Reviews (page 3 of 7)
It won me over with insanely good first song and the saw wobbling sound in one of the others. But I got to say, sometimes it's too chaotic, almost sounds like there are multiple songs playing at the same time And for all the noobs in the global reviews section: the lyrics are about sex.
2nd song is so good i added it to my own playlist i love brazilian music
Nice to have something different
4/5
I had not heard of Suba before and was pleasantly surprised, good album
Interesting
Kinda grovy kinda low key kinda low fi 4/5
Sounds dated. Sounds like the nineties and they ain't talkin' English... but I could listen to this album while shopping at Banana Republic and The Gap all day long. But wait. As soon as Antropofagos starts in, I'm leaving on principle.
Saucy and sultry
Never heard of this and it was great to learn more about Suba, his music and the unfortunate fate he met in the end. The album evokes in me very specific imagery: sitting in a beautifully lit, cozy apartment in a building overlooking a busy street just over the tree line. It’s a warm summer evening and it’s raining hard, people are running to hide and it’s just so nice to just stay inside and listen to this thing. I also enjoyed how you can hear the Balkan influences on some of the tracks. 3.5/5 lifted up to 4 due to the Balkan connection
Love this - hip hop, bossa nova, electronica fusion. Really inventive and interesting.
Didn't know about Suba before listening to this. Serbia meets Brazil, heady mix! Liked this a lot.
Worth another listen or 2
I can't be the only one that can tell he was using the same sound effect/synth sample pack as Insomniac and Stewart Copeland on the soundtrack for the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy.
I was honestly shocked by the sound on display, but the decade should've given me some hints. Either way, enjoyable and interesting with a hair of bloat.
Loved this! A real treat. Nice lo fi beats mixed with jazzy Latin/Brazilian classical elements. One of the best surprises that this project had thrown up for me recently
Listen to Bebel Gilberto's "Tanto Tempo" as a companion album to "Sao Paulo Confessions" - Suba recorded/produced both at about the same time. And both are a cool mix of electronic music with Brazilian bossa nova.
decent background music.
Really liked the groove on this. It really surprised me.
Really nicely done
Ran into my usual issue with this kind of music, in that the repetetiveness (that is clearly an intentional and I assume integral quality of the genre) frequently gets on my nerves. This was a cut above though, mostly stayed interesting, and steered clear of more egregious sonic insults. And though of course I couldn't understand them, all the vocal elements were well done and added to the music.
I had to go out and seek this one. By far it is the best work by a Yugoslavian-born Brazilian artist I have in my collection. It is also the only one. This goes under the interesting but not great category. The elements are current Brazilian music are very interesting. I also like the melding of disparate influence The biggest issue I have is that the percussive elements result in a generic dance music feel rather than something special. The rest of the music deserves more.
An interesting, smooth and chill album. Not my absolute favorite styles of music, but fine enough once in a while if the quality is right. Rounding up from 3.5 because this specific blend of style with "exotic" accents is new to me.
Pretty interesting down tempo album that I had never heard of. I could probably think of some other electronic stuff from the same era that's more deserving of the spot, but this was definitely solid and I'm glad I got exposed to it, at least.
Beautiful and mesmerizing instrumentation, especially the percussion. Quite unique, but I wish it was shorter. FS: Abraco, Antropofagos, Voce Gosta, Tantos
Kind of has a Sugarcubes/Bjork thing going on at first, the more I listen the more I like it. Never heard of Suba before, but this is good shit. 4/5
Very good enjoyed it a lot!
prolific producer who moved from eastern europe to brazil for its music. died a few days after this albums release. melodies, latin percussion + electronic music. theme is life in sao paulo. favorites: 2, 3, 8, 11, 12
Several great tracks, some dragged and got repetitive and weren't fun to listen, so might put it on, would not listen all the way through.
Interesting arrangements. Some of the songs really slap. Not my usual type of music but, what a cool find! Saved tracks: Segredo, Antropofagos, Sereia, Pecados Da Madrugada
I wasn’t expecting this to be Acid Jazz. I liked it.
I love it. I will be rocking this another time. Probably like during the next party we have.
J'aime beaucoup le mélange des genres, même si certains passages particulièrement répétitifs m'ont semblé un peu appuyés
Great and considerably varied electronic grooves. Some outdated sounds and less interesting tracks crop up here and there, but overall the album holds up quite well
Very cool, chill. My kind of music
"On 2 November 1999, on the evening of the São Paulo Confessions album promotion, in an attempt to rescue the recordings from his studio which had been caught up in a fire, Subotić died at the age of 38." Pure juice of Brazil...
The first album I’ve completely never heard of. It’s very unique, mixing electronic with world music to create a distinctive blend that sounds nothing like anything I’ve heard before.
Det gik hårdt, ægte FLAMME
So smooth so good. Not every track is great but mostly really good.
Tajt AF
Always happy on the rare occurrences when something I've never heard of shows up on this list. Those albums end up, more often than not, being interesting and worth listening to and learning about and this is no exception. It's a great mix of Electronic, Latin, and acid jazz influences and just vibes really well for the whole 62 minutes. Very much enjoyed listening to this today.
Quality, kept thinking of orangutans no idea why!
It's a bit full-on but kinda compelling and I really enjoyed it
I had to listen to this twice to give it proper attention. It was quite far out of my comfort zone, but I would definitely listen again. Weird and wonderful. Hectic latíno electronics. It was rocking all the right boxes, but there were points where it all got a bit too crazy.
Good album. Lovely mix of styles.
I had not heard of this album and it was much better, and deeper, than I expected.
