Pachyman has shared “Goldline,” the second offering from his upcoming album Switched-On. The project is set to arrive on September 29 via ATO Records.
The Josh Fink-directed video for “Goldline” is a joyous clip that conveys Pachyman’s unique, creative aura, complete with grooving drums, funky bass, and playful guitar. While conceptualizing Switched-On, the artist born Pachy García gravitated towards listening to Lovers’ Rock-era reggae and transmissions from the iconic Studio One Records—a thread that surfaces in “Goldline.”
The song, inspired by García’s job at a hi-fi listening bar that plays a lot of disco and funk at night, intentionally pulled at a “Studio One disco-soul vibe” with a splash of dub mixed in. The track follows the lead single and video “Trago Coqueto,” a cheeky love song and a poignant ode to his life growing up in Puerto Rico, as well as the first Pachyman single that features his own vocals front and center.
Though based in LA, Pachy García’s music is immersed in the world of the Caribbean, with the basis of his sound being derived from his native home in Puerto Rico. Laced with nostalgia, Switched-On pulls from the island’s musical scene from the 1990s, when Puerto Rico was embracing new wave Jamaican riddims which were later combined with traditional Boricua sounds.
In keeping with the themes of sentimentality, Pachyman uses his Korg Poly-800 to pay homage to a generation of Puerto Rican artists who first began experimenting with synthesizers, all the while allowing his music to ebb and flow. His previous album, The Return Of Pachyman (2021) is more of a direct response to the sounds of his musical heroes, especially King Tubby and Scientist, and on the new album Pachyman aims to move his art forward while simultaneously honoring his roots.
Pachyman has headlining performances in Philadelphia and New York in late September ahead of a full Fall tour alongside labelmates Altin Gun starting October 27.