Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the mysterious steel pan outfit hailing from Hamburg, Germany
have amassed a cult following around the globe. With a slew of classic 7”s and three critically
acclaimed full length albums, they set a high bar for themselves, one they clearly intend on
pushing even higher with this new offering. On their fourth album BRSB, Bacao are back with
more of the same, but more of the same with them is inherently different. Covering songs that
span genres and range from mega hits to underground album cuts, they make them their own
with their unique approach to the traditional steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago.

While part of the allure of a new Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band album is finding out what covers
they do it is equally intriguing to see what original tunes they cooked upland this record is foul of
stand out originals. The album opener, “In The Crosshairs” is a rough and tough mid tempo
head nodder while both “Grilled” & “Treasure Quest” pick up the tempo with heavy African Funk
influences on both. Bacao goes deep with “Hazy Memories”, a bass heavy slow burner that
walks a line between hypnotic and hype. All these originals stand as testament that the term
“cover band” is a shoe that could never fit Bacao. However, in the tradition of steel pan music,
they do a heavy amount of covers. This time around there is a big West Coast Hip Hop
influence with covers of Game & 50 Cent’s “How We Do”, Dr Dre & Snoop Dogg’s “Nuthin But A
G Thang”, and Tupac’s “Got My Mind Made Up” all of which take on new energy and lend
themselves to the BRSB steel treatment. Bacao puts another certified dancefloor filler on their
resume with their cover of Claudja Barry’s uber Disco classic “Love For The Sake Of Love”
which they flip into a dubbed out affair aptly changing even the title to “Love For The Sake Of
Dub”. Pulling from the contemporary smash hit section of Hop Hop they cover Drake’s “Hotline
Bling” and “Love$ick” by Mura Masa & A$AP Rocky. Then they go very unexpected with
“Stranger Things Theme” where they take the synth heavy theme song to the hit show and give
it a more hypnotizing tone than the original.

By the time BRSB is through, Bacao has taken the listener on a journey spanning a myriad of
energies, tempos, and moods while keeping it all under one umbrella. For all that, these songs
are alive, and they will be taken out of the context of this album and sewn into the fabric of DJ
sets around the globe for many years to come. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band continues building
their legacy and pushing the boundaries of steel pan music forward with another rock solid
musical offering. Enjoy.