DJ Farrapo & Yanez - Alien Na Favela (Agogo Records - 2012)

A few days ago I received a promo copy of DJ Farrapo & Yanez's new album Alien Na Favela which is going to be released on Agogo Records in just a few days. I thought I return the favour and try to write a little review for their new album - which actually is also their debut album. In 2005, after beeing good friends for many years and various musical collaborations, Yanez Servadei and DJ Farrapo decided to mix their experiences, which are strongly rooted in the various forms of brazilian music and bring up a fresh mix of electro-brazilian sounds. Several years and releases later the duo is finally releasing their first long player. It's a CD double album. While CD 1 is containing various original songs (many of which have so far only been available on 7inch vinyl) - CD 2 contains a string of remixes by all your favourite remixers in a truly eclectic fashion! Some of my personal favourites include Shantisan's great extended remix of Mojito Com Cachaca (can't get enough of that sweet sounding Clarinet!), Frohlocker's truly brilliant remix of Preciso Mudar (ft. Eloisa Atti & MC Magu). Very dubby, sweet vocals and a rolling bass. Pure niceness! Another favourite is Drumagick's Live Band Remix of the title song Alien Na Favela. Love the raw live energy of the remix - and that crazy wobbling bass. Pure fire for the dancefloor. A song to forget one's everyday worries. Just dancing & feeling the music. Suonho, who must have been busy lately, releasing a handful of 12inches, songs & remixes this year - also provided a great remix of Alien Na Favela in a Broken Cuica Style. The bass is nice, heavy & jazzy on this one. This song definitely is going to roll heavy on global dancefloors this winter. But let me get back to CD 1 now - which provides all the great original songs. Baiano Vem Baiano Vai - if you missed the original 7inch on Afro Art Records back in 2006 - here is your chance to get & play it. My first DJ Farrapo & Yanez song - and still a huge favourite. Hot hot hot Drum & Bossa! Frango Assado - a super catchy uptempo song. Positive vibes all along. And that chicken is just awesome! Must be one of the best intros out there! Whenever I play this one - there is no holding for the dancefloor... happy people & crazy moves! Be sure to check their video (and the chicken!). Carimbo Do Farrapo - probably my new hit song from this album. Previously unreleased. But heard it in quite a few sets this year - so I am really happy to see it included on this album. What a brilliant stompin' groove! Pure tropical sunshine... I am going to end this review with Mojito Com Cachaca. As I said above - I can't get enough of that Clarinet - which definitely adds a sweet & distant swing feeling to this song. Swingin' Brazilian Drum & Bossa with a Clarinet :) This is what DJ Farrapo himself writes about the song:

"In a tall glass place the mint leaves, squeeze over a little bit of “son”, and add two teaspoons of "chorinho". Mix everything, then add cachaça at will. Place the straw and prepare to enjoy this explosive mix by Dj Farrapo & Yanez; after a Mojito com Cachaça even Hemingway would run on the dancefloor."

Only thing I can add - don't forget to be playing this album while enjoying your "Mojito com Cachaca".

Listen to the rest of the album & find your own favourites here (original songs) and here (remixes).

DJ FARRAPO & YANEZ
"Alien Na Favela"
Agogo Records - 2012

Beatz & Carrots #9 (June 2012)

01 - elvis presley - pocketful of rainbows

02 - dj mitsu the beats - masquerade

03 - unknown - air hostess bossa (1966)

04 - james brown - the avenue aint for fuckin hipsters anymore (dj prime fool around)

05 - jackie stoudemire - dancing

06 - the agitators - jb's lick (the dusty groove re edit)

07 - boz scaggs - lowdown

08 - renegades of jazz - moo juice (benji boko boy com remix vocal)

09 - poldoore - banana hammock (original mix)

10 - mr bird - on a sunny day (lazy summer mix)

11 - sibu - arroz

12 - grupo socavon - homenaje a justino (thornato remix)

13 - john schroeder - superstition

14 - lucho bermudez - danza negra (UFedit)

15 - manolis chiotis-feakes - megali mou agapi (1965)

16 - phil pratt & ken boothe - sweet song for my baby

17 - margie lomax - god’s greatest gift to man is a woman (1974)

18 - barry biggs - stop look listen

19 - pretty lights - finally moving (james brown remix)

20 - cuetec - be around

Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I have updated my blog. I have been travelling through China, Myanmar and Thailand with a friend for almost six weeks. Lot's of sunshine, good food and even some good funky music in Bangkok. Since early September I have been back in Chengdu/China - but didn't until now find the time, mood or groove to compile another selection of music for the blog. These will be my last 4-5 months in China before I will be leaving for France in January. Working a lot these days, trying to save some money. Winter seems to be embracing Chengdu early this year. Lots of grey days with either a lot of fog - or smog. Usually winter happens to cancels out the sun in most cities and the skies seem to turn gray over most of China. Only a few pockets of sunshine are immune to the meteorological oddity known as "China Winter" and I am NOT in one of them now... 

