“…ludicrously infectious…It’s a slice of absurdist neon-drenched pop with an equally surrealist accompanying video” – Stereogum
Holiday Mountain’s psych-aerobics video for “Cómo Te Llamas?” has debuted to give the first taste of the upcoming album SHIA, due August 12. Imagine if Adult Swim had Carmen Miranda direct an aerobics instructional video after taking four tabs of acid, the internet would implode, and thus, we would have Holiday Mountain’s “Cómo Te Llamas?”. Laura Patiño and Zander Kagle teamed up with Mexican Institute of Sound and director Brittany Reeber to create the final product, creating a unique, futuristic Cumbia-electronic hybrid .The video and single serve as the official announcement for the upcoming full-length, SHIA, out this fall.
About “Cómo,” singer and subject of the video Laura Patiño explains, “[the video] was inspired by my long time love for Jane Fonda-esque aerobics videos, absurdist artists like Eric Andre, and what we call ‘digital-punk’ style video editing; born from Youtube culture and the cyber revolution that has allowed us as humans to put out whatever expressions we want regardless of how unorthodox they are. I wanted the viewer to feel empowered by the fact that we have full ownership of our unique bodies while also acknowledging our culture’s ludicrous commodification of individual body parts, youth, and what it means to be healthy.”
The Austin duo of Patiño and Kagle combine hip-hop, electronic, reggae, dub, and Cumbia to create their own genre of heavy futuristic dance. Patiño cites surprising influences, such as Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse, that, along with the visuals and Kagle’s production, manifest itself as art in the leagues of Major Lazer, Die Antwoord, and Peaches. SHIA is a balanced mix of freaky club bangers with a touch of vulnerability and sweetness. Says the band, “For us, SHIA signifies the end of compromise and the end of fearing what others will think or do when you become exactly who you want to be. SHIA is realization with a fuck-everything-else attitude.”
Holiday Mountain is an electronic music duo founded by Mexican-American songwriter/keyboardist Laura Patiño and drummer/producer Zander Kagle. The two met in Boston while attending Berklee College of Music and together found a genre-expanding sound, fusing together their affinity for pop, hip-hop, and electronic music. The result is a force so strong that when describing their sound, NPR exclaimed, “resistance is futile.”
“After witnessing their atomic live set, you’ll be rendered breathless,” says SPIN Magazine, who also named the band one of their favorite things from SXSW 2015. “Make sure to watch to the end,” urges The Wall Street Journal, as audience members are regularly exposed to glittery crowd surfing, sweaty drum solos, and being fed cake until they reach “a cacophonous climax.” (SPIN)
Holiday Mountain’s addictive blend of upbeat, hyper-electro sounds and the ability to not take themselves too seriously while addressing deeper subjects places the band in a perfect position to become the next big thing. Let go and lose yourself in “Cómo,” viewable now and catch the band on tour opening for Beats Antique this fall, and prepare yourself for SHIA in its entirety.
Catch Holiday Mountain Live:
7/16 – Austin, TX – Solstice Festival
9/24 – Abeline, TX – Key City Block Party
9/25 – Austin, TX – Pecan Street Festival
10/27 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom *
10/28 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory *
10/29 – Austin, TX – Emo’s *
10/31 – San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater *
* = with Beats Antique
Musically Amusing 