Welcome to pcmunoz.com, the cyberlair of sonic adventurer and wordsmith PC Muñoz.
About PC Muñoz
PC Muñoz's upcoming multi-media project, The Country Side, finds the art-funk recording artist and producer creatively exploring another new and unexpected musical milieu: traditional country music.
After releasing and promoting Pop-Pop (Deconet Records), the acclaimed cello-and-beats collaboration with composer/cellist/ longtime Kronos Quartet member Joan Jeanrenaud in 2010 and unleashing Micro-Jams, a free-download collection of "mini-songs" in mid-2011, Muñoz found himself with a bit of time to ponder his next solo project, and an inviting stack of country and singer-songwriter LPs from the 70s kept him company.
Inspired by the poetic lyricism of country's finest songwriters, Muñoz began sketching the concept for the project in the fall of 2011, at first not knowing whether it would take the form of an album, an elaborate art installation, or one-time concert. Described by Muñoz as an "attempt to capture the rich, emotional storytelling of the country and singer-songwriter traditions in a singular multi-media work", The Country Side is slated for a late 2012 debut.
PC's unique genre-defying projects as an artist and producer have historically been stylistically broad and deep, revealing a sonic explorer equally at home with quirky electronic funk, all-acoustic hip-hop, percussion-heavy improv, text-driven spoken-word, and contemporary classical. His partnership with composer/cellist/longtime Kronos Quartet member Joan Jeanrenaud has yielded two highly acclaimed projects: the Grammy-nominated Strange Toys and the iTunes-charting cello and beats duo album Pop-Pop. A frequent and enthusiastic collaborator, PC has recorded with rock legend Jackson Browne, dream-pop poet/chanteuse Ingrid Chavez, Prince and the Revolution synth wizard Dr. Fink, Kulintang virtuoso Danny Kalanduyan, San Francisco visionaries Broun Fellinis, and countless other musicians and recording artists across a wide range of genres.
PC's past multi-media project collaborations include 2005's award-winning project Twenty Haiku, as well as Light Haiku, a 2008 public art installation in San José, CA, with kinetic sculptor Chris Eckert, and ongoing performances with dance/improvising visionaries Vadim Puyandaev and Erika Tsimbrovsky of Avy-K Productions.
PC began his career in San Francisco in the early 90s as a R&B/Gospel drummer and indie producer, while teaching elementary school by day. In 1998, he ditched the sideman status and launched his solo artist/label entrepreneur career, releasing his debut solo disc, The Trouble I'd Bring You on his own label, Beevine Records. Beevine also released 2002's CMJ-charting A Good Deed in a Weary World, 2004's Golden State mash-note California (featuring Jackson Browne on the title track), and 2005's Twenty Haiku. He then delved further into production and artist development in 2005, co-founding the unique record label/private recording studio entity Talking House Productions with Seagate CEO Steve Luczo and 5 close music industry colleagues. Known as the Bay Area's premiere studio with the only SSL-9000K console in Northern California, the former Talking House facility is now called Studio Trilogy, and hosts everyone from local up-and-comers to pop mega-stars like Lady Gaga and will.i.am.
Born and raised in San José, California, amidst innovation and entrepreneurialism, Muñoz now resides in San Francisco.
UPCOMING PROJECTS AND APPEARANCES
July 4, 2012
worldOne Festival
Cerrito Vista Park
950 Pomona Ave
El Cerrito, CA
11:15am sharp--festival timing!
FREE PC will play a set of originals at this free outdoor festival with a unique new trio, which features Michael Cavaseno of P-Funk's Katdelic on guitar and Amen Corner/Left Hook stalwart Danny Zingarelli on electronics.
July 19-21, 2012
Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre
G/F 111 Shau Kei Wan Road
Kong Kong
Times and ticket info TBA PC is collaborating with the amazing dancers of Hong Kong's Muse Motion for a series of performances at the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre featuring beats and live percussion by PC, the choreography of Allen Lam, and ferocious woodwinds and electronics work by the mighty Kyle Bruckmann. The appearances include a special educational performance for students on July 19 and a conversation with all of the artists on July 21.
