tropicalia Archives - Backseat Mafia

Album Review: Sessa –‘Pequena Vertigem de Amor’: Uncanny magic and lush funkiness from the rising São Paulo songsmith.

Sergio Sayeg (aka Sessa) is an artist who travels through distances and circumstances with his music. Coming from São Paulo his first pull was towards the psychedelic pop-toned Tropicalia mash-up…

View Post

View Post

Track/Video : Rising São Paulo songsmith Sessa previews upcoming album with the blissed out bossa-funk of Vale a Pena.

It’s been a long wait for São Paulo songsmith Sessa’s follow up to 2022’s sultry and succulent ‘Estrela Acesa’ album. That record, all cosmic haziness wrapped in the soft power…

View Post

View Post

Album Review : Arthur Melo – ‘Mirantes Emocionais’ : a dazzling alt pop escapade from the Brazilian guitarist and composer.

In the same way that last year Bala Dejeso and Ana Frango Elétrico swung the spotlight back on the wild creativity of the Brazilian pop scene, 2024 looks like it’s…

View Post

View Post

Album Review: Ricardo Dias Gomes – Muito Sol : re-imagining post rock with a tropicalia soul.

In the shimmers of the recent loss of Os Mutantes founder Rita Lee that follows Gal Costa’s passing last year it’s poignant to get a reminder that music doused with…

View Post

View Post

Track: Sao Paulo’s Tagua Tagua delivers natural nu-soul vibes with ‘Colors’, a taster from new album ‘Tanto’.

Signs are that Sao Paulo singer-songwriter Felipe Puperi (a.k.a Tagua Tagua) is really finding his groove. Known in Brazil for his sharp production work and fronting the slick alt-rockers Wannabe…

View Post

View Post

Album Review: Wax Machine – Hermit’s Grove: An exotic blend of psych-toned Tropicalia and elemental jazz rock

When you hear the phrase ‘recorded in a small closet above a mortuary’ you’re thinking ‘I know where this is going’. Dark, experimental, doom shrouded and drone laden probably fits…

View Post

View Post

Album Review: Sessa – ‘Estrela Acesa’ : re-imagining Tropicalia with seductive Brazilian pop.

You would be wrong to lazily pass off Sessa’s music as laid back or simply chilled. For sure his sound-world is luxurious and something to recline into but drifting off…

View Post

View Post

Track/Video: Sessa previews new album ‘Estrela Acesa’ with ‘Gostar do Mundo’, a shimmering slice of Brazilian pop from Tropicalia’s new frontier

You would be wrong to pass off Sessa’s music as laid back. The Sao Paulo born singer – songwriter has already demanded much more than casual attention with his sultry…

View Post

View Post

See: Blood Wine or Honey feat. Zoe Brewster – ‘Testing Time’: popping with colour, welcome this hypno-Afro-tropicalia funk into your world

THEY call their particular thang hypno-tropicalia, and it certainly is that; and whoah! so much more. Much more. They paint their irresistible, off-the-wall, deliciously weird groove styles in the brightest…

View Post

View Post

Say Psych: Album Review: Fumaça Preta – Pepas

Fumaça Preta are back with their long awaited third album, Pepas which has been released on Bristol’s Stolen Body Records. They bring together elements of tropicalia, psychedelics, fuzz funk, musique…

View Post