Hailing from Brazil, producer VHOOR has garnered some attention and following in his home country for his unique take on baile funk, a sound originated in the favelas Rio de Janeiro that combines Miami booty bass and gangsta rap. While his production style grew up in Rio, VHOOR’s latest album, Ritmo, finds him exploring the northeastern Brazilian rhythms of Samba de Coco.
Founded in northeastern Brazil’s quilombo communities, areas founded by escaped slaves, Samba de Coco is a sound steeped in Afro-Brazilian cultural history and meaning. Rooted in an unorthodox shuffling beat, Samba de Coco usually plays backdrop to traditional dance that’s also a potent symbol of Afro-Brazilian tradition and resistance.
Not well known outside of the region in which it was founded, VHOOR brings Samba de Coco into the limelight with Ritmo, updating the sound for a new generation. The resulting 11 tracks are breezy, bass-heavy beats with a twist. VHOOR’s style here is reminiscent of Kaytranada, albeit a Brazilian version; future funk laced with Afro House, 808 drums and lots of reverb, accompanied by unique sounds from the Samba de Coco tradition – chants, flute samples and that infectious, shuffling beat that defines the sound.
