sramba

Coming almost two decades since the three albums that this Brazilian percussionist made as a member of the +2's for David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, sramba betrays the same beguiling mix of modernity and musical roots, although the harsher urban notes have been seemingly tempered by passing time. Son of a samba songwriter, Lancellotti grew up ‘inside samba, it's my roots… I bring it into whatever style of music I am making.’ Here, it's a highly original marriage of roots samba and ‘modular machines’, specifically the Russian-designed synths of collaborator Ricardo Dias Gomes, achieved during two months at work in Domenico's Lisbon studio. Together they deconstruct and play with the genre in the spirit of Tom Zé's marvellous Estudando O Samba, a prime influence. Another surprising one is that of ‘70s avant-garde ‘Krautrockers’, Faust, to whom they give a specific ‘hug’ in ‘Um Abraço No Faust’, one of three instrumentals. On the second, ‘Tá Brabo’, a synthesizer and a simple acoustic guitar motif provide the sweetness that the vocals do elsewhere. The third, ‘Mole’, all clanging bells and ethereal synth-washes, is as short and sublime as the closing song, ‘Florescer’. Essentially, ‘samba da máquina is samba’. It's also full of wonderful sonic surprises.