Brasil 2mil
The Soul of Bass-O-Nova
Six Degrees
Yes – another orange digipak from the fine folks at Six Degrees, one of my new favorite labels. Brasil 2mil celebrates the millennial rollover with a collection of forward-looking artists from the most musical place on Earth. Taking modern music formats to new places, Brasil 2mil presents a dizzying collection of the future of Brazilian music, a set of songs that integrates modern electronic and jazz styles with the staggering volume and quality of traditional Brazilian sounds. Allow me to present some tracks:
Virgínia Rodriguez lays her distinctive voice atop a sweltering mass of percussion. Like a satin sheet floating down a smoothly rolling river, it’s a study in the beauty of interaction as Rodriguez’s low warble gracefully sways to the constantly-evolving rhythms. Smoke City’s “Numbers” presents… well, numbers above a marching ensemble of drums and a turbulent bass line. Arakatuba’s “Josimar (Fila Brazilia Mis)” is a study in beats and bass, a completely original fusion between batucada and dub that flows over the space of its seven minutes from a rhythm study to a hypnotizing passion play between drums, bass, and a sirening tone.
Keep in mind that these are merely samples, not the highlights. There’s fourteen tracks on here, a full hour of music, and each piece delivers a character that is completely individual while remaining stoutly Brazilian and looking towards the future of music. Extremely recommended.
Six Degrees Records, P.O. Box 411347, San Francisco, CA 94141
