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Jose Mauro | Obnoxius reissue

Jose Mauro Obnoxius

We're extremely excited to announce that we'll be reissuing the peerless and criminally undervalued Quartin catalogue, beginning with Jose Mauro’s forgotten masterpiece Obnoxius…BUY LP / CD / DIGITAL.

“Amazing record. One of my top 5” 
Floating Points
“A holy grail” 
Gilles Peterson
"Beautiful Brazilian soul music with wonderful arrangements" 
Antal (Rush Hour)

Today, very little is known about Jose Mauro and as a result those searching for some kind of insight on the man behind the music must attempt to glean what they can from the music itself. One rumour claims he died in a car accident shortly before the album’s release, a fact that could have lent his brief musical career a touch of mythology were it not for how scant the details concerning any other aspects of his life are.  The political turmoil from which the album emerged is significant also; recorded during an era of oppressive state censorship, the album, like all the Quartin catalogue, is the result of steadfast defiance in the face of a crushing military dictatorship. While many musicians of the era fled the country, preferring their prospects in the affluent, liberated USA, rebellious, young musicians like Mauro chose to stay and reflect their anger at the authorities through thinly veiled protest songs such as the stirring ‘Apocalipse’. Herein lies the basis for a more dramatic theory; that Mauro was in fact abducted by the military! Whatever the truth, the mystery remains unsolved, and all that remains is his bewitching music, all of which is composed by Mauro and Ana Maria Bahiana. Production on the record was cancelled after Mauro’s death and it was never sold commercially until its rerelease decades later.  What appeal does Mauro’s music hold to today’s listeners, forty-something years removed from its conception? Simply put, there is very little else that sounds much like it all. Take the title track of ‘Obnoxious’. A wholly singular piece of music, blending string-drenched melancholia with orchestral pomp, sunny psychedelic strumming with propulsive percussion, topped off with Mauro’s yearning vocals. The result is indicative of Mauro’s unique blend of sounds from Latin Jazz and samba to psychedelic folk and baroque orchestration.   

Today, Obnoxious retains its strange, otherworldly appeal – A firm favourite amongst a small circle of deep diggers including Madlib, Gilles Peterson, Floating Points. Jose Mauro’s mournful and melancholic vocals create a dark, brooding atmosphere that stands in contrast to the usual joyfulness and high-spirited rhythm of the more prominent Brazilian music of the era. Despite this air of foreboding, Mauro’s confident baritones, chord patterns and sumptuous arrangements have the ability to induce in the listener an almost trance-like state of ecstasy. Mauro’s long hidden masterpiece, a complex and uniquely stunning work is being offered the chance to be heard by the wider audience it has always deserved. A second Jose Mauro release, A Viagem Des Horas, compiling more incredible tracks unreleased in Mauro’s lifetime, will follow, alongside other unreleased jewels from the Quartin catalogue, from the likes of Piri and Victor Assis Brasil… PRE-ORDER OBNOXIUS NOW

Also available from Bandcamp



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  • ecureuil on

    Ana Maria Bahiana who wrote the lyrics, just told me that José Mauro is still alive and has strong health problems. I hope the label can help ?

  • Kristofer Vaz on

    José Mauro is alive. I was talking with Lucas, his friend, and he says that one label is STEALING the copyrights of his album, but now he is sick and old, and dont have money for a lawyer.

  • James on

    Yep, a reissue of “A Viagem das Horas” and other gems from the Quartin catalogue would be great indeed! I hope the teaser in the back of the Obnoxius LP isn’t just decorative: https://www.deejay.de/images/xl/5/3/239653b.jpg

  • Machintal on

    I would like to know more news about the reissue of the LP “A Viagem das Horas”

  • Jacques on

    Hello, will you also reissue “A viagem das horas” ?
    Best,
    Jacques


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