Fancy a bit of hip-hop influenced electro gorgeousness? Meet Bousada, a producer and singer/songwriter who creates everything himself in a little room in Victoria, BC Canada. He get’s out of the little room occasionally too, performing live with a loop machine, blurring the line between DJ and performer by playing, singing and sequencing on the spot.
Shake is Bousada’s debut EP. He explains where his music comes from:
My lyrics are very rhythmic and stylistically most influenced by my love for hip hop. The content mostly stems from my life experiences, and is heavily influenced by my time spent in nature. Before taking music more seriously, I was an organic farmer living on an island commune in the Pacific Northwest. I learned a lot about life and love and feel like my lyrics all stem from this and other experiences I’ve had in my life.
I enjoy music of all kinds but recently have been really getting down with Mac Demarco, Chet Faker, Brasstracks and Tom Misch. Most of the music I make is not directly influenced by any one artist, something that I believe helps me create an original sound.
Before you read on, Bousada is giving a FREE download of “Shake”, from the EP, to Angry Baby readers. If you’re not already subscribed to Angry Baby, just pop the email address that you’d like it delivered to here and it will be on its way to you straight away, together with a bumper collection of music that has been shared by Angry Baby. The music comes from outstanding artists that you may not have heard before. With a mix of rock, pop, folk…you name it…there’s bound to be something new that floats your musical boat, and all for free! What’s not to like about that?!
Opening with a twinkle of percussion and a slow-walking rhythm, “Cast In Gold” sets out Bousada’s stall as an intriguing musician. Complex, looping arrangements that trip behind laid-back vocals, held together with a hint of reggae, it’s hypnotic, mesmerising and simultaneously fun.
Title track “Shake” keeps up the tempo and works that Canadian-Caribbean feel. Is that a genre? It is now! The production is fine, too. Pop on the headphones, lean back and soak it up. As the song says ‘just let it go’.
The Millennial generation’s never-ending search for a home to call their own is immortalised in “North Park”, a tribute to creative life in a gentrificating area. With rap, found sounds, and ironic lyrics, this is Bousada’s personal tension between sucking it up or shipping out that many an artist can relate to.
‘It’s hard to make a living when you do what you love, I say
Music is the reason I’ve been keeping this up
It’s hard to make the money when you’re living your truth
You gotta love what you are, you gotta love what you do’
Soft sounds of children at play open the final track “On My Own”. Overlaying electro with soul, then adding vocals that sway from smooth to smoother, this is a track to fall into and simply enjoy.
Bousada’s creativity goes beyond recording and producing. Check out the videos on his Facebook page for a glimpse behind the scenes and a taste of his live performances. He’s on tour right now, so if you’re in BC or Toronto, you’re in for a treat – dates are here.
Bousada’s advice for anyone just starting out with their music talks about life beyond the mixing desk:
Spending as much time on your craft is essential, but don’t think that you stay creative without doing the things that feed you. For me, I love cooking food for my fam, listening and playing music with my friends and spending as much time as possible outside. If you let go of the things you love justifying it as more time for music I believe that the lack of passion and inspiration in one’s life will be heard in the music.
Shake was released on in September 2017 on. Get your copy here for less than $4 – what a bargain!
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