Mandruvá’s D.R.A.M.A. Brings Ritual and Psychedelia to THISBE Recordings

The idea of the dancefloor as a ritual space is hardly new, but few records manage to explore it without turning the concept into an aesthetic cliché. With D.R.A.M.A., Brazilian producer Murillo Faleiros, operating as Mandruvá, finds a convincing balance between conceptual depth and physical immediacy, delivering a release for THISBE Recordings that feels equally connected to ancient ceremony and contemporary club culture.

The title provides the first clue. In ancient Greece, drama emerged in connection with celebrations dedicated to Dionysus, a figure associated with festivity, theatre, altered states and ritual madness. Mandruvá does not attempt to reproduce that history literally. Instead, he translates its underlying principles into electronic music: repetition, rhythm, collective movement and the gradual dissolution of the boundary between observer and participant.

The result is a two-track original release that feels deliberately immersive.

Mandruvá's production style has been developing for almost a decade, drawing together organic percussion, global rhythmic influences, psychedelic textures and acid-driven electronics. Previous releases through labels such as Belly Dance Services and PBP Records have established a musical language that is difficult to place neatly within a single genre. D.R.A.M.A. continues that tendency, but with an especially focused sense of purpose.

Both originals revolve around rhythm as their primary form of communication. Rather than using percussion simply as a structural component, Mandruvá places it at the centre of the experience. Patterns overlap, reinforce one another and gradually alter the sensation of forward movement.

The tracks are hypnotic, but there is nothing passive about that hypnosis.

Their grooves have enough weight to make their presence felt physically, while the psychedelic details introduce an element of uncertainty. Acid lines appear almost like fractures in the surface, subtly disturbing the rhythmic equilibrium. The music remains danceable, but never entirely predictable.

This is where D.R.A.M.A. becomes particularly effective. It understands that repetition does not necessarily mean repetition in the literal sense. A pattern can remain constant while the listener's relationship with it changes. After several minutes, a rhythm that initially seemed straightforward can begin to feel strangely unfamiliar.

Mandruvá exploits that psychological shift with considerable restraint.

There is also an intriguing contrast between the EP's ancient conceptual framework and its modern production language. The percussion evokes something tactile and bodily, while the electronic textures push the music towards more futuristic territory. The result exists somewhere between archaeological memory and speculative fiction.

THISBE Recordings is a natural home for such a hybrid approach. The label's interest in rhythm, experimentation and music that occupies the spaces between conventional categories gives D.R.A.M.A. room to function on its own terms.

The release is expanded by remixes from Letvink, Poulper & Stylic and Pyrame. Each producer enters Mandruvá's universe from a different direction, demonstrating that the original material contains plenty of room for reinterpretation. Rather than simply reproducing the EP's atmosphere, the remixes contribute new shades to its central rhythmic idea.

Taken as a whole, D.R.A.M.A. feels less like a collection of tracks than an invitation to enter a temporary state.

There is no elaborate narrative to follow. The story is told through repetition, texture and movement.

And once the rhythm takes over, the theatre is already open.

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