 Following in the footsteps of CSS Bonde de Role are being billed as the next big thing from Brazil. They play hot, sexy baile funk, which if your not in the know is the feral child of 80s Miami bass and the booming sound of Brazil’s urban ghettoes, mixed with a generous dose of cheese. They have been wooing critics around the world, have an album out on June 4th and are set to play a string of live shows over the summer. They are Pedrot D’eyrot, Marina Vello and Rodrigo Gorky.
UK Music’s Joe Kent met up with band member Pedro to find out what all the fuss is about.
- Pedro first of all how do you describe the music you make?
Party music! We definitely make party music but beyond that its hard to say, we have so many influences and I’ve never been good at finding labels for things. I guess as we play baile funk and a bit of punk so you could say we play baile punk. . . yeah baile punk, that sounds right.
- You say you have many influences, who are they?
Well its 2 Many DJs fault that Gorky became a DJ but we have lots of influences; Jason Forrest, Daft Punk, Diplo, the baile funk Djs back in Brazil . . . We are into lots of 80s music and 90s pop too so people like Van Halen, The Scorpions, Halloween, The Venga Boys and 2Unlimited.
- Baille funk is hugely popular in Brazil and its starting to make waves in Europe - what is its appeal?
The beats are just so good to dance to, its as simple as that. If you haven’t heard it its like hip hop gone punk but in a fun way. Its like a cross between the Toy Dolls and the 2 Live Crew. Its not serious at all, at least for us; if we’re not having fun making a track we just stop and try something else.
- Beyond having fun what is your approach to making music?
Wow, I don’t know; we just make music. We were never supposed to be a band we just became one. We really just make music to have fun; its an excuse to listen to music, to have a laugh and make our friends laugh. I guess we try and have fun when making music and make music for people that want to have fun. That was our attitude when making the album anyway.
- The name of the album is in English, ‘With Lasers,’ but all the songs are in Portuguese - is that just a clever trick to make more people buy it?
No not at all, it’s a Brazilian joke. In Brazil there is this idea that everything ’with lasers’ is somehow superior. You see an advert for a toaster ’with lasers’ that is supposed to be better than the one without but what are lasers on a toaster going to do? It all started with the [social networking] website Orkut so we wanted to become Bonde de Role With Lasers
- What about the name Bonde de Role (pronounced Bon-g G Holeh) - not particularly easy for us English to pronounce; are you tempted to follow the lead taken by CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) and become BDR?
No, no way man. We are definitely going to stick to Bonde de Role - its true people here don’t pronounce it in the same way as they would in Brazil but that’s fine by us. Why should we change it there are loads of bands that no one really knows how to pronounce their name.
- It is notoriously difficult to get the record buying public to shell out on music that is not sung in English - do you expect that to be a problem for you?
Maybe, but for us its different. We were brought up listening to music in English having no idea about what bands were singing about but would still try and still along. It didn’t stop us buying records and we haven’t had any problems so far.
- What is your favourite tracks from the album?
Mine is definitely 'Tieta'. it’s a song we did for the EP with Diplo but didn’t use it. We took off all the samples and it became a different track but still managed to keep the same vibe.
I think if you asked Gorgky he’d say 'Solta O Frango' or 'Gasolina' and Marina would go for 'Bondallica'.
- On a different note,I hear you are moving to Berlin?
Um yeah, well that was the plan but now we moving to London - German people are just too slow and anyway we all have boyfriends/girlfriends here now. I love the city, like any Brazilian will tell you it rains too much and its not as sunny we’d like, but London is crazy.
- And where do you see yourself in a years time?
On vacation, definitely on vacation. I hope to be on the beach, in Ibiza with a Mojito in my hand watching the Venga Boys. After that who knows maybe we will even make a second album.
Bonde de Role With Lasers is out on Dominio Records on June 4th.
Words By : Joe Kent
 |
bonde do role are madness!!