A New Dawn
One day ends, another one begins. The transition is fluid yet always heralded by a new dawn, a moment so magical that few things ever get close to capturing its allure. Most recently, two rising stars of the global scene raised the curtain on their debut collaborative LP, released on Barcelona-based imprint Canela En Surco. Fittingly titled "Un Nuevo Amanecer" ('A New Dawn'), Portuguese multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ Pedro Ricardo – who delivered his stunning debut solo LP "Soprem Bons Ventos" earlier this year on Soundway Records – and Argentine-born "candombe broken beat maestro" Damián Botigué – who has been blazing latin broken beat trails in his own right under the Karmasound moniker – bring us a versatile seven-track offering brimming with colour and luminous spontaneity.
Four years in the making and born from a friendship between the two artists, "Un Nuevo Amanecer" was recorded in Damián's home studio in Barcelona's Poble Sec barrio and seems to have come about almost intuitively. Having feasted on a heavy diet of "folk and jazz fusion records" and possibly the odd library-funk, psych-rock or rare-groove gem, our two protagonists embarked on their own equinoctial journey into sound, fusing the traditional with the contemporary. Tentative at first, they launch their exploration with the cinematic title track, a gently rousing overture indicating the break of dawn. Up next is the atmospheric "Como El Viento", glistening with early morning dew as the the world awakens, like clockwork, before we direct our attention to "Atlántico", marked by a distinctive forward motion, like waves making their way to the shore, overlapping, yet unrelenting, as we go about our day. "Sem Dizer" then reminds to breathe, soothing like a gentle breeze , before "Juntos Y A Distancia" ups the tempo, insisting that we keep on moving. And so we do, taking in the elaborate melodic evening panorama of "Mar De Fora" for a moment and then finally diving head first into the night and the celebration of life that is "Cerca De Mi".
Capturing the many atmospheres of daybreak in all its metaphysically and bewitching appeal, Pedro Ricardo and Damián Botigué have succeeded in creating an album that is fantastically down to earth despite its sky-high aspirations, basking in the glory of the moment and relishing the power of the here and now, reminding us that beauty is all around and a new dawn always on the horizon. Day out, day in.
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