Orchestra Klaxon

ax de Castro gained instant and enthusiastic praise from the critics as he burst on to the music scene in 1999 with "Samba Raro," his first album release, mixing modern soul, bossa nova, and samba. On this, his second release, de Castro has evolved and matured as a performer, and Orchestra Klaxon is a much stronger album than his promising debut. The soul influence, especially in de Castro's singing, has been toned down and replaced by a more straightforward, richly orchestrated, modern, and lush R&B sound. This emphasizes de Castro's strengths -- the fine melodies, his excellent production skills, and the energetic and inventive beats and rhythms. More concise and focused than before, the music of Orchestra Klaxon is firmly rooted in the rich traditions of Brazilian popular music, but it is still very creative and fresh sounding -- easy to enjoy but never banal or obvious. On "Mais uma Vez, um Amor" jazzy samba pop meets electronic beats. "Calaram a Voz do Nosso Amor" and "Linha do Tempo" are clearly inspired by the typically swaying "balanço" of Jorge Ben (seemingly an eternal source of inspiration for various generations of Brazilian artists). "Acapulco, Daqui a Pouco" and "Sonho de Verão" have a distinct Latin touch. Diverse, rich, and highly enjoyable, Orchestra Klaxon is an excellent album that confirms de Castro's reputation as one of the most talented young artists of Brazil. ~ Philip Jandovský|

同時代的で未来的でさえあるんだけどどこか懐かしい……?　聴き手の時間軸を捻らせるブラジルの新世代サウンド。それらを楽しむ鍵は、そのサウンドやムードのギャップを楽しめるかどうか。そのギリギリのボーダーラインにいるひとりがこのマックス・ジ・カストロだ。ボッサ・ジャズ、ラウンジ、MPBなどをクラブ・ミュージック的手法でソウルフルに表現した2000年の『Samba Raro』から2年を経たこの新作でもその基本的な部分は変わらない。しかし、今度は敢えて目新しさよりもじっくりとリスナーを楽しませようという戦法に出たらしい。エキゾティックでクラブっぽいボサノヴァ、ストリングスを導入した甘いバラードやR&Bなどがより高い完成度で揃い、その卓越したプロデュース能力を再確認させられる一枚だ。ふかふかのソファーに沈み込んですっかりレイドバックしたやり手のプレイボーイ、マックスはまだまだ余裕綽々らしい。
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