Dreaming

LP version. 180 gram vinyl. 2011 release. Dreaming, the third original studio album from Rio's nu-bossa star, Sabrina Malheiros, combines the minimal electronic soul inspired sound of her debut Equilibria (2005) with the sweeping organic Brazilian pop of New Morning (FARO 131, 2008) and traditional sounds of Brazil. Linking past and present Malheiros mixes seductive styles to create a truly original sound for the future. Dreaming is her finest work yet confirming Malheiros as one of the finest female Brazilian songwriters of her generation. Featuring leading Brazilian musicians including Alex Malheiros (Azymuth); Jesse Sadoc (Marcos Valle); Alfredo Cardim (Joyce); Robertinho Silva (Milton Nascimento) and written and co-produced with Sabrina by partner Daniel 'Venom' Maunick (Viper Squad) the record finds a beautiful place between nu-Rio, classic Brazil, and the complex melodic electronic music emerging from the post-dubstep and post-drum & bass London soundscape. As the daughter of Alex Malheiros, bass player of legendary Brazilian group Azymuth, Sabrina was born to sing bossa nova and write ground-breaking music. Her classical contemporary Brazilian blend takes a number of surprising routes. On "Fragil", Sabrina employs renowned samba percussionist Robertinho Silva to deliver her delicate take on Brazil's African routes. "Bobeira" is a breezy chill-out while it's "Digital Dreaming Reprise" opener adds Maunick's deep beats and addictive synths - those warping lines continuing flawlessly in to the following tracks. Sabrina's special pattern for writing music (alone, with her father Alex and partner Daniel) brings recurring chords and sequences with a huge variety of influences and ideas. Sabrina shows just how far this writing talent stretches as she arks back to '70s Brazil with the dreamy acid-folk "Lirio de Venus (Interlude)" before bringing things right in to modern electronic-era with big dub bass, scratching together with trademark soft acoustic guitar and harmonies on "Paranoia". Altogether, Malheiros's third full-length record is a lyrical and melodic dream to take her star far higher.