São Paulo Confessions

<BartGetsFamousMeme.jpeg> Milhouse (surrounded by Bart’s onlooking classmates): “Say the line, Bart!” Bart: [sighs] “Why isn’t Stereolab’s ‘Dots and Loops’ on this list!?!” Classmates: “YAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!”

I'm taken completely by surprise. I don't understand one word of this album, but it's one of the best recommendations so far! It's not perfect, but some of it is absolutely fabulous! First track was rough, but it picked up quickly. Great chill music.

Dark, smokey, sultry. Rainy, late night mood music. Reminds me of Burial, and some of the darker, more ambient projects that came out of vaporwave (see 2 8 1 4). Favorite tracks: "Sereia", "Antropofagos"

Hypnotic and seductive. Interesting atmospheres that are simultaneously textured and smooth.

Mid '90s wine bar music. The Brazilian aspect makes it both a little more interesting AND even more clichéd, somehow. This drifted by pleasantly, but it was a bit too electronic in places to hook me in fully.

Det är album som detta som gör listans genomgång värdefull. Så bra... Tanke: Brasilien drar ut det bästa ur typ alla artister... kanske Ny Batteri borde fara dit och skriva+spela in en EP...

pleasant but featureless. bumped up a point as it helped me sleep on a plane ride

Pleasant in a really innofensive type of way. A little bland. Wallpaper music for a dull wine bar.

Samba-type music - took me back to Rio. Great music for either working to or chilling on the lanai.

Taken me a few days to digest this album, but Iv come to the conclusion this is an absolute masterpiece, no idea what any of the vocals mean but the whole ambience of the album is absolutely brilliant, some of the later songs reminded me of billie ellish, feel this must of be some sort of influence therefore still sounds so fresh in 2022.

Portuguese Sade. Sounds like she’s trying to cast spells on me.

OK. A little more complex than your average white noise blockout electronica. 2.5, but rounding down because the first and last tracks are a let-down

In the late noughts I knew a guy who loved soft, smooth, relaxing electronica, and made a decent living as a DJ playing this stuff in posh hotels, often on Park Lane in London. Five of us went to see him play in the Dorchester one night, a small bar, and we soon realised that apart from an embarrassed couple next to us, the rest of the patrons were either well-kempt, elderly foreign businessmen or expensively and scantily dressed escorts. A lot of pricey scent was in the air. I remember in particular one white-haired gent, impeccably groomed, silently haughty while he listened to his companion talk to her friend. His companion rubbed her backside onto his front as she talked to her friend, the man impassive and aloof. Writing this, I wonder if he’s still alive, and I wonder if this album was playing.

