There aren’t many bands like Fumaça Preta (pronounced Foomassa Pretta). Meaning Black Smoke, they drift through all sorts of genres producing a mad animalistic psychedelic experience. The band came together when Alec Figueira (a Portuguese-Venezuelan producer, drummer & lead singer) invited Stuart Crater and James Porch, from Brighton funk outfit The Grits, to have a boundary-pushing experimental recording session at his tiny analogue studio that he built in the back of his Amsterdam house. After releasing their self-titled debut on the magnificent and ever exciting Soundway Record Label in 2014, it has become one of the most stand out and interesting albums of the year.
The Lucid Experiment began the evening with their alternative psychedelic rock instrumentals. The sound of the four piece from Hasting is full of big psychedelic riffs and all-encompassing 60s fuzzy jams. Their music could have been the soundtrack to a coastal road trip that periodically becomes suddenly intense by the drugs you shouldn’t have smoked earlier in the day. In my opinion their music was definitely missing something, as it struggled to keep my attention with the sometimes samey sounding instrumentals. Vocals could be the saviour, as otherwise it will keep sounding like they are just having a well-rehearsed jam in their garage.
 
Next we were treated to the London based, The Rhubarb Triangle. Named after the area they originated from, they were quick off the mark producing instant unruly energy that enveloped the room. Their high tempo psychedelic 60s surf punk was awesome. For a three piece they created massive sound covered in psychedelic sweeps. The guitarist (Anthony Dunn) was full of almighty riffs combined magnificently with the raucous Hammond organ of the lead singer (Alex Aspin), which was then held together by an always on point drummer (Calum Malton). The manual delay that Alex used to overlap his screeching and howling voice (and harmonica) intensified the music which was often reminiscent of The Doors or Nick Cave. Overall a brilliant and exciting performance that I will defiantly see next time they are in Brighton.
 
The audience were now suitably loose for Fumaça Preta’s dose of psychotropic funk. On the first date of their ‘Pollutes The UK Tour’, an excited Green Door Store audience are bustling in anticipation to see how their music is going to sound live. I hear so many recognisable influences, yet I have never heard them crossing over in this way. Tropicalia of the Brazillian pioneers Os Mutantes and Tom Zé were definitely apparent- along with Frank Zappa’s experimental rock, Funk, North African afro beat, reggae, acid-techno, Caribbean grooves, krautrock and soulful ballads. The boundaries had well and truly been successfully pushed back on this psychedelic voyage though sound.
 
Fumaça Preta had an unusual set up with the drummer/singer leading the show on the far left of the stage. Next to him you had a percussionist on bongo drums, giving great layers to their invigorating performance. The bassist, who was also in control of a synthesiser, patrolled the right hand of the stage with the guitarist, (at one point giving a great impromptu solo using a beer bottle off the floor) who shared his time with a Hammond organ. With lots of crowd interaction, including their own unique take on a Christmas song, the band had definitely won over the audience and were enjoying it as much as they were. A dance floor had been formed in front of the stage, and at the end of the set Fumaça Preta were showered with an ecstatic applause. The variety in styles is something you have to experience for yourself.
Iain Lauder
 
Website: fumacapreta.com