After looking at a particular and thrilling aspect of Japan's underground scene in the 1980s with their reissue of "Soft Selection 84 - A Nippon DIY Wave compilation", Madrid's excellent curated Glossy Mistakes label returns with another bumper collection, "Atlantic Mavericks: A Decade of Experimental Music in Portugal (82-93)".
Lovingly compiled by Glossy Mistakes boss man, Glossy Mario, and accompanied by liner notes from Rui Miguel Abreu, "Atlantic Mavericks: A Decade of Experimental Music in Portugal (82-93)" does exactly what it says on the label, more or less. A sweeping fifteen-track survey of what was going on in the fringe underground during the eighties and early nineties, the compilation offers a rare glimpse into a vibrant musical landscape where the Portuguese art music scene was diving deep into experimentation against the background of a transformative decade of political upheaval. As Glossy Mistakes puts it, "Atlantic Mavericks captures the essence of a generation of artists who dared to challenge conventions and push the boundaries of what was possible in music."
Opening with the field recordings, minimalist VGM slanted melodies and delicate guitars of 'Crepúsculo' by Fé de Sábio and the stargazed melodic-rhythmics of 'Vê-Se Das Nuvens' by Nuno Rebelo, the collection lurches to life on a gentle, ambient lean. After several more slices of compelling environmental music with delicate jazz and classical composition touches, Tó Neto picks up the pace somewhat with a dollop of mid-tempo synth-pop in the mode of Hiroshi Satoh on 'Daly'. With some groove bubbling up, 'Voz do Mar' by PIlar finds the collection moving in a direction that sits somewhere between city-pop and post-punk before Carlos Maria Trindade takes the mood into full neon-lit technopop on 'Em Campo Aberto'.
From there, the intensity keeps building as strident drum machines, new wave synthesisers, heroic guitars and aspirational Portuguese language vocals reach out with yearning. A dash of Talking Heads here, some agitated mutant funk there, and finally, some spoken word electronics and fuzzy psych-lounge to close things out in a style David Lynch would approve of. There's a lot to dig into and drink deeply from here.
"Atlantic Mavericks: A Decade of Experimental Music in Portugal (82-93)" is out now in vinyl and digital formats via Glossy Mistakes (order here)