Fun easy going chilled out tunes
"São Paulo Confessions" is a studio album by Serbian-born musician, composer and producer Suba (Mitar Subotić). The randomizer was kind giving me this album a week after Bebel Gilberto's "Tanto Tempo," an album which Suba produced in the same time frame. Whereas the Gilberto album had some songs with more samba/bossa nova beats, this Suba album is more downtempo/chill and electronic. Born in Belgrade, Suba was awarded an international fund for a folk/electronic fusion album where he did research of Afro-Brazilian rhythms in Brazil and enjoyed it so much he eventually emigrated to Brazil. Besides the aforementioned downtempo/chill and electronic musical categories, this album also incorporates Latin and jazz influences. A number of Brazilian musicians and singers contributed. Great production on this album. Unfortunately, Suba died just as this album was released from smoke inhalation during a fire as he was rescuing various recorded tapes. "Tantos Desejos (So Many Desires)" starts things off with airy/dreamy keboards. Percussion. Definitely chillwave. A women singing. Interesting noises. A club-like feel. The Brazilian band Mestre Ambrósio helps out in "Antropófagos (Cannibals)." A deeper groove with the percussion. Electronic keyboards giving laser, bubble, jungle sounds. Softer keys layered on top. More dance-like. A cover of the Antônio Carlos Jobim/Vinces de Moraes "Felicidade (Happiness)" adds a bossa nova/samba beat-song to the mix. Enjoyable. A reverb electronic noise begins "Sereia (Mermaid)." Distorted percussion. Vocalist Cibelle comes in. More airy keys. Great production. A heavier rhythm percussion drives "Abraço (Embrace)." The keboards and guitar gives this more of a rock sound. A women initially is singing and then Arnaldo Atunes comes in with spoken word. Interesting. This album was a good listen. Great production. Both this and the Bebel Gilberto albums are worthwhile listens. It's very evident the talent of Suba and very sad he never saw the success of these two works.
interesting latin electronica for background 3.5/5
relentless beats
This is possibly the greatest bar album of all time and should have been released on Mo Wax in the late nineties. Though I can't help but think of it as music to drink Corona to, it's pretty fantastic.
Love this. Always a fan of Bossa Nova, this spare electronic accompaniment is sublime.
Starting out listening to this album, I really thought I was going to get bored of it as it went on, but it stayed really interesting. It mixes in a lot of different instrumental styles. This is one I could see myself buying 4/5
Awesome little collection of vibes. It feels like the granddaddy of so many staple sounds and grooves on those "24hr lo-fi chill/study" channels. I don't know enough about the genre or its history to speak confidently there but it definitely slots perfectly into the same space within my head, and I enjoyed it in the same way I enjoy those. Excellent, if somewhat subdued, music that can live comfortably in the background of the venue it's being played in, but is complex and interesting enough to call itself to your attention for its brightest parts. Some odd musical choices here and there interesting enough to make you turn your head, nod along, and go "Oh wow." Special shout-out in that department to the discordant guitar cords in A Noite Sem Fin. Bold and intriguing, I loved it. I'm not always in the mood to just sit back and vibe, but when I am? A little of this on a rainy day, some hot tea... Brother that's living.
After a week of enduring Britney and Madonna albums, it's refreshing to hear something non-commercial music that has way more substance and credence than a bunch of overrated pop-tarts. A very nice listen with beats that had me dancing in the kitchen and bobbing my head. Did I mention how refreshing this was? Enjoyed it a lot! Not for everyone's tastes, but same goes with Madonna.
man i wanna go back to south america
Cool and groovy and sophisticated.
What a wild mix of bossa nova, electronic and jazz. His life story seems really interesting too, although tragic. I'm happy I learned about this.
Good, deep, pleasant downtempo album.
Quitando alguna canción, me ha gustado más de lo que pensaba. 4.
One of the reasons I am loving this challenge, is the exposure to music from other cultures, across the world. It is very exciting to get something that I am unfamiliar with. Overall I am enjoying this album and will definitely give it another listen down the line.
After listening to a fair amount of Brazilian music through this project, I feel as though this album is able to further incorporate it into popular music, this time with a more electronic downtempo base. The result works very well and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Unfortunately, the music does tend to slip into the background and the album itself is a touch too long.
This was more fun than I expected. Bonus points, it's nice to see the authors find an electronic album from this decade that wasn't British.
quite different to most albums on here, bit of samba and axe - with that late 90s worldwide take
Oh, my, this is great! Soooooo silky smooth without being schmaltzy. Really cool beats. Love the vocals.
What a sweet album and wonderful global downtempo feeling throughout. Finding music like this is one of the reasons I love this project!
Odd. Jazzy.
very cool!!
Very nice relaxation music
trip hop style lounge muzak, but in a good way. Good background music. Liked it
Hoera voor de afwisseling! Lekker relaxte muziek.
This is it! Update of the 60’s/70’s Bossa Nova, beautifully integrating elements of ambient electrinica, acid jazz and trip-hop. Very smooth and well produced. Music perfect for cocktails in a late night lounge bar, and just as well for an espresso on a Sunday morning on a sunny balcony or in a street café… Music to Dream to
really nice!
Never heard of this guy - and really enjoyed this one. Bossa nova with a slightly experimental twist that stops it being muzak
Cool!
Really intriguing sound, I enjoyed all of these songs. Tragic that he died so young.
fantastic percussion, and overall i loved the production on this, but sometimes the electronic sounds were really annoying. had a cool atmosphere, really made me imagine being in a big city at night. 7/10
Chilled out Balearic vibes here… needs to be listened to on a Sunny beach!!
This is a welcome discovery - never heard of Suba! Getting a lot of Thievery Corporation vibes from it. It's been quite a while since I listened to any Thievery Corporation, but this maybe sounds better? A bit less plastic, a bit more authentic. Will definitely be revisting. Fave track "A Noite Sem Fim" for that awesome twanging noise. "Samba Do Gringo Paulista" had some great percussion lines, too....
Very chilled
Enjoyed this. The mix of Latin rhythm, jazz, club and ambient draws you in. Fits very well with yet another hot and sultry London weekend. 3*
wasn't crazy about it but it was fine
I liked this a lot and can imagine liking it more with repeated listens.
não sei se é muito a minha cena mas achei fixe, daria um 3.5 se tivesse
Fun to clean to!
It’s not all my kinda thing, but this album is really diverse and, at times, chill as hell. Pretty good
I actually love the electronic ambient-jazz fusion sound this record brings, but I found myself disappointed by its lack of consistent forward momentum. As much as I was trying not to be, I was just kinda bored. There are certainly idiosyncratic and noteworthy sounds produced (especially on some of the earlier tracks—“Tantos Desejos” & Na Neblina” come to mind), but the second half lost me and never reeled me back in. Solid three for the vibes, but not much else. STAND-OUT SONG: “Na Neblina” HONORABLE MENTIONS: “Tantos Desejos”, “Felicidade”
Another headscratcher from this list. The music is fine. Why I needed to hear it before I die is beyond me.
