Sidney Miller - Linguas De Fogo LP

I am no authority on Brazilian music, in fact I get nervous when someone asks for the music of Brazil. It seems to be one of the most exoticised regions at the moment, but often, I over-imagine, is desired for a purpose of soundtracking a liminal space fern reveal party, or for an aspiring chic livestream DJ. Scenarios that are very much at odds with what I value, or the bombastic and engaging Brazil of Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso or DJ Ramon Sucesso’s bubble beats.

Sidney Miller seems like the tragic and talented shy guy on the fringe of the Música Popular Brasileira and Tropicalia movements. His compositions were performed by the aforementioned Veloso and Costa, plus many other names I’m less familiar with, but the spotlight wasn’t for him.

This, his third and final album, will no doubt appeal to fans of other instances where local Brazilian music traditions have embraced progressive and psychedelic rock tendencies, or the sophisticated imagination of Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, Matching Mole, Franco Battiato and Scott Walker. — Nic