Fabiano do Nascimento: Cavejaz

"Fabiano do Nascimento plays guitar with laser-guided precision, landing clusters of arpeggios and fretboard-spanning chord changes with pinpoint accuracy. He spent years as a Los Angeles session musician before starting his solo career in 2015, using his virtuosic knowledge of the afro-samba and choro traditions as a launchpad into uncharted stylistic territory."

"That understanding of space makes Cavejaz one of his most inviting and inventive works. Everything feels cavernous, from the massive Panda Bear-esque bass hits in "Auguas Serenas" to the synthesizer pads that loom over his jittery finger picking in "Berimba-Guitar." There's a healthy amount of reverb coating these songs, but rather than wash it all into a colorful blur, it sharpens each element, adding a slight sparkle. Overtones blossom at the edge of the stereo field; echoing tails overlap, forming wispy clouds of harmonics."

"do Nascimento recorded Cavejaz in three distinct sessions. The first took place at a studio in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with producer Leo Marques and percussionist Paulo Santos, a founding member of Brazilian experimentalists Uakti, famous for building their own instruments from materials like PVC pipe and metal. The rest of the album was recorded in Japan, excerpting a live performance with tabla maestro U-zhaan in Tokyo and adding tunes from a solo session in the coastal town of Oiso."

Fabiano do Nascimento plays with laser-guided precision, executing clusters of arpeggios and fretboard-spanning chord changes with pinpoint accuracy. He favors close-mic'd recordings that highlight agility and render dizzying proficiency natural. Years as a Los Angeles session musician preceded a 2015 solo career rooted in afro-samba and choro, which he uses to explore new stylistic territory. He spaces notes deliberately, keeping plucks and strums crisp and legible. Cavejaz uses cavernous production: massive Panda Bear-esque bass hits, looming synthesizer pads, and generous reverb that sharpens rather than blurs. Recordings occurred in Belo Horizonte and Japan with collaborators Paulo Santos, Leo Marques, and U-zhaan.

Read at Pitchfork