>> Far Out
bio: 2004 sees Far Out Recordings celebrate it?s 10th anniversary. Over 35 albums and 40 12?s have been released to date each one reinforcing Far Out?s position as one of the leading Brazilian record labels in the world. The roll-call of artists who have recorded for the label reads like a who?s who of Brazilian music ? Marcos Valle, Joyce, Azymuth, Wilson Das Neves, Neco, Aleuda, Celia Vaz ? the list goes on.
Far Out has also led the way in re-discovering classic music from the Brazilian vaults. It?s compilation ?Quartin? collected together the best and most sought after works from Robert Quartin?s legendary label and Far Out kick of 2004 with a much-anticipated, never before released double album from Milton Nascimento. Our label compilation ?Brazilian Love Affair? is now in it?s fourth volume and with it?s mix of exclusive label favourites, unreleased tracks and gems unearthed by label owner and Brazilian aficionado Joe Davis, is the original and the best Brazilian compilation album available.
The list of those musicians who have remixed and worked with our artists is a guide to the producers really cutting it in the leftfield scene: 4Hero, Jazzanova, Osunlade, Da Lata, Zero dB, Roni Size, Global Communication and the Masters At Work, and this year we celebrate our 10th with a mix CD from one half of the Masters ? Kenny Dope. The remixes we release have defined the current ?Electro-Brazil? sound and you won?t find a compilation album of contemporary Brazilian music without one!
2004 sees Far Out with it?s strongest release schedule ever. Azymuth celebrate 30 years in the business with a new studio album featuring new tracks in the styles of music they have made over the last 3 decades. The Milton Nascimento double unreleased CD will kick the year of for us in fine style and the Trouble Man album, from acclaimed Uk producer Mark Pritchard, will keep the flow rolling with a set that combines old school easy listening and bossa grooves - Nina from Da Lata features on two cuts. Kenny Dope delivers his first ever Latin mix for us, cutting up 100% Far Out material and we look to the future as we release albums from two new Brazilian acts ? Sabrina Malheiros, the daughter of Alex from Azymuth and Democustico, a collaboration between Mauro Berman, Gabby and Far Out in-house producer Roc Hunter. More details about all our releases for next year are included in this pack.
History: In 10 years Joe Davis has gone from hunting treasures in dusty old record stores across Brazil, to running a successful record company with impressive world-wide sales and an international reputation. What started out as a desire to feed the UK jazz scene?s taste for rare Brazilian jazz, has resulted in Far Out Recordings - a label dedicated to all angles of Brazilian music, from Jazz to Electronica.
The progression for Joe from buying records, to selling them, to producing them for his own label was a logical one. He explains: ?Whilst I was growing up I was always involved in the street music scene- whatever clubs were going on, in and around London, and all types of dance music. Suddenly innovative DJs like Gilles Peterson were playing Brazilian, Latin, and jazz out in the clubs, and people were going crazy over it. Gradually the scene moved on but the new music being played didn?t really capture my imagination, so I returned to Brazilian music, which I really loved and which had always held a very instant appeal for me?
At this point Joe decided to take his interest further, spending several years traveling to Brazil and developing an encyclopedic knowledge through buying rare Brazilian music, which was in great demand in Europe and Japan. Along the way he also got to know a lot of the musicians whose records he was buying. His personal friends included Marcos Valle, Joyce, Wilson des Neves, Celia Vaz, Jorge Ben and various other leaders of the Brazilian scene
In the UK, his reputation was growing in connection with all things Brazilian and he had an increasing desire to use all the knowledge and contacts he had made for a new project. In 1995 as a creative experiment he hired a studio in Brazil for a month and recruited some of the dons of Brazilian music, as well as some of Rio?s most exciting young musicians. They spent the time recording an album of new material and old classics called Friends From Rio, which featured Marcos Valle and Wanda de Sa:
It was a combination which worked well - with the album receiving an overwhelming response. The Independent newspaper described it as: ?One of the summer?s most effective soundtracks?, and the first single from the album, ?Para Lennon e McCartney?, became a big club and radio hit. The next project was a remixed album of ?Friends from Rio? called Misturada (Portuguese for mixing). The idea was to fuse Brazilian rhythms and melodies with electronica, and remixers included; Da Lata, Pressure Drop, APE. Once again, the feedback was massive, convincing Joe there was a market for the music he wanted to release. This was all the encouragement he needed, and since then Far Out Recordings has been steadily growing.
Continual trips to Brazil have led to recordings of new material from Joyce, Tutty Moreno, and Marcos Valle and Azymuth - all of which have received critical acclaim, establishing Far Out Recordings as the leading independent producer of Brazilian music outside Brazil. Far Out has also been responsible for making rare Brazilian classics available once again. Reissues of Joyce?s seminal ?Tardes Cariocas? and ?Quartin? the long-awaited compilation of 70s jazz from Rio based producer Roberto Quartin featuring Victor Assis Brasil, Piri, Paulo Jobim, Danilo Caymmi and Jose Mauro. This release was launched with a party and a photographic exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art, London.
The dance side of the label has also flourished, with the Misturada, Brazilian Love Affair and Rhythmix projects becoming an unreserved success - these series have produced many underground and mainstream club classics, ?Ponteio? Da Lata, ?Jazz Carnival? Global Communication remix. These albums have given some of the most innovative dance producers a chance to reinterpret classic and contemporary Brazilian tunes.
