PREMIERE | Pedazo de Carne Con Ojo, "Cenar"
Introducing the mind expanding pop arts of Pedazo de Carne Con Ojo; from left, Steven Perez & Malcolm Martin.
Music presents an opportunity to enter into a portal of creative abandon. It draws from established movements and styles and spins a new take on it in sequences of invention and re-inventions. The creator and the audience consult their own respective familiar canons of styles that draw from international sources of inspiration. Art movements evolve more rapidly in ways that formulate even before the authors themselves fully realize what is at work. These developments and works in progress contribute to the limitless trajectories of creatives building new empires atop the foundations and fabrics excavated through surveys of historiographical investigation.
Philly phenom Pedazo de Carne Con Ojo focus on the fusions of artistic movements in new rhythmic motions. Blending post modern permutations of bachata with psychotropic dream dance is Philadelphia pop poet Steven Perez, in a production collaboration with Malcolm Martin who recently delivered the heady album Pedazo via Citrus City Records. From beat prose recitations and cuts of Caribbean pop tropes cast into mellow rhythm lounge glitch works; Perez and Martin conduct a mélange of percussive melodies, moods, textures and lyrics that are woven into a botanical brew for the spirit and mind.
Pedazo begins with "Chiquito" that mixes samples of organic percussion with strings, that then dips into the abstract array of piano keys and sedated song supplied by ZekeUltra on "Running", as "Jump" jets forth into the immersive otherwordly domain designed by Perez and Martin. Latin rhythms rock about with the dance tones of "Distance", delving into stream of consciousness meditations with Alfred. on the hip hop hymn "Cleft", delivering the deconstructed journeys of dreams with Lewis Del Mar on the highway to the heavens of "Camino". Mind tunneling scores of strings and utterances from Steven's unconscious spring upward with a windy whirlwind ascent, as ZekeUltra returns on the elevated atmospheres of "Machine" that recalls cloud rap repertoires and seapunk wayfarers from the freshman class of the Soundcloud school, completing the album with "Atrás" that rocks back and forth like scattered notes from inside the author's studio.
"Cenar" brings in all the bold rhythms and brass like a dinner and dance party event. Presenting the debut of Daniel Felipe Mangosing's visuals for the track, the vibrancy of Pedazo de Carne con Ojo's audio collages are met with lush and lavish video montages. The robust and exuberant arrangement is coupled with mesmerizing washes of water, tropical trees, forests, earth, fruits from the vine and all things oppulent. "Cenar" percolates and blooms like an eccentric occaision in an assemblage of bright horn samples and sporadic sections of mercial rhythms. The video matches the unique and idiosyncratic approach to sequencing with a barage of natural images that parade before the senses. Mangosing animates a fascinating array of mediums where you watch as CGI effects spin you from oceans, space, skies and land into hyper corridors of artistic exhibitions of watercolors, oils and more in a motion picture frenzy. Providing the perfect accompaniment for "Cenar", Steven and Malcolm invite you to attend a prix fixe gastronomy endeavor that offers a multi-course menu to nourish and light up the mind.
Steven Perez shared some perspectives on the development of the song & corresponding visual component:
“Cenar” was one of the first songs I finished for Pedazo. I knew beforehand that I wanted to lean into a softer, more pensive sound for the album, but still wanted to make sure I included some bright, Caribbean sounds. I was listening to a lot of bachata and merengue at the time and found the samples that laid the foundation for “Cenar.” I spent a few weeks building on it with additional percussion and textural sounds, but knew the drums weren’t hitting enough. Malcolm, who co-produced the album, came in and added his drum part (kicks, snares, and a trash can lid), which I think really fleshed out the song.
When it came time to visuals, I was set on an animated video and Manny from Citrus City recommended Daniel Felipe Mangosing. We chatted on the phone for like half an hour and he came up with the direction pretty quickly. Couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible work he did on it.
Pedazo de Carne Con Ojo’s album Pedazo is available now via Citrus City Records.