Flow & Zeo is a Brazilian duo – and husband-and-wife partnership – who came to our attention recently via their brilliant LP, Spacekraft. Released via katermukke, it tells the story of a duo for whom making music is clearly their very reason for being. A wonderful listen from start to finish, we just couldn’t stop listening to it from the first listen. We were naturally, keen to hear the guys backstory, so we put a few questions to them over email recently. Here’s what wewnt down…
This album takes the listener on a real journey of sorts. Is producing an album different to producing an EP in that respect do you think?
We are having this experience – of producing an authorial album – for the first time. And has been a blast… we always had this aim. Living life during the pandemic, isolated, took us to a innervision and Spacekraft was conceived. Connected to nature in our garden where Studio “Árvore” was built we had an immersive connection with the cosmos…, looking to the sky, with our cats, lying on the grass, absorbing galactic energy, took us into a trip of a thematic album where music can take anyone to other dimensions. We realized that we could create our own journey through the solar system, honoring each planet with music.
It’s an immersive journey we’ve never done before. We explored a new way of producing music.
Did you have a general theme or vibe in mind when you were producing the album? Or was it more a case that you went into the studio and see what happened?
As we mentioned previously, sky observation brought us into this journey. The cosmos has so much to give and teach us ….. We absorbed a lot…. It’s infinite.
Our perception of the universe connected everything and we transformed this energy into music.
Which track came the most naturally? And which was the most challenging to produce?
The most natural was Terra, our mother earth “Gaya”. It was the last track produced of the album. We composed this track almost as a ritual, connected with our ancestrality. You can listen to the “Canto Sagrado da Mãe Terra” from a multiethnic Indian Tribe and we also used the sound of Schumann Resonance emanated from the earth in Space at 7.83hz. It sounds as an Ohm and flows through the track as a sub bass.
This mix of ideas during the creation process made us realise we should record a video clip for this track and this brought us into an historical indian tribe from Brazil, Tapaxós where we recorded the video clip.
The most challenging was Pluto, the ninth planet from the sun. The last track and also the art cover of the album. It was challenging…
Pluto, since 2006, is classified as a dwarf planet. It is so unique, beautiful and mysterious. From there beyond you will find much more than our solar system. The universe. We felt we needed to use a message of empowerment to represent such an amazing celestial body. When you listen to the track you can feel a different touch from the rest of the album.
At what stage did you know you were done and it was finished? Do you find it difficult to know when a record is finished?
To declare a creation finished is always hard. There are so many possibilities. When it becomes something that is special for you, a deep relationship begins and it’s very difficult to give it away hahahaha….
Aside from one another, who is the first person you gave it to for feedback? How important is there feedback to you? And what did they say about it?
Our mastering engineer – Vantonio. He was the first to have the whole album.
We met him because he mastered a track we released on D-edge records (Flow & Zeo – Substantial). We really appreciated his work and got in contact with him to master our album as well. Since then, we became really close and exchanged a lot. He became a friend and music partner. We are very grateful and happy with all the feedback we are getting from Spacekraft album.
The release is out on German label, Katermukke. How did it end up on there? Why is it a great place for you to releaser the album?
We had the feeling during the album creation that it could fit there. And it happened. It could not be better. We have a long relationship with Berlin and Bar 25, where we’ve played and also did our label showcase. Katerholzig, Kater Blau. We love the atmosphere. We have good friends in Germany. We also had a previous release on the label, a remix we did of the Track Space Junk from Uone & Western, Andreas Henneberg. Thanks to Dirty Doering and the Katermukke team for having us on board! It’s an honor for us!!
Even the artwork features an image of a faraway planet. Who chose the artwork?
All the design and concept was developed in collaboration with Bussola Agency from our friend Diego Mey who lives in Miami. As we mentioned, the planet of the artwork is Pluto, the end of this journey… but also the beginning of a much bigger exploration. Considering that, there are infinite possibilities to plan a new mission on the future. Why not!?
Do you think art and music are linked? Was the artwork and the aesthetics of the package very important to you in this way?
We let our senses talk through music. This is art. A subliminal communication. Art is the world’s salvation and it’s all linked.
Did this way of thinking influence your decision to release terra as a binaural track? Can you tell us a bit about that process also? Did you produce that track for 3D yourself? And what is it about 3d sound that you so love?
Binaural mixing is something new for us, but has been there for a long time, since the 50’s. Some of Pink Floyd’s music was mixed with this technique, among other artists. It’s so special…. The feeling you have when listening to it with headphones is indescribable. The sounds touch you and go in directions you never could imagine was possible.
Regarding Terra, at the first moment we produced it with “regular” mixing techniques, using Binaural Mixing only in one of the sounds of the track, as we also did in other tracks from the album. During a conversation with Vantonio (our mastering engineer) he showed us a release from Max Cooper that was Binaural recorded, It’s something out of this world. Respect!!
This encouraged us to make a version from Terra Binaural Recorded to be listened to with headphones, which is how you can get the full Binaural experience from it.
Its unique surrounding, everyone should try it.
What’s next for you guys following the album release?
We are giving the final touches on “The Sun” & “The Moon” , the protagonists of the solar system. Those tracks are going to be released on vinyl later this year.
Also other tracks from us that are not connected to the album will be out soon.
Besides that we have 2 new projects:
It’s our side project Influenced by 80’s and 90’s baggage mixed with nowadays textures, a combination of Breaks, Electro and Miami Bass.
Zeo: My first contact with DJing was in the “Baile Funk” of Rio de Janeiro. The music played was the old classic “funk carioca” which is a mixture of Miami Bass and the sound of the soul of Rio Favelas. MPC, Drums Machines, MC’s. Lyrics of love, against violence, and of also violence. A scream from Rio’s ghetto population.
Our passion for broken beats is an old thing. During quarantine we had the privilege to free our minds and travel into DFÜZE and make it happen. DFÜZE has been part of our studio creation for a long time and now it’s finally released on D-edge Records with 2 original mixes. Propeller & Burst and great remixes by Renato Ratier, Joyce Muniz and L_cio. Feeling grateful.
Oriented to downtempo and seeks through sound a relief for the soul. Smooth melodic aspects, deep immersion among details of acoustic elements and unique texture exploring sensorial frequencies.
The first release was out on the Portuguese label Flow Records.
