Four years on from her acclaimed debut International Love Affair, Tigerbalm (Rose Robinson) returns to Ubiquity
Records with the thrillingly kaleidoscopic Bubblegum Discos. A bolder evolution of her globally infused nu-disco sound, the album reflects a newfound confidence and a desire to collaborate with handpicked musicians and vocalists from around the world.
Painted in vivid sonic colours, Bubblegum Discos showcases Tigerbalm's two great musical loves: Brazilian musical
culture and vintage dancefloor workouts from the African continent, infused with nods to Italo-disco, proto-house and soca.
The album's first half leans into South American influences. 'Nayar', crafted with Napoli's Giorgio Lopez, leads the way with lightly reggaeton-inspired nu-disco, followed by the Brazilian disco rush of 'Diga Me' and the breezy samba-disco of 'Vera En Paraty'. Robinson delivers her first-ever lead vocal on the partly improvised neo-boogie workout 'Coco Makoko'. The album then pivots to Africa, with standout contributions from Andre Espeut, Montreal-based Haitian vocalist Waahli on the horn-rich 'Do Da Soca', and Afrobeats vocalist Idd Aziz on the body-popping 'Afro-Disco'. Closer 'Conga' brings things home with heavyweight Afro-centric disco rhythms and deep dub bass.
Action-packed and impeccably crafted, Bubblegum Discos is the sound of an artist delivering on her early promise, and then some.