Saturday, August 19, 2017

Balako Release 'Nervous Inn' via Greco-Roman


BRAZILIAN DUO BALAKO RELEASE SECOND SINGLE ‘NERVOUS INN’ VIA GRECO-ROMAN

‘An enticing melting pot of sounds touching on techno, house, salsa, carimbo, disco, and funk’ XLR8R

Released last month, 'Hora De Balako’ was the infectious debut single from Brazilian duo Balako. The pair - AKA Diogo Strausz and Rodrigo Peirao - aren’t about making music to fit. Their styles range from techno and house to salsa and carimbo, blending 70’s disco and funk in the process and creating something both retro sounding and current. The word Balako derives from an 80's Brazilian slang word which fittingly translates as - 'a good type of mess.’ The authenticity of the tracks caused early confusion to Greco-Roman co-founder Joe Goddard who assuming the were littered with samples, quickly fell in love. "Sampling, editing, remixing and re-editing shouldn't`t be the only way to make Brazil sound contemporary on the dancefloor” insists Strausz.“For these tracks we headed to the studio with our musician friends and created our own retro sounding edits from scratch. It just seemed obvious to us.”

'Nervous Inn,' was the first track I ever composed and was actually born from a mistake I kept making on the guitar whilst trying to learn ‘Ligia' by Chico Buarque & Antonio Carlos Jobim. I'd just started learning and was just practicing at home while Eric Duncan and my girlfriend were sitting on the sofa. My little finger kept slipping but I loved the weird chord change instantly. The next morning I played it to my teacher and legendary Brazilian guitar player Cezar Mendes and he loved it. The track has and the vibe and atmosphere of my apartment in Rio, which Eric and I nicknamed ‘Nervous Inn.’ Rodrigo Peirao 

Balako’s unique sound is testament to their ability to look to the past and present for inspiration in equal measure. They love their city’s “sexy and energetic” music scene but want to do things on their own terms. “We are not in the glory days of clubbing and I think that is directly linked to the economic crisis we are facing. Nevertheless there is still some great producers emerging from the city like Carrott Green and Joutro Mundo, alongside local heroes like Mauricio Lopes.” It’s safe to say both Strausz and Peirao had earnt their place amongst the cities exciting new generation of producers before their paths even crossed. By joining forces and dedicating their time solely to Balako, the dynamic duo look to pick up the funk mantel and make 2017 their own. They will perform in two live formats, as a DJ set and with live band.