Customer Reviews

Nao Wave: Brazil Post Punk 1982-1988

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When you thought you heard it all in post punk, comes this CD compilation with impossible to find post punk from Brazil. Yes, they had their very own post punk scene down there, that incorporated what happened in New York, Berlin and London during the early Eighties. Mixing the styles from the North with their very own Brazilian music elements, bands such as AKT, Agentss, Black Future created the most exciting form of post punkl. Imagine Joy Division with batucada beats, A Flock Of Seagulls with a samba feeling - all to be heard of Nao Wave. A true musical revelation. I love it.

I'm no expert when it comes to Brazilian music, but I've picked up a few Portuguese-language CDs over the years, like the soundtracks to "City of God" and "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou" (featuring acoustic Bowie covers by Seu Jorge, aka "Knockout Ned"). This CD doesn't remind me of those releases--or of the music of Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes, or even Sepultura. Some of the (non-Brazilian) names other writers have mentioned include Gang of Four, Bauhaus, and LiliPUT. I agree. This is the darker end of the post-punk spectrum. Not goth per se, but these folks do sound mad in a Pop Group--as opposed to a Sex Pistols--way. For more Brazilian post-punk, see the Soul Jazz compilation, "The Sexual Life of the Savages."

Who would have thought that there was such amazing No Wave, post punk, and odd Devo influenced electro-rock going on in Brazil from 1982-88?? That's what this is, a collection of some obscure art rock, no wave and odd pop from Brazil during the mid-80s. I'd say these bands are more new wave than no wave but that might be splitting hairs. The influences are wide including more standard new wave, like Gary Numan and Devo and even some psychedelic sounds. Unlike a lot of American No Wave the funk and reggae influences are no there. Instead you'll find some Trapacalia influence (track 2 could be a Tom Ze track) and some sounds like that of XTC.