C3zR:
Chicago pianist, songwriter, and producer Cesar Pino writes music with a location in mind, be it a beach, a rooftop while looking up at the sky at night, or even somewhere in the mainframe of Tron thanks to a consistent use of keyboards and synthesizers. Donning the moniker C3zR, Pinos project combines his background as a classically trained and jazz pianist with the electronic funk or soul of his favorite artists like Kaytranada, Daft Punk, Robert Glasper. Anyone could find themselves in the world Pino creates in his electronically produced but soulful debut album, ‘Round Voyage.’ When enlisting Rax Tracks’ Noam Wallenberg (The Oh Mys, Woody Goss of Vulfpeck, REVERB) for mixing and mastering, Pino brought other local guests to contribute to the album, ranging from Chicago singers Ifeanyi Elswith and Travis Percy, Jamal Damien on trumpet, and guitarist Paolo Apuli. Round Voyage off of 600 Block Records fulfills Pino’s vision to create a record full of ear-worms while also tracing Chicago’s musical history of soul, funk, disco, and house.
Pugs Atomz:
Designer, muralist. rapper, and radio host Pugs Atomz is a true hip-hop renaissance man. He has been able to tour the world performing his deep catalog, solo and with frequent collaborator DJ Vadim (The Electric, UK). His inspiration for all this stems from growing up in Englewood, where he would witness the performers on the Green Line train and see the murals and graffiti art in his neighborhood. Hip Hop Culture has always been his battery, so it was no surprise when he started a collective called The Nacrobats, in the mid 90’s. From that point, he began releasing albums from the collective and mixtapes frequently. By throwing parties and concerts at The Blvd Art Center and The Point Field House, Pugs solidified himself in the hip-hop scene including Open Mike Eagle, Psalm One, and more.
Sarita Songbird:
Sarita Songbird is a soulful mixture of intellect and passion. She boasts a rich, melodic narrative deeply rooted in love, feminism and empowerment. A Chicago based musician-her profound and ambitious sound bears bold influences in acoustic soul, alternative R&B, and pop. Born into a biracial household, Sarita embodies musical influences from her Latin and African American cultures. Her musical tapestry pays homage to her Puerto Rican culture with lyrics in English and Spanish. Adding to her unique magic is her mellifluous and soulful voice. Her resonant and warm vocal tones, paired with lyrics grounded in human emotion and deeply personal experiences are sure to captivate a room.
Imperial Boxmen:
Initially focused on recreating the songs sampled in 90’s hip hop, Imperial Boxmen grew their sound to original music under the direction of keyboardist Kevin Ford. Their sound sits firmly in the jazz underground of Chicago, drawing influences from instrumental hip-hop, 70s jazz-funk, and currents of afrobeat and ethiopiques music. Ford’s experience songwriting — working and performing with the late Fela Kuti drummer, Tony Allen and Chicago Afrobeat Project — and his work as an electronic music producer and downtempo DJ are all major influences on their sound.
