São Paulo's funk scene is, in part, a product of the city's extreme urban structure and social conditions. Often called the “concrete jungle,” the megacity has Brazil's largest population and one of the densest. it's heavily industrialized with imposing buildings spread out to a monstrous size, all of which culminate in a metallic, doomy image of Brazilian funk. new collection of NTS, funk.BR – Sao Paulosqueezes the expansive styles of mandelão, bruxaria and more into 22 exclusive tracks, providing a whistle-stop tour to jump into and immerse yourself in this spectacularly revolutionary sound.
The network of genres that fall under the mandelão umbrella don't have the long history of Rio de Janeiro's radical carioca funk scene, but have evolved quickly due to their spirit of solitude. Lança, a hallucinogenic, sound-sensitive narcotic derived from ethyl chloride, is offered at street parties, creating sounds central to various mandelão styles. Meanwhile, the funk automotivo culture of souped-up cars, with walls of speakers in the back of the trunk, took low cars by surprise. With more than 1,700 registered favelas in the city, each more or less coming with its own feel, the sheer size and noise of the metropolis pushes artists to stand out and claim the loudest, the most unpredictable, the most prototype they sound like their own. In doing so, they push far beyond the precipice of what we've come to expect – creating mixes that hide and accentuate elements in experimental ways, tightly folding the structure of club music for triple the amount of destruction, and raising the volume to new levels of club maximalism. As well as reflecting the continued popularity of the genre in underground electronic spaces in the Global North, funk.BR pushes those sounds even further.
Funk mandelão's melodies sound like beacons in the underworld, marrying the dazzling pulses of techno with the familiar funk beat that falls and putting it in a tank of thick smoke. The top lines traverse dull hits from bells and metal pans with rave synths (DJ Pikeno MPC & MC BF “Acende o Sinalizador”), whistling (DJ P7 & MC PR “Automotivo Destruidor, P7 Vai Te Destruir”) and bamboo flutes ( DJ Lorrany “Mandela Kut”). Hoarse male anti-heroes shout out a Rolodex of commands—“obey” and “galopa,” meaning “obey” and “ride”—and female MCs like MC Bibi Drak flirt like a music video. But both are indifferent as they are caught and squeezed in a storm of surreal damage friction.
Tracks up funk.BR you accelerate with a disorienting upward impatience, spinning between intense body cars, eye-rolling riddim and ear-splitting bruxism. DJ Léo da 17 & DJ BIG ORIGINAL's “Bruxaria de Extrema Periculosidad” lasts just 14 seconds before the infectious “Bi-Bi-Big Original!” The producer's label kicks off a quick shotgun drum set. Open and close and you'll miss how DJ Livea & iamlope$$'s “Best of Both Worlds from Brazil” flies through trumpets over compressed tambor drums, breakdown drill, samba with horns and bolcha hits (a style that literally means “bubble beat” ) in just over two minutes.