So sweet, love that sound

## In-Depth Review of *São Paulo Confessions* by Suba *São Paulo Confessions*, released in 1999, is a seminal album by Serbian-born producer Mitar Subotic, known as Suba. The album is a rich tapestry of electronic music infused with Brazilian rhythms, showcasing Suba's unique ability to blend traditional sounds with modern production techniques. This review will delve into the album's lyrics, music, production, themes, and its lasting influence, while also discussing its pros and cons. ### Lyrics The lyrics of *São Paulo Confessions* reflect the complexities of life in São Paulo, a city characterized by its vibrant culture and stark contrasts. The themes often revolve around desire, urban life, and introspection. - **Cibelle's Contributions**: The album features prominent vocals from Cibelle, whose lyrical content often explores themes of longing and the human experience. Tracks like "Tantos Desejos" (So Many Desires) encapsulate these sentiments, expressing a yearning that resonates with listeners. - **Poetic Imagery**: The lyrics are imbued with poetic imagery that paints a vivid picture of São Paulo's nightlife and emotional landscape. For instance, "Na Neblina" (In the Fog) evokes feelings of mystery and introspection, embodying the city's enigmatic atmosphere. - **Collaborative Spirit**: Suba collaborated with various artists, including Taciana Burrows and Arnaldo Antunes, each bringing their own lyrical styles that enrich the album's narrative depth. ### Music Musically, *São Paulo Confessions* is a groundbreaking work that merges genres such as electronic, acid jazz, downtempo, and Latin music. - **Eclectic Soundscapes**: The album features complex beats and intricate song structures that create an immersive listening experience. Tracks like "Samba Do Gringo Paulista" showcase Suba's ability to weave traditional Brazilian samba rhythms into contemporary electronic music. - **Instrumentation**: The use of live instrumentation alongside electronic elements is a hallmark of the album. Percussionist João Parahyba's contributions add a layer of authenticity to the tracks, grounding them in Brazilian musical traditions while allowing for innovative electronic manipulation. - **Production Techniques**: Suba’s production style is characterized by meticulous layering and textural richness. The interplay between organic sounds and electronic samples creates a lush auditory environment that invites repeated listens. ### Production Suba's production on *São Paulo Confessions* is often lauded for its sophistication and innovation. - **Studio Environment**: Recorded at Wah-Wah Studio in São Paulo, the album captures the essence of the city. Suba’s intimate knowledge of Brazilian music allowed him to create a sound that feels both local and global. - **Manipulation of Sounds**: The album exemplifies Suba’s skill in manipulating sounds to create new sonic landscapes. He blends field recordings with studio techniques to produce tracks that feel alive and dynamic. - **Legacy of Production**: Critics have noted that *São Paulo Confessions* set a new standard for Brazilian electronica. It paved the way for future artists to explore their cultural roots through modern production methods. ### Themes Thematically, *São Paulo Confessions* explores several key ideas: - **Urban Experience**: The album serves as a sonic exploration of urban life in São Paulo. It captures both the vibrancy and the darker aspects of city living—temptation, desire, and existential reflection. - **Cultural Fusion**: Suba’s work embodies a fusion of cultures—melding Serbian influences with Brazilian musical traditions. This cross-cultural dialogue enriches the album’s texture and appeal. - **Introspection and Confession**: The title itself suggests themes of revelation and introspection. Each track can be seen as a confession or an exploration of personal truths against the backdrop of a bustling metropolis. ### Influence *São Paulo Confessions* has had a lasting impact on both Brazilian music and the broader electronic genre. - **Catalyst for Electronica in Brazil**: The album is credited with helping to establish a distinct Brazilian electronica scene. It inspired numerous artists to incorporate traditional sounds into electronic formats rather than relying solely on sampled elements. - **Recognition in Global Music Circles**: The album has been included in various lists of essential albums, such as *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die*, highlighting its significance beyond Brazil. - **Continued Relevance**: Even years after its release, *São Paulo Confessions* continues to be referenced by contemporary musicians seeking to blend electronic music with organic sounds and cultural authenticity. ### Pros and Cons #### Pros - **Innovative Production**: Suba’s pioneering approach to blending electronic music with traditional Brazilian sounds creates an engaging listening experience that feels fresh even today. - **Rich Textural Quality**: The album’s layered soundscapes invite deep listening; each track reveals new details upon repeated plays. - **Cultural Significance**: It serves as an important cultural artifact that reflects the complexities of urban life in São Paulo while showcasing Brazil’s musical heritage. #### Cons - **Accessibility Issues**: Some listeners may find the fusion of genres challenging or may not connect with the Portuguese lyrics if they are not familiar with the language. - **Limited Discography**: Given Suba's untimely death shortly after this album's release, listeners are left wanting more from an artist who showed immense potential for further innovation. ### Conclusion In summary, *São Paulo Confessions* is not just an album; it is a profound exploration of life in one of the world's most dynamic cities through the lens of an artist who understood how to fuse tradition with modernity. Its rich production values, evocative lyrics, and innovative sound make it a landmark work in both Brazilian music and global electronica. Despite some accessibility challenges due to language and genre fusion, its strengths far outweigh any drawbacks. This album remains essential listening for anyone interested in understanding the evolution of contemporary music influenced by cultural diversity.

