As you know from my Cremoso mixtapes, I am an absolute sucker for TecnoBrega and we’ve been covering it ever since this blog began in 2009!
I gotta say I was surprised when Daniel Haaksman informed me about this compilation because I had no idea he shared a massive love for it, like we do!!! As far as I am aware, he never articulated it publicly at least, albeit, he has had a Cremoso remix on one of Joao Brasil’s releases in the past.
I am so glad that he decided to put this together as his knowledge of Brazilian music is rich given his Baile Funk background and his contacts in Brazil are influential too. Indeed, for me it was really Haaksman’s Baile Funk output on his Man Recordings label way back that got me into much of the Transnational Bass scene as we now call it. So he has been an original in this scene for quite some time.
This new compilation just blew me away, it is my album of this year by a long shot. It could not have been better timed either because 2012 has been the year of CHEESE!
From the emergence of Trap, which caused mass bandwagon jumping with loads of people losing their integrity, to the rise of so called “EDM” in America, which practically ethnically cleansed the rich UK, European and USA history of Electronic Dance Music.
2012 has been the year of CHEESE!
Ironically, both “EDM” and Trap have ended up being far more cheesier than the material on this compilation which sets out to be deliberately cheesy. In other words both have out-cheesed TecnoBrega but not in a good or great way.
TecnoBrega is cheese but it’s cheese that brings a smile to your face, that makes you want to flip out and go a bit nutz, it’s just deliciously camp but in such a good, good way! This compilation by Haaksman makes a point and that is great music, even with a deliberate cheese agenda, still sounds far more classier and underground than other stuff that tries to pretend to be classy or underground!
Each track is a gem and will bring a smile to your face and make you wish that there were regular TecnoBrega parties in the UK and Europe!
So many great things are on this compilation that it’s hard to single out any for individual praise, it’s just such a great collection and fantastic introduction to the greatness of TecnoBrega and Haaksman has done an incredible job in putting it all together!
You really need this in your life!
Check out the mini-mix to get a flava of the compilation:
Tracklist:
1. João Brasil feat. Marina Gasolina “Funk Do Iphone”
2. Banda Uó “Faz Uó”
3. Major Lazer feat. Amber Coffmann “Get Free” (Bonde Do Rôle Remix) (G/A/S only)
4. DJ Waldo Squash “Melo Do Dedo”
5. Gang Do Eletro “Pith Bull”
6. Charque “Money” (Edu K Remix)
7. João Brasil “Metal Brega”
8. Daniel Haaksman “Kid Conga” (João Brasil Remix)
9. Gang Do Eletro “Diabinhos Digitais”
10. DJ Waldo Squash “Bass Melody”
11. Crookers “Soca Ali Baba” (João Brasil Remix)
12. Felipe Cordeiro “Fim De Festa”
13. Banda Uó “Chorei”
14. Daniel Haaksman “Berlin Brega”
15. João Brasil “Aguas” feat. Gaby Amarantos
PR:
ARTIST: VARIOUS ARTISTS
RELEASE: DANIEL HAAKSMAN PRESENTS TECNO BREGA
CAT.NR: MAN 071
RELEASE DATE: NOV 23RD, 2012
FORMAT: DIGITAL ONLY
Tecno Brega is Portuguese for “cheesy techno” and it’s the sound of the Amazon finally getting its hands on cheap technology. Cheesy by name and cheesy by nature this is the sound of a simple preset drum pattern and mid to high range synth lines being pushed to the max.
Brega can be seen as a further example of the musical possibilities emerging from the world’s developing areas, yet another third world peripheral music that is based on a rigid but at the same time ever-evolving structure. This is no underground phenomenon, it is popular music, reviled by the urbane sophisticates but designed to appeal to and move the maximum number of Saturday-night revellers.
“Daniel Haaksman Presents Tecno Brega” gives a thorough overview of what is happening to Tecno Brega at the moment, in Pará, Brazil and the rest of the world by including a range of the most cutting edge producers and artists working within this genre. The compilation kicks off with three heavyweight names together, Man’s own genius of mash-up João Brasil teaming up with ex-Bonde de Rolê Marina Gasolina and remixed by DJ Cremoso, a recent new kid on the block whose remixes have been shaking up the genre with his indie crossovers. Banda Uó have two tracks on the compilation, their namesake track showing off their signature style, while “Chorei” seems to be their attempt to get a song played on the Novella (soap opera) at nine o’clock, a sure-fire way to have a hit in Brazil. This strategy seems to have worked for Gaby Amarantos, now a household name in Brazil, who turns up here for the tasteful “Aguas de Março”, again with Man’s own Joao Brasil.
Banda Uó’s producer, DJ Gorky, this time working with Bonde de Rolê, turns out the joyous and uplifting remix of Major Lazer’s “Get Free”, Gorky again showing why he is the man most likely to move Brazil’s music scene forward with a stunning remix of an already great track.
No Brega compilation would be complete without contributions from Pará’s own DJ Waldo Squash, here weighing in with two contributions as well as his work with Gang do Eletro. Squash’s signature sound of wailing synths and juddering stop/starts are an important contribution to the development of Brega, and key track “Bass Melody” is a lesson in short sharp minimalism. Elsewhere on the compilation you can find him inventively adapting anything from Kraftwerk to “Popcorn”.
The João Brasil remix of Daniel Haaksman’s own “Kid Conga”is the track that introduced Brega to Europe and deserves inclusion for it’s pioneering spirit and for demonstrating the blueprint synth sounds and drum pattern. Elsewhere Edu K’s remix of charque’s version of “Money” is channelling Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Belgium techno, Pink Floyd have never sounded so good (and let’s face it, energetic), there’s life in the old dogs yet! Part of the new generation coming out of Belém, Felipe Cordeiro offers up the kitsch but charming “Fim de Festa” a track that nicely encapsulates that melancholy feeling at the end of the party, where the punters are leaving and there’s a few stragglers on the dancefloor, a great example of the traditional meeting the new.The disc finishes with compiler Haaksman’s own take on Brega with the aptly named “Berlin Brega”, for where else would a strangely kitsch sound from the most northern region of Brazil be adopted and accepted with such loving care.
Daniel Haaksman is a Berlin based producer, DJ and journalist. He is head-honcho at Man Recordings and is responsible for all the releases and productions that come out of Man HQ as well as his own releases and remixes. Last year’s “Rambazamba” by Haaksman spawned many cult dancefloor hits and exciting remixes by the likes of Chrissy Murderbot. Man’s catalogue is responsible for the introduction of Brazilian Baile funk into Europe is THE label for Tropical Bass currently coming out of the worldwide periferias. For other labels he has put together such genre-defining compilations as “Rio Baile Funk – Favela Booty Beats” (Essay 2004), “More favela Booty Beats” and “Dub Infusions 1989-1999”and “More Dub Infusions” for the Sonar Kollektiv.
P.S. Today man Recordings have the big, first Brega night outside of Brasil ever as above, if you’re in the area, you’d be a fool to miss it.