Beginning their European tour this weekend in support of their latest album Falha Comum, are Brazil’s Rakta—a band whose dark soundscapes conjures sonic nightmares that quickly spiral off from any familiar post-punk reference points into the a surreal abyss of terrifying dischordian harmonies.
We will not bother bing coy in stating that the band have a good measure of Xmal Deutschland’s early work permeating their records, but to claim their sound remains anchored to that of the long defunct German band would be extremely misleading, as Rakta exist on their own Anarchic terms; bizarre, experimental, and unsettling.
Watch the band’s spellbinding 2016 live session with KEXP to see exactly what we mean:
Releasing a couple of 7 inches since their last LP III, Rakta’s new full length Falha Comum is lush and layered and a whirlwind of occult imagery, almost conjuring its own 70s horror inspired rituals to accompanying songs such as “Estrela da manhã”, “Ruína” or “Miragem” that translate as “Morning Star”, “Ruin” and “Mirage”.
While the album title can translate as “Common Fault” or perhaps mistake, there are none found in this album—which bleeds with passion, as the band’s Sanskrit name would suggest.
Falha Comum is out now via LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOS in Europe, and Iron Lung Records in the USA.