ARTO LINDSAY

Arto Lindsay has made a lifelong habit of crossing both geographical and musical borders. Born in the United States and raised in Brazil during the heyday of that country’s pointedly eclectic Tropicália movement of the 1960s, the multi-faceted songwriter/producer/vocalist/guitarist has forged an international reputation as an artist whose work is as seductive as it is challenging. From his late ‘70s recordings of abrasive “no wave” through his acclaimed series of solo albums beginning in the late ‘90s, Lindsay has bonded rhythms and melodies from diverse cultures and genres in provocative new ways, crafting inimitable soundscapes whose impact can range from fragile pop pleasure to sheer sonic assault. Pop musician, audio provocateur, sought-after producer: regardless of the title, Arto Lindsay is an artist.

Salt

• Arto Lindsay
• RBR035D
• Indigo

Taking inspiration from Carnival, Brazil’s yearly celebration of the tawdry and sinful, Salt is both musical celebration and lyrical steam bath. From the opening “Habite em Mim” (translated “Inhabit Me”) to the closing title track (which contains the lines “She covers herself in honey/Stretches but won’t succumb”), this is a visceral, sexually charged piece of work.

Invoke

• Arto Lindsay
• RBR027-D
• Indigo

"Invoke" is Lindsay's second release on Righteous Babe Records, following his highly regarded 1999 album "Prize". Like that disc and his loose trilogy of albums on BarNone/Ryko earlier in the 1990s, the new one draws not only from the familiar bossa nova, samba, and tropicalia movements of the 1960s and 1970s, but from the equally exciting directions Brazil's constantly evolving, inherently hybrid culture has taken in more recent decades. With its hushed vocals, characteristically poetic yet playful lyrics (in both English and Portuguese), and sensuous production, "Invoke "is certain to thrill admirers of Lindsay's earlier work, and to fascinate listeners discovering the pleasures of his distinctive music for the very first time.