BadBadNotGood / Brazil45: Mr Bongo x BadBadNotGood (5X7" Vinyl Box Set) RSD2025

Artist: BadBadNotGood
Title: Brazil45: Mr Bongo x BadBadNotGood
Label: Mr Bongo
Cat.#: MRB7226
Format: 5x7" Vinyl Box Set, RSD2025
Country: UK
Released: 2025
Style: Latin, Folk, Funk, Jazz, Soul

Track Listing:Grammy-nominated Canadian ensemble, BADBADNOTGOOD, present the latest edition of Mr Bongo’s iconic Brazil 45 boxset series. Hailing from Toronto, the band who now comprise of Alexander Sowinski, Chester Hansen and Leland Whitty, made their name by crossing genres and developing a distinctive amalgamation of jazz, hip hop and psychedelic grooves. Their rise to the forefront of their scene, has led to collaborations with icons such as Tyler, The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, MF Doom, Samuel T. Herring (Future Islands) and Ghostface Killah. With a penchant for an earworm hook, their sound takes cues from across the globe, both past and present, not least from the wealth of music that has emanated out of Brazil over the last 70 years.

Beatmakers, musicians and record collectors at their core, the influence of Brazilian music on BADBADNOTGOOD’s productions is clear to see, with previous collaborators including Arthur Verocai and Tim Bernardes. It seemed only right then, to hand them the reins for the next edition of our signature boxset series. As ever, the brief was simple, compile a selection of your favorite Brazilian cuts from the country’s rich musical makeup.

Delving into their love of Brazilian music from the ‘60s up to the current day, BADBADNOTGOOD’s selections work like a beloved mixtape, taking you on a journey through time and genres. Starting with contemporary tracks from O Terno and their sublime, skippy string-laden number ‘Tudo Que Eu Não Fiz’, to Chico Bernardes’ heartfelt, slowly simmering folk track ‘Até Que Enfim’. Elsewhere, Menahan Street Band and Rogê's modern-anthem mood lifter 'Tropical Man' feels like a timeless funky Brazilian classic, and listeners are treated to Bala Desejo’s Dora Morelenbaum at her most serene and ethereal on 'Vento de Beirada'.

There’s also a deep dig into lost Brazilian treasures. First up, a beautifully haunting, psych-folk obscurity taken from Naire's self-titled 1974 album. This is backed by Guilherme Coutinho and Grupo Stalo's genre-shifting, trippy-pop anomaly 'Rio Corrente', echoing successive bands such as Stereolab and Belle & Sebastian. Alongside it, a much-loved classic from Antonio Adolfo E A Brazuca, 'Transamazonica', sits side by side with a dose of 1966 bossa-jazz excellence from Som/3.

Closing out the boxset, the deepest and most experimental selection comes from Sebastião Tapajos and Pedro dos Santos' quirky guitar and percussion 1972 track 'Despedida de Mangueira'. This is paired with a heroine of the keys and underground Brazilian musical great, the musician / vocalist Ana Mazzotti and her track ‘Agora Ou Nunca Mais’.

A captivating collection of sought-after tracks crossing genres, decades and tempos, offering a glimpse into BADBADNOTGOOD’s eclectic tastes, whilst exploring ever further the richness of Brazil’s musical history.