Imagine a compilation album featuring the talents of Santana, Black Eyed Peas and the Roots. Or better yet, mix eight talented musicians from diverse ethnic backgrounds, add some eloquent Spanish rap and pounding Latin beats, throw in a dash of serenading jazz horns and a pinch of alternative rock and you have the vibrant sound of 40 Watt Hype.
Commanding an undeniable presence in the independent music scene, the hip-hop group describes their music as, “White meets Black meets Chicano meets unity when rural-urban street talk combines with songwriting.”
The group hails from Fresno, Calif., and is composed of Aaron Wall (vocals and percussion), Brian Robinson (vocals), Enrique Gonzalas (guitar), Sean Alderette (drums), Bronson Garza (bass), Jared Dyar (percussion), Adan Infante (trombone), and David Hull (keyboards).
The band tucks a lengthy list of accomplishments under their belts, including a shared stage with prominent musicians such as Ozomatli, the Roots, 311, Fishbone, and the Pharcyde. The group also performed with hip-hop artist Ludacris at the Sundance Film Festival and went solo to perform during every San Francisco 49ers home game in the NFL’s 2005-06 season.
40 Watt Hype released their third album, Strong Feet on the Concrete, in 2006, and currently has a fourth album in the works with a release date set for mid-2007.
And the most respectable aspect to the group’s success: they remain unsigned.
“Our sound is a fusion between our styles and cultures,” says Aaron Wall, whose ethnic background is mostly Dutch. “This band reflects the diversity of our hometown, Fresno. Our members are white, black and Mexican, and we want our music to reflect this in a pure and reputable manner.”
Wall, known to his fellow band members and fans as Awall, raps in Spanish and shows off his distinctive talents with Latin percussion instruments during every show. Wall says he’s loved all genres of music since his younger years and has always contributed his skills to a band.
Wall found a permanent home with 40 Watt Hype after all eight members noticed each other’s similar styles and began experimenting together. Everyone belonged to a different band at the time, Wall says, but all desired to spread the same positive message to their fans.
“Our music is always uplifting,” Wall says. “But on the rare occasions when we do write a song with critical undertones, we make sure to provide positive solutions to the situation we’re criticizing.”
This statement best rings true in tracks three and four of Strong Feet on the Concrete, which portray and evaluate the current trends in music and popular culture in the United States. Track three, “Jerry Gente Interlude,” is a parody of a big-wig music agent who encourages his clients to “focus on appearance and forget about writing their own lyrics” and to “perform celebrity stunts such as DUIs to gain media publicity.” Track four, “Controversy,” then jumps in to musically present this immoral advice and while evaluating the current direction of the music industry.
And, Wall says, with the cutthroat circumstances and image standards presented to musicians today, the music industry has never been tougher to break into.
While Wall and 40 Watt Hype revel in their impressive accomplishments and ability to reach a wider and wider fanbase with each album, Wall stays strong with his position on the oil and water mix of a musical career and a college education.
“A music degree from a university is valuable, but it doesn’t prepare you for the harsh realisms of the music industry,” Wall says. “If you want to make it as a musician, you need to dive into the industry and make your own school. Play with other musicians who expand and enhance your talents, and constantly practice and hone your skills. Real world experience is everything when it comes to etching out a successful path in the music industry.”
The band’s extraordinary unending dedication, which acts as the underbelly for their career, exemplifies in the treacherous trip from Malibu to Flagstaff the group took last year. The group signed up for a January show in Flagstaff, not fully realizing the harsh winter conditions until they hit icy roads and drove past nine car accidents on I-17 at a crawling speed of 5 mph.
“We were two hours late for the show, but we made it to Flagstaff in one piece,” Wall says. “To make it up to everyone, we played as long as the venue would let us. We were still playing our hearts out at 2 a.m, but it didn’t matter because everyone had a great time.”
This year, 40 Watt Hype plans to captivate and entertain Flagstaff fans during the warm summer months instead.
For those interested in checking out 40 Watt Hype’s energetic sound and live stage presence, be sure to attend their Sat, Aug. 18, show at Flagstaff Brewing Co., 16 E. Rte. 66, at 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.40watthype.com.
