New Compilation of Brazilian Electronic and Experimental Music

By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Collecting the best of electronic and experimental music in Brazil, Hy Brazil Vol 10: New Music From Brazil 2016, the tenth and final volume of the Hy Brazil compilation series, was recently released online. Curated by cultural producer Chico Dub, the album consists of twenty-four tracks by up-and-coming Brazilian musicians, groups and DJs including Ubunto, 100freio, Bad$ista, IN-SONE, and DJ Sydney.

“The compilation series Hy Brazil was created in 2010 with the aim to map and disseminate new productions of electronic music and experimental music in Brazil,” Chico Dub, who also helped to create the Novas Frequências experimental music festival, told The Rio Times.

The Hy Brazil series includes works from various subgenres of electronic, dance, and experimental including drone, noise, ambient, IDM, improv, avant-garde, glitch,dub, baile funk, synth-pop, and house, among others.

Each edition of the series loosely focused on several related subgenres. The tenth edition and final edition highlights organic electronic and melodic experimental tracks.

When asked why he chose Hy Brazil for the name of the series, Dub said; “The title of the collection refers to the Celtic legend describing an island paradise in the south of Ireland, full of delights and exuberance,” Dub later added. “There are historians who believe that the name ‘Brazil’ given by the Portuguese derives from this legend.”

The series has delivered delight to those interested in Brazilian music outside of the mainstream since the first edition in the series. That collection included artists like Tropkillaz, a Brazilian DJ duo who performed as part of the Rock in Rio 2015 Eletrônica Stage line-up and Leo Justi, a Rio DJ, music producer and creator of the Heavy Baile parties.

“I love to listen to music from artists of the first editions and compare them with their current productions. It’s amazing how they have evolved!” said Dub. “At the same time, I like to hear more new bands and young artists and try to imagine how their career will be in the future.”

Featured groups and musicians in volumes two through nine included Free Jazz group,Chinese Cookie Poets; Thingamajicks, an electronic music project by Brazilian artist Vinícius Duarte; tech house producer Sexworker; and Marginal Men the DJ duo from the Wobble collective.

When asked what’s next now that the compilation series is complete, Dub said; “My idea is to continue with the project only differently. Instead of releasing compilations, will focus on few artists per year and release physical and digital albums with them. In a way, I will turn Hy Brazil into a traditional label.”

Hy Brazil Vol 10: New Music From Brazil 2016, as well as volumes one through nine are available for purchase on Chico Dub’s Bandcamp page.