Life can be a perilous, unpredictable & yet a rewarding journey. Many times the pathway bestowed upon us is unknown & through our own personal courage we still manage to navigate it with the fears of failure, the pitfalls of danger & the obstacles of own self doubt right beyond the boundaries we tread. In some we have all seen it lead to incessant self-destruction & in others towards a campaign of self fulfillment & better yet, self actualization. Houston born producer, Ramon Villarreal has cultivated the latter in his musical career (& to the benefit of many musicians in the Texas metal scene). Having first built his musical reputation as the recruited drummer for one of San Antonio's most revered band's, Upon A Burning Body, Ramon, not only exhibited his drumming accumen (at the band's early performances & on the band's LEGENDARY debut, 'The World Is Ours'), but also proved that a musican's part in the industry can vary as one's personal values evolve. I've known about Ramon for many years now, but earlier this year his namesake, 'Lord Cocos' crossed my interview desk & I realized, not only how active he was in producing heavy band's in the Houston scene, but how well respected he'd become as a master of his craft. SO, in the interview below completed here in the RMW Studio on November 13th, 2021 I had an opportunity to sit down with the man & hear ALL about it. I found our chat to be both enlightenting & encouraging, because Cocos is a person who gets it! He understands the vitality of relationships, which as you will see is quite evident in this interview. He held nothing back & took our cameras through his own precarious odyssey. You will see him discuss: his musical beginnings playing drums at his mom's church, his introduction to heavy music, moving to San Antonio at 19 to join UABB, how the early suit/tie look for UABB came to be, recording TWIO with Will Putney, forming the band Dead Like You (with Miggy of Relent), getting the 'rockstar' out of his system, his introduction to producing, forming his studio, DARK TONE AUDIO, his NEW musical goals, who gave him the name 'Coco', the death of Joey Jordison & MUCH more! I'm quite pleased on how this interview came out because it embodies ALL I strive for when I speak to artists: truth, intergrity & transparency. We are definitely ending out 2021 strong with this one! Thanks to Ramon for coming to SA to work with RMW Crew & to ALL the fans of Texas metal for watching. Enjoy! ~ El Mero Metal
4 дек 2021