𝘚ã𝘰 𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘰 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 is one of those albums I end up admiring more than enjoying. The blend of electronic music, Brazilian influences, and atmospheric production gives it a distinctive identity, and it’s easy to hear the care that went into its construction. The problem is that, despite all of that, the album rarely leaves a lasting impression on me. It sounds good, it creates a convincing mood, and there’s nothing I actively dislike about it, yet I never feel completely drawn in. I kept waiting for a track that would really stick with me, but that moment never quite arrived. In the end, I find the album more interesting than memorable.
I'm not entirely convinced that this is deserving of its place on the list. Technically accomplished but it feels a little bit "so what".
Sounds like the simcity soundtrack
A gem of a record, this is truly an unmistakable album, that definitely stands on its own as a unique experience. It creates a new perspective to Brazilian music, in the hands of a Serbian man who is a testament that great albums can come from the combination of different sounds and cultures. 8/10 [KEEP]
good coding music. pleasant
Some groovy electronica. Some a bit dull. Really liked the vocals moving with the tunes.
A few nice tracks, I prefer the more upbeat stuff.
Cocktail lounge background music. Not bad.
Fine. Not quite my thing. Kind of similar to yesterday’s entry (turns out this artist helped make that album).
Very mellow and nice but a bit too long and bland ultimately
Also fine and unremarkable.
I have listened to a lot of trance/techno, but never before South American House. It was good. The song Antropofagos reminded me (oddly) of Sepltura’s Roots album. I’m pretty sure it was the Amazonian tribal drumming. The vocal performance of Cibelle was smooth against the samba-like backbeats. I don’t have a lot to say about this album as, after all, it is still techno, which I struggle with deep analysis and tend to fall into the trance and forget to focus. I will say I could listen to this again!
Random thoughts: * Is this what Radiohead +Apparat + samba sounds like? * This was a very interesting listen. I was surprised to see this was from the late 90s. * I'd never heard of this before so props again to 1001 for showing me something interesting. * I'm not sure this was chill enough to bring up as often but also not quite interesting enough for a dedicated listen. * Time will tell if I go back to this one.
Sympa, mais sans plus
A smooth sound and a bit of a variation from what I generally listen to. Not bad as a background sound when I'm busy doing other things.
No. 405/1001 Tantos Desejos 3/5 Voce Gosta 3/5 Na Neblina 1/5 Segredo 3/5 Antropofagos 2/5 Felicidade 3/5 Um Dia Comum 3/5 Sereia 3/5 Samba do Gringo Paulista 3/5 Abraco 2/5 A Noite Sem Fim 2/5 Pescados Da Madrugada 2/5 Average: 2,5 I liked the songs which leaned more towards jazz the best.
This is very inoffensive stuff. I kind of like it for the part of the day that needs focus. This kind of music is most at risk from generative AI. And I think we should be appreciating these original albums more, no matter how bland or safe or coffee-house they may appear!
A really interesting album full of diverse sonic textures, rhythms, and Latin sounds. It suffers a bit from sameness as it goes on and is a few songs too long. But the song "Antropofagus" blew me away, it's like a Peter Gabriel/Paul Simon "Rhythm of the Saints" era party that I could listen to all day. Great discovery with this one.
This is one of those albums I never would've encountered if not for the list. A Serbian mashing up Brazilian genres and electronic noise leads to pretty cool results sometimes. The best tracks are the ones with the guest singers. Did lose me a bit as it went on, but I enjoyed a lot of it.
Been getting a lot of world music picks lately. At least, I assume this is world music. I had a look at the albums tagged under this genre the other day and didn't recall seeing this album cover in there. Anyways, I have no fucking clue what this album could be. I would have defaulted to bossa nova given that Sao Paulo is in the title, but that year of release is throwing me. I've also had a look at the albums tagged under bossa nova recently, of which there were only about five of them. Going purely off of the (admittedly quite cool) album cover and year of release, my best and only bet for this album's genre is electronic. With the exception of A Grand Don't Come For Free, the albums with this kind of night time artwork are almost exclusively electronic. "Confessions" in the album name implies something a little more dramatic than some downtempo and Brazilians don't strike me as prodigies in electronic music, so my confidence in this prediction is admittedly quite weak. Here's hoping I'm correct. Hey, I was right on the money. I wasn't expecting this guy to be Serb, however. "Suba" strikes me as either an African or South American band name. Anyways, not bad! I quite liked this. After "Our Aim Is to Satisfy" by Red Snapper left me feeling a little underwhelmed, I was in desperate need of some good nocturnal tunes to reel me back in. This album definitely delivered on that front thanks to the wealth of neat, smooth electronic flourishes which feature on its songs. Where this album really hits it big is in the more traditional instrumentation, however. I quite liked the delicate piano chords, warm acoustic guitars and sweet string sections, all of which fit the spacy atmosphere of the music quite well. The South American flavouring is also generally welcome, most notably in the case of the bossa nova percussion that underscores much of the music. My only real gripes with this album are that the guest vocalists aren't particularly remarkable, the busier tracks with more vibrant instruments pushed me away and the album is a little long. By the time the last four tracks rolled around my attention had begun to falter, though overall I enjoyed this album. It's not 4-star worthy as of currently, though I can see myself coming back to this album if I ever need to relax for an hour. Book time. Suba first came to prominence for his "In the Mooncage" project, which paired electronic music with Yugoslavian lullabies. The project won a UNESCO culture award which, in addition to the money, gave Suba a three-month scholarship to study indigenous music. This scholarship kickstarted Suba's obsession with Brazil when he studied "Afro-Brazilian rhythms". Suba then learned Portugese and became "...the foremost producer of new Brazilian music". The album has "...fiercely expressive musical collages." Suba died from asphyxiation in a fire at his apartment complex shortly after the release of this album. The entry closes out by honouring Suba's memory and saying that he "...help[ed] bring Brazilian music into the twenty-first century." Wikipedia doesn't feature anything of note aside from the handful of critic reviews which are generally favourable. Well, I'm definitely going to be showing my bias here. This brand of late-90s, early-2000s downtempo music doesn't appear to be particularly popular, acclaimed or influential, but I like it. What else can I say? I cosign this inclusion.
