NOVATERRA VOL.1 -EP-

Selva Discos keeps broadening horizons. Its next release celebrates the start of a new series called Novaterra, this time focused on showcasing the music of contemporary Brazilian artists. First up is Zopelar, known not only for his work with the anarchic-techno-punk act Teto Preto but also for the project My Girlfriend and his solo LP, both on Apron Records. Novaterra Vol. 1 by Zopelar is a mini-LP featuring six tracks that range from the introversion to the extraversion. In one hand you have an A-side banger like Be Together, with its addictive looped-sample, and in the other, you get the laidback interlude of Modo Aviao, which sounds like one of those MF Doom's instrumentals -- and between both, you will find a whole spectrum of music where you can experience the duel between super crispy beats (a signature in Zopelar's work) and the richness of melodies and harmonies that he's able to knit stitch close to perfection. The opener Livre has a great deep house vibe that makes you think of Prescription Records and Jazzanova, featuring a catchy bossa ad-lib. NOX is a Hammond-led tune with a groove bassline and lead that gets you going in no time as if Cesar Camargo Mariano and Larry Young toured together in the late '70s, like, a big, fat jazz-funk tune. Dias Tensos is a nervous drum workout led by an automat Tony Williams as if jamming in a 16-bit version of The Tony Williams Lifetime. And to wrap things up, Boogie da Paz is one of those perfect comedown tunes -- a true tearjerker that works its melody line like a good pill works your serotonin, making it one of those tracks that you keep under your sleeve for those special 6 AM moments on a dancefloor. The artwork is courtesy of Colletivo Design Studio in Sao Paulo. ?01. Livre (6:08)?02. Be Together (5:09)?03. Modo Aviao (1:40)?04. NOX (5:52)?05. Dias Tensos (3:43)?06. Boogie da Paz (6:07)