GERARDO FRISINA Vinilo y CD

Review: Gerardo Frisina's unmistakable fusion of Latin jazz, funk and soul with contemporary electronics entered a new phase with the announcement of his 'In Sight' series, a two-part project for 2025 set to rescan the multi-genre terrain and project it, rocket-like, into new stratospheres. The Schema Records founder now delivers the second promised instalment in the series, complementing a delicious first volume added to a brilliant swathe of 7"s and LPs, centring on not just his own talents but those of others, mainly those artists of his local Milanese Afro-Cuban jazz, soul and dub ken. Yet seven more finger-pinchers come tethered to adjacent movements in bossa nova, soft-adult cinematics and downtempo here.

Review: Gerardo Frisina, the Italian musician and producer renowned for his expertise in Latin jazz, delivers a captivating experience with Mystical Funk on Schema records. Side-1 presents 'Mystical Funk,' a mesmerizing blend of tribal drums, smooth funk grooves, and island vibes that transport listeners to exotic landscapes. On Side-2, 'Spaced Out' takes a more urban direction, featuring an infectious hip-hop/funk beat infused with sophisticated organ sounds and hints of jazz influences. Frisina's masterful production seamlessly merges diverse elements into cohesive compositions that exude elegance and groove.

Review: Five years on from their debut collaborative EP 'Frisina Meets Toco', modern Brasilian dance artists Gerardo Frisina and Toco return for a second faceoff, this time with liaising artist Luzia Dvorek serving as ringmaster. Centring on samba-infused jazz and deep house with mystical and folk influences, "deixa passar" translates from Portuguese to "let it pass", though the mood is certainly not outright passive. This delectably quartered slice of carnivalesque dance music is rather rich in sonic papaya juice, charting sustained vocal contrasts between Toco and Luzia against smoky and furnaced beats. Aperient track 'Deixa Passar' leans heaviest on languid piano, whilst dozier mists emerge on the B-side in the form of 'Ile' and its rework by Gerardo Frisina, bringing pan flutes, strings, breathy vocal counterpoints, cabasa shaker, and subtle bass undercurrents.