Da Rico is the title under which Patrick McMahon releases and performs his music, which he has been doing since he first got his hands on some equipment back in his teens. Since then, Da Rico has developed into a project that sees horns, percussion, guitar and MCs come together in live performances over head bobbing beats, blending intricate arrangements with improvised solos to make for a really fresh sound.
The project have supported acts including Charli 2na, The Mouse Outfit, Harvey Sutherland, FaltyDL and Banana Hill, and have collaborated with talented musicians such as Slam the Poet, Brother Portrait, Izzy Risk, Cecil B and Otis Mensah.
Although the name of his new release “Rico Tape” may suggest a lo-if beat tape, each of the 5 tracks are centred around markedly different grooves, taking the listener from hip hop through footwork and wonky funk to a mellow, jazzy cumbia in just over 20 minutes.
‘Zopilote’, meaning vulture, is a mellow guitar-led footwork tune whose name comes from the marginalised Náhuatl culture of Mexico, where Patrick produced this EP. In addition to these touches of Mexico in Rico Tape, the photo used for the artwork was taken in the state of Veracruz, where Patrick has researched and written about the region’s traditional music.
Patrick will be playing out this EP with his live players, along with other tracks he has lined up, as soon as he gets back on English soil. Until then, Rico Tape will be available online for streaming and purchasing from Friday the 24th September via his bandcamp and all updates on Da Rico here.