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On his debut album Travesseiro Feliz (Happy Pillow) Rio de Janeiro based dreamer and new Far Out Recordings signing Ricardo Richaid melds his tropical heritage with his love for psychedelic music, jazz and rock.

He also takes inspiration from the many Brazilian greats - Caetano Veloso, Arthur Verocai, Ivan Lins, Joyce, Hermeto Pascoal, Marcos Valle and Azymuth (to name a few) - who he has worked with as an engineer, assistant and producer, in Rio’s former RCA studio, Cia dos Tecnicos. As well as being heavily influenced by Brazil’s fabled Tropicalia movement, Richaid is the grandson of Brazilian actor, singer and Disney star Aurora Miranda (Carmen Miranda’s younger sister), so tropicalism is in his blood. Describing his sound as ‘Industrial Tropicalism’, Richaid’s music is undoubtedly a product of his environment. Just like Rio, it’s warm, hazy and beautiful. But reflecting the current mood of his homeland, there’s an ominous smog looming amongst its charm. Lamenting the political, economic and ecological crisis he sees engulfing Brazil, Richaid’s obscure, poetic lyrics touch on drugs, drones and darkness, emphasizing the importance of art to bring light in troubled times.

Singlehandedly composing, producing and mixing everything himself, Richaid recalls the endless nights he spent working on the album, often sleeping on the studio floor. Travisseiro Feliz features a host of notable names from across Rio’s music spectrum, including percussion sensation Marcos Suzano (Gilberto Gil), experimental pop artist Ana Frango Eletrico, and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jose Ibarra, who has been lauded for his recent performances as part of Milton Nascimento’s touring group. On interlude track ‘Formigas’ we also hear a few verses of Ricardo singing together with his 7-year-old daughter, Nina Richaid. Carrying forward the Tropic lia torch, the album’s cinematic opener “Maracas Enterprise/ Frio Da Manh “ is a two-part journey through Richaid’s sonic approach, weaving together interlocking horns, chorus drenched guitar, and fuzzed up synth stabs. A perfect example of Richaid’s industrial tropicalism, “Largado Nu” mixes soft, acoustic guitar and flutes with harder-edged synths and electric guitars, while ‘O Velho Cai’ is beautiful jazz-infused folk, with fretless bass and saxophone singing around the vocal harmonies of Richaid and Liza Machado.

Alongside engineering some of his musical heroes in Brazil, Richaid has played in bands like Mara R bia and nit , from Rio’s underground experimental psych and jazz scenes.

TRACK LISTING

Maracas Enterprise
Frio Da Manh
S Na Darkzera
VIP Xuxa 
Largado Nu
Outra
Ave Apoena
O Velho Cai
Drone / Formigas