August 11, 2012
Rhythmix Cultural Works
2513 Blanding Ave
Alameda, CA
7pm and 9pm
$20 PC will be on marimbata and percussion for Carmen Jones' Deja Vu Tribute Band project, which plays the music of the late, great Teena Marie.
HIRE PC!
PC Muñoz is available for select audio/music projects as producer, beatmaker, and cajon drummer, and freelances as a content creator for websites and mobile media, specializing in compelling writing and engaging audio/sound design.
Visit PC's LinkedIn page here, view the promo video for his web content work here, and contact PC directly at the address below for all inquiries.
BRAND NEW! PC is featured in "Reticulata", the killer new video by apocalyptic romanticist Jane Woodman. Check it out here.
THE LATEST! In addition to preparing for exciting performance collaborations both locally and internationally, this spring and summer PC is in the studio producing Oakland pop/R&B artist Chase Martin. PC and Chase are working on a collection of phenomenal songs with a staggering group of A-list bay area studio talent--watch for a teaser single from Chase later this year!
PRINCE TRIBUTE ALBUM! After a long stint in label limbo, PC's cover of Prince's "Sign 'o' the Times", featuring Dr. Fink of Prince and the Revolution, is slated to be released this year, as part of a unique Prince tribute album. Check out a teaser snippet of it here.
FREE COLLAB TRACK AVAILABLE NOW! "I Can Barely Breathe in Here", a hyper-funky collaborative composition/sound collage joint, is now available as a free download here!
SUPER-FRESH KEV CHOICE TRACK PRODUCED BY PC: Oakland/Atlanta hip-hop powerhouse Kev Choice's new album, The Power of Choice features "Arietta", a classical/hip-hop hybrid based on a Grieg composition and produced by PC. You haven't heard anything like this! Download it here, and peep the video above!
SFCV INTERVIEW: PC and composer/cellist Joan Jeanrenaud were interviewed by Sly Stone biographer Jeff Kaliss about their performance at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall for the Davies After Hours program. Read it on the San Francisco Classical Voice site, here!
VIDEO GUIDE: 1. "Hippie Girl" from PC's Micro-Jams project 2. Video for the mega-collab track, "I Can Barely Breathe in Here" 3. "Counterfeit" from the Micro-Jams project 4. PC's remix of Ingrid Chavez's "By the Water" single, featuring PC on drumkit, synth, and marimbata 5. "Arietta" by Kev Choice, produced by PC 6. "33 1/3" from the album Pop-Pop by Joan Jeanrenaud and PC 7. "I LOVE YOU" -free 2012 single 8. "Get Up and Get Over", 2011 single 9. "Family Matters" from PC's Grab Bag album
Press
"Dark, sexual, sensual, confessional, and confrontational--all at the same time...a poet." Performing Songwriter
"3.5 Stars (for Pop-Pop). This cello-and-percussion team moves through 10 tracks that are alternately tantalizing, mesmerizing, even somber at times." DownBeat
"(PC Muñoz) is truly a modern musician, equally at home with a live band, playing the most organic of instruments...or hunched over a computer, making beats and working magic with ProTools..." Tom Chandler, East Bay Express
"Muñoz's tasteful electronics, effortlessly balancing hard-hitting syncussion with bouncy basslines and buttery synth washes, are the perfect counterpoint to the thought-provoking words he spits out with an incomparable cool....undeniable talent for crafting songs that stimulate the mind and the body." Amorn Bholsangngam, Urb Magazine
"Somewhere between hip-hop attitude, Minneapolis nasty and latin rock playa chops, PC Muñoz has an instantly compelling sound that defies definition..." Rickey Vincent, author of "Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of the One" and host of KPFA's "The History of Funk" radio show
"Compelling beats, clever lyrics, and special guests, such as cellist Jean Jeanrenaud, make (Grab Bag) an enjoyable listen." Electronic Musician
"...undeniable stage presence...laid-back, but commanding...the show is a left hook all right---and a knock out at that." Mike Osegueda, Fresno Bee
"Great work. It's all too rare to hear someone breaking new ground in the pop field." John Zorn, Composer
"... PC Muñoz consistently redefine(s) himself, sailing effortlessly across artistic categories..." Marian Liu, San Jose Mercury News