Background music
Not to be insensitive, but this feels like an album that was considered important or influential purely because the artist died a couple days after its release in a tragic accident. Musically it’s ok. It’s Brazilian music with an electronic infusion. Mid 3/5
Okay for background music, nothing really interesting, but nothing unpleasant either.
Ok.
3.1 First listen really enjoyed this, nice and chill. Second listen some of the songs had already started to grate. Suffers slightly from the length also. Interesting but I'm not that interested.
The Good: We finally get to eavesdrop on confessions! The Bad: Aside from one not supposed to eavesdrop, the confessions are in a language we don’t speak… The Ugly: The spanking we got from the clergy… Don’t you hate it when you would like to leave a nice review, and you find yourself really short on time? So what can I say about this album? It was… and yet it wasn’t… I liked it… and yet I did not like it… I understood it… and yet I was left misunderstood… Fuck it… if I don’t have anything to say about it, I might as well just give it 3*, right?
Listen, I understand including albums that you personally enjoy. Personal bias is going to be a huge determining factor when it comes to making or deciding anything. Anyone who tells you they're making a decision with 0 personal bias is lying to you, or even worse is trying to deceive you. Now, all I'm trying to do by saying that, besides padding out my review length (mostly the last point, I can't think of anything to say about this album), is ask genuinely why this album was included in the book to begin with? This is as boring as it is forgettable. Sure, it's fine. I'm still going to give it a 3, but I managed to listen to it all day, and I already struggle to remember any of it. Not only does it bring absolutely nothing to the table, but the Wikipedia article, which I generally always use before diving into an album, has 3 complete sentences attached to it. Do you know what 1 of them is?? If you guessed "The album was included in the publication 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.", then you'd be 100% correct!! Congratulations!! The other sentences mention that Suba is Serbian, made this album about his life in São Paulo, and gives a brief rundown of the musicians on the album. Besides the Track Listing, 4 references at the bottom of the page, and a single external link, that is the ENTIRE Wikipedia article for this album. I know the book isn't called "1001 of the best albums of all time", but why did I have to listen to this elevator music today instead of something more deserving?? I'm not saying underground music (If that's even what you would call this album) doesn't have it's place here and there on the list, I just really think you could probably find a better album than this to include on the list. I don't speak the language, but even on some albums that aren't in English I can at least understand what the album is trying to say. The vibes are admittedly pretty good here, but this is very base level Electronica, and it's just not very memorable most of the time. Good enough for a low 3, but not something I would return to. Still, songs like "Na Neblina" and my favorite song on the album, "Sereia", were ear wormy enough to stick in my mind for a few hours. Not good enough to add to my frequent rotation, but good enough for today. I always enjoy listening to things I haven't heard before. Obviously, I'm more than 300 days into this project and I don't intend to stop until I'm done. However, I'll forget about this album entirely by tomorrow while I'm listening to whatever I end up rolling. After all, I don't know what they were trying to say, and I simply do not care enough to do any research on them. The album never really pulled me in enough to give it a lot of recognition while I was working. It made for fantastic background noise though, and albums that are non intrusive and are able to sink into the background like this one did do actually deserve some recognition. Even if it was boring elevator music, it still wasn't bad enough that I wanted to turn it off. Giving this one a 3.2/5. Not terrible, but not tremendously memorable either. Moving on.
“Suba, the Serbian in São Paulo,” is a tantalizing alliteration. The music, slightly less so.
Primarily ambient Latin percussion (and other sounds), with interspersed vocals. Good music to “listen” to when you don’t want to listen to music.
Cool mix of smooth Brazilian vocals with an acoustic and electric hybrid production style. Some of the songs feel not all the way finished. Descent mood setter though. 3.0/5.0
This was nice. Washed over me a lot, so I don't have anything interesting to say about it
Some bits very strong but other bits kinda ambient background noise. Overall fine.
Started off great then I kind of lost interest
Pezzi carini alternati a pezzi brutti
Kom inte riktigt in i skivan. Men överlag är ändå känslan att det var en behaglig lyssning. Skön bakgrundsmusik (som i för sig är ett sämre betyg om något.)
Nice vibes, but also pretty boring sadly. Hoped itd be a little better. I’m sure there’s plenty of amazing records from the region that also couldve been included
An alright, quite interesting electronic music album from an artist I've never heard before. Does quite seem like a product of it's time, quite enjoyable but not a masterpiece by any chance. Probably 3 stars or so
= the Beatles Seeing a lot of hate for this. Don't know why, I found out very pleasant
Not calling it background music in a rude way…
Favorite Track: Um Dia Comum (Em Sp)
Downtempo Brazilian electronics made by a Serbian… it’s pretty chill but not boring, I found it to be both good background music and delivering solid grooves and some interesting and even surprising melodic loops. The Brazilian flavor and wobbly subbass keep the thread throughout.
No me gustó mucho. 50-50
This is one of those albums that I have no idea why it made the list. The little wiki blurb only describes the band, not its significance; Rate Your Music only has like 500 ratings and they mostly seem to be from people doing this challenge; and the music itself isn't very remarkable. This really just feels like padding (which sucks because this list has obvious omissions), or it feels like the author found this in a bargain bin growing up and has a special connection to it (which is fine, but not something I need to listen to). As the top rated review mentioned, this is really just a duller version of Stereolab. It really is just became background music. Actually it became more than background music, I forgot I was listening to anything multiple times. Overall, this is inoffensive, and kinda boring, but not bad. Low 3.
This was okay. I don't have any outside context for this album and I've never heard it before. It is an easy listen but there were no real standout moments that made it a must-listen for me personally.
Samba do Gringo Paulista is a bit of a bop
Pleasantly forgettable. ★★★
Started off with a nice Björk kinda vibe, but after a while, it was pretty nondescript.
