In a flurry of madcap sampling pitched towards the heat of the night, Pedro Zopelar builds on the premise of his 2022 electro- funk love letter Charme, shifting his approach towards a particular

90s flair and a method with a specific end result. Ritmo Freak took root in studio experiments for a momentous — and rare — live set at São Paulo festival Não Existe in 2023, where Zopelar was caught up in one of those right-place, right- time moments we carry with us through life. As he explains himself: “This album is dedicated to freaky club culture. While I was playing at the festival there was a crazy tropical storm outside and the room was packed with the freakiest crowd. I’ve tried hard to immortalize that feeling on this record.” With the intended energy in mind, Zopelar focused on a particular mode of production centred around 12-bit sampling from his ample record collection. Considering his background as a trained pianist, here his musical instincts are forced to work within the limitations of short, snappy cuts from dusty 12”s. The lo-fi sound sources and the resourceful ways Zopelar works them gives the record an unmistakable old-skool flavour which he applies to forthright house, techno and electro funk rhythms, always taking care to draw out the soul of the music.

The stylistic touchstones flow past thick and fast on Ritmo Freak. From the amped up fierceness of the title track with its gaudy, cut n’ paste, vintage techno flavour to the effervescent electro funk of ‘Gabriellinha’s Boogie’ on to the surreal Balearic inversion of ‘Distraction’, this is a high-velocity, endlessly charming record bursting with the musicality Zopelar has made his name on. As the driving force behind many warehouse parties in São Paulo,

Zopelar has been immersed in club culture for a long time, and his distinctive catalogue of jazz, funk, acid and techno has graced highly respected labels like Apron, Selva Discos and Mother Tongue. Throughout, he’s displayed an affinity for the tangled roots of the groove with an open-eared, big-hearted sound. That’s what comes through on Ritmo Freak More

The occasional AZIMUTH collaborator showcases his Brazilian heritage on this tribute to the late visionary genius IVAN "MAMAO" CONTI. The 6 forward looking tracks examine CONTI's influence while avoiding "throwback" territory. Features a stunning remix from BYRON THE AQUARIUS. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Zopelar - FalaSerio
A2 Zopelar - 808 Dream
B1 Zopelar - Acid 1
B2 Zopelar & rHr - Acid Republic

Sales Note
Brazil's Zopelar continues to make stellar underground dance music and as a result, Techno House Connoisseurs has another hit record on their hands. He launches with FalaSerio into the acid jazz breakbeat stratosphere and doesn't look back as the track weaves, skips, jumps and floats...all with crisp hi's and acid distorting throughout. 808 Dream is exactly as it sounds, mezmerizing, quirky and jacking. Pads warp and drift but not too far, all while the acid worms into your head for that early am mind f*ck. Acid 1 is the peak hour monster that is set to demolish even the most discerning dancefloor. Relentless and unwavering, it's an all out onslaught of acid squelching, percussionistic chaos. This track is not to be denied and will have the walls sweating. Lastly, Zopelar and fellow Brazilain artist RHR collide to deliver an epic acid techno driver in Acid Republic. What a thrill it is hearing this on a proper system, nearly 7 minutes of pure 303 techno hypnosis.
Limited 300 copies. More

Zopelar arrives on Tartelet with Charme - an album of effervescent machine funk harking back to a golden era of Brazilian party music, releasing October 21st.

The era of interest for Sao Paulo’s Pedro Zopelar begins in the 1980s in Rio de Janeiro, when a particular phenomenon caught on at suburban parties which became known as Charme. “Charme was like a mix of slow boogie, RnB and new jack swing,” explains Zopelar. “DJ Corello started calling ‘charme’ the moment
of the party when he played slow grooves and felt that the people started dancing differently, with sexier synchronized moves. Some years later, charme evolved from an awaited moment of a night to a whole movement of parties just playing that kind of music. On this record I tried to make something that brings this emotional feeling to my music in a modern way.”

Much like the original genre-not-genre he drew inspiration from, Zopelar’s approach across his latest LP spans different moods and tempos. There’s blissful, sultry mystery lingering around ‘Clara’ and ‘Do You Feel?’ while OSAGIE lends some chops to the exquisite, Rompler-powered synth funk of ‘Chain Net’. The lead singles ‘Shibuya’, ‘Charme’ and ‘Passado’ all tap into varying shades of deep house, from slinky City Pop-tinted loungers to peak-time dance pop and Larry Heard-influenced flavours, with the constant being Zopelar’s immaculate production and the unbridled warmth of his compositions.

Continuing the Latin-rooted theme of the album, the artworkconception of Charme was realized by multidisciplinary artist and curator Ode, showcasing a popular style of street paintings made by anonymous artists throughout Latin America. It’s not about graffiti-culture but a popular solution utilized by small restaurants, bars and other establishments to use their own walls for commercial purposes, hiring artists to paint food and drink menus or other information about their products.

