Cérebro Eletrônico / Cerebro Eletronico

Cérebro Eletrônico were surely the most creative and exciting band to emerge from São Paulo's bustling alternative music scene at the beginning of the 21st century. The group released its first album, Onda Híbrida Ressonante, in 2004. Transcending traditional genre boundaries, the music of Cérebro Eletrônico defies simple definitions as it floats between electronica, rock, pop, and MPB. Contrary to several other Brazilian bands and artists who have drawn inspiration from the musical cannibalism of the tropicalismo movement in the late '60s, the eclectic genre-mixing of Cérebro Eletrônico does not sound at all forced or self-centered. The core of the group consists of composers, producers, and multi-instrumentalists Tatá Aeroplano and Fernando Maranho, who are both from São Paulo and are Cérebro Eletrônico's only official members. Onda Híbrida Ressonante was produced and recorded under comparatively sparse circumstances in the duo's own homes, which makes the sophisticated and professional sound of the final result even more impressive. The melodies of Cérebro Eletrônico are very direct, often catchy in that familiar pop culture way, but at the same time the musical arrangements are deliberately unconventional and surprising. In fact, the very existence of the band in part appears to be a reaction to the streamlined and predictable character of the contemporary mainstream music scene.

Tatá Aeroplano once said in an interview that most modern music is like Hollywood films, in that if you hear the beginning of one song, you usually know how it will sound in the middle and how it will end. Cérebro Eletrônico aim to do the exact opposite with their music, with the explicit objective of always trying to surprise the listener. The simple yet quite exquisite melodies, the intelligent lyrics, the fresh sound, and the elegant production of Onda Híbrida Ressonante earned Cérebro Eletrônico almost ecstatic praise from many critics and a rather small but very enthusiastic population of hardcore fans. On the other hand, an unorthodox approach to lyrics and songwriting and particularly a knack for avoiding preexisting genre formulas resulted in the duo being overlooked by major recording companies. Onda Híbrida Ressonante was therefore originally released by the independent Reco-Head label. At the end of 2007, Cérebro Eletrônico were putting the final touches on their second album, Pareço Moderno. However, several tracks — namely the beautiful "Pareço Moderno," the electronic "Eh o Zizi," and the provocative "Bem Mais Bin Que Bush" — were released well in advance on the band's website. ~ Philip Jandovský, Rovi