Artist: Lula Cortes E Ze Ramalho
Album: Paebiru
Reviewed by: Bea la O'

Paebiru is a collection of strange transitions between sounds -- from tribal, to jazz, to classical, to Latin, to Eastern. Anything seems possible in this album. The Brazilian artists, Lula Cortes E Ze Ramalho, intermix the roles of the voice and instruments. This play in the instruments’ (voice included) roles -- playing both foreground and background -- results in the heightened spatial experience of the music. The pieces were created in the early 1970’s and reflect the “tribal psychedelic rock” of the time.

*Tracks 1, 2, and 3 which segue into each other, exhibit the artists’ imagination and play with a wide variety of sounds.

FCC clean.
1. *pick*
Chant-like buzz. Voice chants a slower, unified melody over an undercurrent of faster and varied rhythms and melodies created by flute, percussions, voice, and zither. At the end of the song, Saxaphone emerges, screeches and disappears. A fast percussion beat that leads into track 2.

2. *pick*
Heavy percussions over tribal song. Towards the end of the track, saxophone enters and piano scales quickly pick up the brass’ tune.

3. *pick*
Sweet. Light Piano, flute and acoustic guitar melodies play against each other.

4. Fluttering and airy. A melange of string instruments play beneath and around sounds of squawking birds and flute.

5. Quiet and melancholy. Metallic voice melts into acoustic guitar. At moments, voice cries desperately alongside saxophone.

6. Stealthy. Saxophone, flute, acoustic guitar, piano create a fog of sound. Instruments simultaneously play independent melodies irrespective of the others’ songs -- resulting in almost a blur of sound.

7. Acoustic guitar plays scales over a crazy flute melody. The heaviness of the steel string is pronounced.

8. Strong beats. Drums, brass and occasional cameo by the organ and flute. As song progresses, voice sings at times above and at times below the instruments.

9. Psychedelic and chant-like. Guitar pounds a melody over voice, drums, percussions, hand claps and high-pitched electric guitar.

10. Tribal. A group of voices repeat the song of a singular voice over percussions.

11. Trance-like. Guitar picking and drums play together. As one crescendos, the other softens. The effect is wave-like.

12. Playful. High pitched strings, a zither, and a bass play together and create a gurgle of sound.

13. A folksy chant. Trance-like voices sing along playful bass guitar, percussions, and flute.

14. A peaceful and simple acoustic guitar melody closes the album.