RAMIRO MUSOTTO - "Sudaka" (Fast Horse)

With the plethora of "Brazilian" recordings flooding the market from all points it's nice to hear a Brazilian-electronic recording by somebody who's actually from Brazil. But this is hardly a "Brazillian" recording. On "Sudaka" accomplished percussionist, Berimbauist, and producer Ramiro Musotto subverts the whole notion of what is Brazilian music (as in bossa nova or samba) with rhythmic compositions that reflect the impact of technology on the country's disparate culture. Musotto-who with Carlinhos Brown helped shape the band Timbalada's pioneering samba-fusion-is at heart a percussionist and "Sudaka" is a work of rhythmic experimentation. Mutotto delves deep into the electronic-percussive realm on this debut, laying down soundscapes of berimbau, drum and bass, various sounds and various field recordings. Everything from streets vendors to Brazilian tribes to screaming teenage girls get mixed into Musotto's brew. These samples serve as the basis for many songs, setting a theme from which the track builds, or utilized as a percussive instrument. Musotto clearly enjoys the interplay of rhythm and sound and doesn't hesitate to throw disparate things together in this techno-ethnographic exploration.