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12"
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P 027EP
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From the crucible of Lisbon's renowned club scene, DJ Firmeza fulminates four cuts of roiling Batida rhythm and free-spirited vocals. Two highlights revolved around Firmeza's own vocals, toasting not boasting in a stream-of-consciousness flow known locally as "animação". Firmeza's lilting vocal cadence matches the rhythm's cantering syncopation on "Intenso", and "AVAN" sees him scudding melodically over cold, direct drums. On the mesmerizing "RRRRRR" vocals are trapped in psychotic, nanoscopic loops and woven with infectiously offset, technoid bass patterns, before "25" supplies a masterclass in loose-limbed percussion.
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12"
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P 011LP
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2015 release. Maybe it was the fact he used to be part of a dance crew with his younger brother, he can't really tell, but the raw percussive nature of his music reveals Firmeza has a finely tuned understanding of body movements. That became more and more obvious since he first learned the ways of FL Studio via DJ Nervoso and his other -- older -- brother. That was it for DJ Firmeza, then 11 years old, born in Portugal but of Angolan descent. This EP is dedicated to his recently departed father, a light only overshadowed by God -- it is not uncommon for Firmeza to shed some tears in those special moments during a performance when things seem too good to be true. Clocking in at over six minutes, title-track "Alma Do Meu Pai" is a game-changer, three-times longer than the average batida track, a deep running hypnotic percussion grid showcasing all the rhythmic flow Firmeza inherited and perfected from his admiration of classic DJ Nervoso beats; "Somos Melão Doce" introduces plucked synthetic strings that sound totally alien in this context but with a precise emotive agenda. It's no chance; "Os PDDG" namechecks Firmeza's ground-breaking crew he shared with Liofox (co-authoring this track), Dadifox, Maboku, and Lilocox (both now active as CDM). The tempo is comparatively relaxed, percussion drops are stars in their own right, lending an avant-garde edge to this most tribal dance; In "Start Go", assertive chants dance around each other, in and out of sync, securing a safe path for the heavy duty percussion workout; By the time we reach "Coelho 2025", it's more than evident we are locked in Firmeza's own intricate web of rhythm; forget notions of kuduro or Afro-house, this is really something else, a pulsating heart linked to stomping feet in a most elegant way; "Suposto" adds flute and clipped guitar as atmosphere enhancers, balancing the usual genius percussion work. Bouncy and intuitive.
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