Sujinho is a collaboration album between the late drummer Ivan Conti, of the semi-obscure Brazillian funk band Azymuth, and Otis Jackson Jr., better known as Madlib. Madlib is probably my all time favourite hip-hip producer, and one of my all time favourite musicians. This album is just a further testament to his incredible musical talent, range, and taste. The first meeting between the duo occurred, apparently, because Madlib was a massive fan of Conti’s music and insisted on meeting him when he went to Brazil in 2002. A few years later, we got this album.
The compositions that make it up are a really interesting mix of Conti’s complex samba percussion and Madlib’s incisive sequencing of a seemingly endless string of obscure samba samples, as well as what must be some other live instrumentation, ornamenting it all.
What is nice about the sound is that Madlib does not try to make it sound like hip-hop. Rather, he works with Conti to make it something of their own. He ingeniously uses the techniques of hip-hop to craft a suite of brazillian jams in the style of Conti’s samba-funk, creating an utterly unique project thats uplifts his normal fare to something much greater. Best of all, you still get to hear that great off-kilter amalgamation of sounds and rhythms, characteristic of Madlib’s best solo production (like on The Unseen).
The album keeps up it’s general sound and quality over the course of it’s runtime, with few dips (though some songs, like Berimbau, go on a little long). The album carries a vibe that you don’t want to just dip into, but marinate in. It is one of those albums you put on when you want to feel a certain way, though I can note a couple of highlights.
The opening track into the next, Barumba, showcase wonderfully that off-kilter sound I was talking about above. The run from Brasilian Sugar to Upa Neguinho form a formidable gauntlet of tunes. Finally, one of my favourite songs of recent listening history: Papaya. This song could last for 3 or 30 minutes, it wouldn’t matter. One of those tunes you feel like you could listen to forever.
The album is slightly on the longer side with its 72 minute runtime. However, its great music to listen to while you are doing something else, or, for a night-time gathering, and conversation.
- Rowan
Recommended Songs: Barumba, Papaya
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