Search - Ithaka :: Recorded in Rio

Recorded in Rio, the 4th full length album from hip-hop?s nomadic wanderer, Ithaka, is once again testimony to the artist?s "live it - write it - rap about it" philosophy. Although produced in Brazil, this album?s unique brand of rhyming stories takes place in Mexico, Portugal, South America and the U.S. and revolves around deadly hurricanes, heroin zombies, monster waves, chaotic public transportation, materialism, torturous manual labor, drunk driving, questionable government policies, absent fathers, petty crime, lifetime loves, "middle-class poverty", nostalgia and the graceful wonders of marine life. The audio part of the project actually began in Los Angeles during January 2003 where Ithaka spent four months pre-creating the album?s instrumentals (soundtracks for his lyrical short films) with Reason, a simple to use, entry-level production software. From there, he relocated to Studio Monoaural in Rio de Janeiro, spending another four months recording live instruments and vocals with up-and-coming Brazilian producing talent, Berna Ceppas (who along with Studio Monoaural partner, Kassim, earned a Latin Grammy in 2001 for their production of the Lenine song, "Sonhei"). With the help of an eclectic array of musicians and vocalists from Rio de Janeiro and beyond, Ithaka?s songs became sonically branded with a subtle yet distinct Brazilian flavor. Guest players included: rap stars Gabriel O Pensador and Bnegao(Planet Hemp), Thalma de Freitas(singer for Orchestra Imperial and costar of the famous Globo novelas, Colonial and Kubanacan), Liminha (bassist for Os Mutantes), Pepe Cisneros (Cuban transplant to Rio, mega-talented keyboardist and percussionist formerly of Hiphop Havana, now playing for Orchestra Imperial), flute and guitar player Felipe Pinaud (from Seu Jorge?s band), Cezar "Bodao" Farias (drummer for Lulu Santos and Fernanda Abreu), Alberto Continentino(bassist for Ed Motta), Negralha (DJ for O Rappa), Claudinho Andrade (keyboardist for Giberto Gil), and Portuguese-Angolan artist/spoken-word poet, M?loa. Post-production, final mixing and mastering of Recorded in Rio were handled in Los Angeles by Conley Abrams, who Ithaka collaborated with on his acclaimed 2001 release, Somewhere South of Somalia.