Listening session: may 2nd, while eating breakfast and while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: no Thoughts: when I saw the album title, I kind of hoped that this would be a samba/bossa nova album. This turned out to be an interesting mix of electronic music with brazilian influences, which is not as much my thing as a true bossa nova album, but nevertheless interesting to discover Favourite tracks: Samba do Gringo Paulista, Você Gosta & Felicidade
Suba – São Paulo Confessions (1999) On Day 132, I had a bit of a mixed experience. While I appreciated the Brazilian layers, the electronica elements often felt like they killed the vibe rather than enhancing it. It felt like the production was fighting against the soul of the music, making it hard to fully immerse myself in the project. "Felicidade" was the clear standout for me because it maintained that slick and sweet Brazilian sound I was hoping for. The rest of the album struggled to find that same balance. I was originally leaning toward a lower score, but after learning about the tragic circumstances of Suba's death while saving these master tapes, I have to give a nod to his dedication. A respectful 3/5.
Not my kind of thing, but songs I appreciated more were ‘Antropofagos’ and ‘Abraço’. Nonetheless, the lore behind this album is crazy so I think that alone makes it a must listen!
Started off really lovely then went a bit weird electronic then back to lovely again! Proof that you don’t need to understand the words to enjoy good music.
2.5
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Suba Enjoyed this. I mean, not in an 'amazing will change my viewpoint on life' or anything. In fact I doubt I'll go out of my way to listen to it again, but I also wouldn't mind if I stumbled upon it one more time. Not really sure how to describe what I did or didn't like as it was way out my normal listening spectrum. But enjoy it I did, and I'm glad that a guy who met such a sad end in life is still being listened to. Fave Track - the Spanish guitar fizz of Pecados Da Madrugada. But could also have been Antropofagos or A Noite Sem Fim. Least fave - Voca Gosta 7/10
I don't speak the language so I can only really judge the music, which was quite enjoyable.
Not bad overall. Ideas are fun but a nicer production will push this album to next level. It’s aging now and I can sense it might not age well after a few more years.
This works well as a background music, but it's not "easy listening" at all, since my concentration is lost within a couple of minutes. Quite pleasant, but not much more than that.
Sounds like your exe's favorite wine bar
This was totally pleasant but definitely faded into the background. I'm adding it to my library for when I want something chill, though not sure I'll revisit often.
I quite liked the first few tracks of this album. I’m always receptive to anything ambient in nature and this gave out that vibe albeit it was mixed with a smattering of samba and jazz which took the edge off. Put me in the mood to make this day an ambient day which I rounded off with Vanishing Twin who do ambience so much better than anything on this album. Still a fair try. 3/5 21/2/26
Interesting. Noisy, trance inducing kinda-jazz. I’d say I liked it but grew bored by the fourth song. Not sure how this qualifies as an album I must hear before i die but I didn’t hate it. Not quite Starbucks music but definitely background or soundtrack music
This one is quite unique. I love the idea of combining electronica with Brazilian rhythms. It’s quite nice background, chill music, but it didn’t click with me the way other music does
Realmente me sorprendio. Fue una muy buena experiencia .
Good cambered world music feel with experimentation will listen again
For an album of vibey electronic music, I liked this more than I would have thought. Good for a party, but I accidentally listened to it twice and didn’t realize it started over. That is to say, nothing was distinct enough to lodge in my memory. Even now, a day after listening, I’m struggling to name anything concrete about it.
I'm glad to see Yugoslavian representation in this book, in some way. Sadly, I think a better album could've been chosen, but Sao Paulo Confessions isn't half bad in the end. I'll take it.
Good fun
Here by story alone i think
I hadn’t heard of SUBA before. But I like electronica, downtempo, and trip hop. I like a South American influence either. I actually liked this album quite a bit at the first tracks. Toward the end, though, it started to get on my nerves. I probably won’t go out of my way to listen to it again. 3/5
A love letter to São Paulo through the medium of downtempo. Suba delivers a pretty great example of the genre here. Nocturnal, hypnotic structures meet colorful, and attention grabbing sounds all over this thing. Cool percussion, sour guitars, and some elements of Brazilian music abound. Sometimes, I think this kind of loses the songs in the "vibe", but this is a really good listen.
Pleasant
Grew on me more as the album progressed. Nice slice of electronica for a sunny afternoon.
That's pretty good. Certainly picked up in the second half. I'll probably stick it on in the background in the future. 2.5 but will round it up.
Background but quite nice background
It's a chill time. A bit unremarkable and 'background', but it's put together nicely enough.
Better album compared to Bebel!
Interesting very electrical and some intriguing beats
Some beautiful moments but this overall felt too long
***An ok album
Sounds like I walked into a boutique in NYC
Didn’t love the album but the music that played after was fire
Really innovative. Great beats. But not one I'd listen to again. 3.5/5
this is basically why i came here, pretty fun listen, can't say it is very memorable, but interesting at least and i didn't regret the time spent
Nice ... very nice. An easy listen this morning. well, that and you may want to get up and dance.
pleasant but muy instrumental un poco upbeat a ratoss
I'm glad to see / hear any "world music" in this list, but this particular album struck me as neither particularly notable or objectionable.
Really disagree with the complaints that this sounds the same all the way through, found this really varied and pleasant, very transportative at times, quiet ambient and something I'd definitely look to put on in the background when I'm cleaning or working, or just looking for something easy to fill space
Enjoyed the production - real star of album
Brazilian easy-listening techno-jazz from a Serbian producer? Sure, okay. It's smooth and polished , but it's also pretty repetitive and doesn't really seem to go anywhere interesting.
Super interesting album conceptually however I found it less interesting in practice. There were a few times I thought that maybe this would be a 4, but ultimately it's a very long album that I don't think I'll end up returning to Standouts A Noite Sem Fim 3/5
This probably deserves better. Or worse, I dunno. I liked the first couple tracks but it just couldn't hold my attention through the rest of it, and after 3 or 4 attempts I'm gonna give up.
I liked it but not really enough to listen again. Also who the hell is this artist?
Pretty good. Sounds a lot like early 2000s Buddha Bar mixes. Not sure why it's on here, though.
