NÃo Wave – Brazilian Post Punk
1982-1988
Format: CD
Cat.Nr.: MAN 01
Release: AprIL 25 2005
A strange object surprised music fans in Brazil
in 1982. An independent 7“ single, with an obscure cover in black
and white where the band name could be read: Agentss. Here were 2 tracks
impressively synchronised with the electronic music that was happening
at that time in Europe and the USA, from Gary Numan and Fad Gadget to
Gang Of Four, ESG, New Order and Liquid Liquid.
It was the first manifestation of a phenomenon that developed during
the whole of the 1980's: Brazilian bands working from the same post-punk
references as scenes occurring in London, New York and Berlin. In the
following years dozens of releases revealed an invigorating and vigorous
generation of bands. From 1982 to the end of the 80s bands like Ira!,
Smack, Mercenárias, Muzak, Voluntários da Pátria,
Chance, Vzyadoq Moe, Akira S & as Garotas Que Erraram were some
of these names - all of these coming from the city of São Paulo.
With today´s groups like Bloc Party, LCD Sound System, The Rapture,
Whomadewho, Radio 4 and other contemporary punk/dance bands taking their
influences from the early eigthies, the music of the groups included
on Não Wave (all of whom have remained unknown outside of Brazil
until now) will be a surprising revelation.
The tracks that Andy Cumming, Alex Antunes and Miguel Barella compiled
in this collection give an idea of what was the Brazilian "Não
Wave". An idea that is perhaps incomplete, because what was documented
in the studios was often less explosive than the live experience - but
still intriguing none-theless to see how current some of these tracks
sound.
Full text by Alex Antunes available in the CDs booklet
Here's an interview with Andy Cumming, who concepted
the Não Wave compilation
Andy, how did you come up with the idea to compile Não Wave?
About a year and a half ago I was listening to some albums of the period
and I thought what with the current vogue for 80´s new wave and
post punk it would be interesting to gather together the best of Brazil´s
efforts during this period. Especially those tracks that have a distinctive
market outside Brazil for that particular sound. And it was also an
area that had never been explored before in compilation form. I could
also see the timing was right with the interest in post-punk, various
compilations were being released, for example "Anti NY", and
there were also other German, UK and Australian compilations chronicling
a similar period. So I got together with the CDs co-compilers, Alex
Antunes and Miguel Barella - both very prolific artists during this
period, and they guided me around the era.
Vzyadoq Moe | Agentss
In Brazil, is there also an interest in that particular musical period?
I believe there is a little but I think with the release of the compilation
it will intensify. Generally only collectors and specialists (people
of a certain age - late 30s early 40s) were really aware of the scene.
However, at the moment there seems to be a rekindling of the scene as
certain groups are reforming to play one-off shows for the cultural
center SESC. These include Mercenárias, Akira S e as Garotas
Que Erraram and Smack. I hope that more albums from the period will
be reissued as, for example, the Akira S E As Garotas Que Erraram album
for Baratos Afins is a classic album in any genre.
Black Future
Moreover, I think globally, there´s a huge interest in that particular
era, just look at the success of Bloc Party and Optimo, so I think the
public are going to be looking out more for an exotic post-punk, especially
DJs. Also the author Simon Reynolds has just released his 600-page book
on the period thus creating more interest. Also when a musical period
has been mined so thoroughly like post punk in the last couple of years,
then collectors will need to look further. We also live in the age of
increasing homogenization, just walking down my high street in Brazil
I can see Gap, Nike, Nestle etc., and music is possibly one of the few
things that remains individual with regional differences, which means
that people all over the world are interested in hearing anything from
Peruvian progressive rock to Grime from the East-end of London
Why do you think the bands included in the compilation never were recognised
outside of Brazil?
In Brazil there is a huge amount of information coming in but very little
going out. A case in point here is Rio Baile Funk, which has existed
for well over 15 years and only now has been acknowledged outside Brazil.
This imbalance in the exchange of information is difficult to understand
as there is huge interest with what happens in Brazil, politically as
well as culturally. Many artists who produce music in Brazil often ask
how they can distribute their music outside the country and obviously
need more open channels. I think perhaps the people who release and
distribute Brazilian music in Europe or the States have a vision of
the music as samba/MPB based and not the culture gobbling cannibal it
actually is.
Fellini
What are the bands up to today included in the Não Wave compilation?
