Espontaneamente se Tenta: Aventuras Sonoras de Djalma Corrêa

While Djalma Corrêa (1942-2022) is renowned for his research into Afro-Brazilian percussion and his work with the Tropicalistas Doces Bárbaros, this collection of unreleased material opens up another world to the compositions of Corrêa, showing his electro-acoustic work with a singular Afro-Brazilian vision. Before his death, the two label bosses of Lugar Alto worked with Corrêa at his ranch and found a huge collection of unreleased material from all stages of his career. ‘Evolução (Para Fita e Filme)’ is a drone piece that goes into the outer limits of sound using graphic notation similar to the style of Pierre Schaeffer. ‘Exemplo de Sintetizadores’ exemplifies the bizarre mixed-bag to be found in the collection, 70s soft-core synths and gentle brush strokes producing decidedly lush melodies. ‘Suíte Contagotas’ is the ideas of Walter Smetak in action, a one-take piece recorded in the water tank of the Bahia Federal University, dripping water miked up and put through effects using natural echo. Then, to round off the suite, the piece bizarrely finishes with a brief chamber orchestra interlude. The live recording ‘Bossa 2000 dC’ is considered one of the first pieces of electronic music performed in Brazil, it begins with some intriguing proto-bleeps in the style of the Forbidden Planet soundtrack with an almost repetitive bassline quietly humming in the background, then the cacophony starts with rolling distorted percussion. Fascinating stuff.