Julinho Da Concertina
Diabo Tocador

Lisbon's Paraíso is back. For the second release on the label, again some of the most essential underground producers of Portuguese origin were recruited to contribute towards a solid VA 12".First up is Silvestre, the Lisbon-born, London-based producer and DJ who has been releasing super inventive dance tracks on Diskotopia and his own excellent Padre Himalaya. His track 'Todos Juntos' is a tough yet playful take on piano house, accented by a gritty kick drum and a youthful vocal sample. DJ Ze MigL follows with his 'No Space' - the Lisbon veteran, who is a true techno pioneer and has released on Chi Wax and Djax Up Beats in the mid 90s, delivers a sonic techno belter, trippy and energetic in equal measures, fit for frenetic peaktime action in any rave deserving of such title.On the flipside, Algarve duo Roundhouse Kick of One Eyed Jacks fame serve up 'Acid Life', right on their flawless brand of romantic, evocative house music, complete with heavenly melodies and a fat bassline. Aveiro's Mind Safari (1980, Subsubtropics) rounds up the record in cosmic fashion with 'Enter Sandman', an arpeggiated journey through space and time, meant for dancing with our eyes closed and our heart open.The result is a dynamic, strong, colourful sonic palette that perfectly depicts the best of today's landscape in the much talked-about Portuguese music scene. Dive in - and feel the fresh waters of Paraíso for yourself.

"Don't, for a second, think that Portugal's Bloop imprint is some sort of newcomer to the scene. Fair enough, they might have flown below-radar over the years, but this crew's been churning out quality house and tech since the mid 00s - peeps like Mirco Violi, Kasper and Alex Niggeman having come through the label at various points in time. There is a newcomer here, however, and his name is ARK, who launches "In Lov" on us - a broken, pseudo house experiment with an organic touch. "Arkmagedon" is straighter, more stomping but nonetheless jazzy in its approach, while on the flip, "Perles A Rebours" dives into a cavernous sea of eerie tones carried forth by a dubby swing, and the Kaesar & Cruz remix strips the groove back down to a minimalistic house chugger for the floor." (Juno review)