They could be an obscure band from some musical rescue compilation in time, as Soul Jazz Records has already gotten us so used to. But fortunately Pelada definitely belong to the here and now – with all that sense of urgency that the moment brings. Chris Vargas and Tobias Rochman are the Canadian duo of global trends, in essence and style, that knows no boundaries to art as a reflection of reality.
They bring an indelible punk mentality, without prophecies or theories. They take issues related to the feminine condition and the monster of capital (and other metaphorical crows that fly over our society) as fuel. In tune with this time, the Latin voice of Vargas and the abrasive electronics of Rochman signify genuine garage bangers. The ironic confrontation in the combination of these elements makes them an irresistible force.
Movimiento Para Cambio was a bullet in 2019, arriving with the label of PAN, that bigger house that in the past has offered us luminaries like Yves Tumor, Arca or Eartheater. A record full of effervescent ideas and worldly chronicles, we hear Chicago’s acid house in flirtation with exploratory reggaeton or with more visceral afro beats. A treatise on hedonism, yes, but – seemingly antagonistically – also on political consciousness. There seems to be no time to waste on the Pelada for unnecessary complexes. And this mere attitude is just and only what we need right now.
With incendiary passages in luxurious concerts like Primavera Sound and Mutek or urban temples like Berghain, Pelada transport this furious, sensual, intelligent and primal revolution to the stage. Another unprecedented concert to make the walls sweat, where everything is allowed except apathy. AT
