gazpa: dub'n'bass ep
Francisco Espregueira
Miguel Tenreiro, going by the artistic name Gazpa, is a rising producer and DJ based in Porto, making waves with a string of quality releases over the past three years. He debuts on O Sótão Records with a four-track experimental record titled Dub’n’Bass, which sees him delving into a crossover between Dub, Drum & Bass, Techno, and Ambient music. Due to drop tomorrow, Dub’n’Bass follows his debut solo work No More House (Jazzego, 2023) and I (Jazzego, 2021), the first GAZTWEEN EP, a collaboration project with Arctween (aka Tito Romão).
I started crossing paths with Miguel a year ago, becoming a fan of the Synth Jam nights he hosts together with Tito at the iconic Mr. Bean’s bar in Porto. Much like other characters who wander around, in and out of the bar, it’s always a revelation to come across someone with so much musicality - the kind that bursts out of oneself. This helpless and beautiful instinct that comes to the surface naturally. A way of expressing himself through a sound, a chord, an instrument. But I knew Miguel from before, long ago actually, when we were classmates in elementary school. So in a way, that person I met made all sense, although we lost touch for so long. It just took some time for me to realise it. He was always up to something. He is always up to something.
I approached him not long after that to check if he had any tracks he’d like to release on O Sótão Records. The label was kicking off (well… it still kinda is), and having a musician of such talent, still relatively unknown to the public, was the goal all along. I knew the time would come. And it did a few weeks back, with four beautifully arranged tracks that create space and momentum, reflection and energy, balancing in that limbo of light and darkness. Dub’n’Bass – it makes sense.
This record is made of tracks that were buried in Miguel’s archives of unfinished projects, marking a sonic departure from his latest project No More House (2023). The hypnotic "Roll" and “Tuba” dive deep into Dub & Electronica territory, layering a mesmerising ambient ethos that is present in the rest of the project. Flipping the record, "Trackpad" injects a dose of peaceful Drum & Bass energy, a testament to Gazpa’s exquisite sound design. Just a special note for the last track "Block," which was recorded and produced with Ricardo Martins "Liquid Bass" in Murtosa, at Miguel Almeida "Azak Okena"'s house. A collaborative effort that infuses a Drum & Bass progression with a dose of mystical feelings.
Inspired by a wide range of influences, Gazpa is once again able to create a stimulating sound aesthetic that captivates our imagination – something evident in his musical projects and in the residency he shares with Arctween at Mr. Bean’s bar. Dub’n’Bass reaffirms his vision: never confined to a musical genre, fueled by eclecticism and a candid openness to experimentation. Available on Bandcamp..