Updating Brazilian jazz with some electronic elements seems like a worthy-enough endeavor. I listened twice and mostly enjoyed it twice but didn't really come away with a lot of memorable songs and moments.
A nice attempt at bringing the Brazilian sounds into a modern electronic framework. There are some interesting ideas here that work better as decorations rather than a basis for the whole sound with electronic elements. Antropofagos is neat though.
hintergrundmusik... ja ein bisschen interessante triphop elemente aber sonst... spanisch, fast nur instrumentals und halt langweilig...
243/1001 Suba - São Paulo Confessions Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I absolutely get what this album is trying to do, by mixing traditional Latin music and updating it with electronica. It's a mixed bag, some of it absolutely works, whilst others not so much. There are elements of Massive Attack in this, which I really enjoy.
Show me the album with samba do gringo paulista on repeat for 45 minutes and I'll more than likely show you five stars.
Good for background music.
i dont get this album. it just sounds like the latin version of other music i dont like. its fine but not something i think id ever listen to again.
all the comments saying that this is wine bar music are correct. I would not independently listen to this album but it was still palatable.
I normally don’t go for “world” music, but I enjoyed this. It was really atmospheric and painted a picture. I don’t know if I’ll listen to this again, but I’m glad that I listened to it once.
samba, etwas moderner und trotzdem unverkennbar.
Interesting story behind this one. Elements of trip hop while keeping the Brazilian rhythms intact throughout. A few of the songs didn’t fully keep my attention, but I like the overall vibe and would probably listen again. A strong 3 for now.
Brazilian beats! Yes! Late-night version of Brazilian beats! ...Yes! Worth checking out if you like to groove after dark. Or just nod your head in time, that works just as well.
Got a bit too edm-y for me to really love but the roots of the Serbian-Brazilian melange were refreshing to hear.
Something to play in the background during a dinner party
Sound was extremely unique. The backstory is insane
A good vibe but not great. I think initially I thought this would be an easy 4, but as I listened, there was a bit of boredom or disassociation with the music and it wasn't sweeping me up like I thought it might. I love downtempo, lofi, etc. etc., and also find a lot to love about world music, but this was sadly a little less interesting that I thought it would be at the start.
It’s a 3. I mean, if you’re looking for a decent Latin electronica album with some light jazz elements, this’ll fit some kind of bill. It’s not very compelling as a full 61 minutes though, mainly due to a complete stagnancy that emerges in the percussion, making the tracks kinda go on endlessly without a real sense of progression. It drags down the entire album, relegates it to unfocused background noise, and ultimately, it just kinda overstays its welcome, even on just a casual listen. I like a lot of the atmospheric vibes of these tracks, and I’m willing to put a lot of these into a shuffle on a playlist, but as an entire front to back album, it just grows really tiring. With a lot of lyrics unavailable online, it’s hard to catch any emotional vibes, so the soundscape has to speak for itself, and it just kinda stalls like a speech without a teleprompter. Suba is the producer for Bebel Gilberto’s “Tanto Tempo”, which I really liked. He died due to smoke complications after successfully recovering that album from a fire. Tragic, really. I really liked his production work there, but I was concerned this album would feel more stale over the course of the whole thing, and sadly, I was proven right. This doesn’t have the same tightness & audience focus as “Tanto Tempo” does, nor did it have a familial expectation from its last name to put the very best possible foot forward. You could convince me it’s on the list as a matter of filling it out with some connections between albums, as opposed to an album that really gets here on its own merits, and that’s disappointing. I do think it’s not bad, and on a good day, as looser background noise, maybe it could go up to a 4, but it’d have to be an Ice Cube-esque good day, and I don’t see this album having one anytime soon. It’s just a 3.
está muuy bueno!! no sé si es puro desconocimiento pero me flasha cómo combina sonidos electrónicos con ritmos propios de brasil (o yo creo q lo son) súper atrapante, claramente no entendí una goma d lo q hablan los temas pero Muy buenos temas.
Not bad. I really enjoyed a few numbers on this. Some were more forgettable.
Sāo Paulo Muzakification more like. I woke up a little for Sereia and the songs following it. The jazzy elements added flavor. It didn't rise above background music for me and not sure I'll revisit, but it wasn't annoying.
One of the challenges of this list is that the albums have a different "mood" and aligning the listener's mood with that of the album can sometimes be a pre-requisite for the album. Once I was ready for this, it was not bad. I don't know how well it reflects regional music elements, but it did feel like what I imagined a sultry Brazil would have for a soundtrack.
Some decent parts but too much electronic filler.
Pretty cool night time in the city chill vibes. Some repetitive sloopy sounds I could’ve done without. Otherwise, pretty alright if you need some mindless background music.
Pretty good
Cool, atmospheric sort-of-exotic mood music with some great moments (especially enjoyed a lot of the basslines) but doesn't really come far enough out of the shadows to become more than a backing soundtrack to doing something that requires more concentration. Happy to have it on while working, reading etc. Wouldn't bother to put it on again otherwise. I love that artwork though, definitely captures the spirit of the music.
Nice funky background music
First, and foremost, it's a tragedy this album was released just three days before Suba's tragic death. Second order of business, why does this album sound like a combination of M.I.A., and the defunct mobile game "Pokemon Duel", despite the fact it was released in the '90s? Anyway, I don't understand the lyrics, but I felt them. Overall, the second half of the album dragged on, and hindered the rating. Favorite Track: "Na Neblina".
weird and rhythmic
Enjoyed it. Crazy story about what happened to this guy.
Nice little Brazilian Electronica album, unfortunately nothing really gripped me during the runtime, but I didn’t hate it.
Good
A lot of these "world" picks include some really weird decisions. So much good music from Brazil, but yeah let's get this random Yugoslavian dude's electronic drugged up loops on it. It's really alright though, I enjoyed A Noite Sem Fim among others.
Enjoyed this as a nice background music- easy to listen to.
Nice chilled vibes, but not really my thing.
Fun, vibey album. Don't normally like these mostly instrumental electronic albums, but was headbopping through a lot - great while working. But couldn't quite make it the full hour. Need to listen to before I die? No
I confess: pretty good!
Favorite Track: Felicidade
Fine, chill background music.
