Mahmed
Sobre A Vida Em Comunidade

LA RECENSIONE

June 24, 2014, Natal (Brazil).

On stage, at the Arena das Dunas, the FIFA World Cup and specifically the last match of group D. The rest is history with Italy defeated by Uruguay and eliminated after Marchisio's expulsion, Suarez's bite on Chiellini, and the splendid header by flaco Godín.

Meanwhile, in the same city, 4 guys are locked between the walls of the Cantilena Studio in the midst of composing and/or recording their debut album. The title is explanatory of the situation, translated into Italian: "On Life in Community".

Mahmed's proposal is essentially structured on the use of the guitar: phrases, tempo changes, quick deviations, digressions. All in the perspective of a less intimate and less dilated post-rock, decidedly more focused on rhythm and dynamic song structures. A post-rock close to the dawn of the genre: the influence is that of Slint and Tortoise, but revised in a less sharp perspective, the result of repeated Fruscianti listenings, and partly from the geographical origin of the quartet. After all, living a stone's throw from Praia de Ponta Negra (http://www.hotelmarsol.com.br/wp-content/uploads/fotos-de-natal-praia-de-ponta-negra-morro-do-careca-hotel-marsol.jpg) is quite different from living in Kentucky.

In the intro "AaaaAAAaAaAaA" the delicate arpeggios recall Mogwai, embellished with a barely whispered female voice in the background. This will be the only case of singing in an album that is almost exclusively instrumental: in fact, the vocal insertions are scarce and mainly consist of samples. This is the case with "Vale Das rrRosas", a sort of semi-acoustic emo-post ballad, somewhat à la American Football, in which a sample from an old Brazilian fairy tales record is inserted.

The absence of vocal elements is counterbalanced by the sonic richness of the songs. In the dreamlike "(Momentos) Antes De Dormir" a synth and reversed guitars converse with each other until they become one. In "Ian Trip" a rap-rhythmic oriented drum, turntablism, and violin are used in a psychedelic key, as confirmed by the title. "Shuva" is enriched with electronic elements, while blues reminiscences are found in "Mantra Tensão" (the most Fruscianti of the bunch) and in "Quando Os Olhos Se Fecham" (in the latter they make intelligent use of the accordion).

"Sobre A Vida Em Comunidade" is a solid work, well-written and well-arranged, among open melodies and clean sounds. Ultimately, it is the album that will make you open your ears to a different musical Brazil than what you were used to.