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BANZO (available in CD format)

Better known for his pumping techno sets, Brazilian DJ and producer Kalif releases his first album “Banzo”, an intimate work that translates the diverse musical universe of its author. Not intended for the dance floor, the album demonstrates Kalif’s constant search for the expression of most various feelings and emotions, such as tranquility, abstractness, melancholy to darkness and frenzy, throughout 14 tracks that go from chilled down tempo sounds to banging techno. Electronic music made out of human and insightful textures, for all moments and states of mind, often difficult to label as a genre.

The album kicks off with “Bleu”, a complex and involving down tempo track that slowly grows with delicate intensity, amid seashore like sounds that keep coming back throughout the tune. Classical strings and tango like samples can also be heard briefly and discreetly at certain moments, giving a dreamlike feel to the track that lasts over 10 minutes.
A bit darker and intense, “What do ya feel” (third track) takes a more sinuous path, with slightly distorted synths and pads, progressing to a subtle climax.

Another track that stands out is “Angels on E” (track 7), in which the listener projects his imagination into a story told through sound, with three very singular parts – arrival, darkness and light; starting off with angelical voices that slowly give way to an intense synth before distorted mayhem takes place at the break. An IDM like pad then makes the transition to pure melodic calmness…

Although a good part of the album is more chilled and down tempo, it is only logical that techno would make its way through. And this transition happens in a very coherent manner. “Fight the oppression” (track 9), is a groovy-funky techno track with a bit of vocoder action and an old school synth; at this stage it is a clear sign that the more “techy” sounds are taking over. Later on, the intensity peak in “Banzo” happens with “And the sheep got slaughtered” (track 13), a frenetic techno track with distorted baselines.

The album finishes off with “Estella”, a fast paced track with drum and bass like beats. Yet it shows an aspect that is clear in Banzo: Kalif making tracks in his own way, trying to make something truly of his own.

“I never tried to copy a pattern or a genre, I simply made the tunes following my guts, trying to express something I was feeling”, says Kalif, who preferred an independent release to have total creative freedom in the process.

Banzo is an ancient Portuguese word that is not really translatable to other languages. It refers to the melancholic feeling the slaves felt towards their missed homeland and culture. The name is an homage to all the people and places Kalif keeps close to his heart.