DJ Marfox is the undisputed pioneer of a particular style of music emanating from Lisbon. Often called the “ghetto sound of Lisbon”, the music is popular in the city’s poorer estates, combining sounds from Portuguese speaking countries in Africa such as Angola and Cape Verde with Western bass music.
DJ Marfox has so much credit for the genre that subsequent DJs have taken the -fox suffix as a mark of respect. There were other names in the short history of the sound – but there’s no denying the importance of Marfox.
“Tarraxo Everyday” is very catchy by the sometimes chaotic conventions of the genre. Often, batida songs have extremely busy polyrhythms, with no obvious melodic hook.
The drums here still have a definite clatter, but resolve into a pleasant bounce with a sunny tropical vibe.
The main melody is a dreamy synth arpeggio, twinkling with ethereal serenity. The sense of the space created by the juxtaposition of this treble laden, darting sound and the laidback bassline works fantastically.
The track was released in 2016 on the Chapa Quente E.P., on the Principe label. The Principe label has been the driving force for the recognition of the genre outside of its Lisbon heartlands.