Genre-clashing is the standard for Brazil’s Telepathique

By Britt Julious
Published: August 6th, 2008 | 5:35pm

To say something spectacular is brewing in Brazil would be an understatement. The emergence of a flurry of young bands from the South American country (such as CSS and Bonde do Role) firmly placed it on the map. Like musicians across the globe, for Brazilians the opportunities to spread their work to new and old fans is only becoming easier, and it’s no surprise that the country once stereotypically associated with bossa nova is a lot younger, fresher, and more exciting than anyone would have imagined.

For the past decade, new Brazilian music fans are getting their first taste of baile funk or carioca, two standard genres for a younger generation of musicians born in the melting pot of races, ethnicities, and cultures that constitute modern Brazil. Brazilian music groups, although diverse in sound, incorporate an abundance of different genres to create music that is decidedly unlike any other group on the scene right now, yet still uniquely “Brazilian.”

So what classifies as “Brazilian” music? For Mylene Pires and Erico Theobaldo of Telepathique, no one genre could be categorized as Brazilian. The duo says that there are a number of different choices (such as caraico, punk, and electro) that when combined create Brazilian musicians’ complicated and distinct music. From her home in São Paulo, Pires adds, “It is natural for us to work with so many types of music.”

Indeed, when listening to Telepathique’s debut album, Last Time on Earth (The Control Group), none of the songs sound forced. First released in South America in 2006 — after the release of its Love and Lust EP on the same label — Earth was finally released in the United States in August 2008. New fans to Telepathique’s music will be immersed in the group’s sound: an amalgamation of classic carioca, heavy synths, and electro-clash rhythms with a punk ethos. “That’s just the way it is in Brazil, “Pires says. “All of it comes together and we listen to everything.”

One would normally find it difficult to surmise anything good could come from so many clashing sounds, yet Telepathique seem to have found the perfect balance in the most unlikely of manners. While working on Pires’ solo album, which was steeped in African and Brazilian traditions, Pires and Theobaldo collaborated in an off-the-cuff manner to create Earth’s frenzied music. Using only a laptop, guitar, synths, and microphones, Earth is also themed around the band’s experiences in the music industry, as well as the notion of kismet.

“When we got the time, we just went into my home and worked for a couple of weeks straight,” Pires recalls. The result is an album that seems like a culmination of different musicians and not just the production work of two people and limited resources.

“I’m Not the Man You Think I Am,” is a sleek gem for the dance-floor, as Pires breaks through gender boundaries by proclaiming her ferocious temperament. Classic house is transformed into the anthemic “Eu Gosto,” as Pires’ whisper-like vocals are layered over raging synths and spectacular guitar riffs. “Love and Lust,” first heard on the group’s EP of the same name, is a slinky and sex-fueled number.

Although each song has its own unique charm, the overarching connection between the tracks is Pires’ unique vocals which are seamlessly matched up with Theobaldo’s beats. Another example of this fantastic pairing is evident in “Kabalah,” a song so infectious that it’s hard to imagine the group’s work together was more organic than structured.

Telepathique recently began a tour of the United States and, according to Pires, their live shows are not to be missed. “For us, it’s about translating the feel, the emotion of the songs to the stage,” she says. Listening to the album, it seems unlikely that such a goal will be difficult for the duo. It’s almost as if the band is demanding audience members and fans to have a good time. Pires’ only disappointment, it seems, is the fact that it took so long for the duo to find some recognition outside of their continent, though she’s also grateful that there are better resources available to independently reach out to broader audiences. “I think, nowadays, it is much easier for groups to break out around the world. The Internet provides those opportunities for bands, and people are looking for music on their own,” Pires says.

Even though it’s been two years after its initial release, Earth seems poised for international success. Lustrous, fun, and fueled by Telepathique’s cultural influences, the album speaks to a varied international audience (albeit one that probably enjoys dancing). If Brazil is an amalgamation of cultures stemming from its complicated past, Telepathique seems to be doing its home country immense justice in telling its story.

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