BRAZILIAN DUO BALAKO PROVIDE A FUNK-FILLED SNAPSHOT OF ‘RIO’ WITH ‘JUNGLE MUSIC’ VIDEO
THE PAIRS UPCOMING EP IS OUT JUNE VIA GRECO-ROMAN ON JUNE 22ND
‘A neat, magnetic anthem’ Complex ‘undeniably carried by funk momentum’ Vice
‘an enticing melting pot of sounds that feels both retro and current’ XLR8R
Before they were signed, the entirely live element of Balako’s songs caused early confusion to Greco-Roman co-founder and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard who initially assumed their debut was littered with samples. Diogo and Rodrigo insist that sampling, editing, remixing and re-editing are not the only way to make Brazil sound contemporary on the dance floor, and have once again rounded up their musician friends and created their one retro sounding tracks from scratch. Inspired by their vibrant city and its unique inhabitants named Cariocas, they strive to capture the essence of live music in Brazil, providing DJ’s with a chance to drop something organic, messy and funk driven.
"Rio is a city surrounded by chaos and social injustice, it’s people often angered by the corruption and fragility of its make-up, but still we find a reason to smile and have fun... while still hustling” says Diogo. "As Tim Maia once joked: "Here the pimps feel jealous, the drug dealers get coke addictions and poor people are right wing. Contradictions like these create a lot of depth and inspire us to keep creating. Sometimes it feels like surrealism but it’s actually magical realism."
‘Jungle Music’ is out 22nd June on Greco-Roman and it’s colourful video, depicting the duo’s hometown Rio is out today!