It’s fine. It’s background music, and nothing really caught my attention, but it wasn’t offensive in any way and the atmosphere was decent. Some melodies were good, but that’s about it. Definitely too quiet and minimal for me.
The added bonus of it's South American origin - nice textures and rhythm. This is a good record even though some of it is a bit in one ear and out the other. Perhaps, this is a particular album to return to on occasions.
They used to play this album non-stop at Java cafe Fav songs: Na Neblina, Um Dia Comum
It was more than lounge room Muzak but I still found myself zoning out a bit and getting in with something while the album played in background. Nevertheless, it's a pleasant sound and I did like the beats on a few of the songs but it's firmly background stuff for me.
kinda fun for a listen Will I listen to again: 1%
There were a few good moments, but didn’t feel like anything more than background music to me.
My rating 3.0
Oh shit the same guy was being roasted in my last album’s review wrote one of the highest upvoted review for this album again. This time he wants to replace this album with some stereolab. I mean why have shitty French music when you can listen to weird shit from other countries. wait a minute this is somehow a brazillian album. but anyway its kinda mid but good to listen to this than french shite. 3/5
First time with an album in a different language. Production on tantos is good. I like the piano a lot. 2 mins too long. Love the transition into Voce gosta. I like this song a lot. Ne neblina is a very interesting sound. I kind of like it. Whole album has heavy jazz influence. Piano carries throughout. Songs are just a little too long. Antropofagos is so good. Just keeps going but in a good way. Inspires emotion. Feels catchy but with no words. Violon and sintar🔥. Back to very jazzy with felicidade. This is really good music to have on while doing work. Um dia comum is a great production. Give this beat to a pop star and they’d go number 1 with whatever they sang over it. Sereia is not my fave but not awful bad song. Gringo is really fun. Great guitar and percussion. Abraco is fine. Good aspects but doesn’t hit as hard as other songs on the album. A noite is good not great. I like the a change of pace in the middle. Cool sounds. First and last 2 mins are good, middle 3 are eh. I like pecados a lot. Very dark. Good closer. Ultimately a pretty good album. 2.5 stars.
Album review 031 São Paulo Confessions by Suba (1999) Rating 3/5 I’d never heard of this album or the artist before being dealt it by the 1001 generator. I felt São Paulo Confessions deserved to be more than just background music but I really had to try to stop myself losing concentration in places.
Kiinnostava yhdistelmä tietokoneita ja lattaria.
Sure, why not. 3
Pleasant sounding music. Eclectic blend with touches of bossanova, jazz, electorinc, guitar. But nothing that screams greatness. Worth listening to and glad it was here because otherwise I’d never have heard it. But maybe better as background music.
vibes hit right on a cold night
That was not bad! I enjoyed that much more than I thought I would. Like some Latin Electronic not sure what else to call it, but it was fun!
It's always a bit baffling to me how many Brazilian-themed/-based/-influenced albums there are in this collection, but I like it that this one is at the very least *not* simply a rehash of Brazilian musical traditions, and interesting too that a Serbian-born artist managed to make as much of an impact on modern Brazilian music production during his three years in Brazil. (Far sadder that Suba died in an apartment fire not long after this album was released.) Interesting too that Suba was the producer of another Brazilian album in this collection that is yet to come (Bebel Gilberto's "Tanto Tempo"). I always find it tough to call out particular highlights on albums that seem designed to be in the background, but "Voce gosta", "Na nebla", and "Abraco" stood out a bit. As with all of these non-English albums, I wish I could understand the lyrics, but that's my problem, not theirs of course.
I enjoyed this as music to work by though I felt a little nauseated by the end.
This album was a roller coaster ride of dislike, enjoyment, pure hatred, weird noises sometimes and amusement. Bonus points for some songs being in Serbian.
Second time around for this - still really liked it, still stand by the fact that I would love this if I heard it at a natty wine bar.
Oourrrghphhmf eeeuhh, 3
2.5
Pleasant and relaxing listen
im watching the skaters
Mostly harmless.
Interesting - I do like hearing the way other cultures interpret a genre
Saw the length and dreaded it, but put it on and it is pretty good Chilled out vibes, nice soundscapes, relaxing. Good
Trip hoppy.
its ok, but a bit boring. probably not my type of music. 5/10
Good album. Kind of soft R&B meets Latin music. Enjoyed the listen through. Favorite tracks include Tantos Desejos, Segredo, Antropofagos, Um Dia Comum. Every single is good though and the straight play through is a nice listen on a long drive or at work.
Like Bueno Vista SC goes lo-fi. Very enjoyable but felt a bit like background music - never quite fully engaged me.
When this started, I thought "Oooh, this might be a four star." Alas, it faded some, but I still like it a lot. It's a nice combination of downtempo and bossa nova, two genres that don't normally go together (given that one is upbeat and the other down). Unimportant, but I dig the album art and think it fits the album well.
Didn't have much of an opinion on this one. I'm not saying it's bad. Nothing truly stuck out to me AND I don't remember really listening to it.
liked!
Endelig noe med særpreg! Fin bakgrunnsmusikk, kunne fint vært på festival med dette.
Not bad music to work to.
This was pretty good. Kept my interest. Never heard of Sabu, so was curious and motivated to listen. It isn’t going to change any worlds, and despite being a little predictable in places was enjoyable overall.
A good and different surprise, it's a mix between Brazilian sounds and vibes with jazzy elements, ambient feeling and relative calm, despite having a samba song and a few other genres included. Will keep it in rotation.
mom can you pick me up i'm overstimulated this was cool, but also had way too much going on for my tastes? it was a bit of a chore to get through even though i liked the breeziness of the sound.
The bossa nova and samba influences on this are so striking that you'd never guess Suba wasn't Brazilian. A few of the tracks sound like bossa nova with electronic beats underneath, while others have a nocturnal downtempo feel with samba drums. The percussion is the most interesting thing about this, with tracks like "Antropofagos" and "Pecados de Madrugada" in particular having interesting beats. Unfortunately, both tracks are also a bit flat outside of the percussion. And that's the album's biggest weakness: when the tracks have less going on, it kind of fades into the background. "Abraco" shows that when there's a lot going on - horn stabs, rapping, singing - it can be really engaging. And the closer shows that a more minimal song that slowly evolves can be exciting. But too often the songs get stuck in rhythms that, while pleasant, don't justify their runtimes.
