Carl Remde has finished his first solo recording! Co-founder and bassist of the popular Bay area Brazilian band, Bat Makumba, Carl Remde offers 'Explanation Point' as a deeper look into his creative mind. Independent music at its finest, the tracks flow out of a wide range of influences that are filtered through Carl. From the afro-pop opener "The Hill" to the electronic-flavored songs "At the Club" and title track "Explanation Point"; then there's the Zappa-esque silliness of "Feelin' Fine (Life is Good)" to the social commentary of "Do Tell Me" and "Yahungwayogo". Of course, the Brazilian influences are scattered throughout. Most notably on "New Orleans Maracatu" which blends Cajun funk with the Brazilian rhythm of Maracatu. While most of the parts on the CD were performed by Carl, there are special guest performances by members (and former members) of Bat Makumba. Emiliano Benevides (percussion), Dave Gibbs (saxophone, clarinet), Alex Koberle (guitar), Matthew Swindells (drumset) and Annie Sajdera (keyboards) all lend their helping hand on at least one tune. 1/31/05 SF Examiner by Bill Picture 'A New CD - Local multi-instrumentalist Carl Remde flaunts his eclectic musical taste on his debut solo effort, "Explanation Point" (Riggadig Records). The Bat Makumba bassist borrows Brazilian influences from the award-winning tropical-rock trio he co-founded and combines them with Louisiana-style swamp-funk, late '60s-flavored avant-rock a la Frank Zappa and subtle dashes of electronica. Read more at www.riggadig.com.'