‘The Return of Pachyman’ is a supernatural force from a brave new world that’s a little bit San Juan, a little LA, and a whole lot of Channel One in Kingston, Jamaica. Designed to be a resurrection of sound systems from the past through which we can celebrate a post-Trump future, the record shows that blasting off into reggae’s deep space has never gone out of style.

Pachy García (aka Pachyman) is perhaps best known as the drummer / vocalist for the LA-based band Prettiest Eyes, a unique pop-noise project that reflects his other formative interest, synth punk. He thinks of ‘The Return of Pachyman’ the same way King Tubby might – an ‘X-ray’ of reggae music, breaking it down to its bare bones. Originally a guitarist, he moved to Los Angeles in the early 2010s and developed his passion for dub. From there, he started recording bass, drums and piano and collecting recording equipment in his basement studio, which he calls 333 House.

With ‘The Return of Pachyman’, García wants to show how the Caribbean flow is transnational, a vibe that resounds from Jamaica to San Juan to Southern California. “With this project, I was looking to make positive music and radiate good energy; something to kinda disconnect from the negative things that were happening at the moment,” Garcia explains. “I am trying to make this project a service for humanity in the sense that I just wanted to shine a positive light.”