Atmosfera suave com textura sonoras impressionantes.

This is #day37 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge and here we are with "an album by the Serbian-born musician Suba—his musical account of life in that humid, foggy, and manic megalopolis". Hell, yeah, that's the album description to get me sold on. Not to mention the album title and the artwork. What else do you need? Oh, wait, the music? It's dark and sultry, with a touch of wickedness to it... It kind of sounds like Sade Adu accompanied by a supergroup consisting of Amon Tobin and Bohren & der Club of Gore, peppered with Latin and Samba, though. During the listen, I raised my eyebrows a couple of times. That was fun. I'm giving it a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day38.

Very smooth, and very groovy. A seamless mixture of classic MPB and turn-of-the-century downtempo. What I like most about this album is its willingness to push the boundaries of its sonic palette, and to take both genres to a depth that hasn’t been seen in quite this way before. Masterful.

Nice record! I like that this one focuses more on Brazilian music than Wayang which is also a great record.

Remarkably cohesive album, despite its obvious contrasts. Bossa nova is blended with electronic music, warm vocals and acoustic instrumentation with metallic FM synthesis and distorted drum machines. Weird in parts and yet still relentlessly listenable? I love it.

Absolutely blown away. What an interesting combination of sounds. I plan on returning to this one.

the funkiest I've ever felt while cleaning the kitchen. I really got into the groove :D

First impression: "6495 monthly listeners" 🤔. Second: yes, I'm one of them! I don't think this is my absolut first exposure to this album - I bought quite a bit of circa this downtempo/experimental/nujazz/fusion records around the turn of the centuries and the cover looks familiar? - but it's a first active listening experience. And an excellent one! Time tends to not be kind on ~that~ music from the era, usually, but 'São Paulo Confessions' with its vibes, textures, restrained funk and noise is way above those pastiches from similar sounding German or British producers. I read how Suba likened his experience of living in São Paulo to something out of a tropical 'Blade Runner' and this album seems like a proper expression of that. Held up beautifully and definitely derserves a spot in here. (Now do Amon Tobin, 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵!) Faves: the whole run of the first 3 tracks, Sereia.

I really loved this. As a bassist it kills me that the best part of this is...the drums haha nice Brazilian treat.

Most songs Nice and relaxing to listen to

What a fantastic record. I have no idea how this never came to my attention in 2009.

Mid-90s nouveau samba. This is around the time of Bebel Gilberto’s crossover, and Towa Tei’s bossa nova sound. DJ lounge music was big. You can hear elements of Bjork and Tricky in this album. This downtempo sound was the counterpoint to the harder techno and electronica sound at the time. Mushroom jazz was just emerging in San Francisco. Really enjoying this one. Wish I had heard this at the time. Excellent choice for this list.

There is something about this album that sucked me in from the first 30 seconds. I ordered a physical copy so fast I could have been dreaming.

ok this is a really cool album. not the most sophisticated electronic music ive consumed this year but some really fantastic blending of brazilian jazz and techno elements. listened to this record twice today because it is so soothing and interesting to listen to

One of the most beautiful electronic albums I have heard. Had a great time with this one 9.5/10

surprisingly beautiful

This evokes its title for sure. It feels very city, very Brazilian. It is a smooth sound pleasure.

I felt pretty cool listening to this one.

Mostly delicate and mesmerizing and then occasionally fuzzy and noisy. I loved it.

More enjoyable Brazilian fare from the 1001 list… this really is a modern twist on those Brazilian sounds. Really nice and a great soundtrack for the day!

Biiig White Lotus theme energy on Antropofagos, me likey. This bloke died while trying to save newly recorded material from a fire in his studio, what a tragically incredible way for a musician to go.

