featured image: Photo Credit – Abraham Recio
UPCOMING ALBUM SWITCHED-ON OUT SEPTEMBER 29TH VIA ATO RECORDS
LAUNCHES FALL TOUR IN LATE SEPTEMBER
INCLUDING NY (9/26) AND LA (11/9)
What the Press Is Saying About Pachyman:
“Pachyman is not to be slept on.” – AQUARIUM DRUNKARD
“If you’re looking for good reggae-infused notes and sun-kissed percussion to be the sound of your summer — look no further. Pachyman, consistent king of smooth beats, is here.” – NPR MUSIC
“Pachyman’s echoing, intricately layered productions pay homage to reggae greats” – Remezcla
“Aside from being a master-level instrumentalist, Pachyman is a breezy, fun-loving, and freedom seeking artist… His works are a well sonically seasoned mix, in which his Puerto Rican roots shine bright.” – SPIN
Pachyman shares “Goldline,” the second offering from his upcomingalbum Switched-On that is due September 29th for ATO Records. The Josh Fink-directed video for “Goldline” is a playful clip that convey’s Pachyman’s unique, creative aura — complete with grooving drums, funky bass, and skank guitar. While Conceptualizing Switched-On, García gravitated towards listening to Lovers’ Rock-era reggae and transmissions from the iconic Studio One Records — a thread that surfaces in “Goldline.” The song, inspired by García’s job at a hifi listening bar that plays a lot of disco and funk at night, intentionally pulled at a “Studio One disco-soul vibe” with a splash of dub mixed in. The track follows the lead single and video “Trago Coqueto,” a cheeky love song and a poignant ode to his life growing up in Puerto Rico, as well as the first Pachyman single that features his own vocals front and center.
Though based in LA, Pachy García’s music is immersed in the world of the Caribbean, with the basis of his sound being derived from his native home in Puerto Rico. Laced with nostalgia, Switched-On pulls from the island’s musical scene in the 1990’s, when Puerto Rico was embracing new wave Jamaican riddims which were later combined with traditional Boricua sounds. In keeping with the themes of sentimentality, Pachyman uses his Korg Poly-800 to pay homage to a generation of Puerto Rican artists who first began experimenting with synthesizers, all the while allowing his music to ebb and flow. His previous album, The Return Of Pachyman (2021) is more of a direct response to the sounds of his musical heroes, especially King Tubby and Scientist, and on the new album Pachyman wanted to move his art forward while simultaneously honoring his roots looking to embrace more of himself vs. trying to emulate others. He also pushes himself further vocally incorporating more of his own minimalist vocals for added texture.
Pachyman has headlining performances in Philadelphia and New York in late September ahead of a full Fall tour alongside labelmates Altin Gun starting October 27th. In recent years, Pachyman has toured with artists such as Khruangbin, Black Pumas, My Morning Jacket and Genesis Owusu.
About Pachyman:
For his latest sonic transmission Switched-On, musician Pachy García, aka Pachyman, challenged himself to steer his dub-drenched dispatches towards another dimension. The follow-up to 2021’s The Return of Pachyman, out Sept 29th on ATO Records, Switched-On is an homage to the generative artistic era when musicians first began manipulating synthesizers to emit gloriously off-kilter bleeps, bloops, and whooshes. It also gestures to García’s chirring Korg Poly-800 analog synthesizer that forms the spine of these songs, particularly the effervescent electronic interlude “Mi Sala.” Tunes like “You Looked at Me” fuse a mesmerizing, Krautrock-esque beat with synth musings reminiscent of bands such as Boards of Canada and García’s own minimalist vocals for added texture. His ear for expansiveness comes through the winking “Trago Coqueto,” a cheeky love song crooned through the prism of a cocktail that’s named after a flirty lemon-ginger drink. In a uniquely Pachyman twist, it acts as a poignant ode to his life growing up in Puerto Rico. It couldn’t be a more fitting testament to Switched-On’s ethos, which meditates on García’s conviction to move his art forward while simultaneously honoring his roots.
Upcoming Tour Dates
with Altin Gun = *
9/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Making Time
9/26 – New York, NY @ The Sultan Room
10/27 – New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre*
10/29 – Austin, TX @ Levitation Festival at Empire
10/30 – Dallas, TX @ Ferris Wheelers Backyard and BBQ*
11/8 – San Diego, CA @ The Music Box*
11/9 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco*
11/10 – Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall*
11/11 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theater*
11/14 – Seattle, WA @ The Neptune Theatre*
11/15 – Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom*
11/17 – Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom*
12/1 – Auckland, NZ @ The Others Way Festival
12/8 – 10 – Victoria, Australia @ Meredith Festival
2/12/24 – Liverpool, UK @ Metro Lola
2/14 – Bristol, UK @ The Jam-Jar
2/15 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
2/16 – London, UK @ Colours
2/17 – Birmingham, UK @ The Night Owl
2/18 – Sunderland, UK @ Pop Records
2/20 – Manchester, UK @ Yes, The Pink Room
2/21 – Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
2/23 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug & Pint
2/25 – Antwerp, BE @ TRIX Bar
2/26 – Brugge, BE @ Cactus/Brugge
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