Puto Nuno [Txiga Pro] - "Tarraxo de Madrugada"

Living as a journeyman is difficult.

Constant movement is a hassle. Furthermore, the lifestyle itself comes with a set challenge only fellow journeymen can comprehend.

After all, it was the English poet John Keats who wrote, “The stars look very cold about the sky, / And I have many miles on foot to fare.” Oh sports, if we must with verse dwell it would presumably not be courtesy of any British romantic. Tennyson did cover his spread on the light brigade gamble, but this is more of an exception than the norm. Which is to say that this author is not implying that Keats foretold athletic free-agency. It goes without saying that the line above is not in reference to the any fixed odds. The odd utility player traveling from city to city - one mediocre club to another, collecting paychecks and souvenirs along the way - has never been subject to a sonnett. The point, however, is aptly made. For all their beauty, the distant stars make really awful travel companions. 

To his benefit, though, Puto Nuno is not an average journeyman. Instead, think of Nuno as Cyclone Taylor with better (presumably) hair. Far from a hockey player, and even further from the indoor ice-based wonders of Vancouver, Puto Nuno nonetheless excels in his field, regardless of his location. As a contributing member to Produções do Txiga, his songs are both fast and slow. Releases may come with a single credit or as part of a duo. But whether Nuno is making tracks for Avessos Recordz (AvP) or otherwise, listeners can anticipate a rewarding experience. Yet deep is not an accurate adjective to descrie Nuno's style. The songs credited to Nuno evade obvious trademarks. Vocals samples assist dialectically. But Nuno does has a preference for technical experimentations. And some consistency, too, can be heard in the unorthodox melodic element from time to time. Still, other than some notoriously sluggish bass, Nuno lacks a [literal] sound to call his own. Intrinsic to Nuno, though, is how directly he communicates with the audience. These songs are not deep because the producer does not leave anything hidden.

What follows is a tarraxo - if for no other reason than the genre mentioned in the title. Beyond it name, though, the slow "Tarraxo de Madrugada" could pass off as a kwaito beat or "bacardi house" track. The foundational beat is played by a kick-snare-hi hat combination; some distant claps and ultimately djembe, but excess is largely avoided. The rhythm trudges forward with guerrilla ferocity. And still, despite a long intro - nearly twenty seconds relative to the sixty second duration - Nuno is immediately captivating. During the three false starts, the producer uses a transitional cue, though more recently innovated by Mix Bwe and LycoOx, to great effect. As is only appropriate for such a short creation, "Tarraxo de Madrugada" borrows a similar, alternative structure Puto Anderson utilized no too long ago. Most surprising is the lack of of bass, but not even this offense is not egregious enough to say anything negative. Very good effort.

- John Noggle