Negra Branca - N.B. (2014)

Exclusive, upfront edition of this excellent debut album of electronic psych-pop from Gnod's Marlene Ribeiro aka Negra Branca on their own Tesla Tapes label, housed in re-purposed sleeves with wrap-around artwork. Mastered by Stephen Bishop. Edition of 300** Negra Branca's eponymous solo debut of swirling dub pop for her Gnod bandmates' Tesla Tapes was originally released on cassette last year and was one of the finest to emerge from Manchester in 2013. Perhaps due to its format and limited release it sorta disappeared from view without a great deal of attention - something that this remastered and expanded vinyl edition (released in conjunction with Michael Holland's ONO imprint) might rectify. The sound of Negra Branca is fragile and layered, a more heady and dubbed-out take on the sort of vocal-led, eyes-down pop variants that everyone from Hype WIlliams to FKA Twigs have given life to these last couple of years. LP opener 'Duro' (here in an extended version) bounces in weightless headspace beside the gorgeous 'Beira Beira' - one of our favourite tracks of last year - now supplemented with three new pieces taking her sound into more ethereal, heady pop zones. The strumming strings and echo chamber EFX of 'Importa' provide a dreamier counterpoint on the A-side, whilst two B-side cuts render her sound at its most expansive and layered. The 10 minute 'Those 27' meshes glittering chimes with a choral collage of samples and her own treated vocals rubbed with dubby bass, while 'Farca Do Iberno' projects into surreal, narcotic chamber dub perfused with uncanny vocal processing and ricocheting drums. Produced in Ibiza and Salford, N B is an intriguing, hugely promising debut - highly recommended if you're into Yong Yong, LA Vampires, Hype Williams, FKA Twigs, Paco Sala.