Pelada
Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances Pelada will not be performing at Pique :(
Pelada, the duo of singer Chris Vargas and producer Tobias Rochman, broke out of
Montreal’s underground warehouse rave scene in 2014 after uploading tracks to
Soundcloud which caught the attention of the global dance music scene. They spent the
next five years touring the globe extensively before signing with Berlin experimental
label PAN in 2019 and releasing their debut LP ‘Movimiento Para Cambio’. A record
which Mixmag included in their ‘Best Albums of the Decade’ list, Resident Advisor
named it ‘One of the Best Records of 2019’ while DJ Mag asserted “they are a vital and
contemporary addition to dance music’s punk cannon”. The LP was featured twice on
the godfather of punk Iggy Pop’s BBC6 radio show who personally told his listeners
“They always wake me up. I like this.”
Their collaboration is a blend of urgent Spanish language vocals centered around
themes of power, control, social justice with hardware samplers, synths, and drum
machines. The unique sound has led them to perform in many different contexts,
whether it be entire tours opening for more traditional punk acts like Iceage and Shame,
to the exact opposite, performing live during peak times at techno clubs such as
Berghain.
In 2023, Pelada return to the live stage for a 3-part world tour. Part 1, which concluded
in June, included stops in Italy, Switzerland, Japan, and Australia. Part 2 will see them
visit the USA, Canada, France, and Germany in support of their highly anticipated 2nd
album 'Ahora Más Que Nunca,' which they are self-releasing. The new album features
notable guest appearances, including Zambian-Canadian rapper and 2020 Polaris Prize
winner Backxwash and trumpet player Aquiles Navarro (of Irreversible Entanglements,
Impulse! Records). Both Pelada’s sound and ethos translate to a galvanizing live show that will spring
dancefloors to action in festival contexts, switched-on club zones, and punk bunkers
alike.
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