Listening to this record conjures an ancient Japanese habit: leaving the house to wander without a destination. In this cooperative work, each piece is a “trigger” of exuberance and boldness. Sometimes ethereal, others existential, depending on which corners you turn.

Henrique Amaro (Portugália – Antena3)

The origins of this record may be traced back to 1992. Attempting his very first guitar riffs at a birthday party, a young Jorge Loura is approached by a young Hugo Branco, who abruptly asks him if he can play Metallica. Jorge stares at the void. Hugo turns his back and leaves the room. Back to 2021, an older Jorge Loura is approached by an older Hugo Branco, who abruptly invites him to co-curate a compilation of unlikely collaborations between music projects from Aveiro. Both stare at the void and neither leaves the room. Ever.

Commissioned to VIC NIC by the Aveiro Municipality via Teatro Aveirense within the context of Drawing its name from Vasco Branco’s 1968 short film, Rajada is a subjective sonic portrayal of the current music scene in Aveiro —the coastal and windy Portuguese town chosen by VIC NIC as its main base of operations. Beyond a mere collection of songs, the collaborative angle of the project encouraged the invited artists to step outside their comfort zones and to adopt co-creation as a genre and boundary transcending tool.

The commitment and hard work of all the artists, thinkers and technicians involved in this experiment resulted in a rich sonic archive that manages to cut through genres such as rock, folk, electronica, jazz and experimental, ultimately bringing together 25 talented musicians and illustrating the fresh diversity of Aveiro’s contemporary music scene.