Visual poetry from Rossano Snel

Hello again from One Cell Records. Rossano Snel has been talking exclusively to us about his internet video project in the making.

With a working title of 'Subterfuge', the one-minute short film is coming to us from Bonobo Films, who provided the pictures for Rossano's Gallery EP.

So what's it all about? 'The movie is about me and my musical work,' Rossano says. 'It's like an abstraction, a visual poem about my music.'

Keep an eye out for that, and keep an ear out for a free digital compilation called 'e-Brazil – amazing new music from the land of samba'. Rossano picked all the tracks, and it features artists like Tita Lima, DJ Tahira, Modo Solar, Sonic Junior and many more. It's coming your way as a free download very soon.

Meanwhile, Kiko Dinucci's tourmate M. Takara is getting ready to play at Thavius Beck's EP release concert this coming May 28th in Sao Paulo. It's a one-off appearance for Mauricio in his home town – he's returning in the middle of a European tour as drummer with Kiko and Chicago trumpeter Rob Mazurek.

The jazzy trio – going by the name of Sao Paulo Underground – have already taken in Germany, Italy and Poland on their musical jaunt. Grab a taste of how it's all going down over on YouTube, where you'll find fresh videos of Kiko strumming his stuff on stage.

Until next time, stay tuned to One Cell.

Bill Lehane.

A dead donkey in the sun

Hi folks and welcome to another weekly update from One Cell Records. First up this week, our favourite psychedelic foursome Burro Morto have given us exclusive images of Brazil's best band in the making.

The band – whose name means Dead Donkey, by the way; rock n' roll or what – are deep in work on their first full-length album.

The record is coming into existence in association with the Brazilian Ministry of Culture, which is sponsoring the band under its Pixinguinha programme after our boys won a public contest for the privilege last year.

These never-before-seen photos by Alessandro Potter show the boys talking a break from the recording to soak up some sunshine. Who wouldn't!

In the meantime, you can catch Burro Morto live for two small gigs in João Pessoa, Brazil's first city to see the sunrise, later this month. They're at Espaço Mundo on the 21st and Intoca on the 30^th.

Also on the live circuit around Brazil is Rossano Snel – he'll be giving a DJ set down at Ocidente in Porto Alegre next month. Rossano tells us he'll be playing lots of his own material plus other music he likes - keep an eye and ear out for that one.

Meanwhile, Thavius Beck is gearing up for a concert to mark the release of his 'Urban/Subsonic' EP, which is coming out right here on One Cell. If you're in Sao Paulo on May 28th head down to the SESC Pompeia where he will be playing with Saul Williams, The Mars Volta and M. Takara. 

Thavius has also been giving more details about his upcoming solo album 'Dialogue', that's coming out in early October on Mush Records in the US and BigDada in Europe.

He says he's spent more than a year working on it since recording it all in a month in studio, but reckons it was worth all the hard work.

'I think you can hear the time that was put in to it...this is easily the best sounding record I've made, and I think the best thing I've done to date,' Thavius says. Bring it on! Until next week folks, stay wired to One Cell….

Bill Lehane

Talking dirty with Thavius Beck

One Cell's favourite beatmaker Thavius Beck has been talking exclusively to us about his forthcoming EP, 'Urban/Subsonic'.

This gritty sonic slice is released digitally on 19 May and on 23 June for vinyl fans. So what will it sound like? Thavius says we should picture 'dirty concrete walls, trash and shady characters in an even shadier alley'. 

Confused? The idea is, he says, that 'these songs would be part of the soundtrack to a night out at the dirtiest, most underground club that happens to be the most popping shit around'. 

'It's like discovering diamonds in a landfill that has 60 inch subwoofers and strobe lights, and these songs would accompany the search through the rubble...if that makes sense.'

I think we can dig that, and watch this space for 19 May to grab the EP. The gem finder's got more sparkling treats on the way this Fall, by the way - his third solo album is due in November. Thavius produced the whole thing and rhymes on every track as well.

He tells us 'it's the first time I've released a record like that in over a decade, and based on the feedback I've gotten so far (and my own personal opinion) it's easily my best album to date'. No ego issues at all, then. 

Before that, he's gonna be around Los Angeles this summer giving workshops on how to make music with Ableton Live, the best new thing in music software. He's also been producing some rap records, both for Bigg Jus and NoCanDo. And as if that wasn't enough to keep him busy, Thavius has been remixing too: he's done one for Buck 65's upcoming group project and another for Nosaj Thing's new album.

Meanwhile another Brazilian beatman, Rossano Snel, has been kicking up a storm of praise for his debut EP 'Gallery' on the blogosphere. Indie Passion recently gushed: 'He deftly melds jazz, reggae, Soul, and Brazilian sonorities with electronic elements and organic instrumentation to craft sonic tapestries that sound fresh and progressive, but maintain a familiarly classic, cultural sensibility, all while keeping up a danceable groove.' 

We couldn't have said it better ourselves. The young groovemaker has also been treating us to some new tracks over on Myspace, including a rather fine piano solo named 'Tumpah' that you won't want to miss. And if that still isn't enough, head over to Brazilian site Misturinha and download an hour-long podcast Rossano did. We think it's rather funky.

Speaking of funky things, genre-hopping fivesome Burro Morto have been getting their festival groove on all over Brazil. This includes Recbeat, part of the massive Recife carnival, and Universo Paralello, one of the biggest electronic and world music festivals down there, with more than a week of sun, sand and non-stop partying. Who doesn't need a week like that right now! At the same time the boys have been working on the follow up to 'Varadouro', their amazing debut. Grab that here if you haven't already.

Also gigging around Brazil in the guise of 'Duo Moviola' is one third of Kiko Dinucci's samba collective Bando AfroMacarronico, namely Kiko himself and Douglas Germano. Check out some plucky tunes from that project on their Myspace. 

Lastly, One Cell's answer to The Arcade Fire, Go West Young Man, have been kicking up a storm lately on their tour of the West coast. Catch them next at Santa Monica's Dakota Lounge and the Silverlake Lounge in LA. 

Until next time, One Cell fans, keep it real….

Bill Lehane.