Animal magnetism: An interview with Animal Invisível

Guitarist, songwriter and producer Guri Assis Brasil began his career in Porto Alegre as a member of the band Pública. Since 2010, living in São Paulo and working as an on-hand studio and stage musician, he has collaborated with such names as Criolo, Céu and Luiz Melodia. Guri also participated in the instrumental project La Cumbia Negra, conceived by legendary producer Carlos Miranda, playing a fusion of Latin and Brazilian rhythms. His new album in his guise as Animal Invisível is a superbly produced and arranged mixture of Brazilian 70s funk, soul and jazz. It takes in the sounds of the Black Rio movement and updates them for the modern day, with heavy John Barry spy-movie vibes resonating throughout ‘Casablanca’, and the uplifting strings on ‘Que Delícia é Viver’ showing off his arranging skills. It’s an album that has true international appeal with its eclectic mix of hooky grooves played with panache. I caught up with Guri by email where we talked about his career and the making of the album.

Sounds & Colours: Where were you born and what kind of music did you hear there?

Guri: I was born in a city called Santana do Livramento, which borders Rivera, a city in Uruguay. I usually say that it’s a lawless land. There’s no bridge or customs to get from one city to the other; you simply cross a street. I basically listened to what was playing on the radio. A lot of Argentinian and Brazilian rock, and the street vendors between the two cities played a lot of cumbia. With ANIMAL INVISÍVEL, I believe the music from my region didn’t directly influence it, but there’s a certain melancholy in the melodies that certainly comes from the music of Buenos Aires.

S&C: When did you start to learn to play music? 

Guri: I started playing [guitar] when I was around 9 years old. My first instrument was the acoustic guitar and a surdão [large tom-tom drum] that I played in the marching band at my school. Guitar came soon after. And for a short period I took piano lessons, which was a bit traumatic for me. Maybe that’s why I never studied music theory. The instruments and the way I learned to play were self-taught.

S&C: Was Pública your first band and were you connected to the Gaucho rock scene?

Guri: It wasn’t my first band. I was in a few bands in my city before moving to Porto Alegre. But it was the first band that had some big exposure. We were in the national spotlight when we won the VMB [MTV Video Music Brasil awards]. You could say that we were part of Gaucho rock, but in a different way. We never sounded like classic Gaucho rock, which has a lot of humour in the lyrics. And a lot of people turned their backs on the band because of that. Musically we were also different. I believe this bothered the more traditional audience a little.

S&C: Why did you move to São Paulo?

Guri: It was because of the audience. I believe we reached a limit in Porto Alegre and we wanted the band to be known nationally. We saw that great national artists moved to São Paulo and after winning the VMB as best alternative rock band in 2009 we saw that it was time to move to São Paulo.

S&C: The La Cumbia Negra project was made with the legendary producer Carlos Miranda. What was it like working with him? 

Guri: I knew and admired Miranda since I lived in Porto Alegre, but we weren’t close. He was a funny and controversial figure who generated contradictory opinions. But those close to him knew how generous he was. Working with him was a learning experience. We started the project in a very unusual way. One time I was playing guitar at a friend’s house and I started playing some new songs that I did with Gabriel Guedes, guitarist from Pata de Elefante. In the middle of a song we heard the sound of a bottle played in the cumbia rhythm. It was Miranda excited by the sound and playing along. He asked what songs those were, because he knew everything about cumbia and had never heard those songs. When I said they were new songs he got very excited and said he wanted to record them there and then. After that we got together and recorded an album live in Belo Horizonte.

S&C: Are there producers you like working with or do you prefer to produce yourself?

Guri: I usually produce my own songs, but I love receiving opinions and ideas from those I ask to play with me. I think music can’t be made alone, that’s not the purpose of music. Music brings people together, unites them. Whether around the fire in the early days, or on a large stage in front of an audience of thousands of people.

S&C: Which of your many collaborations are you most proud of?

