For more than 25 years, Cochemea has carved out a singular path as a soloist, composer, and arranger, bridging genres through an impressive array of collaborations. From his long-standing role with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings to work with artists like Kevin Morby, Run The Jewels, Jon Batiste, Amy Winehouse, The Roots, Archie Shepp, Mark Ronson, and Quincy Jones, his saxophone has become a trusted voice across musical landscapes.
His upcoming release on Daptone Records, out on September 23rd, Vol. 3: Ancestros Futuros, marks the final chapter in a deeply personal trilogy that began with All My Relations (2019) and continued with Vol. 2: Baca Sewa (2021). For this new installment, Cochemea assembled a tight-knit octet of veteran collaborators—featuring NYC percussionists and members of Daptone’s revered rhythm section. Longtime ally Gabriel Roth (aka Bosco Mann) returns as producer and mixing engineer, capturing the ensemble live to 8-track analog tape for a raw, resonant sound.
Vol. 3: Ancestros Futuros is anchored in the cultural fabric that has nurtured Cochemea from the beginning. A California native of Yaqui ancestry, Cochemea describes a central part of his work as “accessing ancestral memory that comes in different forms— sometimes when you visit a place, sometimes in dreams… it’s in our DNA.”
“For me, it’s about seeking wholeness in these zones of fracture.” Dreams play a vital role in his creative process. “A lot of melodies come to me through dreams,” he shares. “I’ve kept a dream record for years, shaping the language into what I call dream scores.” One such score appears on the back cover of Ancestros Futuros, reflecting the intuitive and layered nature of his work. This dream-guided approach carries into the album’s opening track, “Transmisíon del Soñar,” which serves as a “portal” between dimensions, echoing his connection with both the dream realm and the dynamic interplay of time and space.
Album Tracklist
1. Transmisión del Soñar
2. Otros Mundos
3. Ancestro Futuro
4. Omeyocan
5. Pyramid of the Sun
6. The Land Swallowed Them Whole
7. Seeing
8. Procession of Spirits
9. Chiokoe
