Casas

Description

The Brazilian artist Rubel refuses to be categorized and confined to a single musical style. Casas, his second album following his debut Pearl released in 2015, offers a more ambitious, epic, and richer production. Merging the worlds of MPB and hip-hop, this second album continues the success of its predecessor and has even been nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards. Mr Bongo is proud to present Casas as its first worldwide release on vinyl and CD, outside of Brazil and Japan. It is often said that the second album is the most delicate; however, Rubel seems to have risen to the challenge brilliantly with Casas. A true source of creativity and originality, this album showcases the artist at the height of his craft. Created after a six-month stay in Los Angeles, Casas draws inspiration from MPB while being driven by a hip-hop pulse. The influence of the 2010s hip-hop aesthetic is clearly perceptible, subtly but deeply embedded throughout the album. References to Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, and Tyler, The Creator shine through in this playful and original album. Sumptuous string arrangements and tracks exploring Brazil's rich folk rhythms coexist with lo-fi electronic beats and collaborations with renowned Brazilian rappers. Casas also highlights a series of iconic figures from the new Brazilian scene, such as Pedro Fonte, Gus Levy, and Brazilian rapper/poet Rincon Sapiência. The album, with its pop accents, also has an underground dimension. It vibrates with the rhythm of a singer-songwriter, a sensation already very present on Pearl, but here elevated by arrangements and a sonic richness that give it another dimension: masterful brass and string sections transform the tracks, initially recorded at home, into anthems crafted for stadiums. Preserving the beauty and intrinsic simplicity of a well-constructed song while reinterpreting it in a pop context is the true strength of this album. Casas confirms Rubel's status as one of the most promising talents in the contemporary Brazilian music scene and an essential figure that further enriches the already vibrant scene in the country.