Cuica: City to City

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * * )

Cuica — pronounced Kweek-ah — are Italian Simone Serritella and Londoner Pete Herbert (and guests) who here take the Cuban/Brazilian connection to clubland through trampolining bass, rhythmic piano and busy Latin percussion. It is faux-Latin but not bad for that and has subtle house touches throughout to keep it grounded for clubbers: Trommel Monster is a night flight through Rio; Double Blues is a sultry evening in a benign jungle clearing under strobes; and Slipping Away at the end is an appropriately gentle closer. Niceness in the area.

Producers and DJs are desperately looking for the new and exotic to ensure their point of difference, but Cuica seem happy to play within their means, pepper their beats with enticing sounds and memorable cross-rhythms, and generally make cocktail hour music for the discerning cultural tourist. Smart.

Label: Ubiquity/Flavour