SILVA - "Noite"

More than a year after launching Vista Pro Mar, SILVA returns with “Noite,” a sensual and magnetic number written between Japan and Brazil. The single, which features collaboration with veteran singer and guitarist Lulu Santos and rapper with growing hype Don L, has a disco funk feel expressed through voluptuous synths and heady back vocals.

The talented composer and producer hailing from Vitória (ES) transcends the limits of ephemeral pop and dreamy electro to offer a romantic ascension to the world of ideal beauty where mundane life fades under a heavy black veil. The blurred edges of “Noite” envelop all things, allowing for fantasies to emerge and the most unreal visions to prevail, leaving open the promise of a fresh LP.

Video: SILVA - "Volta"

Gorgeously shot between sunset and sunrise and directed by William Sossai and Angelo Silva, the exquisite clip for “Volta,” latest single off of Vista Pro Mar, follows SILVA on a journey through the streets of Luanda, Angola. Killer dance moves and performances by young and less young kuduristas are juxtaposed to the Brazilian multi-instrumentalist’s fragile, beautifully nuanced voice telling a story of contemplation and romance (“Pode ser o tempo fará com que você perceba que nós dois não somos em vão, em vão não há beleza”).

Although separated by an ocean, Brazil and Angola share a rich history of mixed Afro-Iberian musical tradition – heritage of centuries-long Portuguese colonization and slave trade. Thus, this stunning depiction of cross-fertilization at a micro-level makes the marimba-like layer take on a full significance.  


In May, SILVA will release a documentary about his week-long trip in Luanda, in collaboration with FARM.

Mahmundi - Setembro EP

Setembro EP, Mahmundi
Independiente, Brazil
Rating: 75
by Souad Martin-Saoudi

Mahmundi is the musical project of singer songwriter and self-taught multi-instrumentalist Marcela Vale. The prodigy from Rio de Janeiro unlocks Setembro (the follow up to her first effort titled, Efeito das Cores), a fragmented collection of six tracks that condense and disperse in rhythm with the tides. The amalgam of atmospheric synths, well-calculated guitar splashes and haunting drum machine beats creates an impressive landslide her husky and sensuous voice breaks against, commanding a constant yet hurried side-to-side movement of the whole body. Introspection and fortitude could be Mahmundi’s credo - 'Mah' being a nickname of Marcela and 'Mundi' a derivation of 'Mundo', meaning 'world', something like 'Marcela’s world'.

The EP’s opening number and first single off, “Vem - {Selah}” perfectly embodies the artist’s premise. “Vem, me dê uma dança, me dê um abraço, vê se não se cansa, segura o meu braço, eu te levanto, caso o cansaço, venha te puxar pra baixo, dos lençóis” she declares in the first lines of the song as the sharp drum machine and synth feed a dark and contemplative soundscape on the verge of tropical and industrial. Vale’s take on becoming a better person while finding inner peace and serenity acts as a balm on the electronic undertows of co-producer Lucas Paiva. With “Preludio” and “Quase Sem Querer” Vale's lyrics navigate even further in her land-locked sea of confession and nostalgia, all with an '80s breeze in its sails.

We then reach “Arpoador," where Vale makes us disembark to admire one of the most beautiful sunsets in Rio de Janeiro. Her breathy inflections, that echo the works of iconic figures and role models Marina Lima and Rita Lee, are reassuring. The sadness that overwhelmed us in the early morning is now unraveling itself in the water and sun of Arpoador. Simple, crystalline words swirl and fold back into the emotional ebb and flow of Mahmundi. The title song, with its autotune incursion, exudes a gentle wistfulness. Vale’s voice is meant to reverberate ad infinitum. The 25 minutes EP closes with “Leve”, a stripped-down (scaled down) track on which she accompanies herself on the guitar, revealing her strength as a composer. Till the release of a proper full-length, you can download Setembro HERE.

Classic, Intocable

Classic. Intocable
Sony International, Mexico
Rating: 63
By Carlos Reyes

Intocable’s conception of ‘classic’ is very out there; considering they’re always aiming for reinvention it’s not that big of a shock that their latest album cover references the counter-culture movement in the most miscellaneous of ways. It’s this kind of detailing that reinforces the group’s sense for uniqueness, something truly noticeable in their beginnings and not as prevalent nowadays. Like Pegasso did on its time, Intocable’s songs are inclined towards a sort of alternative audience but keeping their arena-size reach also in mind. Classic isn’t necessarily a change in sound but a return to an earlier Intocable (Fuego Eterno, Otro Mundo), which most people never really new in the first place. Before all the cutesy songs (and a couple of anthems), this band from Zapata, Texas had much of Los Tigres del Norte and Cornelio Reyna in them. The same way they are declared fans of The Smiths or Jay Z, their music has never really shown such eclectic inspirations but it has led them to explore new lands. They quickly lost the ‘Tejano’ tag to own a spot as one of Norteño’s most engaging and influential names, ever.

It’s hard to think of Intocable as a Mexican-American act, they’re fully embedded in Mexico’s hot-selling industry, perhaps the only Regional Mexican group with constant Top40 (pop) airplay. In such way, it’s not all surprising that they have ended up collaborating with Ricardo Arjona or AB Quintanilla, their incursion to Latin Pop has not been very fortunate, but it’s nice to see them try. If anything, it has been nice to see their songs on the hands of people like Natalia Lafourcade, Tego Calderon, Jumbo and Kinky. And let’s not forget that lately, Volovan sounds just like them. Through the last decade or so, we’ve seen hundreds of groups picking up their aesthetics, it will be interesting to see just how much Classic affects them, for one, it’s like the album Intocable had been trying to avoid. First single “Hay Ojitos” is a chart-topper, an endearing song that sums up what Classic sounds like. Other standouts include “Tu amor y mi amor”, “Rompiendo el Retrato” and the really weird “Estamos en Algo.”

Monterrey’s Luis ‘Louie’ Padilla gave them a bunch of hits, but lately the group was sinking in its own mellowness. Their country album, Crossroads being the excuse, it was refreshing, but also misunderstood. It would’ve been nice to see them explore that channel even further; instead, they have tightened their outfits to sing ranchero songs with Norteño instruments and techniques. In Classic, they team up with legendary Ramon Ayala and pay homage to their idol and Los Relampagos del Norte. The result is a bit too conservative and respectful but nonetheless, these guys are damn classy. Ayala was on charge of the album’s well adjusted production, Intocable is recognizable but a bit restrained. But asking them to suddenly transform themselves is harsh, still, I was hoping for something as magical as “Estas Que Te Pelas” or at least for them to take notice (and apply) Michael Salgado’s tricks, if you’re not aware yet, the guy is Norteño’s most exciting persona.

Classic is obviously another effort to prevent Intocable from settling in, and it works fine, I’m just not caught-up to the rushed rhymes of Norteño’s standardized pace. But my dad loved this, meaning Intocable accomplished their goal of breaking continuity, and that’s always a virtue.