grupo controle digital: a festa é nossa
Francisco Espregueira
Brazilian hits that never were. Back in time to listen to obscure 1980's Brazilian lo-fi synthesized music, released by Soundway Records. After the success of Onda De Amor, the british label re-masters and re-issues A Festa É Nossa, the only existent album from the duo Grupo Controle Digital. Originally from 1988, the album surfs on the same waves the amazing title track does, having circulated the last few years in the DJ sets of influential tastemakers.
A Festa É Nossa has become highly sought after by electronic fans and collectors alike. Lo-fi synths and cruising bass lines permeate the record, influenced by the group’s Brazilian contemporaries at the time such as Tim Maia, Cláudio Zoli, Secos E Molhados. The duo Billy Jaguar and Gel Valiery regularly performed in various groups in São Paulo throughout the 80s and 90s, but after Gel passed away, Grupo Controle Digital was no more - the band and the album faded into obscurity. It remained that way until Brazilian DJ Millos Kaiser (from label Selva Discos, and one half of Brazilian street party organisers Selvagem) tracked down the remaining member of the group to be able to include one of their tracks on the highly anticipated Soundway compilation Onda De Amor: Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were (1984-94), which was released last month, and is right here for the crate diggers to explore.
Being released by the end of the month, we too anticipate the full taste of Grupo Controle Digital's A Festa É Nossa (available for pre-orders) on our sound system. We sense a charming, unique, character-loaded and fascinating collection of music.