26 Nov 30th–Dec 6th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | drummer will add that, and it’ll be great.” However, there were nonetheless obsta- cles to overcome. “And then there is the challenge of, ‘OK, how do we redistribute these parts in a live setting,” Saillant says. “And that just comes down to arrangement. I have a background in those instruments, so I will have to give up a little bit of creative freedom there on my end. But [the band] have really done due respect to trying to unravel the nuances that came from the bedroom world and then recreating it in a live setting.” Part of the solution, Saillant explains, has been to step away from the sampler and to write and structure things collec- tively in the moment. “I think part of it was, for sure, just coming together and playing more,” he says. “And then I started to arrange my music differently since I have an actual set ensemble in mind. So that helped a lot too, but it was cool and helpful for us to figure it out by sheer hours and how to re-create the older material. And then once we have that, I was like, ‘Well, now I can write within that sort of structure.’” However, there’s still a foundation that the sampler and its corresponding “philos- ophy” still provide for Saillant. “I still more or less do the same process of making every little part in detail at home and then re-creating it for a live setting,” he says. “But I definitely embrace the limita- tions now.” He adds, “Like I said earlier, it’s part of the passion of just sitting down in that workflow and space. So I have thought about that. It does create more work. But at the same time, it also doesn’t because we’re all busy people. So for me to send some- thing and say, ‘Hey, this is totally done. Here it is. I can write out your part or not, what- ever we need to do to learn this material.’” This involved, multi-stop process has worked, especially when you consider something like the recently released “Pijama Piyama y Los Ni ñ os De Rana” album. Equally whimsical and funky, the LP captures the magic and the earnestness of what Pijama Piyama are trying to do. The stories are there to explore as you see fit, but that unwavering passion and under- stated fire are apparent in every note. However, Pijama Piyama crafts cumbia music, and that adds a whole other dimen- sion to their efforts. “It’s definitely coming from a traditional backbeat,” Saillant says. “The rhythms are very cyclical. And I think having that cyclic nature really allows for a lot of creative liberties to be taken. I don’t really manipu- late a whole lot. That part is really trying to stay true to the roots.” He’s not alone in melding this deeply traditional music with electronic influ- ences and modern novelties; he mentions groups in Bogota, Colombia, and Mexico that are doing similar things. At the same time, though, he and the rest of the band are very much bucking up against certain traditions and beliefs about what defines Latin music. “The more traditional (cumbia) audi- ence may not be as interested,” Saillant says. “And I’ve even experienced that where we play and people want to hear just pure cumbia. And that’s expected. But there are still people, within the Latino community and outside, who want some- thing different. I would say it does tap into the large diaspora of Latino music and the Latino community.” He adds, “People hear Latin night and they expect a certain thing. Even the news media, when they try to cover Latino news and stuff, it’s very much in a box, but I don’t think that truly represents the wider spec- trum. So I think there are a lot of people who really appreciate that and say, ‘Yeah, this is stuff I want to hear. That stuff that’s a little more psyched-out and experimental.” But despite any pushback they may have gotten, Pijama Piyama continue to lean into what they do best. “(Cumbia is) such an involved music that we have thought about having some more theatrics,” Saillant says. “But at the end of the day for the live performances, people want to dance, and they’re not as focused on those elements with the story- telling and the imaginary characters. But I think definitely part of that translates when the music gets very, very silly and naturally animated, because we’re really moving up there.” Ultimately, though, any success, or even traction in the larger community, was earned by staying true to something elemental in Saillant’s life and experiences. “Part of it just comes from making the things that I just want to hear in my world around me,” he says. “And I’m certainly not the only person to think the same thing. So I think there’s some sort of collectiveness in that — like, ‘I would like to hear this in my city.’” Of course, just what defines Pijama Piyama continues to change pretty rapidly. After moving from solo project to full band, and working out a way to balance the various approaches of making music, the collective are at a crossroads of sorts. “At first it was that I had all this material already,” Saillant says. “Now that we’re past getting through it all, the conversation has opened to, ‘OK, well, now that we know each other well, if anybody has ideas, we could do the same process.’” So the band will continue to write and work on new projects, and perhaps tour some more across spring and summer 2024. The new path may be as uncertain as the one that came before it, but that’s where most of the fun and adventure comes from anyway. “The most recent album was really just us documenting and showcasing the whole process of turning this into a full ensemble,” Saillant says. “So moving forward, we’re going to be recording more smaller concept projects that tie into the specific styles we’re playing around with. Specifically, we’re going to be working on a more salsa-driven project. You’ve got to just sample your own life.” Fresh Beats from p 24
