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The Allah-Las perform highlights from their recent release, Zuma 85, on a KCRW session Live from Apogee Studios.
“embodies the living, breathing Brazil of 2023, smolderingly intense, captivated by the bustle of life, and determined to be heard far and wide.” - Bandcamp Daily
"With its assemblage of slouched vocals sparkly electronic flourishes, and breezy guitar, “Ô Lulu” is as laid back as it is endlessly replayable." - The FADER
“at once alien and delightfully inviting” - FLOOD Magazine
"A dazzling collage of baile funk, hip-hop, and jazz that runs on an adrenaline rush fit for a cinematic heist scene as ambient pop songstress Bebé and Alceu come along for the joyride" - Remezcla
“Paying homage to samba and bossa styles, Joãozinho sets modern production elements to his work by sampling the band he assembled, tearing it up, then chopping and flipping the arrangements” - KCRW
Dadá Joãozinho has shared his debut album tds bem Global, an album that unfolds like a genre-agnostic mixtape, shoplifting from dub reggae, hip hop, punk, and samba, all while inventing a few future styles in the process. The recording alias of São Paulo based artist João Rocha, the debut is his first for Los Angeles-based Innovative Leisure, and chronicles his move to the biggest city in South America during a time of intense isolation and toxic politics. “Desire for freedom was the north star of this record,” dadá insists. He explains that he needed to “feel free about artistic decisions - that I didn’t have to play the instruments in a certain way to sound good, I didn’t have to sing in a certain way to sound good, and I didn’t have to write in a certain way to make sense and reach people’s feelings.”
Alongside the album release, dadá Joãozinho is sharing a new video for album highlight “Habitual,” a driving, atmospheric track full of production wizardry and a compelling performance. He explains, “I wanted to raise more questions than give answers about what's going on. On the song I'm singing about a state of habitualness from relationships and crisis within it. The video takes from there and expands its meanings, contextualizing infinite possibilities of narrative, relationships dynamics and fantasy.”
After breaking ground in Brazil’s music scene as a member of ROSABEGE, an electronic music collective that fuses the sounds of bossa nova with sprawling synth pop, dadá Joãozinho puts Rocha’s star potential on full display, flexing his experimental muscles and showcasing the breadth of his talent. Lead single “Cuidado!” is tour de force of bombastic MC energy, while “Pai e Mãe” is a reimagined take on traditional Brazilian samba, and “Ô Lulu” infuses classic Música Popular Brasileira with experimental flourishes. Watch the videos below, and listen to tds bem Global HERE.
"Each song offers a different look at Joãozinho’s singular talent, and on “Pai e Mae” the artist introduces an entrancing samba with delightful lo-fi effects that meld with a renegade organ sound and the pulsing underbelly of bass-heavy percussion. The concoction is at once alien and delightfully inviting." - FLOOD Magazine
São Paulo based artist João Rocha has shared “Pai e Mãe,” the third and final preview of his upcoming debut album as dadá Joãozinho. Where lead single “Cuidado!” flexed his hip-hop chops with invigorating bombast, “Pai e Mãe” is sweetly melodic, infusing classic Brazilian samba with experimental flourishes. It’s another excellent preview of tds bem Global, out Sept 1st, an album that unfolds like a genre-agnostic mixtape, front-loaded with irresistible and effortless rhythms, careening across musical universes like a psychedelic fever-dream.
On the video Rocha explains “For this samba, that carries so much of our music’s tradition, and still sounds fresh, I wanted to strip things down and communicate through the rawness of the body language. Had my parents join the studio session, that was an emotional moment. I wrote this song about an episode we lived together, so it was a closing cycle to have them. This minimalist work in video expands the meanings of the album for me, that sometimes sounds so massive. Put things in a new perspective.”
Inside is the debut solo album from Kiwi composer, producer, mixing engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Serebii. Having mostly worked on collaborative projects in the past, the record reflects his innate connection with music as a vehicle for communication and expression. For Serebii, Inside is an introspective body of work and an invitation for listeners to take a glimpse inside the artist’s musical prowess.
Written, recorded, and mixed himself in 2022, it was birthed between the artist’s
home studio in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and his travels in Germany. Serebii shares hypnotic first single ‘Really You,’ alongside a visualizer of the track. He has this to say on it: “I wanted to make something cheeky and mesmeric. From memory I was looking for a little drama, something I could sink my teeth into creatively, so I instigated a quarrel, I lost. I then locked myself in my room until I had a refrain that had substance. I guess 'Really You' is about my impulsive behaviour and journey with navigating integrity”
Serebii resides in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand,) and inspired by the Japanese concept of Komorebi 木漏れ日 which encapsulates sunlight leaking through trees, Serebii is a portmanteau that embodies the essence of serenity. For the artist the intention of this alias is to conjure up a feeling that represents the glistening light dancing in nature’s seasonal cycles through his musical offerings. In blending elements of meditative sounds, soul, folk, electronic and R&B.
Serebii generates a production that invites listeners to a soundscape where they have the freedom to shape what the mix reflects to them. By centring dance and the sensuous physicality of movement, the composer considers the role that sonic sound plays in creating an experience that belongs to the listener. Whereby they can get lost in a world of their creation. Primarily known for his unique and
creative production style, Serebii has worked alongside artists such as Leisure and Ayaluna.
He has played the festival and touring circuits in New Zealand including opening for Moonchild & Allen Stone. In 2021 and 2022 he released collaborations with long-time friend and co-producer Arjuna Oakes through LA-based record label Innovative Leisure (BADBADNOTGOOD, Allah-Las). Their 2021 release First Nights debuted at #5 on KCRW's top 30 Albums chart and has had extensive play on BBC6 and BBC1xtra.
By producing Inside, Serebii creates an oeuvre that intends to be a space holder for the experiences and moments listeners flow through. His provocation is for listeners to feel the expansiveness of the contours of their body as they move to the album’s chords, melodies, and tones, feeling into the power of their personal truth and connection to the sonic vibrations. Set for release on September 15th
via Innovative Leisure, Inside is a deeply personal debut packing an emotional punch.
“De Lux have concocted the perfect mix of disco, post-punk and funk"
KCRW
"New Summers" by De Lux - originally from their latest album Do You Need A Release? gets a reconstruction by Jason Bentley
Jason Bentley is a Los Angeles based DJ and Grammy nominated record Producer. During his tenure as Music Director of acclaimed SoCal radio station KCRW, Jason consistently supported De Lux as host of the daily music program Morning Becomes Eclectic and ongoing Saturday night mix show Metropolis.
“I love the band” remarked Jason “and after hearing “New Summers” I became obsessed with the idea of a different song arrangement - not so much a remix - but rearranging existing elements. The song already has all this smoldering Disco energy, and I wanted to bring that out more and shape it so the song hit differently. I reached out to the band with the idea, and thankfully the guys let me pull apart the original multi-tracks and create the version I was hearing in my head."