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Name: Nu Azeite
Members: Bernardo Campos, Fábio Santanna
Occupation: Producers, DJs
Nationality: Brazilian
Recent release: Nu Azeite's Vem Pro Mar is out via Cocada.
Recommendations: Sandra de Sá - Trem da Central, one of the best albums ever made; Torto Arado - A great book

If you enjoyed this interview with Nu Azeite and would like to find out more about the duo, visit them on Instagram.



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

We had different backgrounds but one thing in common: We loved Brazilian music and electronic music. There are so many influences we have in those two worlds, the list would be gigantic!

We started making music together in 2019 but had been making music for many many years with our solo projects.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you’re listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

That's a great question. Since we are from Rio de Janeiro I think our music tends to be very breezy, soulful, and happy, like taking a walk on the beach!

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

We are taking it slowly and organically even though we accomplished quite a bit with our first album. We already have gigs in Rock in Rio and Rock The Mountain, two major festivals in Brazil and our music has been in the cases of some great artists that are helping us spread the word.

Our second album is out now and we are really excited to show the world these 10 unreleased jams.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

We are Cariocas, and we love to be just that, all the happiness and sadness that come with it. We accept it and try to look at the brighter side of things.

That being said, the music we make comes with that state of mind.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

For us it has to be real, it has to come from inside or from situations we experienced as human beings in this crazy and beautiful world we live in.

Music is the translation of life!

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

Another great question, we feel it's a little bit of both. We love old music just as much as new music and they both influence us.

We have a great influence from Brazilian music from the 70s and 80s and also from some of the most modern electronic music being made today.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

Similar to the last question, old techniques and new techniques of making music, recording everything or using digital instruments or samples. There are no boundaries for us in that sense.

The only common point of it all is that we use Ableton for all those things.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

Coffee and then studio, that's pretty much a normal day for us. On the weekends we go play music in some clubs, bars and parties and have fun going to the beach, hiking or staying with our friends and family if we have time.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance or album that’s particularly dear to you, please?

As we said before, there are many different techniques.

Maybe we start with drums or a piano idea, or we have a vocal we wrote and feel it's going to be great to work on. The lyrics are super important for us, so music has to have vocals in it, that's something we treasure a lot.

Playing live is usually Bernardo on the decks and Fabio on the keys and singing. We usually only play our own music and sometimes we have guests on the stage, last show we had Leticia Salgueiro playing percussion, and she was amazing.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

We do it both ways. We can start something together, or we can make something in each own studio, and then we finish it together, that's really cool to be able to do it both ways and make it work.

Finally, we always have a friend come and mix and master the tracks, it's a great way to have a third opinion on the music.

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

Since our music tends to be happy we feel it could help ease the pain of living in this crazy world. We talk a lot about love and feel that this is the best way to deal with negativity, hopefully, we can spread love with the music!

Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

Probably in all of them. Music and art, in general, it's like you could bottle an emotion and save it forever. Like we said before, music is the translation of life.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?

Technology has always been a good friend of music, but this could never be as big as human emotions.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn’t or wouldn’t in more “mundane” tasks?

Hmmm, we love a great cup of coffee and feel that is a work of art!

But in all seriousness, we think when you make music you get away from society's boundaries, and that's something so powerful and beautiful. You could talk about a lost one, or a romantic relationship or it could be political. It's a great therapy for anyone.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

It's because it's human-made and we connect to music in different ways.

We feel that music is something we have been experiencing since the first day we were born and in the many different moments of our life, that's why when you are playing a certain note you feel that connection, even if that is hidden in your subconscious!