SONG PREMIERE: Pitter Patter Hits Hard On “Afterlife Ritual”

Since the age of 14, Jonathan Perez has been carrying the beat as a drummer for various bands in his hometown of Houston, TX and will soon be releasing (Aug. 19) his solo debut album, Realms, as Pitter Patter.

This record is the culmination of four years of healing, persistence and patience. The album, Realms (Big Heart Sound), was created with an emphasis on the process. To not rush or push anything in one specific direction but to allow the work to evolve organically and to encourage self-discovery. Realms is a roadmap of the journey through deep valleys and steep mountains that we all must take.

The early stages of this record began a few months after Jonathan’s 2-piece noise project, Female Demand, split up in 2012. This transition was a turning point in Jonathan’s life that was abrupt and life altering. Jonathan used the money that was left to him of the band’s funds to expand his toolkit with a Roland SPD-30 drum pad and Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer. Compelled to continue to make music and experiment, he discovered a new formula for his sound.

Giving a name to his new voice, Pitter Patter was created by applying his knowledge of noise and experimental rock and combining it with colorful synths and driving drum machines. Refining his sound further, he made the decision to forego the electronic drums to return to his classic live drum sound. The result is groovy, contemplative instrumentals paired with tough drum rhythms.

Glide Magazine is premiering “Afterlife Ritual” off Realms which mixes the raw heavy spontaneity of Ratatat mixed with unrelenting beats reserved for those that like their beats vital and genuine.

“When I wrote this song I was working 12 hour days and leaving work at 5 in the morning,” says Perez. “I’d work on the track whenever I could find the time, whether it was at a coffee shop with my girlfriend or working alone in my studio in the early hours of the day. I meticulously pieced chopped up samples of old fuzzed out bass riffs to accompany the frantic drum machines. You could say it’s an auditory snap shot of the time”.