avela Discos collective had the honour of opening palco Taina of the 11th Milhões de Festa first day.
The proposal presented to the audience – that throughout the night filled the small room during – was based on four sets of an hour each, intended to reinterpret the concept of a Minho’s party.
Its musically develop approach is urgently experimental, deconstructivist, at times quite surrealistic and with a huge dose of acidic and corrosive humor in the mix. If, at first, it sounds like something diffuclt to be listened to, I will say that it ins’t; the collective always manages to pleasantly surprise those who carefully listen to it. If, at first glance everything seems disconnected, arrhythmic, atonal and insane, most of i tis due to its improvised approach that is part of its musical language. However, that doesn’t last much as one almost immediately begin to perceive a solid foundation – I’ll say a main theme – that transports us to completely melodic … and pungent pop structures. There is always a sense of surprise, revelation and magic throughout its interpretations.
I found it extraordinary that Favela did not repeat the same formula in the four sets; always managing to do something different. Where, at first we are led to believe that beauty will – presumably – be a concept that will not go too far in its sound approach … the deception is enormous because there are captivating and interesting melodies. Proof of this was its third set (called PsicoBaile), where one could perceive an ethnographic connection reinterpreted between a medieval “ball” and a folklore dancing with contemporary concertina, one of those that are part of our popular culture. Great intelligence is demonstrated in the ethnographic collection as well as in its revitalization with completely urban and up-to-date approaches, in an avant-garde and rupture concept, but also one of new bridges.
The seven musicians have always been very solid in their sets, slipping between a mantric ambient, at times even psychedelic, playing with a drone here and there; with the percussions sometimes syncopated, sometimes lilting … interspersed with melody and enough noise. And na always enveloping game of winds.
In an informal conversation with one of Favela Discos’ musicians, João Sarnadas, the importance given to other associations / labels was commented, like Parva, Sonoscopia, Soopa and Projectil, all of them more or less similar in the interpretation of experimental music. It is, therefore obvious the collaboration and complicity between these important “producers” of most of the best experimental music currently performed in Portuga. And I do not mean only what is done at a national level, since the interconnection with other foreign actors of the same sound spectrum is a common practice. There are many artists and projects that orbit around these pillars, which refers to a greater responsibility and importance of what is occurring these days in relation when it comes to this type of music.
Favela Discos is, in a way, one of the many faces of Lovers & Lollypops and Milhões de Festa concerning new sound trends and their promoting spirit of what is different: “weird” music – as a starting point but never as and end – where, in the name of diversity, all musical genres fit … every single one.
Wors: Guilherme Lucas (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Marcelo Baptista & Rafael Farias.
Portuguese original text: https://www.facebook.com/events/880971952100146/permalink/955293474667993/
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