Many British music fans are familiar with Tropicalismo and bossa

nova. Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Tom Ze, Os Mutantes, Jorge Ben
Jor, Antonio Carlos Jobim... are those artists still relevant to
today's experimental/underground Brazilian acts?
Economically speaking, Bossa Nova (late 50s), Jovem Guarda (middle
60s) and Tropicalismo (late 60s) were supported by a crawling brazilian
record industry, managed by international majors and media companies.
In terms of social aspects, this music were driven to fulfil the post-war
middle class demands for mass culture. This very same middle class who
produced, studied and becoming journalists and academics, they wrote
your own brazilian music history. So, I have to say: theres an official
brazilian lineage in music who we used to call MPB (Popular Brazilian
Music), who brought out together Bossa Nova, Tropicalismo and Jovem
Guarda artists. Its not exactly a problem, this artists are still relevant
today. But, its obvious that the country sound landscape are changing.
Yes, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Tom Ze, Os Mutantes, Jorge Ben e Antonio
Carlos Jobim. But have I mention that were really hard to find out Tom Z
and Mutantess records in the beginning of the nineties? Even some most
experimental Jorge Ben records as well. Why? How could they join the
pantheon? Well, theyre were lucky, because two foreign musicians have
heard about them: Kurt Cobain and David Byrne and began to spoke about
them. Unfortunately, our middle class society follows whats in americanbritish trend. But what about the others?
Brazilian music history is very complex and the Internet is forcing us to
review and resume it under new lens. Many artists which were considered
important for many years, can be seen today by another point of view. I
dont want to diminishe its role or talent. My aim is to call attention to the
fact that there is many others brazilian musics, like Negro Leo and
Chinese Cookie poets, but also, other artists like Pedro Santos,

Orquestra Afro Brasileira, Tenrio Jr and Edison Machado (two bossa

nova inventors that were separated from the group because musical
differences), Mauro Assumpo e Rubinho, Z Ramalho & Lula
Cortes, Mestre Vieira (music from Par, called Guitarrada,
afrocaribean guitar with brazilian music), DJ Marlboro. Today we
have so many rhythms, acoustics and electronics, so many musical
expressions at the same time, that this MPB scheme is no more
available.
For instance, have you heard a record from the late 60s called
Krishnanda, by Pedro dos Santos (ou Pedro Sorongo)? Here is the
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRk-4WdsN9w. It is so or more

inventive than most of Tropiclia records, musically and poetically

speaking, but there's no a single word about it, nowhere, no book, nor
even a record (out of print). Why? So creative? Out of the jet set? Many
answers are possible.

A few years ago, two compilations of Brazilian post-punk and new

wave came out focussing on early 80s bands from Sau Paulo. Was
there an equivalent scene in Rio? Do those scenes have any
connections with today's and are any of those bands an influence
on acts like Chinese Cookie Poets and Negro Leo?No, theres no
connection at all. So Paulo had two big scenes at that time, the early
80s. One were experimental, and it was called Lira Paulistana, which
counted on artists such Arrigo Barnab (Clara Crocodilo), Itamar
Assumpo, Grupo Rumo, Premeditando o Breque. The other scene were
punk rock/hardcore, groups like Clera, Ratos de Poro and Inocentes. But,
of course, some of this guys hanging out together, and groups like Patife
Band (punk, experimental), Tits (punk pop) showed up in mid 80s,
followed by others: Mercenrias, Vzyadoq Moe, etc.
Negro Leo and Chinese are purely Rio 21st Century first decade music,
drawing by a bunch of influences that cross through No Wave,
Tropicalismo, Free Improv and, of course, some of So Paulo and Rio
experimental music from the 80s. From Rio, try Black Future, Eu Sou o
Rio.

