Suba/Various

Suba was about to emerge as a major electronic artist from Brazil when a fire in his studio claimed his life days before the release of the now widely celebrated Sao Paolo Confessions. Tributo puts a 2002 spin on his work, which is very much in keeping with the spirit of the original disc. However, make no mistake, this is a man who saw himself as an electronic musician through and through. He had hoped to incorporate duets of himself on live electronics and Joao Parahyba's hand drumming throughout his performances: three such duets are included here and they are masterful. They represent a great balance between samba earthiness and the ability of electronics to heighten the groovy reality generated by the drums. Other songs are reconstructions and finished demos of loose ends from several years ago, but all have become fully formed. As for the remixes, those assigned the task had only the finished CD to work with, since the master tapes also perished in the fire. If this caused the remixers to work harder, it paid off in good tunes. Standouts are Parahyba's manic "Nightly Sins" and some four to the floor groove mixes by Buscemi and Phil Asher. This is a fitting remix/tribute album that works well as an experience on its own.