THISBE Recordings Welcomes Mandruvá with the Psychedelic D.R.A.M.A.
Mandruvá's D.R.A.M.A. arrives on THISBE Recordings with a deceptively simple proposition: take the ancient relationship between rhythm, ritual and altered perception and translate it into contemporary electronic music.
The result is considerably more subtle than that description might suggest.
Brazilian producer Murillo Faleiros has been developing the Mandruvá project for close to a decade, building a sound around deep percussion, global rhythmic influences, psychedelic atmospheres and acid-inflected grooves. His latest EP brings these elements together with a particular emphasis on space and repetition.
The two original tracks are not designed to reveal everything immediately. They develop patiently, allowing rhythmic structures to establish themselves before gradually introducing additional layers. This gives the music a strong sense of physical momentum without relying on obvious peak-time gestures.
There is something almost architectural about the production.
Percussion creates the foundations. Additional rhythmic elements add movement. Acid sounds appear at unexpected points, introducing a slightly destabilising quality. Atmospheric details occupy the spaces between the main components, creating depth without overwhelming the groove.
The music therefore works on several levels simultaneously.
At its most immediate, D.R.A.M.A. is dance music. The rhythms are deep, persistent and physical. But the longer the tracks unfold, the more apparent their exploratory side becomes. Their repetition creates a kind of perceptual feedback loop in which familiar patterns gradually begin to sound different.
The EP's conceptual reference to Dionysus is particularly appropriate in this regard. Ancient Greek drama developed from rituals associated with the god of theatre, celebration and ecstatic states. Mandruvá's interpretation does not attempt to recreate that world; instead, it asks what remains of the same impulse in the modern club.
The answer is rhythm.
The collective body.
The temporary escape from ordinary time.
This is perhaps why the EP feels more effective when considered as an experience rather than simply a collection of productions. Its strongest moments come from the way the tracks manipulate attention. Nothing is unnecessarily exaggerated. The music trusts the groove to do the work.
That confidence is one of its greatest strengths.
Mandruvá's history of releases on Belly Dance Services and PBP Records provides context for the EP, but D.R.A.M.A. feels particularly suited to THISBE Recordings. The label's willingness to explore the less obvious intersections between rhythm, electronic production and cultural reference creates a natural environment for the release.
The remixes add another layer to the story. Letvink, Poulper & Stylic and Pyrame each reinterpret the source material, bringing their own rhythmic and production perspectives to the project. Rather than functioning as simple alternatives, the remixes demonstrate how the original tracks can be stretched into different shapes.
This creates a satisfying sense of continuity throughout the release. The sound changes, but the central idea remains intact.
For Mandruvá, D.R.A.M.A. represents another step in an ongoing exploration of music as a physical and psychological experience. It is not interested in making ancient mythology fashionable, nor in presenting club music as some kind of modern equivalent of sacred ritual.
It simply recognises that the two have something fundamental in common.
Both begin with rhythm.
And sometimes, rhythm is enough to make an ordinary room feel like somewhere else.
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