Allen (Italy) – My Love is Better

SCORE: 8/10Whisper it, but there’s something exciting happening in Brazil right now. Indeed, the latter statement should come as no surprise to those of you well versed in the global economy, but we’re talking to you solely from an electronic music background here…  The house and techno strands emerging from the country have never been stronger – not least in cities such as the vast metropolis that is Sao Paulo. Rods Novaes’ Not for Us imprint offers a case in point, with their latest release, Allen’s “My Love is Better”, crafted on a deliciously dub-led, tech-house template. Minimal yet rounded, soulful yet sparse, the original offers an almost gentle introduction to an EP that’s striking in its diversity.   Anhanguera’s ‘Favela rework’ is the choicest of the litter though, as it plays to the sort of colourful soulful sound that its title alludes to. With a raft of well-known samples and a barrage of clever synth interplay at its core, it too makes astute use of a neatly placed selection of drums. The label boss, together with his fellow studio partner, Wender A, then serve up the closing gambit: one that’s more concerned with subtle impressions rather than the sort of explosive one emitted from its predecessor. A package of many moods and sounds: just like the label’s heritage.