Rita Braga is a Porto-based, Portuguese singer and multi-instrumentalist who has just released her new album, Illegal Planet, via Comets Coming, an imprint of Lisbon label Groovie Records. Rita is a prolific artist who has released a string of cult records, most recently 2020’s Time Warp Blues. She has performed hundreds of shows in the last fifteen years across Europe, Brazil, Japan, the US and Australia and is a lynchpin of Portugal’s ever-burgeoning music and arts scene.
For Illegal Planet, Rita continues to traverse realms of sci-fi pop and synth-folk dream worlds while grappling with the dystopic mundanities of modern life. Her modern tales of transcendence and woe are filtered through a kosmiche haze of synths, old-time drum machines and all manner of musical instruments from around the world. Rita’s vocal is inspired by her love of early jazz and Hollywood actresses of yesteryear, and this brings a nostalgic tinge to the gorgeous suite of mini-narratives.
Braga’s Flores Indigestas has the vibrancy of tropicalia and the noirish shades of off-kilter pop. The effect is playfully engaging and demonstrates Braga’s beautifully progressive musical vision.
The accompanying vibrant video, directed by Noel Lawrence with cinematography by Marija Reikalas, reflects the eccentricities of Braga’s music, continually mutating and shapeshifting, making it so beautifully original.
The songs for Illegal Planet were composed by Rita and produced by her and Rodrigo Cardoso at Sonoscopia Studios in Porto. The album features a range of guests with enviable CVs, such as Nik Phelps (Tom Waits / Frank Zappa), Phil MFU (Vanishing Twin) and leading figures of Porto’s experimental music scene, such as Gustavo Costa and Luís Bittencourt. Illegal Planet was mastered by Tó Pinheiro da Silva.
Forthcoming UK Dates
17.11 Iklectik (org. Club Integral) – London, UK
18.11. Roots & Grooves – Colchester, UK
19.11 Spangled presents at The Old Toll Bar – Glasgow, UK
Website: https://superbraguita.com/