Few labels can boast a track record as stellar as Bokeh and the streak continues unabashed on the two most recent drops: DJ Velkro’s Glacial Dancehall 3 (in conjunction Duppy Gun) and this bouncing, joyous slab from Felinto and a whole crew of sonic prognosticators. Futuro Antigo Perpétuo rides deep bass grooves through spiral stacks of heady rhythms and an endless, swirling shower of synths and other keys.
There’s this great dichotomy throughout Futuro that scratches out deeper zones that align with more potent messages of resistance and solidarity. Proceeds from the album “will be donated to support women incarcerated in the last remaining building of what was once Latin America’s biggest penitentiary complex.” That purpose is conveyed in the spectral washes of “Sempre,” accentuated by Douglas Leal’s mournful melodica echoes. It romps through zig-zagging streets, bumping with understated ferocity.
With the low end soaked in a grizzled haze and the upper echelon frequencies as fresh as a crystalline swimming pool, Felinto still brings the party home on the laid-back “Concreta.” Smoke fills the room and things get extra weird – the combination of timbres and the evolution of the piece’s mood – once Romulo Alexis layers in trumpet howl on top of the guttural, catchy bass lines. With so many intertwining elements floating through each other, it would be easy for “Concreta” to become a chaotic mess, but Felinto never lets it stray far enough to lose its shape. Plus, that mind-boggling great bass line is so thick it’s got its own gravity and everything else stays in orbit along the way.
Futuro Antigo Perpétuo is everything I love about Bokeh in a single package. It’s an unclassifiable, gonzo release that never stops for a second. Felinto and his crew are always looking for new zones to inhabit and explore; new sounds ripe for excavation and destruction. On closer “Norma,” the dub trips shoot straight out past the reaches of the Milky Way, Paula Rebellato’s vocals a futuristic siren call to straight-up fly. Incredible album.
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