Description
A sublime expedition from Brazil to the sky, "Modo Aviao" (Airplane Mode) sees Sao Paulo based trio Caixa Cubo jet further forth from the lineage of Brazilian instrumental music.
Following in the footsteps of heroes like Azymuth, Antonio Adolfo, Cesar Mariano and Marcos Resende, with the tried and tested trifecta of synthesizers, bass and drums, Caixa Cubo have carved out their own idiosyncratic ideal of golden-era Brazilian jazz-funk and samba-jazz.
Encapsulating the vitality and experimentalism synonymous with Sao Paulo's musical history, Caixa Cubo playfully straddle the elegant and the surreal, with masterful songwriting and the consummate musicianship of longtime friends and bandmates Henrique Gomide (keyboards) Noa Stroeter (bass) Joao Fideles (drums).
Caixa Cubo have been playing together for over 14 years - and that's 'playing' in the truest sense of the word. As bassist Noa Stroeter explains:
"A story, a joke, images, invented words, people we met on tour, places, fictitious or not, have always been part of our creative process. And they are precious materials beyond the musical work itself. This dynamic has stayed with us to this day, and for me it is the characteristic that guarantees that no matter what, we will have fun working."
Presenting a contemporary reimagining of Brazilian grooves from the 1970s, Modo Aviao marks an evolution for Caixa Cubo's music which delves deeper into the tradition of Brazilian instrumental music, while continuing to develop its rhythmic and harmonic possibilities. Utilising an extensive understanding of Brazilian music history and Brazilian rhythm in particular, the group explore the seemingly endless possibilities of fusing carnaval marches, frevo and Baiao, with jazz, MPB and funk.
Recent Caixa Cubo releases include 2023's "Agora", which featured guest vocalists including Xenia Franca and Ze Leonidas; and 2020's "Angela," which was hailed by BBC 6 Music, Gilles Peterson, and Bandcamp as one of the best albums of the year.
Caixa Cubo have performed at Jazzahead! in 2022 (Germany), Jazz a Vienne (France), Riverboat Jazz Festival (Denmark), Breda Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Blue Note Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Jazzkeller Frankfurt (Germany)
This November Caixa Cubo will tour Europe, with performances in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands and France.