Brazilian experimental punk rock band Baco Doente and their Midnight Movie - "Denim on Denim"

AP Track Review

Brazilian experimental punk rock Baco Doente just released their self titled album on Spotify and Bandcamp and when I heard the track Denim on Denim I was struck by the raw razor blade screams on top of sort of dark heavy metal / grunge chords. At first listen, maybe because of the Brazilian accent I thought the words being sung (or screamed) were "Deni on Deni" but it really didn't matter, what attracted me (in a big way) was the simple feral nature and repetition, first as angry cries and then as a sort of "what the fuck" exasperation. Then spring reverb splashes, sideways bass lines, falling drums and drones of sounds made the track sound very proto punkish and experimental as did the words after the mantric "Denim on Denim" (over and over again):

Cowboys making love
Hot tubs like pepper
Black Magic mojo
Sick angels groveling wanting to love
The sun is beating on the fruit
I had to paint in black
The piggs cannot sing
The flavored love of a rotten apple

And then the track fizzles away feeling very much like a Midnight movie, something avant garde with stream of consciousness words, an exercise in dadaism, a cluster fuck of the ID or maybe not at all, maybe carefully crafted. Either way, in a sea of sameness I am smiling.

By the way, Baco Doente's phrase "denim on denim" repeated over and over again is their mantric form of critiquing abject consumerism.  

Baco Doente are a no wave, noise rock, indie, experimental art rock outfit comprised of  Frederico Arruda, Walner Del`Duca, Victor Fonseca and Stéphanie Fernandes.

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Robb Donker










THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:

A BACO DOENTE nasceu do encontro de Walner Del’Duca e Fred Arruda, que tocam guitarra e revezam nos vocais. A próxima etapa foi convencer Victor Fonseca, o baterista mais disputado de Juiz de Fora, a participar do projeto. Com três guitarras na formação, o primeiro show rolou em março de 2019 – quinze minutos caóticos que renderam comparações com DIIV, Nirvana e Stooges. Em maio, começaram as gravações do que seria o EP de estreia e acabou virando disco. Encerrando o rodízio de baixistas, o produtor André Medeiros, referência na cena local por ter encabeçado um furacão noise pop chamado Top Surprise, tocou durante as sessões que rolaram em seu quarto, sendo substituído por Stéphanie Fernandes a partir do segundo show.

A sonoridade da Baco Doente é mais sombria e dissonante em relação à Top Surprise – que talvez tenha sido o único representante brasileiro da onda shitgaze. As letras falam sobre imortalidade da alma, paranoias urbanas, bad vibes, ocultismo e, justificando o nome inspirado na mitologia grega, hedonismo e excessos. Eles citam a influência de Melvins, Sonic Youth, Swans e desdobramentos do Birthday Party, tendendo mais para a carreira solo do guitarrista Rowland S. Howard do que para os projetos do Nick Cave. Já as semelhanças com Mclusky e o subestimado Ultrasom, do Adriano Cintra, são meras coincidências que passariam batidas por todos os blogs caso o database não tivesse tocado no assunto.

O disco Baco Doente é basicamente composto por duas guitarras numa afinação inventada pela banda, muitos pedais, alternância entre vocais soturnos e gritos dementes, microfonias apitando por todos os lados, baixo e bateria consistentes para dar sustentação ao caos. Diversificando o que poderia ser preguiçosamente rotulado como grunge, aparecem viagens de saxofone, a balada Pain com ares de Tom Waits e Flaming Lips, a declamação de um poema e o encerramento Angels, cuja bateria eletrônica barata pode enganar os fãs Blank Dogs e Drab Majesty

Walner é o que assina mais faixas no disco. Victor é vocalista e guitarrista da Basement Tracks e, assim como Walner, passou pela bateria da Top Surprise. Stéphanie tem tocado com Alles Club, Cinammon Tapes e Papisa. Fred é o único que ainda não chegou à casa dos 30. Além da produção, André Medeiros cuidou da mixagem e masterização.

O single Sick Baco foi lançado no dia 29 de outubro, funcionando como um prefácio do álbum de estreia do quarteto previsto para novembro de 2019. Como era de se esperar, a Baco Doente faz parte do cast da Pug Records, de Juiz de Fora, que completa dez anos em 2020.

Translated to English:

The  BACO DOENTE  was born from the meeting of Walner Del'Duca and Fred Arruda, who play guitar and turns on vocals. The next step was to convince Victor Fonseca, the most disputed drummer of Juiz de Fora, to participate in the project. With three guitars in the pipeline, the first show went on March 2019 - fifteen chaotic minutes that yielded comparisons with DIIV, Nirvana and Stooges. In May, the recording of what would be the debut EP began and ended up becoming album. Ending the bass rotation, producer André Medeiros, a reference in the local scene for having headed a hurricane  noise pop  called Top Surprise, played during the sessions that took place in his room, being replaced by Stéphanie Fernandes from the second show.

Baco Doente's sound is darker and jarring compared to Top Surprise - which may have been the only Brazilian representative of the shitgaze wave. The lyrics speak about soul immortality, urban paranoia, bad vibes, occultism and, justifying the name inspired by Greek mythology, hedonism and excesses. They cite the influence of Melvins, Sonic Youth, Swans and Birthday Party outfits, tending more to guitarist Rowland S. Howard's solo career than to Nick Cave projects. Already the similarities with Mclusky and the underrated Ultrasom, by Adriano Cintra, are mere coincidences that would beat all blogs if the database had not touched the subject.

The Sick Baco album   is basically composed of two guitars in a tuning invented by the band, lots of pedals, alternating between grumpy vocals and demented screams, microphones whistling on all sides, consistent bass and drums to sustain chaos. Diversifying what could be lazily labeled as grunge are saxophone trips, the  Tom Waits and Flaming Lips aired Pain ballad  , the poem reciting, and the closing  Angels , whose cheap electronic drums can fool Blank Dogs and Drab Majesty fans

Walner is the one who signs the most tracks on the album. Victor is a vocalist and guitarist for Basement Tracks and, like Walner, has gone through Top Surprise's drums. Stéphanie has been playing with Alles Club, Cinammon Tapes and Papisa. Fred is the only one who hasn't reached his thirties. Besides the production, André Medeiros took care of the mixing and mastering.

The single  Sick Baco  was released on October 29th, serving as a foreword to the quartet debut album scheduled for November 2019. which turns ten in 2020.

By the way, Baco Doente's phrase "denim on denim" repeated over and over again is their mantric form of critiquing abject consumerism.