2023

Originally released in 2012, the second album by the São Paulo-born composer Rodrigo Campos marks a turning point in both lyrical and aesthetic inspiration. “Bahia Fantástica” is the result of the absorption of a then recent influence of soul music (especially Curtis Mayfield) and is in the middle of this path marked by an unlikely geography in the lyrical part (São Mateus, Bahia, Japan) and by an expansion of sound ( from samba to the indefinable, with a passage through black American music).The album turns ten years old in 2022 and exudes vitality. The soul reference takes on a different aroma when it passes through the filter of the composer and his band – formed by Kiko Dinucci on guitar, Marcelo Cabral on bass, Maurício Fleury on keyboards, Maurício Takara on drums and Thiago França on sax: it has Brazilian sauce, hints of afrobeat and a very particular seasoning. The lyrics bear the artist's mark: they project scenes in the listener's imagination and design the characters and environments with their own style of subjective chronicle. Bahia is both imaginary and intimate in Rodrigo Campos’s music.

Canopy returns, following up their previously well received singles, with the fourth release on the label. This time around the focus is entirely on the remixes, with the original titles from Nigerian Band The Celebrant to feature on the forthcoming reissue of their self-titled LP. The remixes are built around the afro funk breaks and cosmic synths which the 3 producers have re- calibrated and re-celebrated to devastating effect. Stylistically the vibe sits between searing outer space afro funk and classy afro-disco.A1. The Celebrant – Off Beats (OPOLOPO Tweak)OPOLOPO dons his astronaut suit for his first outing on Canopy, propelling Off Beats into the off-world stratosphere in a remake that never rests in its irresistible groove. Weighting down the beat with shuffling house beats while his signature funky synth work augments the synth solos of The Celebrant. Together they ignite the rockets to raise this track into another dimension.A2. The Celebrant – Off Beats (Captain Planet Remix)Captain Planet marks his return to Canopy with a deliriously danceable remake of Off Beats. Upping the tempo and adding a muscular flex he serves up a bassline with just the right amount of grit. Framed by this powerful electronic architecture, the horn lines and guitar solos do serious collateral damage. Impeccable production values combined with the scorching afro funk breaks make this an incendiary weapon indeed. Once the synth lines kick in, there is no doubt who is in control. Prepare to lift off!B1. The Celebrant – Funky Music (Aroop Roy Rework)Aroop Roy blesses Canopy for the first time with this remix of Funky Music, adding his infamously smooth and funky touch. The maestro is well renowned for his skill at flipping already killer material into highly addictive dancefloor bombs. Here he adds an undeniably groovy bassline to back the afro horn arrangements and interstellar synth solos. Setting it all ablaze he transforms these afro chops into a proper late night disco affair. When the Balearic pads ascend, the vibe simply levitates! Wide eyed and euphoric, this joint will sooth even the most savage of souls as they start to elevate into the aether.