Never heard of this or him. Really enjoying it. A little dated, but still sounds great, and nowhere near as dated as other electronic music from this time can be. Reminds me of some of the chill down psychedelic trance circa Northern Exposure, with bossa nova lilts and beats. Gets much more of the latter than the former after the first couple of tracks (although noone can say it's lacking in bossa from the off!), I really dig this. As others have said, good working music vibe also. Getting a 5 because its the first NEW thing this has introduced to me in a while that I've really enjoyed.

I really enjoyed this. It's kind of like atmospheric world jazz or something. Pretty smooth.

Good groove for working.

Really fun and easy listening. Fantastic Brazilian flair. Nothing negative to say about it.

SHREDS

Great jem

This is marvelous, i can't believe this exists

Very Island Outpost. Very Samba. This is such a snapshot of like the electronic, chillwave, house music scene of the late 90s. It is retrofuturistic, and oddly optimistic. 5 stars no comment.

5, nuts

Funky Latin fusion!

I very much enjoy the alt rock scene coming out of South America but it’s mainly been surrounding Argentine, Chilean, and Peruvian groups so a Brazilian group was such a refreshing change of pace paired the bossa nova and samba influences on this album make it an easy 5/5 for me!

Awesome, jazzy, dark-ish beats.

Loved this - never heard it before -

This sounds like what I normally listen to when I'm at work. Neat. 4/5

Never heard of this before until now. Really like it. Downtempo acid jazz bossa nova. It rules. I love it. Very good cleaning/focus music.

This album was awesome, again, variety is the spice of life. It was jazz but also almost electronic. Blended a lot of great sounds and brought in vocals in just the right amount of parts. I particularly enjoyed Tantos Desejos, Felicidade, Sereia, Abraco, and Pecados da Madrugada.

It's Friday night, you are taking some cocktails with friends in one of those lounge bars with glass structures and this records starts playing. You made it, life's good. Even without considering my yuppie fever dream induced by those late 90s movies set-ups, this is indeed a wonderful chill album.

Very surprising album today. The mix of genres here is fantastic.

Heel bijzonder album! Ik weet nog steeds niet welk genre ik dit zou noemen? Het houdt een soort van het midden tussen een jazz, soul en een soort ambient album? Maar eigenlijk vind ik het vooral ontzettend experimenteel! Maar dan wel op de meest positieve manier! Ja ik vind dit echt ontzettend vet, en ook weer een artiest/album waar ik nog nooit van heb gehoord en ook nooit van had gehoord anders. Het is een soort moody, duistere plaat en toch waan ik me in Sao Paulo door de vocals en gastbijdragen. Niet elk nummer hit even hard, maar degene die ik vet vind zijn echt fantastisch, een ijzersterke 4 sterren voor mij! FAVO: Tantos Desejos, Antropofagos, Felicidade, Sereia, Samba do Gringo Paulista, Pecados da madruga

This is great! One of those kind of obscure picks on this list that I'm very happy to have discovered.

Very much enjoying the Brazilian electronic grooves. I'm surprised this wasn't on high rotate in the cooler Auckland cafes in the late 90's. Or maybe it was and I'm less cool than I thought I was 🤔 4½/5

this sounds adjacent to something dad would've played in like 2010. pretty groovy

Never heard of the group.

i looooveeeedddd this….it sounded like it could have easily been on the trainspotting soundtrack which makes sense cos it reminded me of underworld aka electronic rave music but like. somehow more intelligent? idk i really enjoyed it. fav tracks: sereia; a noite sem fim

this was really interesting! it made me focus on the thing i'd had trouble focusing on all day so i feel like it must have some effective hypnotic quality so that's cool.

3.6+... this is really chill I like it.

Dance

Very gorgeous voice and creative fusion Latino style.

Café music but seriously good stuff. I do not know much about if anything about acid jazz so this was refreshing to hear and enjoy. I does remind me of DJ Shadow in places. I was quite hard to pick out tracks as its quite ambient so it al flowed together nicely. Stand out tracks: - Voce Gosta - Sereia - Samba do Gringo Paulista - Abraco

Loved this

Not an album I'm familiar with. It had song good tunes on it.