Guri: It’s funny to talk about this because when I lived in a tiny town I saw all these artists on television. Some of whom I still worship, like Luiz [Melodia] and Gal [Costa], but others have become friends, like Otto and Céu. People who I ask for their opinions not only on music, but on life. But I believe that the most memorable collaboration was recording guitar on Gal Costa’s album [A Pele do Futuro]. I’ve always admired the guitarists who played with her, especially Lanny Gordin. When Pupillo [producer and Nação Zumbi member] asked me to record with him, I was stunned, almost in disbelief. I remember arriving at his house thinking: I need to do my best. It’s a great opportunity and I can’t waste this. It’s perhaps the only guitar solo on the album and I was happy when Pupillo wrote to me saying that he loved the arrangement. I will cherish this moment forever.

S&C: Who are the contributors on Animal Invisível and what do they play?

Guri: Wow, there are so many. As it was an album recorded during the pandemic, almost all the musicians recorded from their homes, except for some participations that were recorded at mine when visits became more flexible after the isolation period. On drums there are: Pupillo, Thomas Harres, Arquetipo Rafa and Big Rabello. Bass: Pedro Dantas and Meno del Picchia. The keyboards and synths feature contributions from: Luciano Leães, Pedro Pelotas, Donatinho and Mauricio Fleury. And brass: Antonio Neves (trombone and trumpet), Edu Santana (trumpet), Pipeta (trumpet), Ruben Marley (trombone), Ilhan (sax,) and Heloá Hollanda (Clarinet).

S&C: The string arrangements really stand out. Who did them?

Guri: The string arrangements are mine. ‘Dendê’ is me and Gilberto Junior, my right-hand man in my productions. He mixes and masters all my work. 

S&C: They remind me of arrangers like Arthur Verocai; was he an influence?

Guri: I’m a fan of Verocai and I really like the way he composes string arrangements. Perhaps, because I’m a guitarist, I compose the arrangements as if they were riffs, and this can bring a uniqueness when translated to the quartet instruments.

S&C: The title track has horns that remind me of Fred Wesley and the JBs. Is that a deliberate attempt at the JB horn sound?

Guri: It was not a direct reference. Even though I really like James Brown and George Clinton. I believe that Antonio Neves is the Brazilian Fred Wesley. And on this track he doesn’t even play. I was thinking of something very New York. Something that perhaps goes back to the roots. There’s a roots album with Elvis Costello that I love. Maybe this is the best reference!

S&C: I see a continuation of the Black Rio sound, specifically Banda Black Rio, on “Estriquinada”. 

Guri: Yes, it’s a Brazilian Boogie. A sound that also comes from Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti’s classic album. Pupillo plays this beat really well and used a Linn drum to double the snare. Black Rio is one of the peaks of Brazilian groove. A golden age of national music, which was inspired by black American music, but always with a Brazilian swing.

S&C: What other influences went into the album?

Guri: I believe that this Album is a collection of all the references I have collected in my life. And there are many. For example, Astor Piazzolla is one of my biggest references, but he is not obvious on this album. But the melancholy and phrases are. Tom Jobim was always a great reference. My cousin, Victor Assis Brasil, will always be a reference. The Purdie Shuffle [a textbook half-time shuffle drum groove]. But I really like modern things too, Radiohead, Tame Impala and a lot of Brazilian things from my generation!

S&C: Albums made during Covid are turning into a bit of a genre. How did this affect the making of the album?

Guri: Totally. I could have made a really sad record, like most of the things I do. I’m very melancholic with melodies. But I wanted to do the opposite. I didn’t want to go crazy and get depressed. I wanted happy and upbeat songs. It was a way to not go crazy.

S&C: So, what are you up to next?

Guri: There will be a show coming up. A very difficult show to do. There are many people involved, many themes and ways to be understood. It’s not your usual instrumental music show, it’s more pop instrumental. And it will be very heavy too. The new songs are already appearing and I want to make a crazier album this time. With singers and rappers!

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