- As pretty much the only label documenting Lisbon's increasingly important batida and post-kuduro scene, Príncipe's release schedule is the easiest way to stay updated with its development. DJ Lycox isn't exactly a newcomer—you may have seen him DJ at various Príncipe parties internationally over the past couple of years—but Sonhos & Pesadelos is his solo debut. While it's full of enthusiasm for the dance floor—its ten tracks are rhythm compositions of some sort—the range is broader than you might expect.
Anyone looking for the syncopated rhythms, lazer synths and militant attitude of kuduro should go straight to "La Java." (Surely it's no coincidence that there's a Paris nightclub of the same name.) "Nichako," the other standout, underlines Lycox's similarities with gqom, the South African style of house. There's an almost Balearic swing to "Domingo Abençoado," while "Sky"'s 4/4 and melody of strings could be disco house, until a jumble of extra percussion tumbles in. Angolan genres like kizomba and tarraxinha no doubt inform Lycox's approach. His ear for odd melodies suits his bright palette, which maintains pop intrigue while remaining unconventional, intriguing and occasionally confusing.
TracklistA1 Weekend
A2 Galinha
A3 Domingo Abençoado
A4 Virgin Island
A5 Nichako
B1 La Java
B2 Parabens Mo Baba
B3 Quarteto Fantástico feat. PuTo NeLo, Puto WilsoN & MIX-BwÉ
B4 Sky
B5 Solteiro