Parva Naturalia is an assortment of rarities from Portuguese trio Niagara, following their recent appearance on the Soul Jazz compilation Two Synths, a Guitar (And) a Drum Machine.
The compilation trawls through ten years of out-of-print vinyl and unreleased CD-Rs. With an emphasis on electronics and improvisation, it jumps from upfront bass and drum-heavy nightclub electro on the opening track to strange sonic experiments with amplified water jugs and the crisp minimal acid of a 90s warehouse rave.
Experimental without being aloof, it feels very much like the music of a city at night; frenetic and skittish with a bit of dirt under the fingernails. ‘Jordão’ would be at home on a Zé records Mutant Disco release or a Kompakt sampler.
Glitchy, jittery atonality sits beside percussive tropical-ambient with an air of sticky sleaze throughout. It’s music that’s part-nightclub and part-gallery, nodding heads and expanding minds at the same time.