Perhaps you could fill in a few gaps by mentioning some

important Brazilian experimental and underground acts which
have influenced today's scene?Well I feel that theyre the same in
Rio and in So Paulo with minor variations. Todays experimental scene in
Rio is driven by an remarkable Arto Lindsay influence. He is living in the
city for a long time and and usually play some events that we organize.
We have scheduled his first show with Paal Nilssen-Love at Quintavant
(and weve released!), and it was awesome! He is a genius!
Other underground acts I have to mention: Rogrio Duprat (Mutantess
arranger), Walter Smetak, Tom Z, Jards Macal, Tanto (from a late 80s
Rio group called Black Future, also painter), Guilherme Vaz, Arrigo
Barnab, Itamar Assumpo, Vzyadoq Moe, Jorge Mautner (he is a kind of
pre-tropicalist, philosopher, artist, a genius!), Alceu Valena (and all Recife
psychedelic scene from 70s, like Z Ramalho, Marconi Notaro, Ave
Sangria).

In Glasgow we have many older underground acts who have

helped nurture the younger generations of musicians, DJs,
promoters etc. I imagine Rio has similar figures?One of these guys
is Fernando Torres, who ran a record store called Plano B, in Lapa, a
traditional Rios neighborhood. For 10 years, Fernando produced hundreds
of experimental music concerts (Lawrence English and Karkowski played
there), films and workshops sessions. All free. After 10 years of service,
Fernando finally closed the store, mired in debt. We did a crowdfunding
that reached the goal very quickly, supported by the public who used to
attend their free events.
Some material:
http://planoblive.blogspot.com.br/
http://oglobo.globo.com/cultura/um-plano-para-salvar-plano-b-11254633
http://www.overmundo.com.br/guia/plano-b-lapa-1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ad_4pHRtME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF7Giq2b6B0
The Glasgow music scene has strong links with the city's visual
art scene. I imagine there is quite a lot of crossover between the
music and art scenes in Rio too?Sure, but maybe not as much as we
would like. It began in 60s with Cildo Meirelles, whose continues until
today producing.
Carlos Mattos, or Tanto, is from a late 80s Rio group called Black
Future and is also a painter.
Chelpa Ferro is a trio from Rio, formed by Luiz Zerbini, Barro and Srgio
Mekler, three great artists who use to invent sound installations,
instruments and play guitars altogether pretty loud, creating beautiful
textures. They have released four records and played with David Toop in
Novas Frequncias 2013.
Also in Rio, I have to mention DEDO, other trio of young guys whos
building beautiful sound and video installations thematising the using of
wi-fis in forests, technological singularity, transhumanism, digital records,
the end of patriarchal societies and the future. Check it:
http://odedo.tumblr.com/.
I like O Grivo very much. From Minas Geraes: http://ogrivo.com/?p=145

How important have community spaces like Audio Rebel been to

the Rio underground?I think that our importance is huge, but we share
this *glory* with parties as Wobble (electronic, bass), places like Comuna
and festivals like Novas Frequncias, who are betting on a new way to
conceive, design and carry out events related to music. Most of the
biggest venues in Rio de Janeiro refuses to do experimental and daring
acts in Rio, so we usually do.
Theres this So Paulos band called Met Met, that played at Caf Oto in
december. We did three concerts with him, sold out. Great venues refused
them, but after realizes it was a success, they changed their minds.
Theres a lack of boldness and creativity among producers and Rio
venues.
Some of brazilian culture is produced by government support, through tax
reliefs. You always have to apply, and to justify why this, why that. If you
do not want to engage in this bullshit, you have to work hard and
expecting nothing. At least we have music. Thanks to Pedro Azevedo for
all Quintavant/QTV scene, he runs Audio Rebel, the studio where we make
everything (Alasdair were there!). So, we have to be honest: we are
funded by the audience who attends and pays for shows. With that money
we pay badly and nastily passages and paychecks.

You sent me a compilation of artists on the QTV label could you

tell me more about this label? How important is it to the scene?

