No Reino Dos Afetos

Bruno Berle hails from Maceió, Alagoas, a state on the east coast of Brazil that boasts a tight-knit musical community. The composer, poet and instrumentalist here presents a mixtape of home-spun beats met with flavours of MPB, contemporary R&B, neo-soul, indie rock and splashes of highlife (check ‘Som Nyame’). The vast array of influences here speak to Berle’s experience playing in soft-rock group Troco em Bala (who are well known on the Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo rock circuits), making beats at home, and of course the influence of Brazilian popular music. On many of the tracks he partnered with Batata Boy, a friend and up-and-coming producer based between Maceió and São Paulo, on production, mastering and drum programming.

The disc kicks off with the chilled out ‘Até Meu Violão’ (Even My Guitar), penned by percussionist João Menezes. The wonky bossa guitar comp and swirling, distant-memory production is followed by the equally wonky but more groove-based lead single ‘Quero Dizer’ (I Want to Say). Berle’s voice appears to crackle from an old record as he delivers a well-constructed melody over a snare backbeat. My personal favourite, though, would be ‘O Nome Do Meu Amor’ (My Love’s Name), as it best displays Berle’s vocal talents in a stripped-back arrangement that will be to the taste of all who love a good tearjerker.