Bleep

May 2018 is proving a fruitful month for relations between Brazilian artist Alexandre Kassin and the Luaka Bop label. Not only has Kassin contributed to the LB release The Good Is A Big God by Domenico Lancellotti, but he has also scored the release of his new LP Relax. One of the first words you hear on Relax is ‘saudade’ - a Portuguese term describing nostalgia for something lost - and it’s an apt description for this wistful album. However, that’s not to say that Relax is a gloomy record. There are plenty of sprightly instrumentals, from the disco-funk of the title track to ‘Momento De Clareza’s perky woodwind licks. It’s an album reminiscent of David Byrne’s late-90s solo work - apt, considering that LB was a label set up by Byrne.