Shpongle's first track, "Vapour Rumours", was released on TIP Records' Infinite Excursions compilation in 1996. Their debut album, Are You Shpongled?, was released in 1998 on Twisted Records. On 9 September 2014, Posford confirmed beginning work on a sixth album, which was eventually announced as Codex VI and set for release in October 2017. On 3 October, even before the release of Codex VI, the duo announced via a Facebook video that they have begun working on their seventh studio album.
Posford is generally responsible for the synthesizers, studio work, and live instrumentation, while Raja Ram contributes broad musical concepts and flute arrangements. Raja Ram stated in an interview that "Shpongle" is an umbrella term for feeling positive and euphoric emotions. Shpongle's music is heavily influenced by psychedelic experiences and frequently makes use of sonic textures that approximate psychedelic states as well as vocal samples relating to consciousness expansion, hallucinations, and altered states of awareness. For example, the track "A New Way to Say 'Hooray'", contains a vocal sample of Terence McKenna describing the effects of DMT.
Beija Flor
Shpongle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se espelha na família Beija Flor
Lutando eternamente pela paz
Ó, meu Brasil
Ó, meu Brasil
Overdose de amor nos trás
Se espelha na família Beija Flor
Ó, meu Brasil
Overdose de amor nos trás
Se espelha na família beija flor
Lutando eternamente pela paz
Ó, meu Brasil
Ó, meu Brasil
Overdose de amor nos trás
Se espelha na família Beija Flor
Lutando eternamente pela paz
Ó, meu Brasil
Yeah
Thank you so much
We′re gonna have a break now
For about three hours and five minutes
And we gotta come back
Just gonna breathe and drink water
Relax and we'll see you very very soon
The lyrics of the song Beija Flor by Shpongle are written in Portuguese and repeatedly mention the phrase "overdose de amor nos trás," which translates to "overdose of love brings us." The following lines mention the family Beija Flor, which represents the Brazilian samba school with the same name. They are known for their performances at the annual Rio Carnival, where they showcase their talents and passion for samba.
The lyrics then talk about the ongoing struggle for peace in Brazil, with the samba school Beija Flor being a symbol of resistance against violence and oppression. The repetition of "Ó, meu Brasil," which can be translated to "Oh, my Brazil," emphasizes the singer's affection for their country and their desire for positive change.
Furthermore, the song's ending features a spoken word section where the band announces that they will be taking a break for a few hours before returning to continue their performance. This break serves as a moment of relaxation and rest for both the band and the audience.
Overall, the song Beija Flor by Shpongle is a tribute to the resilience of the people of Brazil and their ongoing fight for peace and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Overdose de amor nos trás
We are overwhelmed by the love that we feel
Se espelha na família Beija Flor
We look up to the Beija Flor family as an example of love and positivity
Lutando eternamente pela paz
We fight endlessly for peace and harmony
Ó, meu Brasil
Oh, my Brazil
Yeah
Expressing agreement and enthusiasm
Thank you so much
Showing gratitude for something received
We′re gonna have a break now
Taking a pause from the current activity
For about three hours and five minutes
Giving an approximate time frame for the break
And we gotta come back
We have to return to the task at hand
Just gonna breathe and drink water
Taking some time to rest and rehydrate
Relax and we'll see you very very soon
Encouraging relaxation and implying that the activity will continue shortly
Writer(s): Simon Posford
Contributed by Blake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@trickeh2k
This is a vinyl released back in march 2004 and this masterpiece is on the b-side. Btw, Shpongle is a duo consisting of Raja Ram and Simon Posford and not a single person! :)
@Thogrim
Ah enfin la version complète de Beija Flor ! Merci :)
@jerome-ericderaet2480
Divin bon dieu !!??? Non
@syok4929
8:57
Ó, meu Brasil
Overdose de amor nos trás
Se espelha na família Beija Flor
Lutando eternamente pela paz
@jonatrebol
Caralho, muito bizarra a forma que eles conduzem a música e mais bizarra ainda a forma que eles incluem o tema da escola beija flor... Fico em choque cada vez que escuto essa música, uma verdadeira obra de arte!
@ShriDeviDebi
Always a magical journey listening to Shpongle. 3:52 min I melt with these sounds. Yum!
@fractalchez
For those who like this track: this is actually the first three tracks of the album "Nothing Lasts ... But Nothing is Lost". The entire album is like this track: no hard breaks, just one continuous flow of music that goes on for ~70 minutes. It is the most amazing album I've ever heard. Find a dark quiet room, put something naughty down your throat, blast this album hard, and by the time you're done come tell us what world problems you've solved.
@Damarschae
I was lucky enough to get the Vinyl repressing when they released it. I didn't get as lucky with Ineffable Mysteries, sadly. Shpongle is an amazing musical act that will go down as one of my favorite ever.
@mikeexits
@Damarschae Man, I really wanted those repressings. But over $150 was just way out of my budget for a single record, let alone the fact that I wanted them all lmao. I was fine spending $80-90 on Jak & Daxter Collector's Editions re-releases, but damn haha. They were clearly premium quality though so I would never be upset by the price. At this point I just hope that they repress normal versions of their albums, without making them limited releases.
@TheBassManJeff
The album is a timeless masterpiece.