PPJ – formerly Páula, Povoa and Jerge – burst onto the UK scene last year with their 4 track EP ‘Primavera’ a riot of colourful influences straddling the experimental, the unearthed sounds of Awesome Tapes From Africa and continental Europe’s rich house heritage. With support from Radio 1, BBC6Music and key tastemakers at press putting them firmly the map, PPJ are back with a new 4 track EP ‘SONHO’ out on Moshi Moshi on October 8th.

Lead single ‘Txu Txu’ meaning Choo Choo – out today – is a tale of how “a simple meeting, on a train, can change the course of our lives.” PPJ’s signature playfulness is relayed with the CHOIRS preset on the Yamaha-790 imitating those audible alerts one hears in a railway station. The trio get a bit serious on ‘Sonho Com tu’ (A Dream Of You) a piano led track and described by PPJ as “a whispered dream, a melancholy and poignant declaration of love.” Track two ’Neném’ (baby) gets the party back on track with a loud, shouty love song “it’s a happy mess!`” say PPJ. On closing track Dios Chicos (Two Guys) Páula sings of her unconditional for band mates Povoa and Jerge, how they met via Rio de Janeiro and Paris – “its a connection to the Cosmos and an ode to multiple love!”

PPJ are producer Jules Rosset aka Povoa, Brazil-via-France vocalist Páula, and Myd collaborator and Christine & The Queens live member Jerge but it was on debut EP Primavera that the trio first worked together. Páula has worked with Jerge before, as members of four-piece Tampon Tango; while Povoa – a graduate of American School of Jazz and Modern Music in Paris – is already familiar to the Moshi Moshi family, following two previous releases: 2018’s pulsating Hiatus EP and its follow-up Layers a year later.

An orphan in northwest Brazil, Páula was adopted by a French family, returning to live in Rio de Janeiro after 26 years abroad to re-connect with her heritage. With the consequences of Brazil President Bolsonaro’s inept handling of the COVID pandemic quickly revealing themselves, though, she fled the country and made it back to France, just one day before the country’s lockdown. Making it back just in time, the singer consequently chose to join her friends in rural Normandy – it’s was Páula’s story that’s intrinsic to the debut release ‘Primavera’ last year.

As with ‘Primavera’ PPJ’s new EP is both dance floor friendly and laidback and imbued with an energy and positivity it’s hard to ignore. These long-time friends bring a warmth and simple yet effective message of togetherness resulting in a vital tonic in these uncertain times.

“The trio combined produce a sublimely harmonious creative synergy” – London In Stereo

“A culmination of so many sources of inspiration, and a unique working process saw three friends come together to try and bring a piece of joy to all of us.” Clash

“Cosmopolitan house music” The Times