If you've been keeping up with the batida sound at all—a raw, percussion-heavy club emanating from the Afro-Portuguese immigrant community living in housing projects outside of Lisbon, Portugal—then you know it's a big deal DJ Firmeza is finally getting his proper debut solo release. The Alma Do Meu Pai EP, which according to a press release is dedicated to the artist's recently deceased father (the title translates to "Soul Of My Father,") will be out October 16th on Princípe records, recently profiled by THUMP.Despite the unfortunate occasion for the record, there's nothing remotely somber about the title track, which suggests that Firmeza's father's spirit lives on, bright as ever. "Alma Do Meu Pai" clocks in at six minutes—about three times the length of the average batida tune—and combusts wildly from start to finish, rattling forward via manic percussion and rhythmic switch-ups and fitting a frankly stunning range of musical ideas into just one track. Check it out below, and be on the lookout for the full EP next month.
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