Fabrication Defect: Com defeito de fabricação
Tom Zé
1998
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
Com Defeito de Fabricação, released in 1998, is a conceptual masterpiece by Tom Zé that stands out for its profound social critique and innovative musical approach. The album builds an intriguing narrative where Third World populations are metaphorically transformed into "androids" by the economic exploitation of the First World. However, these "androids" manifest inherent "defects": the ability to think, dance, and dream, acts considered dangerous and affronts to their "masters". This central concept culminates in the "aesthetics of plagiarism", a radical proposal where the "civilised sonic waste" and the "alphabet of emotions" from the First World, which invade the daily lives of the Third, are recycled and re-signified. Tom Zé proposes that these materials be used in small portions, incorporated into rhythms and dance music formats, with choruses and within the parameters of popular music, comparing this practice to a cultural "arrastão". It is an intelligent and musically challenging subversion that consolidates Tom Zé as one of the most original and instigating artists in MPB.
Context
The release of Com Defeito de Fabricação in 1998 occurred during a period of renewed international recognition for Tom Zé. After an initial prominence in the tropicalista movement, which manifested in the iconic album Tropicália ou Panis et Circensis in 1968, Tom Zé experienced a long period of ostracism in the 1970s and 1980s due to the experimental and avant-garde nature of his music, which sometimes became "incomprehensible" to the general public and national critics. The turning point in his career came in the late 80s, when musician David Byrne, formerly of Talking Heads, "rediscovered" the album Estudando o Samba (1976) and, impressed, invited Tom Zé to be one of the first artists to release on his Luaka Bop label in New York. This "discovery" led to a series of international releases, such as The Best of Tom Zé (1990) and The Hips of Tradition (1992), which propelled him worldwide and paved the way for the reception of Com Defeito de Fabricação.
Recording
The album Com Defeito de Fabricação was recorded in 1998, the year of its release. The album's executive production was supervised by Bryan Martin, André Abujamra, and Gilberto Assis, who also acted as arranger alongside Tom Zé himself. Released on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, the album's instrumental recording was conducted to reflect the percussive complexity and the "cut and paste" aesthetic that became Tom Zé's trademarks, transforming everyday objects into musical instruments and challenging sonic conventions.
Songs
The fourteen tracks on Com Defeito de Fabricação are integral pieces of the concept that titles them, each presenting a specific "defect" that unfolds into lyrical and sonic experimentations. Titles like "Defeito 1: Gene", "Defeito 2: Curiosidade", "Defeito 3: Politicar", "Defeito 7: Dançar", and "Defeito 13: Burrice" suggest the themes addressed, reflecting human characteristics deemed "dangerous" to the described system of exploitation. The "aesthetics of plagiarism" is applied in the compositions, where Tom Zé ingeniously incorporates and recycles "civilised sonic waste" and elements of the "alphabet of emotions" from the First World. This sonic collage, which can include anything from a rubber balloon in a tooth to bottles used as instruments, is carefully orchestrated to create danceable and popular music, yet with a rare rhythmic and symbolic complexity.
Legacy
Com Defeito de Fabricação was acclaimed by specialised critics, consolidating Tom Zé's rediscovery and recognition in the international music scene. Rolling Stone highlighted the album's "symbolic precision in music of such percussive complexity". CMJ New Music Report described it as a "splendid return", stating that Tom Zé was "probably the last Brazilian tropicalista to remain faithful to his iconoclastic roots". Publications such as the Orange County Register observed Tom Zé's "unbalanced, cultural cut and paste" style, where any object can be transformed into an instrument. The Village Voice, for its part, emphasised that Tom Zé "doesn't just cut and paste digital bits into a martial disco beat, preferring displacements of improbable materials from concrete music". The album was chosen by The New York Times as one of the ten best of 1998, attesting to its relevance. The album's impact extended with a supporting tour, where Tom Zé was accompanied by the band Tortoise, and the release of a remix EP, Postmodern Platos, in 1999.
Tracks
Credits
Alê Siqueira, Paulo Tatit
Bryan Martin, José Miguel Wisnik
André Abujamra, Gilberto Assis
David Byrne, Yale Evelev
David Byrne
Bryan Martin
Adriano Cintra
Peter Girardi
Chris Capuozzo
Books
Analyses
Fabrication Defect: Com defeito de fabricação – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Com Defeito de Fabricação é um álbum conceitual de Tom Zé, lançado em 1998. Ele conta uma história em que as pessoas do terceiro mundo são transformados em andróides pela exploração econômica do primeiro mundo. No entanto, como "andróides", os indivíduos contêm "defeitos": "eles pensam, danças e sonham coisas que são muito perigosas para os patrões do primeiro mundo… "pensar será sempre considerada uma afronta". Esta consideração leva a uma "estética do plágio", em que o "lixo sonoro civilizado"
PDF Tom Zé E O Elogio À Imperfeição: Uma Análise Musical Do Disco "Com ...
sistemas-prp.unicamp.br
The research aimed to study Tom Zé's album "Com defeito de Fabricação", released in 1998, at a time when the composer's career was gaining prominence and entering the global music market.
PDF Tom Zé e o elogio à imperfeição: Uma breve análise do disco Com defeito ...
fernao.weebly.com
Summary: This article discusses Tom Zé's album Com defeito de Fabricação, released in 1998, a time when the composer's career was gaining prominence and entering the global phonographic market.
Músicas: Com Defeito de Fabricação - O maluco álbum de Tom Zé
bonashistorias.com.br
On "Com Defeito de Fabricação", Tom Zé manages to surprise and please the public, while simultaneously upholding his sonic polyphony, his genre blends, and his bold, humorous, and deeply committed lyrics (traits that have always defined his career and musical style).
Discogs
Fabrication Defect: Com defeito de fabricação – Discogs
discogs.com