Various – Antologia de Música Atípica Portuguesa Vol2 (Discrepant)

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The second volume in Discrepant’s ongoing series of atypical Portuguese is an incredible, at times bewildering experience, primarily due to its extensive scope. There is so much going on here – often at the same time within the same musical piece. It’s nothing short of jaw dropping. This is an album that is overflowing with ideas pretty much all of them odd and unexpected – more often than not unencumbered by proximity to known genres. Oddly timed percussion merges with strange backward masked electronics, pastoral folk, dreamy electronics, repetitive chanting, manipulated field recordings, and tribal beats. It flows so effortlessly. I don’t know how it does this.

The label suggests it’s an album that taps into “new strains of Portuguese music with an (un)characteristic foot in the past musical traditions of the country. The aim being to re-evaluate its musical history, de-construct clichés and re-assemble preconceptions into a new and daring musical landscape.” To these ears the music here is relentlessly forward leaning. It’s one of the greatest mixtapes you will ever hear. Normally there’s a few weaker tracks when you assemble this much diverse music in one place, yet you don’t have to worry about that here.

Each piece by the likes of Lisbon’s Random Gods, Porto’s Live Low, Beira Serra filed recordist Luís Antero, the electro acoustic rituals of Lisbon’s Banha Da Cobra connects with a different Portuguese province. It’s endlessly fascinating and inspiring music demonstrating some of the most creative approaches to sound you could hope to experience. This record is a rabbit hole. If you’re willing to follow it down it will open up whole new worlds for you.

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Bob is the features editor of Cyclic Defrost. He is also evil. You should not trust the opinions of evil people.

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