Auntie Flo's new album fuses Afro disco, ambient & acid house in a global soundscape

Brian d’Souza aka Auntie Flo has long been a pioneer of fusing electronic music with global rhythms, constantly breaking new ground in sound and storytelling.

His newest album ‘In My Dreams (I'm A Bird And I'm Free)’ continues to be a manifestation of his creative genius, marking the culmination of five years of musical evolution.

At its heart, ‘In My Dreams (I’m A Bird and I’m Free)’ is a reflection on the unbounded movement of birds as a metaphor for migration, contrasting their freedom with the barriers humans face. The artwork was done by Delhi-based multidisciplinary artist, Sijya.

Released via his label A State of Flo Records, it weaves migration, freedom, and cultural fusion into its DNA, all while pairing field recordings with Afro disco, ambient, and experimental beats.

“This album is deeply personal and a reflection of the journeys I’ve taken—both literal and musical,” Auntie Flo says of the project. “From Nairobi to Mexico City, Havana to Waiheke Island, the tracks on this album all have a special place of origin. It’s a celebration of migration, freedom, and connection, while also being an evolution of my sound.”

The album’s genesis can be traced back to Auntie Flo's 2019 performance at the We Out Here Festival, where he premiered ‘Green City’.

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Inspired by a field recording from Nairobi, where his mother was born, the track became a blueprint for the project. Its Afro-disco energy—fuelled by Malian guitar riffs, intricate snare rolls, and a cathartic vocal crescendo—captured the euphoric essence of his live sets, setting the tone for the album’s expansive narrative.

He also takes inspiration from Goa for ‘Auntie Florie RIP’; the closing track which anchors the album emotionally. Recorded during a visit to his ancestral home, it merges the hymns of his late aunt with gentle pads and textured percussions.

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Other highlights include ‘Bird’s Eye View’, a reimagining of a track first performed in Havana with Shingai Shoniwa, which weaves Cuban rhythms with lush vocal harmonies to explore themes of migration.

The experimental ‘çatlak patlak’ layers Turkish nursery rhymes with dissonant melodies and punk-inspired basslines, capturing the raw energy of NYC’s 1980s underground.

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Meanwhile, ‘Aker The Lion God’ transforms field recordings from New Zealand’s Waiheke Island into a transcendent soundscape, blending ambient environmental sounds with proto-acid house grooves in a nod to Charanjit Singh’s ‘Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat’.

Available in both limited edition vinyl and digital formats, purchase here.

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.

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