Patryk Tenorio ’11 wields the instruments of his art with precision. Performing since his senior year in high school, the junior crafts his latest pieces with tools from both the new millennium and the century before it, and cites the influences of a variety of different artistic genres. Tenorio is the CEO of Cavalry Music and Apparel, a company he started two years with a high school classmate. And just what are this Cavalry member’s weapons of choice? A laptop and a turntable.
Tenorio creates “mash-ups,” a genre of dance music made by layering existing songs and beats, using either computer software or live “scratching” on turntables. The style has been recently popularized by such artists as Girl Talk and last year’s spring performers The Hood Internet. Tenorio records under the name P-10, and has released three mix tapes in 2009 via the Internet on his company’s cavalryrecords.com. Patryk formed that company in 2007 in Austin, Texas, where an unusual turn of events allowed him his first look at the recording industry.
“Austin is the live music capital of the nation. It just so happened that my [high school] soccer coach was is married to the sister of one of the Dixie Chicks, and his brother is married to one of them … My soccer coach introduced me to some influential people who pointed me in the direction I’m at now,” said Tenorio.
After that, Tenorio decided to “get professional” about his music interests. He and a friend recorded a rock album, and proceeded to make 200 copies to sell at their high school. The two quickly sold out of their LPs, much to their surprise.
“It was awesome to sell one, let alone all 200! Then we thought, hey, we could really do this,” said Tenorio.
Tenorio and his friend (who has since left the company) visited a county clerk’s office in Texas where they obtained a business license. Cavalry Music and Apparel was born shortly thereafter.
They settled on the more “militant” name after a full morning of debate. “I like to think of us fighting against all the mainstream media out there and help[ing] the smaller artists take the spotlight. They deserve it,” said Tenorio.
Today, the company has grown to represent all sorts of art forms, including music, visual art and clothing design. Their Web site, cavalryrecords.com, features interviews with both established and up-and-coming artists, including a recent interview with the prominent DJ Tiesto. It also sells apparel, showcases musical acts (including Tenorio’s own P-10), and even offers educational facets, through a function which allows users to look up different guitar chord progressions. Tenorio hopes this will spur users’ musical juices.
“That’s what I’m all about, creativity, so its only natural we have something that initiates creativity as well,” said Tenorio.
The company recently featured the graphic artwork of Wooster alum Emma Powell ’09 on their website. They have been involved in the production of 10 records, either full-lengths or EPs. Currently, another staff member, Alex Verderber, is working on putting out his own rap and hip-hop recording, which the company will produce. They are currently looking for more alternative-rock bands to produce.
It would seem that people are having that sort of a good time listening to P-10, who has recently been interviewed on prominent music blogs such as whatthemashup.com and the UK-based randomthoughts.co.uk. The act even has a chance of being featured at the upcoming festivals SXSW and NXNW, where Tenorio would have the opportunity to showcase his music at a DJ set. P-10 is currently in negotiations with the event coordinators.
Tenorio says that he wants to continue to bring something new to the mash-up table. “A lot of artists, like Girl Talk, only focus on laptops. That’s cool, but I’m a huge fan of DJs and old school turntables. I’ve become in love with the art of turntablism. There’s really no artists doing that right now — taking their mash-ups and mixing or scratching them live. It creates more interactive performances.”
Until he can bring those kinds of performances to his audience, Tenorio is working on finishing the last of his four mixes to complete his first “set” of mash-up recordings.
“I’m a perfectionist, I want to make sure everything is done and as solid as possible and then I’ll start getting it out there full force.”
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