Review: Antropoceno – Natureza Morta

Style: post-rock, dream pop, MPB, shoegaze, psychedelia (mixed vocals, mostly clean)
Recommended for fans of: Parannoul, Turqoisedeath, Os Mutantes, Mestre Ambrósio, Celeste OST
Country: Brazil
Release date: 5 May 2025

Isaac Newton predicted that the Rapture would happen around 2060. That the end is nearing seems like a given with the state of the world these days, so Newton’s timeline comes across as delayed if anything. Some virulent super-bacteria or virus could take us out (probably something bioengineered); we’ve got a demented, wholeheartedly evil person in possession of the nuclear football (and multiple major-scale global conflicts going on, as well); but perhaps most likely is the imminent climate catastrophe. I won’t beat a dead horse too much—we’re all intimately aware of the dire situation in 2025—but corporate greed and ever-increasing industrialization are unceasing, and we’re about to pass the event horizon of its damage. This crisis is displacing millions of global citizens every year, myself included as of earlier this year, and its impact will only worsen. I think going out by an asteroid dino-style would be easier, or maybe with false vacuum decay, but we as a species have got to make the best of the situation at hand.

Lua, the woman behind Brazilian shoegaze act Sonhos Tomam Conta, has started a new project Antropoceno, and Natureza Morta is driven by a pseudo-manifesto of hers, a tirade against the evils of climate change inspired by indigenous authors such as Davi Kopenawa Yanomami and Ailton Krenak. Lua’s thesis, as given on Bandcamp, is that “Postponing this apocalypse necessarily involves rejecting the exceptionalism that seeks to conceive humanity as an organism separate from the body of the Earth.” She asserts that we ought not to forget our pre-industrial origins and look toward tools and methods of the past to slow the disaster; Natureza Morta is a loud call to action.

Antropoceno matches the concept to the music, with Natureza Morta incorporating pre-industrial folk music styles (samba, choro) into psychedelia and shoegaze, representative of the distorted corruption of modernity. The result? An impeccable vibe. The record blossoms out of bird chirping and strummed acoustic guitars, while the remainder of Antropoceno’s sound is formed by layering Brazilian percussion, psychedelic trem-picking of a non-distorted electric guitar, and bubbling, sugary synths. All together, Natureza Morta is like floating on a cloud in a dream, utterly serene, and the record flows freely, too, drifting from idea to idea—song to song—effortlessly. On “35ºC de Bulbo Úmido,” Antropoceno dives deep into psychedelia with exquisite choro mixed in for a sweltering effect, as if you’re melting while listening to the short piece while the crisis (and album) march on unrepentantly. Other tracks, like “222 Dias de Calor Extremo,” use longer, post-rock songwriting, letting Lua’s masterful synths guide the listener through tropical soundscapes.

The ethereality of Antropoceno’s base sound often veers into a more violent approach; as the natural world is destroyed by the increasingly hot temperature, hails of blast beats, distorted guitars, and harsh vocals colonize the alluring folky psychedelia. Inspired by fellow Brazilian legend Caio Lemos (Kaatayra, Bríi, Vauruvã), Antropoceno mixes Brazilian rhythms and acoustic guitars atop the blast beats to stunning effect, such as on the tracks “Queda do Céu” and “Natureza Morta.” Moreover, Caio Lemos is a guest feature on the track “Debaixo da Terra,” his vocals adding a tasteful, folk edge to the track. In addition to Kaatayra, Antropoceno manages to get a Parannoul feature on “The Waves,” with the South Korean shoegaze legend also providing his distinct vocals to the track.

As the tracks bleed into each other, they slowly lose their identities, all succumbing to the vibe that Antropoceno curates. I could listen to the dreamy Brazilian psychedelia all day, but Natureza Morta slowly drifts its way into pleasant background music over its runtime. The record’s bigger problem is Lua’s vocals, which are more on the shoegaze side of things—that is to say, unrefined. The clean lulls are distractingly amateur compared to the gorgeous instrumentation; thankfully, much of the album plays around with extended instrumental sections. These issues should be easy to iron out on subsequent releases and are hardly a damning problem on a project debut. 

Antropoceno presents Natureza Morta to combat an issue she sees as crucial. With a blend of Kataayra-inspired folk and Parannoul-esque shoegaze, the music matches the message; more importantly, Antropoceno’s music is extremely high quality. I’ll still be silently cheering for the easy out of false vacuum decay, but Antropoceno’s calling for us to consider a return to animist principles in the modern world hits home. Come listen to Natureza Morta for the awesome psychedelia, and leave with a renewed sense of urgency.

Recommended tracks: 35ºC de Bulbo Úmido, The Waves, Debaixo da Terra
You may also like: Kaatayra, Rasha, Sonhos Tomam Conta, Samlrc
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Label: independent

Antropoceno is:
– Lua (everything)
With guests:
– Kaatayra (vocals)
– Parannoul (vocals)