Reinterpreting the fervour of Brazilian’s funk carioca, Sango’s latest EP thrives in Rio’s heat, curiously echoing distinct loops with provoking sounds cloaked under the subdued layers of dub and resounding snares.

Interesting things have been afoot with Sango - his re-worked classics of Aaliyah, Frank Ocean and Weeknd have surreptitiously snaked its way through punters’ mixes (Lefto, Mad Decent), the most recent being his own for Soulection Radio: Guest Mix 05 session.

I won’t lie though, for I only recently discovered Sango by chance on Soundcloud, and by some cosmic force, have been serendipitously acquainted with his music (the best way) – like how I stumbled upon his ethereal remix of The Weeknd’s “Coming Down” through a random mix:

Given the pandemic with which experimental styles like beatstrumental spread, the QC significance of talents, like Sango's left-field eccentricity, prevails to reign.

Embarking on a search of new music, Sango discovered an exotically developed sound in the throes of South America. Da Rocinha is a prominent shanty town in Brazil, which spawned a unique derivative of baile funk. While often aggressive and brimming with explicit appeal - Sango's careful sample extraction, arrangement and compression elicits a dreamy concoction of sexy, Balearic- bliss.

His style of ambient dub and fuzzy synths, distinct in his acclaimed remix of The Weeknd: More Balloons EP is still prominent, though a little provocative with rolling Afro-Latin percussion and incessant ramblings in Portuguese. 'Sempre' blends compressed percussion sample and clipped vocals with that resounding west coast snare I am ridiculously obsessed about – also a recurring bit amidst the soul’d out arpeggios of 'Nao Solta Nao'.

Some filthy bass inflections begin the onslaught in 'Tremendo o Bumbum', before hitting the Soca spot with 'Passinho Kuduro' – all manic vocals, infectious melody and rude, sinister basslines.

https://soundcloud.com/soulection/sango-passinho-kuduro-free-dl

Jittery synths in 'Todo u Mondo' luxuriate in low-range dub thuggishness, and the languid sadism of 'Dacando o Senta' and 'Fica Caladinha' bring to mind a timeless post-dub feel that is reminiscent of 90s west coast swing.

Rochina delves into the subterranean depths of Sango’s gritty imagination, scratching the surface and shedding light on the future of the underground – which doesn’t seem so bleak anymore.