Continuing our spotlight series called Favourite Finds, we ask some of our favourite DJs, collectors and selectors to tell us the story behind how they came across one of their most cherished records.

For the next instalment, we’ve asked respected DJ duo and deep diggers Vale and Giò from Raregems to give us an insight into a special record from their collection.

Born and based in Italy, Vale and Giò are seasoned collectors who strive to narrate sound geographies through records. A constant feature behind the decks at Europe’s best listening bars and with a monthly show on Radio Alhara they bring together their hard-fought finds from flea markets, dusty collections and long forgotten record stores.

"We chose Banda Metalurgia (1982) not because it was a rare collectible or a high-value item, but because it perfectly embodies our idea of digging.
For us, digging through vinyl isn’t just about chasing trophies for the shelf: it’s about expanding our horizons, being surprised by little-known sounds, and discovering artists who, for various reasons, have remained in the shadows.

Our search has always been driven by constant curiosity. We rack up miles traveling to record fairs, shops, and flea markets around the world, always pushing a little further. The spark often comes when we least expect it—standing in front of a dusty crate that seems empty but actually hides precious gems. That’s the beauty of digging: the discovery.

Last year, as we do every year, we went to Record Planet in Den Bosch, one of the most important record fairs in the world. It was a special edition for us: unlike other years, we didn’t have a wantlist to follow. We let the crates guide us, and what came out was surprising. We returned home with a selection of records that, quite naturally, revolved almost entirely around fusion.

Among these, Banda Metalurgia was the one that intrigued us the most. Released in 1982, it remains the only album recorded by the band, a group of longtime friends from São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, who attempted something unusual at the time: taking the language of international fusion and reinterpreting it with rhythms and accents uniquely Brazilian. The result is a hybrid record that feels both familiar and fresh.
Musically, you can hear direct influences from ’70s jazz-rock, reimagined through a local lens: punchy basslines and funky grooves meet Afro-Brazilian percussion, while the horns shift between near-orchestral arrangements and free improvisation. There are even moments that nod to MPB traditions, but always with a stronger push toward experimentation. For the time and place, in Brazil, it was an album that broke the mold.

Back to Den Bosch: the return home was surreal. The package with the records we bought—shipped from a supermarket on a Sunday—got lost, and we had to wait over a month to recover it through endless emails and customer service follow-ups. During that “infinite” wait, we kept asking ourselves, “What kind of records did we buy? No Tim Maia gems this time, no Donald Byrd, no Ebo Taylor or James Mason—nothing!”

When the package finally arrived and we could listen properly, we realized what we had in our hands. Letting ourselves absorb the record completely, our perception changed. It wasn’t just a lucky find; it was a real step forward in our search. 

After all, that’s the essence of collecting: not owning, but evolving."

Big thanks to Vale and Giò for telling us this story for the series. Be sure to give them a follow to keep up-to-date with all of their goings on.