Sao Paulo Underground

Sauna: Um, Dois, Tres

[4/5] Post-rock/avant-jazz dynamo Rob Mazurek has left Chicago’s febrile music scene for Brazil, but he’s not slowed his prodigious creative output. Following Chicago Underground Duo’s riveting, Morricone-on-downers CD In Praise Of Shadows and Mandarin Movie’s mind-blowing noise-jazz bomb, he and percussionist/electronics specialist Mauricio Takara drop their gripping debut as Sao Paulo Underground, Sauna: Um, Dois, Tres. Fans of Mazurek’s work in Chicago Underground Duo/Trio/Quartet will find much to enjoy here. Mazurek’s cornet is in supple form, soulfully soaring and rippling over kinetic beat programming and sticksmanship from CUD member Chad Taylor. They’re buttressed by Takara’s beautifully muted electronic tones and spectral Rhodes organ. Ultimately, Sauna is one of those albums that embrace so many styles they become a label boss’ nightmare to market (and equally frustrating for iTunes to classify). But SPU’s brilliant gene-splicing of cool jazz, samba, post-rock, dub and experimental electronica makes the confusion totally worthwhile.
(AESTHETICS) Dave Segal