TITLE: III
LABEL: Glitterbeat
Bixiga 70 is a five-year-old, leaderless 10-piece Brazilian instrumental collective. Their name refers to the street address and neighborhood in Sao Paulo where they formed. And if the “70” makes you think of Fela’s Afrika 70, that would be appropriate as well – Afrobeat is a core element of their sound. Like Antibalas and the Budos Band (who Bixiga 70 has cited as influences), there’s so much more going on here: you can hear aspects of jazz, Ethiopian music, dub, American funk, many of the musical flavors of Brazil, and other Lusophone sounds especially those of Angola. What’s most exciting is that many of these elements are present on virtually every song – this band is now sublimating its influences rather than being defined by them. It’s all wrapped up in a tight, percussion-driven, horn-centric presentation that gives each song maximum visceral impact. I thought Bixiga 70’s 2011 debut album was noteworthy, and the followup Ocupai was one of my favorites of 2014; this one is even better, if that’s possible. Literally every track on this album is excellent – it’s easily one of the best things I’ve heard all year.
TOP TRACKS: 1 2 3 5 6 8
ALSO RECOMMENDED: 4 7 9
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