BODIKHUU – Rio / Bodianova

Description

Bodikhuu is a producer and hip-hop obsessive from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the world’s coldest capital city. He works as a crane operator and dreams of Brazil. “I was stuck on a crowded bus listening to João Gilberto,” Bodikhuu said. “I closed my eyes and felt my spirit rise in the air.” Bodikhuu composed this album of instrumental hip-hop beats on a worn MPC in a Soviet housing block on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar when it got too cold to work construction. It’s a love letter to Rio, a place he knows only through music and his imagination. The result is an album of lush, tropical beats, subtle turns, fat drums, internet ephemera, and the watchful spirits of Bodikhuu’s favorite artists – Dilla and Damu the Fudgemunk. It’s grounded in a spirit of longing. “There are many talented artists in Mongolia,” Bodikhuu said, “but because of family or social problems, we’re just left here.” Rio/Bodianova collects on vinyl for the first time Bodikhuu’s two Brazil EPs – legendary releases for the small but passionate Mogngolian hip-hop community. It’s the first Mongolian hip-hop record put on wax, fully remastered by Tim Stollenwerk. Artwork by hip-hop illustrator David Barnett (Curren$y, Erykah Badu). Limited pressing of 500 copies.