Review of Weird Baile: Collected Rips 2004-2024 – An Illusory Journey to the Outer Limits of Baile Funk

(TraTraTrax) Two decades of work from producers JLZ, VHOOR, Mu540 and DJ RaMeMes stripped the Brazilian genre down to its essentials until it was accompanied by bells and drills. In regional styles, from the hyperpop frenzy of D.Silvestre to the eerie and unique bruxaria of DJ K and the sound of house samples from MC Lan. Gathering by Sharyn

Originating in 1980s Brazil, Bill Funk began as a bass-heavy blend of syncopated folk rhythms and hip-hop-influenced sampling, and has since evolved into regional styles ranging from the hyperpop frenzy of D.Silvestre to DJ K's BRUXAMPHOUSING DJ K's BRUXAMPRIAN and the eerie, cacophonic sound of house. Sharing baile funk edits on SoundCloud, producers JLZ, VHOOR, Mu540 and DJ RaMeMes began releasing their own version in 2017 titled Weird Baile. Now compiling two decades of lo-fi output as Collected Rips 2004-2024, Weird Baile has established its sound as a curious fusion of Brazilian and British dance.

Sparse, rough and artfully arranged, Weird Baile's Signature strips funk bail down to its essentials: vocals, bass and rhythm. Opener Aquecimento Do Ih Caraca embodies this ethos with its industrial sub-bass, clipped scream vocals and percussive beatbox, building two minutes of menacing intensity. The mood perfectly matches the abrasive energy similar to grime's instrumentation, and on Grime Do Weird Baile the band combine the recognizable sounds of Skepta and JME's 2006 Rhythm & Gash Freestyle with electronic percussion and Portuguese lyrics. This connection to the UK bass chain continues with PPRT's pounding drill bass and CaFaGesTeh's cavernous, dubstep-influenced sounds, as well as ambient opener Pique da Oakley, which harkens back to dubstep producer Mala's 2007 track.Changes.

Instead of simply repeating these motifs, Weird Baile's skill lies in disrupting and deconstructing them in a new format. For example, Grime Do Weird Baile transforms Skepta and JME's front-footed aggression into a bouncy dancefloor number, while Derruba Gringo's Beat slows down a synth-trance melody into a sinister assault. As strange and enticing as it is unique, this decade-long collection sends Bill Funk into a hallucinatory zone.

Sumik Datta, master of the Indian sarod string instrument, is back with his new album Melodies in Slow Motion (Spontaneous Society). Drawing inspiration from the natural world, Datta mimics the zigzag flight of a bee on its journey to nectar and the beauty of seasonal changes in the haunting melodies of the original song. Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab has released its first album in a decade, Made In Senegal (Strut/Madoky Music), which fuses soulful Afro-Cuban melodies with ballax rhythms and jazz instrumentation in a multi-generational mix. A pleasure to listen to as always. Trombonist Ryan Keberle's Collectiv Do Brasil turns their attention to Brazilian composer João Donato on Here Is Donato! (alternative side records). The quintet finds ample room for deep improvisations and complex interplay in Donato's sweet melodies.