Based in Brazil, Retrato is made up of duo, Ana Zumpano and Beau Gomez, who stand as rising torchbearers for the current psychedelic soundscapes south of the equator. Released December 2023, their debut album “O Enigma de um dia” is an explosive spark among the Brazilian underground scene, like dousing a campfire with gasoline it’s a quick jump start to new heights.
Finding yourself situated in a picturesque small town outside the bustling cities of Brazil, you’re eager to let your hair down and finally give your toes some rest after hours of traveling through the lush landscape. The grooves of Afrobeat are still pumping through your head, flashbacks of the Rio de Janerio raves/dance scene playback behind your eyelids, but something pulls your attention before you let yourself doze off.
A blinking neon sign that reads “loja de vinil” (“Vinyl Shop” in Portuguese) seems oddly out of place for this outskirted town yet you can’t shake the serendipitous feeling like you’re in the right place at the right time. Hmmm might as well explore this real quick, right? You walk into the shop as the floorboards creak underneath your feet, there’s no one else in the space, only cluttered records strewn about with tattered Os Mutantes promo posters still clinging to the walls. “Hmm seems like whoever runs this shop is into garage rock and tropicalia.”
Dusting some cobwebs off stacks of vinyl, the clicking sound and the spin of tape reels almost makes you jump out of your skin. Is this the beginning of some indie thriller? Nah, even better you spy the culprit, it’s a shiny cassette deck spitting out sound waves from its built-in speakers. A cassette case is spread open next to the player, calling out for you to inspect it. Nostalgic sounds start to enter your ears, reminiscent of early Brazilian tropicalia yet with a modern spin, it’s like a sonic portrait of the current state of South American psychedelia, it’s Retrato.
Mixed by Le Almeida (Oruã, ex-Built to Spill), their latest project has a polished sound that sparkles similar to other local psych heads like Boogarins or The Holydrug Couple while diving into new realms of transcendent audio. Standout tracks like “Duas vidas” and “O sol” will have you daydreaming for a better future today, with ethereal melodies and space-age synth tones looming about like a lucid lullaby. Currently working alongside Built to Spill bassist Melanie Radford to share their music from The East to The West, the group plans to embark on a U.S. and EU tour within the coming year, so start diving into their discography and submerge yourself in the wavey depiction that is Retrato. @retrato_____
We had the opportunity to catch up with the group to chat about the journey behind their latest project.
Q: How did Retrato come together?
A: We (Ana Zumpano and Beeau Gomez) started playing together as a trio about two and a half years ago, writing songs and producing music. After our friend Joaquim, who played bass in the beginning, stopped playing with us because he didn’t have time anymore, we continued on our own. This allowed us to perform as a duo or with a full band, depending on the concert, without needing to disband if someone couldn’t continue.
We came up with the name Retrato (which in Portuguese has multiple meanings, such as ‘portrait’ or ‘depict’) and began recording these songs into a demo for our first album. When we needed additional musicians for live shows, we invited our good friends Victor José and Elisa Moos, who have a band called Antiprisma, to join us (we also play bass and drums for Antiprisma). Victor took on the bass role in Retrato, and Elisa played the other guitar. As we started rehearsing with this lineup, John Di Lallo, a researcher of analog synthesizers, joined us to add the spacey-noise elements we needed. With this formation, we’ve been playing and recording for over a year now. We have all been playing for more than 15 years in various projects and bands, so finding people now interested in making psychedelic music in Brazil, with such passion and dedication, is incredibly rewarding. We always talk about how all these years have been a preparation for being in this band, playing together. And now, we finally have it!
Q: What’s the local music community like in your hometown? Any favorite local venues or bands to play with?
A: Everything has changed after the pandemic. We are now experiencing a time where many old venues have closed, but new ones are emerging, often run by people who used to organize events and shows in the past. New bands are also appearing, with young people bringing fresh energy to the scene. However, the veterans of the scene are a bit weary of the current format.
Even though we live in the largest city in South America, we have only a handful of venues to count on. It’s very challenging to have a band here; only a small number of people are interested, while others consider ticket prices that are equivalent to the cost of a beer as "too expensive." As a result, we often end up "paying to play" in some places, covering expenses for food and transportation, and ending up with a negative balance is disheartening. This situation causes many to give up.
