It was
one of the first projects the label endeavoured upon way back in 1994 and after
20 years, Far Out is back with this new release of varied, yet consistently
danceable bossa grooves, Brazil funk and scorching batucadas.
It’s
just the kind of music that has defined the label over its two-decade history,
which makes it the perfect way to mark 20 years of Far Out Recordings!
In
keeping with the very ethos of Far Out, The Friends From Rio Project cements
the bonds originally welded by a young Joe Davis, when he set off to Rio, in
search of the mysterious sounds of Brazil.
Probably
the best Brazil project in the world! Featuring an all-star line-up of the
label’s closest friends, (as well as some new faces) Friends From Rio is a
fresh take on our original idea of recording tunes from Brazil for the dance
floors of London.
Consisting
of all original material (with the exception of a blistering version of Jorge
Ben’s timeless ‘Mas Que Nada’), this is a reunion of old friends and that’s
exactly how it sounds, with celebratory whoops and whistles littering the
album, it really does sound like a party. Every track is in some way
reminiscent of the kind of music Joe Davis and friends were playing on the
underground club scene in London, back at the time of the first Rio Project.
While
principally a Brazilian record, lofty disco synths and funk basslines take
tracks ‘So Resta A Porta’,‘Veneno’ and ‘Fogo No Chao’ beneath the lights of a
spinning mirror ball, while samba batucadas and fiery brass sections keep ‘Casino
Bangu’ and Hyldon and Alex Malheiros’ fantastically funky ‘Leite De Pedra’,
decidedly under the Rio sun. The album also explores deeper territory with
‘Batucada Bidu’ providing an instrumental stint of intense, driven samba
percussion, while Robertinho Silva’s solo closing track ‘Japa’ is deep and
intriguing Brazilian jazz music at its finest.
“We’ve
always tried to keep the music dance-floor orientated, but it’s sometimes hard
to get musicians to play in the same style and with the same feel as they perhaps
had in days gone by. Over the last 20 years, our relationships with some of
these legends has really developed through sharing musical ideas, and this
understanding really comes out in this Rio Project, enabling us to get exactly
the results we wanted while recording the album. It was a real team effort,
Daniel Maunick, Alex Malheiros and I; we were all on the same page, ensuring
that the groove was imbedded in the music first and foremost.” - Joe Davis
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