Style: Baile funk, beat bolha, hip-hop, deconstructed club, ‘beat Bruxaria’, EDM, bird sounds (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Irmãs de Pau, DJ Lukinhas, DJ Carlozs, d.silverstre, Bia Soull, Papangu
Country: Brazil
Release date: 31 August 2026

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Nyctibius griseus, the Latin name for the common potoo, also known as “ghost bird” or “Urutau”. The Urutau is as mystical as its many names make it out to be: an otherworldly bird native to South America that’s known for its seamless camouflage by becoming extensions of brown tree stumps¹, howling nocturnally with its plaintive, spiritual call. These birds are known for their docile behavior, always hiding and fleeing from predators before going on the offensive; that is, until the well-known symptoms of climate change and noise pollution struck the Amazon rainforest, changing the behavior of the magnificent aviators of the region.

Antropoceno’s own Lua Viana describes the altered behavior of the Urutau through a blend of science and mysticism in the debut of her new Baile Funk project, DJ URUTAU. Ornitofagia² recounts a story of the docile Urutau consuming a Great Kiskadee because of the altering effects of the current Super El Niño. The consumption of the kiskadee forced the Urutau to experience the human-inflicted pain that the kiskadee lived through, and with uncharacteristic rage, the Urutau became violent, seeking to deliver humanity’s long-overdue penance through Bruxaria (witchcraft). In a seamless blend of deconstructed club music, baile funk, and a plethora of bird calls, Viana juxtaposes attention to the bleak realities of climate change with loud and personable beats at the DJ booth. 

Ornitofagia’s sound takes after the temperaments of many birds native to South America—over twenty-one of them, in fact. Some tracks directly flaunt this influence: “Baile das Calopsitas” takes the feisty, loud personality of the cockatiel and turns it into a riveting high-tempo dance, with bass beats and regionally influenced drumming booming underneath the flighty, almost bubbly cockatiel song. Harsh electronic twangs cut through the track erratically, resembling the maddening noise pollution that harasses birds in densely populated areas.³ This theme of pollutant mimicry is consistent throughout Ornitofagia. It’s especially heard in “Sabiá-Feiticeira”, with the fragile call of the Rufous-bellied Thrush being drowned out by thick and fuzzy basslines, dry hi-hat hits, and wiry, spotty treble. Electronic, ‘human-made’ noise isn’t the only thing that’s loud in Ornitofagia, however. “Conversión” features the deafening call of the White Bellibird⁴ in the rhythm section as watery, almost laser-like sound effects that define the beat bolha style float on the upper end of the soundstage. Hidden behind the shrill bellibird are the recurring electronic twangs, but listen close enough and you’ll hear the mournful call of the Urutau. 

While the Urutau’s call is heavily featured across Ornitofagia, it shines under the spotlight in “Olhos Mágicos”, meaning magic eyes. Beginning with a ‘scientific communication’ on the featured bird in Portuguese, the track features a supportive, wide-bodied bass that lays the foundation to the Urutau’s unique song. A cowbell-sounding percussive line coupled with atmospheric bird calls mix in with the Urutau’s sound, likely a sonic representation of the habitats where the Urutau lives. This easily digestible sound doesn’t last forever, though. “Elixir Encantador de Urutau” recounts earlier melodies in a dark psychedelic setting with an almost grating, crackling bass consuming the entire soundscape. The Urutau’s call is drowned out and overshadowed by piercing synth blips and distorted vocals that, alongside many bass lines, grow into an organized cacophony of electronic, natural, and vocal sound. “Engoli um Bem-te-vi (Na Onda do El Niño)”, one of two tracks over three minutes, completes the story of the Urutau. Ornitofagia’s closer is easily the ‘heaviest’ song: underneath frantic lyricism about climate change,⁵ window-shattering bass rhythms flood the listener’s ears as both electronics and bird calls chop and stumble their way through the track until they lose all rhythmic sense. Across this mess of sound is the Great Kiskadee’s call, essentially showcasing the act of ornithophagy in sonic form. The album closes with a dip into Viana’s sound from Antropoceno, with crushing post-rock and even some sludge elements colliding with the eccentricity of the baile funk and filling the listener with the spirit of Bruxaria. 

Ornitofagia isn’t entirely about worldly doom and despair. Bathed in a psychedelic EDM atmosphere, tracks like “Pólen” and “Garganta (Oferenda para Tetê)” bring attention to gentler parts of the aviator ecosystem. Nectarivores are featured in “Pólen”, equating the sugar high of nectar to a psychedelic high with the return of bubbly bolha rhythms and effects. “Garganta (Oferenda para Tetê)” takes melodious vocals from Brazilian singer Tetê Espíndola and mixes them with the confident, trilling calls of the White-naped Jay and the return of the shrill bellibird. The outcome results in an exuberant and highly-danceable track with plenty of fuzzy low end sound to fill in the rhythmic dance lines. 

With the transformation of the Urutau to Bruxaria complete, Ornitofagia comes across as an incredibly creative plea to bring attention to the natural issues faced in South America and across the world. Instead of focusing her sound on the human aspect of music, Viana shines the spotlight on sounds from the natural world. The birdsongs featured throughout seamlessly blend with the electronic elements of Viana’s soundbooth; it’s easy to hear the care taken to create such a unique sound, and the cultivation of passion, songwriting, and unconventional instrumentation is successfully executed in Ornitofagia. Once DJ URUTAU floods your ears and dancing feet with aviator magic, be sure to take a moment to read about what exactly makes these birds so special, and why their habitats must be preserved. 

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Recommended tracks: “Conversión”, “Baile das Calopsitas”, “Olhos Mágicos”, “Sabiá-Feiticeira”, “Engoli um Bem-te-vi (Na Onda do El Niño)”
You may also like: Antropoceno, Ron Nagorcka, Los Thuthanaka
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Instagram

Label: Independent

DJ URUTAU is:
– Lua Viana (everything)
With guests:
– Antropoceno (also Lua Viana) (Track 10, “Engoli um Bem-te-vi (Na Onda do El Niño)”)
– dj lukinhas (Sample DJ packages)
– dj carlozs (Sample DJ packages)

1. Can you spot the two Urutau in this picture, or do you see a tree? (Shoutout to my paleo professor for the photo). ↩︎
2.  From the word ornithophagy, the act of consuming birds. ↩︎
3. In São Paulo, the mating call of the Rufous-bellied Thrush (among other birds) used to begin at around 6 am during the breeding season. However, with loud modern day construction and traffic beginning at the same time, the birds have adapted their mating hours to begin in the middle of the night, around 3 am, instead. This phenomenon is only observed in densely populated areas, as rural areas do not emit the same level of sound pollution. ↩︎
4. The bellibird’s call is the loudest in all of ornithology, with a call that can reach up to 125 decibels. Make sure to bring your earplugs! ↩︎
5. While the lyrics are all sung in Portuguese, the track features facts from this PIK study. ↩︎