Description
Some crate-digging compilations are often the result of someone hand-picking their choice favourites from another country's musical history, perhaps unaware or uninvolved with its cultural lineage in the process. On Soundway's latest release - a treasure trove of synth jams, pop, samba boogie, balearic and electro from 1980 & '90s Brazil - the tracks are picked by Millos Kaiser, one half of the Brazilian duo Selvagem, who are at the helm of throwing some of the country's best dance parties. It's a rare compilation that offers Brazilian music actually picked by a Brazilian.
Whilst names such as Ricardo Bomba, Villa Box, Fogo Baiano, Electric Boogies and Batista Junior may not be household names, they tell an untold, yet rich and important part of musical history in Brazil. The release also covers a decade that has been intentionally forgotten and brushed aside by many in the country. "Use of synthesizers and electronic drums in polished and groovy productions was seen as a way to standardize and Americanize Brazilian music," Kaiser says. "This is a thought that seems to still hang in the air. Many people stand by their opinion that the 80s were the lost era of Brazilian music."
If the 80s has a bad reputation amongst traditionalists in Brazil then the 1990s are even more derived and deplored. This going against the grain and plucking gold from such forgotten periods is what makes this such a charming, unique, character-loaded and fascinating collection of music. It's a release that is loaded with smooth grooves, bubbling bass, glistening synthesisers, funk strutting guitar lines and sheen of production that undeniably marks it of its time.
For Kaiser this compilation is about reintroducing music during a period of reappraisal, catching a new wave and hoping contemporary listeners will ride it with him. "The idea is to do justice to these songs. Songs that combine all the right ingredients that should have put them on radio playlists when I was growing up or at least in the cases of more adventurous DJs".
Millos Kaiser is a DJ, digger, vinyl junkie/dealer born in Rio de Janeiro and living in São Paulo for the past 8 years. He launched the dance party/club night Selvagem with partner Trepanado in 2010, bringing thousands of dancers one Sunday a month to a public square in the heart of São Paulo. The award-winning brand was a crucial element of the "street party" movement in the city and consequently its two resident DJs quickly became in high demand for other events.
As both a solo artist and part of the DJ duo with Trepanado, Millos Kaiser has played all over Brazil as well as touring in the US and Europe, including festivals such as Dekmantel. Selvagem has also had remixes and edits released on labels such as Disco Halal, Disco Deviance, Hello Sailor, Music For Dreams and Beats In Space Records.
