Flak

Flak, the stage name of João Pires de Campos (born in Lisbon, October 18, 1961), is a musician, composer, producer, and co-founder of bands such as Rádio Macau and Micro Audio Waves.

Biography

He lived in the parish of Anjos until the age of four, when his family moved to Mem Martins. In the late 1980s, he settled in Campo de Ourique, where he still lives today.

In 1983, Flak co-founded the band Rádio Macau alongside vocalist Xana and bassist Alex Cortez. After about a decade of activity, the band took a break to pursue other projects. During this hiatus, Xana released solo works such as As Meninas Boas Vão Para o Céu, as Más Para Toda a Parte and Manual de Sobrevivência.

It was also during this period that Flak released his self-titled debut solo album. He founded Máquina do Almoço Dá Pancadas, an instrumental music project, and joined several other groups, including Plopoplot Pot, Cavacos, and Palma’s Gang. With the latter, he recorded the live album Palma’s Gang – Ao Vivo No Johnny Guitar.

In addition to his performance career, Flak also ventured into music production, working with numerous artists such as Jorge Palma, GNR, Entre Aspas, and many others.

Rádio Macau returned to the stage in 1998, releasing the album Onde o Tempo Faz a Curva in 2000.

In parallel with his work in Rádio Macau, Flak teamed up with C. Morg to create Micro Audio Waves. In 2006, the group won the prestigious Qwartz Awards—considered the most important Francophone electronic music prizes—in two categories: Best Album, for No Waves, and Best Music Video, for “Fully Connected”. In 2008, they were awarded again, this time for Best Track with “Long Tongue”, from the album Odd Size Baggage.

In 2022, Flak took part in a series of performances titled Patifes, held at the Centro Cultural da Malaposta. The ensemble featured Teresa Sobral (vocals and electronics), Flak and Miguel Fevereiro (electric guitar), Hernâni Faustino (double bass and electric bass), and Miguel Sobral Curado (drums and electronics). The texts were written by Gonçalo M. Tavares, costumes were designed by Afonso Peixoto, photography by Patrícia Blasque, and the teaser was directed by António Rui Ribeiro.