- The definitive document of Lisbon's mid-'00s kuduro and batida scene, reissued on vinyl.
- In 2011, an upstart Portuguese label called Príncipe introduced much of the world to an intoxicating sound that was wafting from the streets and slums of Lisbon, combining Angolan kuduro with other Afrodiasporic genres like kizomba, batida and tarraxo. For those who were new to it, these records became some of the freshest, most exciting dance music around—footwork originator RP Boo famously said it was "some of the best music I've heard in my life."
But, like footwork, this kuduro-rooted sound had been around a lot longer than the label that made it famous. Two years after its launch, Príncipe digitally reissued a massive mixtape called DJs Di Guetto, something of a mission statement for this young scene compiled all the way back in 2006. It featured some of the earliest, most vital music from future scene leaders like DJ Marfox and DJ Nervoso, one of those mp3 downloads that took on a life far greater than most fully-fledged records. DJs Di Guetto defined the fringes of an emerging scene that produced some of the best dance music in Europe. Now, another ten years later, Príncipe is giving this music a home on vinyl with an abridged edition that highlights how strong and talented this crew was from the very beginning.
It's a credit to everyone on DJs Di Guetto that, if you didn't know the backstory, you might not realize this music is almost 20 years old. The artists here have grown into a style more polished and sophisticated than this, but their approach was always about immediacy and intuitive rhythm over anything else. You might not know what sub-genre a given Príncipe track is referencing, and you don't need to, because those seductive drum patterns could move anyone's limbs. Instrumental dance music rarely gets more expressive and raw than this.
DJs Di Guetto begins with "Drift Furioso," DJ Marfox's infamous edit of the Teriyaki Boyz's "Tokyo Drift," with its iconic, Neptunes-produced bell riff that becomes a bouncing hot-potato in Marfox's hands. It's a dead simple edit that highlights the rhythmic know-how of Marfox, who would go on to become one of Príncipe's core artists. The rest of the compilation focuses on some of the lesser-known voices. DJ Jesse delivers two very different cuts—the accurately named "Technho," a kuduro-take on minimal techno with a belligerently repetitive one-note motif, and "Pimp My Ragga," based around a boingy sound effect and a melody that feels like it's melting on top of the rhythm like a slice of processed cheese. As with the best of Lisbon batida, it's as absurd as it is impressive.
DJ Fofuxo emerges as the star of the compilation. "É África" is the compilation's sweetest moment, based around a plucked nylon string motif and a lo-fi vocal sample that repeats the title, driving home the origins of this music in Angola, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. It might have blossomed (and become famous) in Lisbon, but its roots spread across islands and continents outside of Europe before that. Fofuxo touches on EDM-level garishness on the powerful "Tarracho Do Guetto" and feeds off crunchy video-game sounds on "Isto é Kazu Bite," the track that best gets across the textural interplay that makes Fofuxo unique among his contemporaries.
Other highlights include the silly sound effects in DJ Jesse & DJ Nervoso's "Estrago Terrivel," the elegant minimalism of Nervoso's "Tarracho Nervoso" or the hectic energy of DJ N.K's "Mete Chuva Muita Chuva," which sounds like it was made in the throes of an actual party, all excited limbs and snappy drums. That tune comes towards the beginning of the compilation, part of a trio of big-room tracks that eventually leads towards a more mellow midpoint, outlining the mournful, nostalgic sound that would come to define Prîncipe. DJ N.K.'s soft "Não Chora Mais Não" is the blueprint for artists like Danifox and Lycox who would, a decade later, take this music to emotional new heights.
DJs Di Guetto is the sound of a scene in rapid growth, of artists finding their footing while blazing new paths. That it sounds so fresh, 17 years on, proves how vital this music is. It's a document of a community and tradition that remains strong, a place with a musical lineage and style that no outsider can touch.
Tracklist01. DJ Marfox - Drift Furioso
02. DJ N.K - Mete Chuva Muita Chuva
03. DJ Jesse & DJ Nervoso - Estrago Terrivel
04. DJ N.K - Não Chora Mais Não
05. DJ Nervoso - Tapada
06. DJ Fofuxo - Tarracho Do Guetto
07. DJ Fofuxo - É Africa
08. DJ Fofuxo - Isto é Kazu Bite
09. DJ Jesse - Techno
10. DJ N.K - Estão a Dar Medo
11. DJ Jesse - Pimp My Ragga
12. DJ Nervoso - Tarracha Nervoso
13. DJ Pausas & DJ Fofuxo - Tarracho Exxelentt