Biography
Alexandre Kassin, Moreno Veloso, and Domenico Lancelotti operate as a musical trio that consistently spotlights each member rather than presenting itself as a unified ensemble. Their debut release in 2001 therefore appeared under the name Moreno+2, with Moreno Veloso handling vocals. In 2003 the same musicians issued a follow-up credited as Domenico+2, placing Domenico in the foreground. By the time of their third album in 2006 they had adopted the moniker Kassin+2. Regardless of the rotating title, the three musicians from Rio de Janeiro are widely regarded as one of the most inventive and fashionable songwriting collectives within contemporary MPB. Their work repeatedly blends bossa nova and MPB with elements of modern pop and electronica, though the balance among those ingredients shifts from project to project. Moreno Veloso, the son of Brazilian music legend Caetano Veloso, tends toward a more organic and earnest approach, whereas Domenico favors ironic gestures and openly experimental textures; Kassin+2 occupies a midpoint between those two tendencies. The Moreno+2 album centered on Moreno’s acoustic guitar and his characteristically tender yet dramatic singing voice, setting traditional MPB against theremin, electronic percussion, and portable-video-game sound effects in combinations that proved unexpectedly compelling; David Byrne’s Luaka Bop issued the record. On Domenico+2 the emphasis moved away from acoustic tradition toward electronica and pronounced experimentalism, and the sessions included short contributions from Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Gilberto Gil, and Bebel Gilberto. In 2006 Kassin took the lead on the album Futurismo, which appeared in three distinct editions, the Japanese version being the most comprehensive. The three musicians also accompanied singer Adriana Calcanhotto on tour under the name Adriana Calcanhotto+3. Separately, Kassin has earned recognition as one of Brazil’s most esteemed producers, collaborating with many of the nation’s most celebrated artists.
Albums