Wolfgang Pérez’s two-year journey through Rio de Janeiro finds its voice in his third solo album, Só Ouço. Released on July 18, 2025, on Hive Mind Records, the album is a vibrant postcard from a city that had a profound impact on the German-Spanish artist.
What began as a semester studying composition at UFRJ/UNIRIO quickly evolved into a complete immersion in Rio’s musical world. Pérez spent months simply absorbing the city’s unique rhythm—its sounds, its people, and its beautiful chaos. This wasn’t a formal study, but a complete surrender to the urban symphony, from quiet street corners to pulsating baile funk parties, guided by local masters.
The album itself was born from a series of happy accidents. After a show, engineer Angelo Wolf was so moved by Pérez’s work that he opened his studio to him. This generosity, combined with the talents of a local band of musicians, was the spark that ignited the project. Contributions from guitarist Carol Maia and a collective of brass and woodwind players assembled by Antonio Neves helped shape the final result.
The album’s sound is a remarkable study in contrasts, feeling at once raw and refined—a vibrant expression of Rio itself, where beauty and roughness are never far apart. Só Ouço is less a record and more a musical dialogue, where Pérez’s European roots converse with the complex, rich soul of Brazil.
Ultimately, this album serves as a powerful lesson in how travel and music can transform us. It’s a compelling reminder that the most profound art is often born not from formal study, but from the simple, transformative act of surrendering to a new place and its people.
Wolfgang Pérez recently performed alongside Pedro Fonte at Brighton’s Total Refreshment Centre, performing songs from their respective solo releases.