 

So what better way is there than to start this new Beatz & Carrots compilation (which was actually supposed to have been shared here in July) with the nice Popcorn song "Pocketful of Rainbows" by Elvis Presley from his 1960 album G.I. Blues. Listen to the first few lines of the song and you will understand: "I don't worry. Whenever skies are gray above. Got a pocketful of rainbows. Got a heart full of love..." Track #3 is the mysterious Air Hostess Bossa - a beautiful haunting S U M M E R C H O O N - shared by jupiter tuning center. For more things soulful be sure to check his soundcloud page or his blog. Can't fight the Chengdu grey sky with Brazilian Bossa Nova sweetness alone - so here is some serious serious funk: track #4 - the damn good & HOT James Brown - The Avenue Aint For Fuckin Hipsters Anymore (DJ Prime FoolAround). Thanks to DJ Prime for foolin' around with this one! Track #5, "Dancing" by Jackie Stoudemire, is another musical treat. Real sweet disco floater! Props go out to Mr. Vinyl Addicted who introduced me to this goodie. Thanks again! Now I and I will change the mood. You say I can't do that?! Wait until you hear track #9 Poldoore - Banana Hammock (Original Mix) which was kindly shared for free on the Cold Busted compilation Various Artists - Bust Free 9. Serious re-lick of Horace Andy's song Skylarking from the legendary Studio One. Track #11 is Sibu - Arroz - a brilliant remix of Lucho Bermudez's Arroz Con Coco from Sibu who is based in Athens/Greece. I really like Sibu's remix - the nice intro, building up anticipation for what is going to come. Slowly introducing those beautiful horns - until Lucho Bermudez finally hits the musical listener with the sound of his dizzyingly swift clarinet. Beautiful - and on top of the list of my musical favourites this year! Listening to all those good songs on Sibu's soundcloud page - one is surprised to have not seen any of them getting a proper release yet! Anyone out there?! Among many other songs - I seriously want to see King Kong 22 by Sibu & Joe Nagall being released - so I can play it out loud for the good dancefloor. Thanks to Sibu for sharing this beauty with everyone here at Beatz & Carrots! With track #12 we are staying on the Cumbia path - but going a little up north - to the Afro-Colombian/African-descendant/Black people of the Pacific coast. Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Colombian marimba, a wooden xylophone which resembles the African balafon, played by the Grupo Socavon. Thornato delivers a stompin' remix of Grupo Socavon's Homenaje A Justino. The riddim bares some similarities to Chaka Demus & Pliers Murder She Wrote. A little speeded up?! Beautiful remix - and I am glad that Thornato and the Cumba Mela collaborative finally shared this song on their soundcloud pages. Track #14 is yet again another Cumbia remix/edit. This time we have Ufe from Bucharest in Romania sharing a scorching edit of Lucho Bermudez's Danza Negra with us! Track #15 takes us to Greece. Megali Mou Agapi is a song I can't quite categorize (and why should I?!) by Manolis Chiotis-Feakes, who was one of the greatest composers of Greek folk music and a great virtuoso of the bouzouki. The song was recorded in 1965 and can be found on his Manolis Hiotis - The USA years album. I always thought that song sounded somewhat familiar - and yes! It got sampled by Simon Resoul and Kormac on their equally great song Entre. Track #16 - time for some sweet Rocksteady by Phil Pratt & Ken Boothe. "Sweet Song For My Baby" was the first single recorded by Phil Pratt in 1966. Melancholy rocksteady with great horns and superb understated production. This is Music with a capital M! Track #17 is yet another great song which Yer Darling Daily put on my musical map. The groove on Margie Lomax's God’s Greatest Gift To Man Is A Woman is simply unstoppable… and I also dig the lyrics. Played it at my last gig here in Chengdu - and the ladies almost fainted from excitement. I am ending this compilation with track #20 Cuetec - Be Around. A deep slow soulful house version of I'll Be Around from Otis Gayle. Original Studio One production. I am feeling that bass!

Enjoy! DubMe