Valentim Frateschi Blends MPB, Jazz, and Indie on Debut Album ESTREITO – A Sounds and Colours premiere
02 September, 2025São Paulo–born composer, producer, and arranger Valentim Frateschi is releasing his debut album ESTREITO through the always surprising Seloki Records tomorrow, but we here at Sounds and Colours have the exclusive premiere for our regular readers. Frateschi, at the tender age of 21, is the bassist, songwriter, and music producer with the band Os Fonsecas. The nine tracks were composed between 2019 and 2022, and as the artist himself explains, the title refers to “the strait as a place between two places” — a metaphor that encapsulates not only the concept of the album, but also an existential moment, a sonic journey as the present perfect tense.
Valentim cites direct influences such as Vovô Bebê, Maurício Pereira and Ana Frango Elétrico. Sonically, he refers to a particular blend: “I see the album as a crossroads between João Donato, Jards Macalé, and Arthur Verocai with Crumb, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Yellow Days”. Listen for yourself as the album transits between experimental textures, Brazilian popular song, tropicália and dashes of psychedelic jazz.There’s also the guest appearances of friends since childhood Nina Maia, who has her own recent release on Seloki, and Sophia Chablau. In “Falando Nisso”, Nina Maia contributes vocals that originated from a home recording during the pandemic, and in “Mau Contato”, Sophia shares lead vocals with Valentim, creating a vocal melody that transforms into a distorted scream at the end — “I think it’s the most rock ’n’ roll part of the record,” says Valentim.
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