When it comes to remixing up-and-coming Brazilian songstress Luisa Maita, there's a lot to work with. Her extremely well realized debut, Lero Lero, released earlier this year, provided another worthy follow-up to the Suba/Bebel Gilberto template of vivid soundscapes and head nodding rhythms established over ten years ago. She's a next-gen Paolista with an even stronger voice and flair for musical experimentation. Maita Remixed isn't a transformation of her sound; it's more a recalibration of the electronic and natural elements of her music. Though she's employed some pretty out-there remixers, like DJ/rupture and Maga Bo, everybody pretty much leaves her voice alone to act as the focus of their alternative beat constructions. The album starts slow and dub-y with DJ Tudo's ricocheting echoes, but quickly picks up the pace with Maga Bo's itchy, percussive take on "Fulanina." DJ/rupture chimes in with an up-tempo, dub-y pulse that gets freaky towards the end, as Maita's voice gets some creative Auto-Tuning. The album crests with a full-on breakbeat workout by Seiji, which provides the record's most intense moment, segueing effectively into the UK funky/glitchy ending by Montreal's Intoccabile. This set is short, sweet and highly recommended.
How did you come up with the sound of the original album?
I worked with Paulo in the same studio that Suba worked with Bebel Gilberto. Suba; he was so great. He really focused [her]. Paulo knew many things about electronic sounds, and some sounds on my CD come from Suba's library.
Did you choose the remixers for this album or was it the record company?
[Working with Cumbancha] has been very, very good. They work hard and they've been very smart. [With the remixers], some of them I chose, like Seiji and Alfredo Bello [aka DJ Tudo], some of them they chose, but I approved everything. Now [on tour], I am meeting some of the people who worked on the disc; I just met the DJ who remixed "Desencabulada"!
Did you have an idea of what you wanted the remix album to sound like? Did you want it very danceable or experimental?
I think that both are there. At the beginning of the CD, you have a slow kind of music and by the end have more excitement. I like that.
(Cumbancha)How did you come up with the sound of the original album?
I worked with Paulo in the same studio that Suba worked with Bebel Gilberto. Suba; he was so great. He really focused [her]. Paulo knew many things about electronic sounds, and some sounds on my CD come from Suba's library.
Did you choose the remixers for this album or was it the record company?
[Working with Cumbancha] has been very, very good. They work hard and they've been very smart. [With the remixers], some of them I chose, like Seiji and Alfredo Bello [aka DJ Tudo], some of them they chose, but I approved everything. Now [on tour], I am meeting some of the people who worked on the disc; I just met the DJ who remixed "Desencabulada"!
Did you have an idea of what you wanted the remix album to sound like? Did you want it very danceable or experimental?
I think that both are there. At the beginning of the CD, you have a slow kind of music and by the end have more excitement. I like that.