Well Fellini reformed for a one-off show and an album a few years ago,
there has always been a cult following for Fellini and their song writer
Thomas Pappon, who currently lives in London. Ira! went on from the
demo included in the compilation to become one of Brazils major rock
groups, having just recorded an acoustic session for MTV. Miguel Barella,
who played for Agentss, Voluntários de Pátria and produced
Ira!, now plays electro-acoustic improv around São Paulo very
much keeping extreme experimentation alive. Alex Antunes, who was a
major force in putting together this compilation and was a member of
Akira S E As Garotas Que Erraram, still puts together musical projects
and wrote a fantastic book a few years ago. He´s kind of a Paulistano
Bukowski but with pop-culture references. The label Baratos Afins still
exists as well as being an essential record shop in the centre of São
Paulo. The work of Luiz Calanca with Baratos during the 80's cannot
be emphasised enough, much of the music on the compilation would not
exist without him. Apart from Ira! none of these bands now exist, though
many of the people are still in São Paulo and play and record
in various projects.
|
TRACKLIST NÃO WAVE ALBUM |
 |
| 01 Agentss "Agentss" |  |
| 02 Black Future "Eu Sou O Rio" | |
| 03 Akira S & As Garotas Que Erraram "Futebol" | |
| 04 Akira S & As Garotas Que Erraram feat. Holger | |
| Czukay "Sobre As Pernas" | |
| 05 Azul 29 "Cièncias Sensuias" | |
| 06 Chance"Samba Do Morro" | |
| 07 Fellini "Teu Ingles" | |
| 08 Fellini "Funziona Senza Vapore" | |
| 09 Ira! "Lá Fora Pode Até Morrer" | |
| 10 AkT "Prince No Deserto Vermelho" | |
| 11 Vzydaq Moe "Redencão" | |
| 12 Mercenarias "Policia" | |
| 13 Muzak "Ilha Urbana" | |
| 14 Voluntários de Pátria "Io Io" | |
Não Wave track details, by Alex Antunes
01 Agentss "Agentes"
Technopop band that were the predecessors of the Brazilian new wave.
Formed in 1980, they released an independent single ("Agentes"
/ "Angra") in 1982, and another for a major label ("Professor
Digital" / "Cidade Industrial") in 1983, splitting up
in the same year. The few live shows they did always had a huge impact.
The leader, vocalist and keyboard player Kodiak Bachine continued with
an obscure solo work, while the guitarists Orion Mike (Miguel Barella)
and Duo (Eduardo Amarante) went on to work in important bands in the
following years such as Voluntários da Patria and Azul 29.
02 Black Future "Eu Sou O Rio"
The darkest ("dark" being the name given to Brazilian pre-goths)
and most experimental band from Rio de Janeiro, where the radical musical
scene was based round the club "Crepúsculo de Cubatão"
owned by the exiled English bank robber, Ronnie Biggs. Black Future
were led by vocalist Márcio Satanésio and keyboard
player, violinist and artist Tantão, two eccentric composers
from the bohemian neighbourhood of Lapa, influenced by pop culture in
general and comics in particular. The group appeared in 1983 and the
album was released in 1988, promptly disappearing. One of the most well-known
tracks is "Eu Sou O Rio" (I am Rio), which ironically celebrates
the city, mixing punk funk and samba.
Black Future
03+04 Akira S & As Garotas Que Erraram "O Futebol"
+ "Sobre As Pernas"
Anarchic punk funk band formed by bassist Akira S and vocalist Pedreira
Antunes in 1984. Akira S & As Garotas Que Erraram (Akira S and The
Girls That Fucked Up) were the highlight on the seminal compilation
Não São Paulo. Can member, Holger Czukay participated
in the hit "Sobre As Pernas". In 1986, the year of the recording
of their only album, they also performed with American no wave guitarist
Arto Lindsay in a show that ended up in confusion and rioting with the
vocalist Antunes inciting the audience to destroy the club Zoster. Pioneers
in the use of computers on stage.
05 Azul 29 "Ciências Sensuais"
The principle Brazilian technopop group, carrying on the heritage of
Agentss, from whom they inherited guitarist Eduardo Amarante. Between
1983 and 1984 they released two singles ("Metrópole"
/ "Olhar") and ("Video Game" / "O Teu Nome
Em Neon") for a major label before disappearing.The bizarre performance
of vocalist and composer Thomas Bielefeld on this exclusive unreleased
track ("Sensual Sciences") with his falsettos recalls the
German operatic pop singer Klaus Nomi.
