Wow, in the far back of my head I actually thought I already had an album featuring Portuguese experimental drummer João Pais Filipe in my digital collection. But that was just me confusing him with some fellow countrymen. Probably because that album also had some long tracks and a pretty phenomenal drum sound.But well, let's get to the record at hand, shall we?
JOÃO PAIS FILIPE - Teocalli (LP) (2025)
"Teocalli" was developed as a sountrack to an experimental film and consists of just one ongoing track of forty minutes length. It begins with very headphone-friendly produced hypnotic drums and percussion. And goes on like that. And goes on. Until you don't believe that anything else will ever happen on this album.
And that's ok, because this sounds glorious. I could shelve this between Klaus Weiss' Niagara and The Art Blakey Percussion Ensemble and very much enjoy it as it is.
But then different things do happen! First, after a quarter of the total playing time, while still keeping the Afro-Beat pulse bright bells or tubes (?) are added to sound palette, before they even take the full unshared spotlight. Especially in this part the stereo bouncing of it all is just wonderfully satisfying.
After a whooshing surge Noise the piece returns to pure percussion rite. There are some further pronounced changes of direction during the piece's second half, but it's needless to recount all of them here. IT doesn't make it easier to properly describe the effect of this record anyway. It's a very experimental, but also somehow very direct and easy to instinctively understand album.
It makes me wonder how this must have looked as a live performance. How much was actually played, how much was maybe sampled and manipulated? I really cannot tell. All I know is that this feels psychedelic, vital and visceral, a beautiful zen-like trance on the blurred yet heightened edge of perception.
To underline it once again: This sounds just so enormously satisfying and wholesome. The presentation of the record with a large-size booklet of stills doesn't hurt either. A wonderful release beyond the need of strict categorisation.
And that's ok, because this sounds glorious. I could shelve this between Klaus Weiss' Niagara and The Art Blakey Percussion Ensemble and very much enjoy it as it is.
But then different things do happen! First, after a quarter of the total playing time, while still keeping the Afro-Beat pulse bright bells or tubes (?) are added to sound palette, before they even take the full unshared spotlight. Especially in this part the stereo bouncing of it all is just wonderfully satisfying.
After a whooshing surge Noise the piece returns to pure percussion rite. There are some further pronounced changes of direction during the piece's second half, but it's needless to recount all of them here. IT doesn't make it easier to properly describe the effect of this record anyway. It's a very experimental, but also somehow very direct and easy to instinctively understand album.
It makes me wonder how this must have looked as a live performance. How much was actually played, how much was maybe sampled and manipulated? I really cannot tell. All I know is that this feels psychedelic, vital and visceral, a beautiful zen-like trance on the blurred yet heightened edge of perception.
To underline it once again: This sounds just so enormously satisfying and wholesome. The presentation of the record with a large-size booklet of stills doesn't hurt either. A wonderful release beyond the need of strict categorisation.
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