KJHK DJ of the week
Sarah Saling (political science junior)
Host of Plow the Fields, KJHK's local music show, 2-4 p.m. Saturdays
Currently listening to:
Enon, "Lost Marbles and Exploded Evidence"
Minus Story, "Heaven and Hell EP"
Vagenius, "Educated Fool EP"
Various Artists, "Slum Dunk Presents: Funk Carioca"
I often check myself when I listen to foreign music about whether I'm judging the product based solely on artistic merit. Sometimes I realize that I am more inclined to accept certain styles if there's an element of strangeness to it. Wack is wack, but sometimes kinda wack is dope.
Brazilian Funk, heard on this compilation, is based most directly on the Miami bass scene of the mid-1980s, with deeper roots in Electro and Freestyle, the first electronic dance styles to enjoy widespread popularity in American inner cities. The Brazilian variety consists of heavy drum machine beats, consistent with the American archetype, but the combination of native rhythmic patterns and Portuguese rhyming over the tracks makes the tropical version seem fresher than 2 Live Crew and Trinere.
Another element that defines funk from the synth-hop fray is its heavy sampling of songs like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Who Let the Dogs Out," and "Bittersweet Symphony." In the Brazilian kiln, these corny shards of clay get bass-heavy new glazes, making even the originals seem funky once the remixed rhythm has imprinted itself on the ear. Granted, 2 Live Crew flipped "Born in the U.S.A." and "Yakety Yak," but those efforts lacked the half-rapped/half-screamed Brazilian rhymes that push these songs from the realm of cheese just over to the cool side of things.
With this release (along with the German-issued "Rio Baile Funk," and Philly producer Diplo's mixtape "Favela On Blast"), American ears are finally getting a chance to listen to Brazilian Funk legally (I first noticed the music while searching for "Brazilian rap" on Napster in 1999). Whether you understand Portuguese or not, the beats are sick, the samples are hilarious, and the end result proves that there is at least one truly international language.
-Sam Hopkins
"Radio Balagan," Thursdays midnight-2a.m.
Antony and the Johnsons, "I Am A Bird Now"
I Am A Bird Now is haunting. Though stripped down to the most basic, minimal instrumentation, it's so arranged that it feels grandiose. Guest artists Rufus Wainwright, Boy George, Devendra Banhart, and Lou Reed complement Antony's bluesy vocals reminiscent of Nina Simone. Lyrics lead listeners down the barren path of yearning for human connection.
-Amy Hurt
Rock Rotation, all day all night
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