The MATA ATLÂNTICA is an important ecosystem that covers the entire eastern, northeastern, southeastern, and southern coast of Brazil in Latin America. The Brazilian government states that the MATA ATLÂNTICA
“once covered over 1.3 million square kilometers in 17 states of the Brazilian territory, extending over much of the country’s coastline. However, due to human occupation and activities in the region, only about 29% of its original coverage remains today.”
Furthermore, the forest is home to approximately 850 bird species, 370 amphibians, 200 reptiles, 270 mammals, and 350 fish.
Resulting from a week of immersion in Paraty, RJ, Brazil, the soundscapes presented in this album seek to represent a part of the dynamics heard during the summer of 2021-2022. We say “a part” because the acoustic complexity of the region is extremely rich and complex, and our senses limit us to comprehend all of this acoustic dynamics of the forest. We are immersed in the world with our ears, eyes, noses, skin, and mouth, and we only understand what we believe to represent.
We are immersed in the world with our ears, eyes, noses, skin, and mouth, and we only understand what we believe to represent.
With six compositions, the album is a tribute to the MATA ATLÂNTICA. The sequencing of the compositions was designed to invite the listener to move through the various landscapes that make up this extensive domain. For the first time, stellatum_ invited three artists to participate in the production: Eufrasio Prates (BR), Pablo Bas (AR), and Suzuka Kokubu (JP).
The three were challenged to use three soundscapes from the forest to compose a sound piece.
Pablo Bas, with a deep knowledge of sound art techniques, proposes a deconstruction of a landscape and invites us to a nighttime immersion in the acoustic occurrences of the forest in his work Noctámbulas Ficciones Silvestres.
Eufrasio, one of the founders and conductors of the Brasília Laptop Orchestra (BSBLOrk), uses live coding and AI resources in his work “EPA#9AtlanticaMata” inviting us to imagine an integrative panorama between intelligences.
Finally, SUZICA (artist name of Suzuka) marvels us with her work COURAGE guiding us through the vocalizations of the Atlantic fauna.
MATA ATLÂNTICA I & II aim to lead the listener through the experience of rain in the forest. The first evokes mists, in the second, rains break out, dense, strong, and intense. Listening can bring more senses and sensations that I won’t attempt to translate into words.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Franco (Calathea), Pablo Bas, Suzuka, Eufrasio, my wife Camila, Linilson Padovese, and all those waiting for the release of this album.
Thank you very much, and may the MATA ATLÂNTICA be heard and disseminated to the rest of the world.
CREDITS
Executive Producer: Anésio Neto Anésio Neto a.k.a. stellatum_
Artistic and Associate Producer: Pablo Bas.
Mixing: Anésio Neto (track 1); Anésio Neto & Pablo Bas (track 5), Eufrasio Prates (track 4); Pablo Bas (tracks 2 and 6); Suzuka Kokubu (track 2).
Mastering: Pablo Bas.
Brasil/Argentina — 2023