{"id":23501,"date":"2025-11-21T13:23:48","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T13:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/castthedice.org\/?p=23501"},"modified":"2025-11-21T13:29:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T13:29:27","slug":"ocenpsieas-fourth-album-ensaio-sobre-a-surdez-out-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/castthedice.org\/?p=23501","title":{"rendered":"Ocenpsiea’s fourth album, Ensaio Sobre a Surdez<\/em>, out now"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Back in October, Ocenpsiea<\/a> enticed us with the blissful and exhilarating ‘Noite Ac\u00fastica’. The single landed as an intriguing one-off, but it turned out to be a hint, pointing towards something bigger. Last Friday, the Braga-based outfit released their fourth album, Ensaio Sobre a Surdez<\/em>, an ambitious and thought-provoking effort weaving together a mesmerising tapestry of jazz, electronica, Portuguese folk, rock and hip-hop. Translating from Portuguese as “Essay on Deafness”, the new album\u00a0 is described by the band as a reflection on contemporary society, and it also pays tribute to Jos\u00e9 Saramago, echoing the spirit of his novels Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira<\/em> and Ensaio Sobre a Lucidez<\/em>. Jo\u00e3o Vila\u00e7a (drums and electronics), Gon\u00e7alo Cravinho (electric and double bass), and Jo\u00e3o Ferreira (keyboards), who make up Ocenpsiea, composed the entire record, and invited a host of collaborators, including Bruno Pernadas on guitar, Ghais Guevara and Marlon on vocals, plus contributions from Lucas Oliveira on baritone and soprano sax, Francisca Ribeiro on violin,\u00a0 Alessio Cunha on cello, Lucas Faria on flute, and B\u00e1rbara Ferreira on oboe. The result is a bold, exploratory and richly layered work, full of vibrancy and detail, showcasing a band unafraid to venture into new territory.<\/p>\n

Ensaio Sobre a Surdez<\/em> is now streaming on bandcamp<\/a>, and for a taste of what’s on offer, listen to one of the album’s tracks, the thrilling and groovy ‘Subsistir’.<\/p>\n