J.R.C.G. - Cholla Beat

What this video is

Released August 2024 as a single from J.R.C.G.'s Sub Pop debut 'Grim Iconic...(Sadistic Mantra)', 'Cholla Beat' sits at the intersection of Pacific Northwest DIY underground culture and a broader 2020s resurgence of experimental post-punk. Justin R. Cruz Gallego, born in Tucson and shaped by the Seattle noise-rock and Iron Lung Records punk scene, channels Latino cultural memory — cholla cactus is native to the…

Why it matters

Represents the 2020s maturation of DIY experimental post-punk, where underground artists from noise-rock and punk scenes (Iron Lung, Dreamdecay) transition to major indie platforms (Sub Pop) without abandoning experimental aesthetics. The fusion of Latin rhythms, Krautrock, noise-rock, and…

The director

Mitch Wells is the bassist and co-founder of New Orleans/Baton Rouge sludge metal band Thou, formed in 2005. In parallel, he has developed a career as a filmmaker and music video director, having broken into the form by directing videos for underground bands…