Electronic music can often be dry, insincere, bereft of personality; none of these things are the case with Psilosamples, an artist from Pouso Alegre who spends a lot of time in Sao Paulo. His music mixes the infectious tropical beats of DJ Dolores with an ambience and organic flow reminiscent of Boards of Canada. This is truly inventive electronic music stamped with an identity that is uniquely Psiloamples.

Opening tracks “Eterna Crianca do Mato” and “Ovelha Negra”, start in similar ways with bold Brazilian grooves and near conventional beats forming a solid rhythm before Psilosamples takes them apart and reconfigures them, cutting them into new rhythmic shapes, adding samples and synths before taking the songs somewhere else entirely. Both of these songs change their shape at least 5 or 6 times during the course of the song. This is music for the restless ear. Obviously this can be frustrating when an incredible new groove begins before disappearing 20 seconds later, but this is also the reason why you will still be listening to this album in a year’s time, still discovering new elements in the songs that you’d missed on all previous listens.

Highlight of the album is “O Principe da Roca” (a song which we featured on our Nossa, Cara! compilation). Sharp guitar riffs are augmented by jittery beats and a ludicrously funky bass line to set a rhythm which reimagines itself countless times while always keeping a resemblance of the original melody.

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What’s striking about Mental Surf is just how organic these songs feel. Sampled accordions, violins, guitars and many other istruments fit alongside beats that can be as bright as they can be clunky, yet never does it sound strange or alien, everything fits in place perfectly. Mental Surf is an album that manages to be both inventive and warm, which essentially is to say that it’s a delightfully playful album of electronica that never outstays it’s welcome.

Mental Surf has been released in Brazil and Japan by Desmonta

Listen to more Psilosamples at psilosamples.com

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