The very embodiment of ‘create a vibe and leave them wanting more’, Arthur Verocai’s self-titled 1972 album is a perfect 29 minutes.
Recorded at Studio Somil, Rio De Janeiro, Arthur Verocai’s 1972 debut solo LP covers such ground in under 30 minutes. The self-taught producer and arranger was a revered entity in the Brazilian music scene at the time, but very much a name mentioned for sterling work behind the desk for luminaries like Jorge Ben and Elis Regina. Arthur Verocai the album is very much Arthur Verocai the man’s Magnum opus; a genuine fusion of his rich orchestrations, sweeping Tropicália, evocative vocals, hazed out cinematics and more international-leaning funk and psychedelic sounds. If you draw venn diagrams between Bossa nova, Samba, Música popular brasileira, Frank Zappa’s warped pop, Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and the scorching Rio heat, then Arthur Verocai sits as the scintillating center point.
"I could listen to this album everyday for the rest of my life"
- Madlib.
Debuting on Continental Records in 1972, the album was - unbelievably - a commercial disaster. Critically it was ignored and quickly disappeared into obscurity, with Verocai abandoning aspirations of a solo career and moving into advertising jingles. But, we’re certainly not the only evangelists and this absolute masterpiece of latin grace found a second life. Sonically it is just so rich and has provided a fertile source for the crate diggers. The album will be known to many of you in flashes through samples in tracks by MF DOOM, Action Bronson, Madlib and more. The creme always rises to the top, and the esteemed heads at the Mr. Bongo label led the charge with a definitive 2012 re-master of the album under Verocai’s own supervision - including an exact replica of the gatefold original LP. Verocai was even inspired to release two further albums, plus collaborations with Gal Costa, Hiatus Kaiyote and BADBADNOTGOOD on their 2021 Talk Memory album.
A dreamlike mosaic of styles and influences, Arthur Verocai epitomised not only the sound of Brazil at the time, but was an inspiring outlier of how the scene would evolve. Every single second shimmers.
