Solo Works
“RAILROAD CADENCES & MELANCHOLIC ANTHEMS:
A Drummers Tribute to JOHN FAHEY”
Led by drummer José Medeles (Breeders, 1939 Ensemble, Revival Drum Shop), Railroad Cadences & Melancholic Anthems is a drummer’s tribute to guitarist and DIY iconoclast John Fahey. Joined for a series of guitar and drum duets with M. Ward, experimental guitarist Marisa Anderson, and Chris Funk (Decemberists, Stephen Malkmus), it’s a genuinely honorific project, featuring not Fahey compositions, but rather a series of improvised rendezvous inspired and informed by his looseness and rhythmic idiosyncrasies. Recording in the comfortable setting of Bocce Recording by John Askew in Vancouver, WA, 2020.
Now available on Jealous Butcher Records
Reception (2018)
RECEPTION is a sonic exploration and homage to tranquility and freedom. Medeles’s 3rd solo percussion/drum release, this body of work is his first with a mallet focus. Drawing inspiration from nature, art, and simplicity, RECEPTION is the result.
Art of Slowness: The Halfling Session (2018)
THE ART OF SLOWNESS explores mental landscapes, a patchwork of moments lived and those that have not yet been experienced, weaving enchanting notes that string together the tapestry of your mind. Unlike the driving sound of 1939 Ensemble, THE ART OF SLOWNESS offers ambience and restraint and hints of dreamscapes past.
The Cabin Tapes (2018)
THE CABIN TAPES is a result of 14 days writing and recording in a rustic cabin located in the Deschutes National Forest. Inspired by solitude, nature and non-distraction. All recorded to my Tascam 388 tape machine. All proceeds from THE CABIN TAPES will be donated to The Audubon Society of Portland.
RANDOM UNDERDOG STORIES (2002)
MEANING AND RHETORIC (2008)
As drummer José Medeles set out to develop a solo improvisational performance, he enlisted director Kiino Villand to carry his vision from concept to visual fruition. More than merely a demonstration of skills, Meaning and Rhetoric evolved into a full blown documentary delving into the thought process behind the brilliantly dynamic musicianship of a world class drummer.
TALE OF A DYSFUNCTIONAL DRUMMER (2005)