06 Chance "Samba Do Morro"
One of the most experimental bands in São Paulo, formed by composers
Nena and Scot and by singer Marcinha. Combining low tech a la early
Cabaret Voltaire with the Brazilian rhythm of samba (the title is a
word play with "morro" where the favelas are based in the
mountainsides in Rio and the first person form of the verb "morrer"
- to die). Highly conceptual, they performed rarely, and when they did
it was with video equipment, a revelation at that time. They left just
two recorded tracks on the Não São Paulo compilation with
Akira S and Muzak.
07+08 Fellini "Teu Inglês", "Funziona
Senza Vapore"
One of the most unusual bands of the time, Fellini formed in 1984, as
a (more or less) conventional new wave group, scoring the hit "Rock
Europeu". The band was used as a medium to convey the obsessions
of composer / multi-instrumentalist Thomas Pappon (founder of Voluntários
de Pátria and Smack) and vocalist Carlos "Cadão"
Volpato, combining low-fi samba and sung poetry.
Fellini
09 Ira! "La Fora Pode Até Morrer"
Still an important band in Brazilian rock, Ira! appeared in 1981 directly
influenced by punk and post punk groups like The Clash and Gang of Four.
The angular ska-like song "La Fora Pode Até Morrer"
was recorded for their first demo tape and has never appeared on any
album. The bassist and drummer would change soon after this recording.
Later the group would clearly show the more seventies and mod influences
of the composer, guitarist Edgard Scandurra, considered one of the best
in the country on the instrument. Today Ira! have 12 albums and various
collections released, and have never lost their credibility along with
their audience, even when guitarist Edgard experiments with techno in
his solo career.
10 AKT "Prince No Deserto Vermelho"
Underground feminine supergroup formed by bassist and vocalist Sandra
Coutinho (Mercenárias), Guitarist Karla (R. Mutt), Keyboard player
and vocalist Dequinha (Bruhahá Babélico) and drummer Biba
Meira (DeFalla). The quartet recorded some tracks in 1990, of which
two were released on the indie compilation "Enquanto Isso...?!".
They had a short existence with very few live performances before two
of the members moved to Germany.
11 Vzyadoq Moe "Redenção"
From the city of Sorocaba, in the interior of the state of São
Paulo, the young band Vzyadoq Moe came together - the name, which has
no meaning, appeared in a dream of one of the members. With sombre vocals
in the style of Bauhaus and percussion from junk metal inspired by Einstuerzende
Neubauten their debut album was released in 1988 by the independent
label Wop Bop. Members of the band are still active today working with
electronic music as VZY.
Vzyadoq Moe
12 Mercenárias "Polícia"
Aggressive feminine band formed in 1984 released their first album,
the indie "Cadê As Armas?" (Where are the Weapons?),
with the production skills of Edgard Scandurra of Ira! and the Englishman
Peter Price, collaborator with members of Wire. The first LP directly
attacked institutions such as the police and the church while the second
LP, recorded for a major label, was much more sophisticated, adapting,
for example, the "Proverbs of Hell" by William Blake. The
incomprehension of the public and the label bringing on the end of the
group.
Mercenàrias
13 Muzak "Ilha Urbana"
One of the more vigorous bands of the Paulista scene, thanks to the
furious beat of the now deceased drummer Victor Leite and the heavy
and tense playing of guitarist Nivaldo. Appearing in 1984 they were
a revelation on the important independent collection Não São
Paulo (on the label Baratos Afins). Later they recorded an EP for a
major label, however, it had a weak production and a more acoustic sound
which didn't match their reputation as the "Killing Joke of Brazil",
soon after they disappeared.
14 Voluntários Da Patria "Iô Iô"
Formed at the end of 1982 by drummer Thomas Pappon and the guitarists
Miguel Barella (former Agentss) and Minho K, the Voluntários
witnessed a long line of ever changing vocalists. The album recorded
in 1984 borrowed the singer from Ira!, Nazi, at the same time the guitarist
Giusseppe Lenti replaced K. Barella and Lenti, both alumni of Robert
Fripp, invested in the interaction of the guitars, in the style of Television
and Talking Heads. Produced by the group, the album launched the new
wave phase of the independent label Baratos Afins, which became the
main focus of the local scene.
