FUTEBOL

Post Punk era Nina grew up in. with an extensive and prolific career that includes heavy involvement in trip-hop before there was a name for it, - to her bands Smoke City Shrift and Zeep, Nina Miranda has worked extensively writing, recording and performing with a variety of artists including, Da Lata, Nitin Sawhney, Bebel Gilberto, Daniel Jobim, Antonio Chainho, Shrift, Spiller, Faze Action, Jah Wobble, Nacao Zumbi, Arkestra 1, Hajime Yoshizawa Baaa Maal, and more recently Jazztronik, Seu Jorge, Gilles Peterson, P Bernstein and Basement Jaxx. On this infectious 7" single, the a side 'Futebol' is catchy to say the least. The upbeat samba rhythms of the drums and traditional percussion, along with the perfectly fuzzy bass (all of which were recorded live in Brazil in a single take) create the funky Brazilian backdrop for Nina's cheeky beckoning vocal tone and the huge sounding brass section which blasts the song into a fully rocking carnival-esque party. But what sets this apart from other Brazilian or carnival inspired music is the records rawness. Akin to the levels of artistic freedom and experimentation of Brazils Tropicalia movement, there is a real experimental edge to Nina's solo work which is heavily accentuated on the B side: 'Beautiful Dub'. But her imagination and eccentricity are somehow able to fit perfectly into a very danceable, celebratory framework, which suggests comparisons with bands like the Talking Heads: it's the kind of music that makes you freak out a little while dancing to it! Just as Nina's musical influences have from the Specials to the Tropicalistas she has made a record that is both genuinely fun and sonically rousing, while providing a considered social commentary, and it couldn't have come at a more significant time.