Music who specialize in releasing classical and world music. Some words from the label regarding this release: In a minimalist and stripped-down approach, VALSE D´ADIEU, new single from Brazilian film composer Corciolli,  stands out for its simplicity and spontaneity.…

  • Music

    George Christian – África em mim

    Our friend and colleague George Christian Vilela Pereira has released an album that I could only describe as mellow strumming psychedelic noise with elements of Krautrock and instrumental psych that one could have found in Japan in the late 70s and early 80s.  The lo-fi feel of the recording adds to the hazy pleasantness of this album. According to George Christian’s notes, this is a paean to the African influence in Brazil and on his music.  He explains it clearly here: This album came up with a basic motivation in mind: to show how much Africa there is in my…

  • Music

    IO – ∀LICE

    I have a particularly strong attraction to Porto Alegre, Brazil.  I have a few friends from there, one in particular who was a charmer, and it seems that everything from jazz to progressive rock seems to do well there. This is the breeding ground of IO, a visual artist, scenographer, fashion designer, performer and musician from Porto Alegre.  She uses a more cinematic approach to musique concrète music, and the pieces play like wordless stories that play for the cinema in your mind.  It’s a very well-recorded album, easy to get lost in, and it was a pleasure to listen…

  • Music

    Marcos Resende & Index – Marcos Resende & Index

    This album is a sort of ‘holy grail’ for Brazilian jazz.  From Marcos Resende’s Bandcamp site: Beyond their highly sought after 1978 album Festa Para Um Novo Rei – home to the mystical jazz-funk classic ‘Vidigal’ and released on Philips’ iconic Musica Popular Brasileira Contemporanea series (MPBC) – little is known about Marcos Resende & Index, even to aficionados of rare Brazilian music. Far Out Recordings is immensely proud to present their previously unreleased self-titled debut album from 1976, contributing a crucial missing work from the glory days of progressive Brazilian instrumental music. A prodigious child, Marcos Resende learned to…