With an emotional sincerity stemming from his move to reconnect with the Brazilian dimension of his creative background, Charme arrives as Zopelar’s heartfelt celebration of life and music, of sentimental moments shared and good times enjoyed. More

Techno House Connoisseurs proudly present Zopelar. This brilliant Brazilian artist has been turning out quality release after quality release on labels like Apron, Soul Clap and Axe Traxx. This release showcases his unique sound in the realm of Acid. This is classic Zopelar with rich, dreamy synths, layering of distorted percussive elements and of course his version of the timeless TB 303 sound. Exquisite production from an artist who is changing the game! More

A fierce rhythmic voyage energized by the bassline and enveloped by the somewhat dark ambience. More

Repress!

“Déjà Vu”, a true labour of love project featuring 5 previously unreleased songs from two of Brazil’s most celebrated artists, Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti. Recorded between 1982 and 1986, these tracks take off from the legendary boogie-disco, jazz-funk fusion sound they presented in their first – and only – album together and allow us to have a glimpse of what their planned second volume would sound like. This collection of songs is a must-have for DJs, Brazilian music fans, and music aficionados alike.

Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti have been influential figures in the Brazilian music scene for decades, with their innovative and groovy sound inspiring many artists in Brazil and beyond. They participated in more than 1,000 records, including groundbreaking work with Tim Maia, Marcos Valle, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Rita Lee, and Jorge Ben, either arranging, producing and/or playing in their albums. This release offers a unique opportunity to experience some of their never-heard-before material, each song expertly restored and remastered from Lincoln Olivetti’s vaults to ensure that the original recordings were preserved.

For disco DJs, this record is a treasure trove of dancefloor gold, specially the opening track “Suspira”, certified material to get any party started. Brazilian music fans worldwide will appreciate the unique blend of Brazilian rhythms with disco and funk elements. And for music aficionados, this release is a rare gem, offering a peek into the creative process of two legendary musicians and producers. In the end, this very special release has the potential to be a hit with a wide range of music lovers.

Comes with an 8-page insert with photo's and liner notes in portuguese and english. More

Repress!

Sometimes it’s easy to see why certain albums fail to reach a wider audience and sink without a trace not long after release, but why Fernando Falcão's Brazil-only debut album 'Memória das Águas' wasn't acknowledged as the masterpiece it is straight away at the time will forever remain a mystery. Maybe it's because it came out thirteen years after Falcão had to flee his motherland after actively protesting Brazil's military regime in 1968, not exactly making him the Brazilian household name he should have been. Chances are the fact that it was released more than two years after it was initially recorded in his new home France in 1979 didn't help sales either. So kudos to the good people at Selva Discos for making this rare-as-hens-teeth and criminally underrated album available once again, since it needs to be out there for all to hear.

'Memória das Águas' is a unique and compelling concoction of both traditional and modern Brazilian styles, postmodern classical, ambient, jazz, tape experiments and abstract sounds derived from Falcão's homemade instruments such as the balauê, a horizontal version of the berimbau string instrument that produces the watery, flowing sound the album was named after. The balauê is introduced in the stunning opening track, a miniature symphony that slowly spirals into dizzying depths. Falcão invokes both Afro-Brazilian and Latin-American spirits in a Jon Hassell-like Fourth World setting with 'Amanhecer Tabajara', before moving into Edu Lobo territory with 'Revoada' and capturing the sounds of a bustling bazar with 'Mercado'. The stunning 'Curimão' is the absolute centerpiece of this brilliant album - a fast-paced six minute samba attack with ripping horns, full-on percussion and dervish-like handclapping that will floor any unsuspecting listener. 'Solito' rounds off this wonderfully balanced album, revealing Falcão's painstaking attention to detail before finally pouring the remnants of his soul out with the grand artistic closing statement that is 'Danado Cantador'. 'Memória das Águas' is a beautifully produced masterpiece that is worthy of a new, more prominent place in history. (RO) More

2023 repress in full color sleeve!

Barbatuques, a well-known Brazilian group of body percussionists, adapted "Baianá" back in 2005 (first released on the "O Seguinte É Esse" album) and since then it became a staple of their concerts

The original is a modern folk song from Bahia composed by Maria do Carmo Barbosa, but it was the mouth harp sound and the stomping beat on the Barbatuques' arrangement that imprinted its trademark sound. A couple of years ago, Jan Schulte, the german producer known for his taste for tropical drums (and also for using a few different aliases), heard the song and decided to add an extra punch to it for his DJ sets: more drums, taken from a library record of "drumdrops" (hence the title).

Now for the first time "Baianá" is issued on vinyl. It marks the second volume of the Brasingles eries, a new series on Selva Discos dedicated to releasing loud 12" singles with the original song on the A side and a rework on the B side, to please both the DJ and the listener. More