Despite these challenges, the influx of young energy is incredibly inspiring. We also have amazing bands that have been active for several years, such as Oruã and Firefriend, with whom we’ve played memorable concerts. Seeing what we are doing as part of a unique moment brings everyone together and adds significance to our efforts.
Here are some bands to check out: Oruã, Antiprisma, Firefriend, Giant Love, and Echo Upstairs. Some labels producing great work include Transfusão Noise Records and Seloki Records. If you’re in São Paulo and want to catch a good underground show, check out these venues: fffront, A Porta Maldita, Porta, Garagem Beleza, Picles, and 74club.
Q: How did you all go about recording your latest project?
A: We started by producing these songs as a duo, so the sound we were aiming for was already defined with our equipment in our bedroom, which we affectionately call "Estúdio Memória." Once we had these 8 songs prepared, we began recording all the instruments in separate sessions, starting with the drums.
It was essentially a hybrid process: we used microphones and recorded through a 4-track cassette recorder, then transferred the recordings, which were processed with effects, compression, saturation, and EQ, to the computer. We then re-mixed them on the computer.
We recorded with our current lineup (Beeau, Ana, Elisa, Victor, and John). Each member played their respective instruments, and some friends contributed to the album as well. Bigu Medine, Lê Almeida, and João Casaes played on track 5, an instrumental interlude that captures our community spirit, always creating and collaborating together. Lê also mixed the album and chose the track order, while João handled the mastering. They have a band called Oruã, which you should check out. Their contributions were significant, and we value their collaborations as good friends whom we miss when they are touring.
As visual artists, we tied the album concept to the name "O Enigma de um Dia", which is the same as a painting by Giorgio de Chirico that we have at the Museum of Contemporary Art in São Paulo. The cover art was created by us (Ana and Beeau) using dried flowers scanned to create glitches. The album was conceived to exist in a physical format, initially envisioned as a vinyl, which we are currently seeking labels to release, and also on cassette tape, which is now available through Gezellig Records.
Q: You’re all releasing your new album on cassette later this year. How do you feel about releasing music on streaming services vs physical media like cassettes?
A: Honestly, it’s a bit frustrating. While streaming services are great for making our music accessible to people all over the world and potentially gaining new fans, there are significant downsides to this kind of media. The business model for streaming isn’t favorable to artists. Bands are constantly pleading for pre-saves and doing all sorts of gimmicks for a handful of likes and plays, which pay mere cents. Even when we listen to music on streaming platforms, it’s hard to discover genuinely good new bands. Often, we find copies of the same aesthetic sound, and some of the music on these platforms isn’t even real.
In contrast, music made for physical formats feels more authentic and impactful. Seeing a band play live shows, rehearse, record, and put in the work—that’s real music. People hear about new good bands from others, become curious, attend shows, and if they’re moved, they buy a shirt, cassette, or vinyl. It’s more than just streaming a song and having an algorithm play the next one instantly. With physical media, you get to truly absorb the music.
Some people prefer going to shows, buying something tangible that they can keep forever, and experiencing the sound in a way that’s akin to watching a movie. You put on a vinyl or cassette and listen to the whole album as a complete experience.
For us, physical media is the best way. We can create a piece of art that extends our musical work. The listener sees the full artwork, all the people who contributed are credited, and the listener pays an amount that supports the band, allowing us to keep creating. We are fortunate to have Gezellig Records doing a fantastic job releasing "O Enigma de um Dia" on tape, adding another layer to the scene where someone is working with the music, making it possible for the band to continue making music for listeners.
Q: Any plans for the rest of the year?
A: We are focusing on promoting the album and the cassette release by playing in every city where we can get a show. By the end of the year, we hope to have more music videos for songs from the album as well. We're also finalizing our new album, which we plan to release next year, and we're planning a tour in the US and EU. If we can make that happen this year, it would be great. Our main focus remains the same: trying to introduce Retrato to new audiences. If you like the band, please share it with your friends; hopefully, we’ll be playing in your city soon.
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