JAMES MATTHEW SEVEN FEAT. FABIO SANTANNA

The highly anticipated second release from the new Rio de Janeiro label, Beijinho do Brasil, comes from LA-based producer and multi-instrumentalist James Matthew Seven, featuring guest vocals on the A-side by Rio's Fabio Santanna. Recorded in a small studio on the beach in Oaxaca, Mexico, "Feels Good, Do It" sounds like a lost recording from Marcos Valle's time in LA with Leon Ware. Funky and soulful with warm Fender Rhodes and a horn section reminiscent of Banda Black Rio, the tune is a breezy, sun-drenched mid-tempo ode to embracing life's pleasures. Fabio has a long-established reputation in Brazil as a torchbearer of modern funk and boogie, continuing in the lineage of artists like Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti. His vocals here showcase his more laid-back, soulful side, the perfect complement to Matty's warm, seductive arrangement.
About the flip side, "Ilha Racional" (a nod to Tim Maia's Racional era): I had this dream where I was in a dive bar discotheque somewhere in the Caribbean. A thick cloud of smoke hung in the air as the selector dropped this bass-heavy bop that had the whole crowd vibing. Then, out of nowhere, in walked Tim Maia with a bag of mushrooms. He proceeded to grab the mic and preach about this alien world of rational energy. Shit was bugged out. When I woke up, James Matthew Seven had sent me this track to check out.