Ricardo Dias Gomes made with -11 a genuine ode to experimentation, without neglecting the art of composition and getting lost in a merely nihilistic attitude. He achieved the feat of sounding delicate and bold, popular and erudite; deep down, an album of this world – and especially outside it. Caetano Veloso invited him to his band Cê, at a time when the master also wondered about new directions for his art. In a scenario of discoveries and rediscoveries, the music of -11 brought not only a brutally honest approach to its author, but also a nearly mission to merge (and confuse) categories, references and perceptions.
Already this year, he publishes another brilliant album: Aa. It is too tempting to establish parallels between this record and the political actuality of Brazil, but actually, in one way or another, it seems to sound like a reaction to this historical chapter. Gomes’ music scavenges on earth and dives into the water in search of tenderness, tension, dream, fire and peace. You only sin by listening too fast, but that doesn’t mean you’ll finish quickly. In fact, Aa never seems to really finish. To call this act beautiful is not enough.
