Kassin +2 – Futurismo

Luaka Bop

This is a smorgasbord of sound; there’s everything from samba to electronica to a lil’ bit of funk and rock. Alexandre Kassin, Moreno Veloso, and Domenico Lancellotti form this intense force from the Rio de Janerio scene, and there is a reason they are at the center of the neo-samba movement. The final piece of a trilogy, Kassin +2’s Futurismo is a musical mosaic; its form is made from a combination of musical genres, instruments, and cultures.

This album flip flops between the past and present. Just as you think you have your foot firmly placed in old-world Brazil, you’re thrown into an electronica-rock hybrid of sound. The hybrid factor of these songs links to language. Though mostly in Portuguese, the final pieces – featuring members of Tortoise – are in English. Though each song has a different sensibility and its own universe, this album is best taken all at once, on repeat, throughout the day. The pieces best shine in context of one another; to cut the finger off the hand makes little sense.

While it is not exactly lo-fi, Futurismo is gritty in its own way. In fact, listening to this album is a lot like watching a live performance of your favorite band on television. The sound is intimate and pure, but smooth in its progressions. Deep down, the listener knows this band must thrive off of the spontaneity of live performances, but you can’t help but be glad the music has a time capsule of an album to spread the word about. It’s this balancing act that sets this album apart. Just when you think they’ll put their hands in one too many pots, they rein back their artist’s sensibilities.

Review by Lisa Bower

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Futurismo