Quintavant is a weekly special programme dedicated to

experimental and improvising music based at Audio Rebel (Rio de
Janeiro), a recording studio that works as a kind of venue. Most of
all, Quintavant is the place of new bands and projects from Rio.
Projects like the combination of no wave and free jazz of Chinese
Cookie Poets (which recently recorded a 7" with Bill Orcutt that will
be released by QTV in 2015), the drone-jazz-metal of Bemnio, the
sound art of DEDO, and the free-bard Negro Leo, noise projects like
VICTIM! and Sobre a Mquina (both of Cadu Tenrio); and others.
We had some foreign acts here as well, like Paal Nilssen-Love and
Arto Lindsay, Lichens, The Ex, Matana Roberts, Kevin Drumm,
Zomes, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Joe Lally and lots of brazillian artists
from everywhere like Met Met and Maurcio Takara from So
Paulo Underground.

Ending its first year of existence, the QTV label releases in

December 2014 the compilation Three squares, Swing on Fire.
Connected to the Quintavant, an event focused on improvised and
exploratory music, that takes place at Audio Rebel (Botafogo / RJ) for
the past four years, the QTV started in May 2014.
"Three squares swing on fire" exposes a wide panorama of sounds
reflecting many nuances and aspects of what happens at Audio
Rebel stage for the past four years. The album features eleven
tracks, mostly unpublished, presenting an accurate overview of
groups, artists and projects that are often playing at Quintavant.
Negro Leos twisted songs; Bius free rock; Chelpa Ferros 1-bit
rock'n'roll; Duplexx s analog spasms; Rabotnik Quartet Duplo
improvising with Arto Lindsays regency; Cadu Tenrio and Sobre a
Mquinas jazz noise; a collaboration between Chinese Cookie Poets
and the polish "noise musician" Zbigniew Karkowski (1958-2013);
DEDOs collages and demiurgic manipulations; Baby Hitlers
overwhelming urgency; JP Caron and his composition opened to the
chaos and unexpected; and, at last, Bemnios noisy doom metal.
This scene deserved the attention of Wire magazine, which
dedicated some words about this scene in his april 2014 edition.
The label has emerged as inevitable outspread of the experimental,
productive and collaborative environment created at Audio Rebel, a
place where, in addition to the intense and diverse musical program,
runs a recording studio. Musicians, producers, luthiers, audio and
recording technicians and other professionals are working
continuously at the Rebel, where there is also a instruments and
records store (which sells the QTV material).
Producing and recording an Arto Lindsays concert with the AngloNorwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love in 2013 was a crucial
experience. The recording led to the Scarcity album, released
worldwide by PNL, Nilssen-Loves label, proving the existence of a
"virtuous circle" at Audio Rebel: create the exploratory selection of
Quintavant to record the concerts and release it in the form of digital
audio files, CDs, cassettes, vinyl.
Thus, in May 2014, we created QTVs Bandcamp and Soundcloud. At
the Bandcamp, people can find the records and at the Soundcloud
singles, live tracks, outtakes.
http://quintavant.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/qtv-label

The first releases were the first Baby Hitler record (namesake) and
Bemnios forth record ("Ldo"). Then weve launched "Ilhas de
Calor", fourth Negro Leos album, which has more than 10,000
hearings at Bandcamp (he is scheduled to play at NRMAL, mexican
festival) . Soon after, Paal Nilssen-Love returned to Rio, this time to
play alongside local scene musicians: Eduardo Manso (Rabotnik,
Bemnio), Felipe Zencola (Chinese Cookie Poets) and Arthur
Lacerda (DEDO). The result was the CD / LP Bota Fogo, released as a
partnership between QTV, the polish label Bocian Records and again
PNL.
After our first international partnership, in October we release
Rainha, the first work of Rio trio DEDO, and the second Chinese
Cookie Poets album. The CCP toured in Europe in October 2014,
playing alongside great worldwide improvisation artists, as Ken
Vandermark, Terrie Ex, Chris Corsano, among others. They're also
schedule to play with Negro Leo at Counterflows Festival (Scotland).
Is available for free download on QTVs Bandcamp or by email:
qtvlabel@gmail.com
https://quintavant.bandcamp.com/album/qtv-007-three-squaresswing-on-fire