The band is back on the road in 2022 with a new repertoire as well as a few old gems.
New Single / Video by Martez: "Don't Make Me Wait"
The video for the new single”Don’t Make Me Wait” by Martez. Instruments, composition and video by Martín Perna
New Music: Martez - Lamentos
A new album very unlike any of my others- minimalist instrumental sonification of various moods, feelings and moments of the first eighteen months of the pandemic reality. Recorded in Oakland, CA.
New Music: Martez
Once upon a time a young man would walk along on the bayou. He followed a princess to the cold north, where he was trapped in a barn. The princess cast a spell and released him. He followed the sun to where it swims in the water.
I had a lot of time to myself during the pandemic, away from the musical mobs I have worked with for the past 25 years. I’ll be back with them for more, but in the meantime, enjoy these sounds.
New Music: Daptone Soul Revue: Live at the Apollo
This was the culmination of twenty years of work dating back my days in the mid 1990s on the lower east side, with Gabe Roth and pounding the pavement in search of other musicians who wanted to rock like this. The album was recorded over three nights at the Apollo Theater. I’m glad it’s finally out for the world to hear.
New Music: Ocote Soul Sounds "Sal Si Puedes"
“Get out if you can”, is the best translation. A lot of things to get out of, a lot of things to get into. I wrote this and played the instruments, drums, bass, clarinets, flute, saxophones. My inspirations on this were Yusuf Lateef, Cymande, and RZA. Enjoy the vibe, and stay safe.
Stranger Sounds: The Stranger’s Guide Playlist
Stranger’s Guide recently invited me on as contributing editor to create curated soundtracks to each of their issues (12 so far and counting). Enjoy!
Writings: Artist Bios for Cochemea & Okuté
Over the past few months I was asked to compose artist bios for two of my favorite current artist/groups - Cochemea for his new Daptone release “Baca Sewa Vol 2”, and the Havana-based group Okuté for their self-titled debut LP on Chulo Records (distributed by Daptone). The music speaks for itself. Enjoy.
Summer 2021 News
Time continues to march on. I’m at my studio a lot, just collaborating with MoonRun on a new film soundtrack at Tiny Telephone in Oakland, dipping into the the studio for some last-minute horns to the new Toro y Moi album, and vocal engineering and production with vocalist Chris Gabo, writing new music for the next Antibalas record, and taking care of my baby daughter.
Stranger’s Guide, the literary / travel magazine of which I’m a contributing editor, recently won two major magazine awards: the ASME / National Magazine Awards for 1) General Excellence, Literature, Science and Politics, 2) Photography. This was a big win as the only other organizations that won more were the New Yorker and ProPublica.
I’m also excited to announce the release of an album I’m on, a long time in the works, Daptone Super Soul Revue - Live at the Apollo. My group Antibalas, along with Sharon Jones (RIP) and the Dap Kings, Charles Bradley (RIP), Naomi Shelton (RIP) and the Gospel Queens, Sugarman Three, Budos Band, Menahan Street Band did three nights at the Apollo in December of 2014, the culmination of a summerlong tour through Europe.
