Rakta, from Brazil, often get lumped into the “dark post-punk” trend, but what they do is much less generic and by-the-numbers than most of that lot. There is churning bass and there is heavy reverb on the mic, for sure, but instead of sounding anxiously aggressive, Rakta are more a vague and unsettling threat. Their sound is expansive, noisy, almost ferociously psychedelic in places (how many current post-punk bands do you know using a theremin?), a lot like their Barcelonan hardcore brethren in Destino Final. If you put your hand up against a spiderweb, you risk tearing it apart. So it is with Rakta’s decentralized force; remove any of the instrumentation (including the vocals) and it falls apart, but each element comes together to make a marvel. (They are also an exceedingly compelling live band.) Guitarist Laura Del Vecchio also does the fantastic Dê o Fora fanzine, worth your perusal if you can find a copy.
From a forthcoming 7-inch on Dama Da Noite Discos/Nada Nada Discos, you can stream “INTENÇÃO” below.
