Brazilian act Rakta were at the forefront of the post-punk revival several years back, and continue to be one of more captivating crews working in what has become a sort of genre-less field. Are they punk? Absolutely. But what punk means today is so much more than what it meant even 10 years ago. I saw them play at Iron Lung Records’ What We Like Fest in Seattle in 2017 where they stood out in stark contrast to a weekend of mostly hardcore and noisy crust acts – a mood inducing set comprised of otherworldly sounds, rhythmic chanting, fog machines, and deep red lighting. Even if their LP from earlier this year, Falha Comum, felt like a slight step back in progression, I have yet to pick up a Rakta record that isn’t pretty goddamn good. (Their III LP from 2018 is one of the best albums of this decade.) Even more intriguing are their collaborations with other acts. First, the 2015 release with fellow Brazilians Cadaver Em Transe, Rakta Em Transe, and now alongside another Brazilian experimental outfit, Deafkids. The latter who themselves are coming off a killer LP, Metaprogramação, are masters of experimental weirdness in their own right. Same as Rakta Em Transe, this isn’t a split EP, rather a true collaboration between the two groups, playing together as a single unit. It’s a unique approach that I’d like to see more bands take on shared releases. Imagine the possibilities… Anyway, not much to complain about here other than just the two songs being too few. I want… scratch that… need more of this metrical transcendent industrialized noise in my noggin. Up the punks.
