Memo Pimiento

Memo Pimiento is a fusion of Latin American cumbia culture (Peruvian chicha, Mexican sonidera, Colombian cumbia and Argentinian villera) and European electronic music culture (synthpop, krautrock, industrial) with a psychodelic hint. Memo is a live producer and musician who throws sounds and samples from analog and digital modified synths and effect boxes, supported by a frenetic girl singer/MC, a rampant percussionist and wraparound visuals. Mexican musician Memo Pimiento grew up in D.F. Mexico City, a crazy metropolis of 25 million people. He lived in various barrios (neighbourhoods) of D.F. and also in some small towns like Playa del Carmen on the caribbean coast and San Miguel de Allende in the centre of the country. He studied at a classic music school, but stopped these studies to play rock and electronic music in various bands. He did courses on sound design to introduce himself to electronic devices. Later, when he worked at a local TV channel, he composed and produced music for TV adds in a totally commercial context and had to learn all the different popular music styles for this job. Thanks to that he could revalue and appreciate the popular rhythms like cumbia, salsa, polka, etc. Around the same time he started a project where he used different popular rhythms to make electronic lounge music in a jazzy vibe, which was called Pimiento Pastel. This is also where the name Memo Pimiento came from. In Mexico he met his girlfriend Manon Amen, who is Belgian and from Brussels and together they have a daughter, Mua. In 2012, they were invited to play at the famous Fusion Festival in Germany with the lounge music duo project that they had at the time. They played the festival and afterwards decided to live between Europe and Mexico. Brussels was a perfect base for its very cosmopolite vibe and with an interesting open musical scene and context. Memo and Manon formed an electro pop duo named Zorroz. Meanwhile Memo was also working in different music groups such as a Belgian group that made music for children in Flemish schools, an African reggae hip hop band, a Mexican Mariachi music band and even doing a residence project with trip hop and experimental music with a female singer at the Acienne Belgique venue. At a sudden moment Memo was ready to plan his own alternative project. This happened in January 2016, while he was on vacation in the Canary islands. Walking on the beach, he heard a beat in the distance that reminded him of Mexico, like when you arrive to a barrio street party and you hear and feel the bass. When he arrived to the beach hut where the deejay was playing, it actually was not cumbia, but just house music. He started to imagine melodies played on analog synthesizers and it seemed a good idea to him to play popular cumbia songs as if played by Kraftwerk or Depeche Mode. Back in Brussels Memo started to work on composing and covering versions of his first band Pimiento Pastel and songs from bands of friends in Mexico like Vetiver Bong and Xicury Dub, as well as older popular cumbia songs but in an electro cumbia version. The cumbia of Memo Pimiento is a different kind of cumbia than the traditional styles. Memo is a big fan of old gear and loves to modify them, even circuitbending toys for his sound and can all be heard in his compositions. The Memo Pimiento setup consists of a few 80's synths, a 90's sampler, Arduino soundcards and pedal effects, either analog or modified. Manon Amen (or nicknamed Man.on), is the voice of the band to literally switch on the people during live shows. She is not always the singer, but she brings the festive vibe on stage into the crowd, shouting and dancing with the people. Their third band member, Victor Hugo, is a Cuban drummer and percussionist. Memo knew him from a salsa group that he once worked with in Brussels and loved his way of playing. He thought it could be great to have acoustic drums on their live shows on top of the synthesizers and the drums sequences. Three very different persons that make up for a good dynamic on stage. Many songs on his 2018 album 'A Todo Dar' are instrumental songs. Some titles are tongue-in-cheek jokes. Like 'Maria de los Aguacates', because in Mexico there are many virgin saints, every town and barrio has its own virgin Mary and for some people virgins appear in rocks, holes, plants, or anywhere possible. 'Maria de los Aguacates' is Memo's own personal virgin that grew out of an avocado seed. Some other titles are inspired by the images you have with the melodies and sounds, like 'Elegant Comme Un Elephant' is like seeing an elephant coming right your way on full speed to crush you! 'Chacahua' is the name of their favorite Mexican 'Jamaica' beach on the Caribbean coast, put in a context of a pure 'barrio' street sound. Memo's music is happy with a good sense of humour and frenetic tenacity. The album 'A Todo Dar' can be seen a personal product of Memo's life in Belgium and Mexico, between these extremes and different worlds, which are opposites sometimes. He created a tripping sound with contrasts but with human senses inside, bringing the sun and heat to Belgium and the cerebral creativity of popular music in Mexico. Memo has performed in Mexico, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and has shared stages with artists like Meridian Brothers (CO), Golden Dawn Arkestra (US), La Dame Blanche (CU), Sonido Gallo Negro (MX), Retumba! (MX) Ali Guagua (MX), Anarkia Tropikal (CL,) Rafael Aragon (FR), Rebel Up! (BE) and many more to come.