Expensive Soul is a musical group from Leça da Palmeira, composed by António Conde, known as Demo (MC), and Tiago Novo, known as New Max (singer/MC/musician/producer).
They started in 1999, but only in 2004 they became better known with the release of their 1st album, B.I. Their style of music is difficult to categorize because they have a sound that ranges from Soul/Reggae to R&B/Hip-Hop, but always with a strong organic component. Live, the duo is accompanied by the Jaguar Band.
Expensive Soul’s style conquers many fans with their live performances and their lyrics in Portuguese.
Expensive Soul began to take their first steps in 1999, but only debuted with the classic B.I. in 2004. In the course of New Max and Demo, several milestones followed: the albums Alma Cara and Utopia in 2006 and 2010. to successful youth series, contributed to the soundtrack of Disney films and proved beyond any doubt that “Love Is Magic” achieved a resounding success, in sales and airplay, which earned them a Golden Globe in 2011.
In 2012, within the scope of Guimarães – European Capital of Culture, they took the stage backed by an orchestra directed by conductor Rui Massena – Shymphonic Sxperience – a moment immortalized in a film released on DVD, with which they reached the Golden Globe for the best group in 2012. It is not surprising that the group’s last work, published in 2014, was entitled Dreamer…
Talented, bold and resilient, Expensive Soul have been exploring the territory until they made Portugal the true Soul Nation.
Fast approaching the milestone of 20 years of existence, they are today one of the great national bands, with a unique sound in Portugal, which has won generations, countless awards, airplay on radios and top places in the sales charts. Four years after the Sonhador album, Demo and New Max now begin a new chapter in the history of Expensive Soul. The first days of spring promise to bring good vibes! “Limbo” was the first theme to be composed of the new album that will be released this year.
The new single will be released on the 23rd of March and is seen by the band itself as a bridge between what has already been done in their previous discography and the future they are preparing to reveal. It’s a very strong love song, filled with the balance that Expensive Soul have always accustomed us to, and ready to shake tracks, serve as a soundtrack for many relationships, flooding speakers and headphones everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen, Expensive Soul is not in limbo. They’re right here.
Recorded and mixed in a scrupulous analog environment, with pedigreed instruments, with guitars and Hammond, with Leslies that spin and amplifiers that shine, with microphones that know well to capture the aura of another time, “Limbo” has a distinctly vintage aura, reminiscent of classic soul, but with a rockabilly touch on the guitars and gospel “subtext” on the choirs.
In 2018, Expensive Soul are back and stronger than ever and promise an album that can start with the vintage sounds of “Limbo”, but in terms of inspiration and sound could very well “go all the way to those 90s”.