Yeah this is very smooth and likeable

Loved the beat

Definitely enjoyed this one! Not something I'd actively listen to, but a really good vibe to have on while working on other things. 4/5

An album meticulously evocative of a place and time, even during its many, many sections without a vocal track. Powerful. Suba's love for music is evident, and sadly is why he is no longer with us. A rare breed.

Cuban electronic fission

Wow! Amazing, love these unexpected gems on this list

I forget. I think it was good probably.

This fucked. Maybe it was just great music to listen to while working because it's kinda just nice background noise, but I enjoyed it

first time hearing this - can’t believe i missed it when it came out!

Chill, ambient... played 3 times through just going about my work. Nice background music.

Actually I only like it for 3 stars but in favor of brazilian music and how surprised i was discovering this album i rise one star to four

4/5

A nice surprise. The top review mentioned Stereolab and that was the very first thing I thought when it started. Sweet female vocals over repetitive jazzy music. Throw in a bit of electronic in there and that's this album. Repetition is perfectly fine with me, maybe cut a song or two from the runtime but other than that it was a very enjoyable listen.

Quitando alguna canción, me ha gustado más de lo que pensaba.

Another great example of something I'd never heard of and really enjoyed it. Funky electronic and atmospheric. I listened on a loop 3 times through and didn't get bored. But I also didn't realise where it started and finished so it's more a vibe than an album.

Really cool example of a fusion album working well and staying fresh throughout the play. Loved the trance Eurobeat feel laced with traditional Latin instrumentation, it felt like the pinnacle of everything 90s trance was trying to do. Really refreshing to have a non-English speaking album again too. Felt like it should be in a slick penthouse bar on New Year’s Eve 1999 .

Sick. Got strange looks from a woman coming out of Woolworths. Fair enough. My dancing looked like a seizure. Nice beats though

loved it super vibes

Great intro. Really love the fidelity level, I'm so blown away not even 30 seconds in. The bass is deep, the vocals are clear and present, the high percussion is spread across space masterfully. By the time the piano comes in, I'm really grooving. This deserves so many more song plays than it currently has. Really thoroughly enjoyed this, will be listening more, and can't wait to be having some wine with my wife and making dinner and thinking "I have a perfect album to put on!"

This is a great listen, interesting instrument decisions and the melding with electronic sound is so good. The vocals are sort of whatever, I think the tracks would still be great without them, but they are pretty.

Very unique and fun listen

Acid jazz good.

I love Bossa Nova and was thrilled to lean that Suba was the producer on some of my favorites like Bebel Gilberto and Arnaldo Antunes. Cebille has an ethereal voice that brings a dreamy airiness to the tracks. Overall, it leans further into electronic and trance-like repetition for 5 stars for me.

The album invites you to relax. Some passages a little too monotonous, otherwise quite beautiful and varied soundscapes.

Groovy little album. More jazzy lofi than what is favoured today and some very 90s vocals. But a dope little ride. I’d love to listen to this while I do some work.

3.75

Smooooth and sweet

I really enjoyed this album. Chill w a Brazilian samba beat.

What an amazing album!! Lovely tropical mood (with a sinister edge), totally immersive and quite mind-blowing at parts. Just deducting a star because it drags at some parts.

Bossa Nova Electronica, long live Suba

The vocals, delivered in what I believe is Portuguese, bring the music to a higher, lighter level. This wasn't a lean-back-and-chill album for me, it kept my attention all the way through. The music bounces joyfully from anxious to manic to euphoric and moods I know but can't describe at the moment. Some of these tracks are their own ecosystems.

This was great, very chilled and laid back. A perfect summer album

Nice mellow music. Great vocals. Not anything I would seek or purchase. I would like to hear this in an upscale bar or restaurant.