Three sounds from Firma do Txiga

The landscape is changing

A Pacific island land has even built a wall in order to hold back the changing ocean tides

With regard to music, the outlook is not quick a dim. A ruling was reached against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, but appeals are sure to follows. The immediate evolution is much more palpable. Tuesday has been the industry standard for new releases; record store day and special events being an exception. But, perhaps, Friday will become the new norm. "Pay as you go," platforms and torrent distribution has been tried as well, but the current talking point concerns surprise releases. A-listers the likes of Beyonce, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar have all partaken while equally as buzzworthy artists, Earl Sweatshirt and Future, to note, have announced surprise dates of their own.

From the incarcerated Guwop to the reclusive Richard D. James, unannounced file dumps are becoming the status quo.

As previously mentioned on these pages, Firma do Txiga has enjoyed a fruitful year to date. The group has certainly done its part in the trend of clustered releases. During the month of February especially, Txiga Pro was the subject of a weekly archive clearing. Best of all the results were delightful and diverse. Tracks are still obstinately percussive. But as "Projeto 183 Vibes (Remix do Txiga)," or "Novus Plugins" from the formidable Dj NinoO shows that the group continues is still improving its mastering abilities. Meanwhile, exploration into harmony and melody continue with new elements. A selection like "Sumbula no Tarraxo" might be slow while "Codigo Morse" is fast but the same idea of seeking a deep grooves is heard in both. 

And after a brief respite, the group has begun a second round. What started as a loose K-30 track titled, "Tudo Junto" expanded into three new tracks today; although one, an uncredited group tarraxo, but replete with enough effects to arouse Puto Anderson suspicions, has since been removed.

As such, the second selection has a slightly quicker pace. Titled "Gritos da Firma (Remix)," the track that follows is a mid-tempo batuco. Since no single artist, or collaboration thereof, is credited an assumption must be made that the song is born out of a group effort. The structure, however, gives rise to the idea that the beat is nothing more than a demo. Made of four sections, including the introduction, the song head is never revisited; ending instead with a rough end to the loop. Regardless, the track is busy and worthy of attention. The afro-house bass hits like the Storm of the Century. While a tambourine carries the rhythm, a shaker and miscellaneous drum syncopate alongside a male vocal sample on odd notes.

But the most amount of credit goes to the djembe. More than mere, the rolling eight beat rhythm is altered and expanded to 16 beats; during which the percussion fascinatingly slows down for the final eight beats

The third selection is a slow tarraxo care of Puto Nuno and Dj Wayne. Titled "Das Novinhas," the beat could pass off as a kizomba number. Structured Introduction-Chorus-interlude-Verse-Verse-Chorus-bridge-Chorus it does not require much strain to imagine vocal accompaniment. In the meantime, though, the song remains an instrumental. Driven by a four-beat synth melody, the beat is much less pronounced than on "Gritos da Firma (Remix)." Far from boring, however, the synth and bass change the directions of their winds on the first verse while the syncopated djembe does so on the second verse.

Good effort that is available for download; and with any hope, only the eye of the storm has been reached.

Notable Mention: Yudi Fox (Fox Beats) - "Tarrraxinha 2015 demo"

Strangely, the second feature is arguably better than the second of the main features today.

While "Das Novinhas," feels tame, Yudi Fox embraces the enormity of the forces before him and runs for high ground. The tempo is predictably slow on "Tarraxina," and the structure is familiar: introduction-Chorus-Verse-Verse-Chorus-Chorus. Perhaps the storm chasing machine needs some fine tuning before it is ready for a field test, but preliminary results are promising.

The track slaps.

No protective measures are overlooked. When strings aren't part of the harmony, a choir is heard. Horns appear on both the harmonic and melodic front. The main beat come from the kick/snare but syncopation is provided, oddly by a cuica as djembe plays a hitch. But the most telling sign that Yudi Fox is not afraid of Trap/Grime aesthetics is the producer's willingness to opt for digital snare rolls for transitions.

See above: the track slaps.. because it is a very good effort