Bonde Do Role are the hottest new act to come out of Brazil. Whilst everyone is swooning over the girls in CSS, Bonde are more concerned with just bringing the party to your town.
Having been eyed up by super-producer/DJ Diplo and recently being signed up by Domino Records, Bonde are about to take the dancing to the mainstream. Abjekt recently caught up with Gorky from the band to talk about their roots, how they got signed and their new album.
So, let’s start at the beginning, the story goes that Gorky and Pedro sent Marina a CD but she only liked “the stupid stuff at the end”. Is this true?
Exactly! And that stupid stuff became Bonde Do Role [laughs]
Also, if she liked the “stupid stuff”, what was the rest of the CD like? Completely different to the stuff that you do now?
It was pretentious electro-rock… the kind of stuff you’d forget about after 2 months! If you wanna hear it, lemme know and I’ll send you some tracks!
How did your music come about as a trio? Were you fans of Baile Funk before you started making music and then decide you wanted to bring that into the stuff you were doing?
We were all fans of Baile Funk, but I was raised in Rio and always thought that rhythm was at the same time fascinating and really really stupid, so that’s why it came part of the band!
And for those of us who don’t speak Portugese, “Baile” means dance party is that right?
Yeah, more like a ‘ball’ – you know, like the ones you see in American movies, with all the teenage dramas.
Would you say it was a good word to describe your music then, considering how your shows are just basically wild parties on stage!
Well, it’d be a nice way to consider it!
Moving onto you getting signed… Apparently you’d only done a few shows before you got signed up, is this true?
Yes! We were more of a songs-thing than an actual live band – this is so true. We never ever even rehearsed for a show!
It must have been pretty nerve-wracking to get a record deal if you’d only done a few shows. Was it then that you started taking the music or shows more seriously? Or did nothing change once you’d signed?
No changes at all! We only had more responsibilities, like replying to interviews! [Lots of laughs!]
And how did the relationship with Diplo come about? He’s obviously a big fan of the Brazilian music scene, doing his Favela Strikes Back album and songs like Diplo Rhythm… did he come down and see you play? Or just hear your songs and decide he wanted to sign you?
He actually heard just one track (the one with the Alice In Chains sample), he heard our story that we were complete outsiders and just trying to make something different out of Baile Funk and signed us!
And how did the signing to Domino come about?
It was an exciting thing – on our 1st US tour, Laurence (Domino’s owner) came to see us play and he was thrilled about it, then more and more people from Domino went to see us and voila, we had a deal on paper!
With your lyrics being in Portugese, do you feel that you need a good vibe at your shows to get the crowd going in the UK as they might not know the words or understand what’s being said?
People get the good vibes from the shows, even not knowing what we’re singing about. and we always have fun during every gig, ‘cos something funny always happens when we’re playing.
Your new single which is out on Domino, is called Office Boy. Is it about how boring it is to work in an office? That’s something that happens the all across the world? Give us a few details on the new single so we can understand the video which ends in someone writhing around in his pants!
Actually no. Office boy is like teenagers’ first work placement – it’s like a courier-does-it-all thing like going to the bank, doing coffee, getting papers from one side to the other. And the funny thing about it is that they all have this dressing code, heavy metal t-shirt, long hair, worn out jeans and they kinda all looks the same. And yes, Pedro’s been an office boy in the past!
What other subjects do you touch on in the album?
A lot of things – from cheesy-camp love on Quero Te Amar to sex and more and more sex and partying… and sex!
I saw you play with Diplo at the Old Blue Last pub last year, which was an absolutely awesome show. The venue was small and really tightly packed and everyone seemed to dig your set – Do you like playing nice small venues so you can interact with the crowd more like when Marina crowd surfed and got dropped on her head!
[Lots of laughing again!] Small shows are always the best ones! Although we did some shows at big places and it was good as well, but nothing beats the small places!
You used to sample stuff on your songs, like The Darkness and Faith No More… is that something you enjoy doing still or do you prefer to work on your own stuff?
We do sample things nowadays, but more for the fun of it, ‘cos you know, to clear samples are really expensive…
Radioclit recently remixed Gasolina, what did you think of that remix? Is it fun to hear other people mix your songs up and put their own spin on it? Is remixing something you guys like to do also?
Definitely! and also because the Radioclit guys are friends of ours! And yes, we love to remix people as well, some of the stuff we’re doing is gonna be out soon, but we do have some remixes out, like the CSS one and the great legend Tony Allen.
Finally, what words of wisdom do you have for everyone? How should we deal with the inevitable Bonde Do Role world domination?
Don’t fight it, just accept us in your heart and on your feet!
Bonde Do Role’s new single Office Boy is out on May 21st on Domino Records and is taken from their upcoming debut …With Lasers, out later this year. If you want to hear more Bonde, hit their myspace up at www.myspace.com/bondedorole