Miaux + Paraíso Plástico | Sereias – a weekend at Sala-Estúdio Perpétuo, 07 & 08 May 2022.

words & photos: Raquel Pinheiro

Sala Estúdio Perpétuo is a cinema and concert venue on the grounds of the former Sala Estúdio, a 1966 cinema within a building designed by architect Luiz Cunha. The weekend was divided between an indoors concert, Miaux + Paraíso Plástico and an outdoors one, Sereias.

Miaux + Paraíso Plástico

Paraíso Perdido (João Pinho) gave its debut concert Saturday evening. Electronic landscapes of a certain intensity were the defining key of Paraíso Perdido’s concert. Miaux (Sarajevo born Belgian musician Mia Prec) and her vintage Casio filled the room with melodies that ranged from a blink to the dance floor to baroque music. It was a soul filling performance with cinematic tones, quite appropriated to the beautiful cinema room where Miaux was playing.

Sereias

The following late afternoon Serieas presented their self-titled second album. As usual to anyone familiar with their live sets, Serias line-up is ever changing with a few constants and their concerts are far different, much more raw, groovy and in your face than their albums. António Pedro Ribeiro (vocals), Arianna Casellas (vocals, electronics), João Pires (drums), Tommy Luther Hughes (bass), Kaué Grindi (guitar), Nils Meisel (electronics) and Ra-Yacov (trumpet) along with Kenneth Stitt occasional improv performance appearances, lead the audience into a tribal, primeval funk.

João and Tommy are a devilish rhythm section that carries and sustains the rest of the band, much the other may lead towards the abyss, glory, or both. Live, with Sereias it is an almost non-stop dancing, a trip to another universe filled with warm grooves, sharp inflections, chaotic, yet never too far-out, out-bursts of energy. Everything always seems to be about to crumble, to be too maniac, and at times it is maniac and sharp and insane, but it always returns to a more “restrained” path.

Fitting that Adolfo Lúxuria Canibal wrote the new album presentation text. If there is a live band in which Mão Morta’s early years energy and spirit is present it is in Sereias.