bone black: a ritual for bell hooks
This polyphonic choral reading happened at SFMoAD on April 13, curated and conducted by my partner Courtney Desiree Morris. I did sound design and live recording, and a bit of bells during the ritual. It was a joy to work with a beautiful team of friends as both part of the performance and the documentation. We are sorting through and editing all the footage. Stay tuned.
New song: Ocote Soul Sounds "Blues for Ukraine"
How to fully express the deep grief in watching the slow motion buildup of aggression, the growing carnage, the racism that seems to emerge even within crises that should unite? Sometimes peace feels like further away than ever. Yet we persist.
New album: Martez "Shadow Work"
The second in a series of works initiated in the beginning of the pandemic to sonify the overwhelming feeling of loss. Let the grief wash over you.
Collab: Sopera de Yemaya with Courtney Desiree Morris
Three short films (and counting) with my favorite person on the planet, Courtney Desiree Morris. I do music and sound design (among other duties) on her ongoing series “Sopera de Yemaya” for the Gallery TBA21 in Madrid. Click the image below to view the series .
New Music: Chris Gabo "Price of Anarchy"
I spent a month of early morning sessions with singer / MC Chris Gabo engineering vocals and adding a sparing amount woodwinds and keyboards. The sessions were a lot of fun and we got to become good friends. He’s a great lyricist and gets into a vast amount of emotional territory and never fails to crack me up. In his other life, he’s an accomplished playwright and screenwriter: you can his work on HBO’s “In Treatment,” “Parasite” and more to come.
Antibalas: 2022 Tour Dates
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
Buy at bandcamp http://martez.bandcamp.com
Stream on major platforms here: https://share.amuse.io/V4UvcTaZMf9z
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.