Deserto

Shapeshifting Andrea Visani changed the face of Italian hip hop with his group Sangue Misto in the 90s, but his project Oké sees him collaborating with two fellow Bologna natives to explore the sounds and traditions of North Africa (with which he’s had a longstanding musical relationship) through the prism of cosmic jazz, funk, and electronics. The trio, with contributions from several other musicians from the local jazz scene, weave understated but richly layered compositions: the jazz-funk “Tarantula” has some strong library music vibes to it, while “The Secret Baile Of The Maharajas,” with its slowed down, spaced out Brazilian baile funk rhythms and cosmic India atmospheres feels like the soundtrack to a work of magical realism, and “Sons of Cabilia” is a transportive piece of Afrohouse. Even at its most energetic, Deserto has a pretty laid back feel to it, but remix album Oasi (Deserto Remixed) offers more dance floor ready interpretations, with Shigeto, DJ Dez, and Sterling Toles contributing some Detroit flavors, and Italian Populous, Godblesscomputers, DJ Rocca, and Silvano Del Gado putting their own spin on various tracks, such as the funky grooves of “Sons of Cabilia” by King Dumitru (one of Visani’s many aliases) or the tribal beats of Del Gado’s “Ochosi Ayilodà.”