Pretty forgettable but decent background vibes
Чисто как фон изредка. Ничем не примечательный альбом. 5 из 10.
Not my favorite, high 2, doesn't really go many places for me
Strange, ambient, dance. Not really something I would listen too.
Solid mid. Nothing wrong with it, nothing stands out about it. Slightly wine barish. Could do menial work to it. Inoffensive.
Decent for background music, but not something I would seek out.
I'm not sure how to rate this so I'll give it a 3 and move on.
This was really pleasant, but then got increasingly weird. Yet, I didn't hate. It had that really odd 90s electronica thing going on, but it was actually enjoyable unlike most. I think because the actual music was good that the repetition didn't do a disservice to the songs. It's not something I'm likely to revisit, but I appreciated that this was different from most things on this list and from its genres.
Pretty solid vibe music, I appreciate it more than some of the other world music I’ve heard. 3 stars is fair, it’s a good vibe
Very nice background music with South American rhythms.
REally liked this but threw me with the techno interludes.
Tantos desejos - 4/5 Você gosta - 4/5 Na neblina - 3/5 Segredo - 5/5 Antropófagos - 3/5 Felicidade - 3/5 Um dia comum (em SP) - 3/5 Sereia - 3/5 Samba do gringo Paulista - 5/5 Abraço - 2/5 Pecados da madrugada - 2/5 A noite sem fim - 1/5 Average score: 3.2/5 (rounding down) the brazilian-inspired beats are interesting at times, but most of the album didn't really do much for me unfortunately (especially the last few tracks). makes some alright background music i guess
BR só que não Br
lindoo. linda voz, muy lindos sonidos, muuy lindo ritmo. lo pondria de fondo para cocinar o en una reunion jiji. aunq algunas son muy carnaval y medio molestas.
favorite tracks: antropofagos a noite sem fim
- I don't have much to say about it, but it was all right. I didn't dislike it and it wasn't a chore to finish, but none of the tracks really stood out, either - I appreciate the kind of atmospheric stuff going on and the goal of portraying what life was like in Sao Paulo for the artist -- I could envision some of the tracks clearly depicting a lonely night walking through the streets or a relaxing Sunday morning
It was fine
Late 90s samba-inspired electronica with chill atmosphere and soundscapes by Serbian born Suba who went on to live in Brazil. It drags a bit by the end but otherwise it was a good listen. I was sad to read Suba died days after the release of this album when he tried to save the recordings he made from a fire which happened in the studio. It's a strong 3 star album, quite close to 4. (6 out of 10).
Intressant och tämligen lyckat grepp att göra trip hop men ersätta break beatsen med latinska rytmer. Beatsen sitter där dom ska, det är precis så där lagom nästan-svängigt. Är ju lite svag för den här skitigt bastunga 90talsproduktionen också. I stort sett varje spår i sig är rätt bra eller i alla fall ok. Men ihopsatt till ett maffigt album blir det för mycket på en gång. Jag hade hellre fått det här serverat som tre Ep's. Jag har dock rätt kul stundtals och det är spännande överlag. Ett mittenparti i skiva (spår 6-9) tycker jag håller hög klass. Konceptet är ändå väl genomfört så det räddar en svag tre
Está muy buena la onda tranqui trival brasileña. Buen disco de ambiente.
smooth and pleasant electronic album. cool to hear some elements of modern dnb
Musically, this is really well done. It's all very tight and polished It's still not my jam though. Listened to half of it before I skimmed the rest. It's all basically the same thing. Anyway, I'm just gonna rate it a 3 and move on with life.
Cool, like music that would play in a bar I'm not cool enough to go to. Dragged too much by the end though.
Definitely not what I expected. My last album was a 1950's Cuban jazz album and I expected more Brazilian jazz this time, but I'm digging the mix of Latin music with Electronica. Except track 3, that went off the rails in a bad way. The more latin songs are cool, the more 90s electronic parts I could do without.
"Obscure 90's Ambient Nightclub Music, Part 4"
-more Brazilian music… this time made by a Serbian guy? the possibilities are truly endless -this was actually really cool, i liked it even more than i thought i would. some of the most interesting songs i’ve heard from this genre. a little repetitive but in a way i vibed with -apparently this guy died trying to rescue his studio recordings from a fire. he deserves his flowers. 3.5 stars -Favorites are Antropofagos, Sereia, and Pecados Da Madrugada
Nice Electronica. Not much to say
Luckily for this album, I am listening to it at the time the artist intended for it to be listened to. At night. The atmospheric nature of the album, with the Brazilian influences, works in tandem. However, if I listened to this in the day or when I was more alert, this album would be a massive drag.
Not my fav, but I was suprised by this one. I really thought it was gonna be something else and then it kind of transformed. There's a lot of fusion in this record. Jazz, latin, even some hints of hip hop. Definitely not something I want to revisit, but this was cool.
3.2 I kinda got into this one. Bit of a wine bar feel to it but unique, with lots going on. I kinda zoned out listening to this in traffic and missed the light change and the cars were a full block ahead of me before I noticed. Weird that nobody honked... Subotić mustve been quite the workaholic, looks like he was involved in a lot and you could say he'd would do anything (literally) for his craft. Hopefully the bird chirping album comes up in the list
Sometimes you need this. Slow down and enjoy the mellow vibe.
2/3
Maybe a 4...
Listened to only about 2/3 of it as it's too electronic for me.
Electronic take on Latin music. Decently well done.
Felt like I was barely listening to anything at all, could probably play it in my class when I’m looking for a calm vibe
3.5
Fine
Чесно дивний альбом. Я не те щоб поціновувач ейсід джазу, але цей твіст на нього здався цікавим. Але не таким щоб мені сильно сподобався. Можна було б переслухати, але і якось не хочеться насправді.
This is a vibe. There were one or two tracks that tonally were jarring to me but overall I quite enjoy this. Good laptop work music.
Enjoyed the fusion elements of this more than I had even thought. 3.5
Pleasant grooves. Good chill listen.