Stoic Frame Reunion: Matias “Mato” Pizarro

Matias Pizarro was born in Santiago, Chile then raised in Brazil, El Salvador, and eventually the United States. He started playing music at age ten, first absorbing Brazilian Samba rhythms and then learning Central American Cumbias and American Classic Rock during his teenage years in war-torn San Salvador. “We used to sneak out of our houses to go play rock n roll under palm thatched roofs in sketchy dives where you would hear nearby bombs and shootings. The older local musicians seemed to find it amusing, and they took us under their wing and showed us the ropes,’’ says Pizarro. While in Central America, he played saxophone and drums in bands throughout out middle and high school, one of which obtained a sponsorship deal with Levi Strauss of El Salvador when he was barely fourteen.

Later on during a three year stint in New York City, he studied drum set technique at world renowned music academy called Drummers Collective in the heart of the city as well as conga and Latin percussion with prominent musicians from the scene.
But Matias’ genuine musical style was defined during his tenure as drummer for Stoic Frame in Albuquerque, NM and then Los Angeles – mixing rock and funk beats with a Latin blend of rhythms, and incorporating the congas, djembe and cajon. Matias also participated actively in the Spanish lyric writing process and co-managed the band as well.

Stoic Frame’s accomplishments in the music world include national distribution, a #1 charting song on the national Spanish Rock Radio & Records charts, having music featured on major network shows such as The Shield on FX, and videos in regular rotation on MTV Español International and Univision. The band was the first independent act ever to reach the number one spot in the Latin Alternative genre. Stoic Frame toured and recorded relentlessly throughout Canada, the Southwest and the West Coast.

Concepts of Percussion

While playing with Stoic Frame, Pizarro was also a founding member of Concepto Tambor, an Afro-Latin hip hop outfit where he honed his Latin style drumming chops (Brazilian beats, afro Latin, salsa and Cumbia). Later on in his career, he discovered the electronics scene in Los Angeles, and with his band Mezklah, explored loops, sampling, sequencing and production. The band blended drum-n’-bass, Cumbia, trip hop and Afro-Cuban beats to create a unique style of music, and played renown LA venues such as Viper Room, House of Blues, Hard Rock Café, Ford Amphitheater, as well touring Mexico and securing a label deal in Japan prior to its sudden break up.

Matias has been involved in numerous other projects in Southern California and New Mexico. He currently lives in San Diego and plays with Marujah, as well as collaborating on an electro-organic dance project in NM called Tesuque Revolt. His main instruments are the drum set and congas, but he is proficient in all Latin percussion, and more recently in production and electronic music using Ableton Live. He is an eclectic musician with an extensive recording catalogue that can seamlessly transition from Rock/Pop to Latin and Electronica.