Interview: Mickey De Grand IV
Cosmic Chronic is a DIY vinyl and cassette label, located in the tropical swamps of Miami-Dade County. They produce heavy hitters from Miami-centric artists that all center around boogie and funk. Simply put, every track oozes a sweaty, sticky, 3-0-5 essence.
The label is run and operated by members of the Miami Players Club; a collective of South Florida DJs, comprised of Benton G, Stevezy, Edgar Rojas, Erick Rojas, Arun Brown and 2014 Red Bull Music Academy alum Mickey de Grand IV. However, at the end of the day, de Grand IV is undoubtedly the mastermind and architect behind the Cosmic Chronic trademark, the Prince of this Paisley Park.
A proud Cuban American, Mickey de Grand IV speaks over the telephone in a self-assured, buoyant baritone. He’s involved in nearly every project released on the Cosmic Chronic label. He’s the Psychic Mirrors heart-and-soul bandleader and lead vocalist; he’s one-half of Dreamboat, a collab with his friend Edgar Rojas; and recently he’s created Antoine Rocky-Horror, a joint venture with Psychic Mirrors bassist Adrian Molina.
This family approach made it all the harder when – on the afternoon of June 23, 2014 – de Grand’s close friend and housemate, Louis Salgar, was fatally shot in their home on 8851 NE Eighth Court. Louis was a beloved punk musician, bartender, brother and friend. Their home (Cosmic Chronic headquarters) was randomly selected for a robbery.
During the break-in, Salgar returned to the residence and was shot by the suspect with a gun that was already in the house. “Because of Louis’ murder, things really slowed down for Cosmic Chronic,” says Mickey. “This was the biggest thing to happen to me and my community in 2014.” In the wake of Salgar’s death, the Louis Salgar Fund was launched; its goal is to raise money for scholarships for “young creatives in the Miami and greater South Florida area.”
In this interview with Mickey, we talk about his origins, the Cosmic Chronic label’s distinctive artwork and more.
How did the Psychic Mirrors form? Discuss the kinship you share with your mini-orchestra.
I moved back from New York to start a band in Miami. A lot of the members were people who I already knew and who weren’t doing anything, so I reached out to them. You see Psychic Mirrors doesn’t fall below ten people. I do this purposefully because the sound needs it. That’s my philosophy; the music needs every detail in there.
The band’s roster changes, but it doesn’t necessarily change my path. It’s sometimes hard to keep it all together. We switch people around, but over time the music tightens up and becomes more focused. We toured out in California a couple of times. We mostly play in Miami, but not in West Palm Beach, we do this on purpose. It’s intentional, only Miami. I love the Psychic Mirrors; they’re like my family.
As a kid, we also jammed a lot of... Miami Sound Machine. That group was the most gangster shit ever. It was a bad time in Miami in the ’80s and ’90s... and that music made people happy, and still does today.
Talk about your musical foundation. Are you classically trained?
I am more of a composer than a player. I’ve been studying music and records since the mid to late ’90s. I received a dual music degree from The City College of New York in Manhattan with a concentration in both Jazz and Orchestral Composition and Arrangement.
As a kid, I was curious about 20th century chromatics and applied harmony found in Western Eurpoean (Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy) and Eastern European (Béla Bartók, Igor Stravinsky) music. I wanted to learn how to take music apart, analyze it and understand how it all worked. I didn’t have a computer until I was like 17.
This was the pre-Internet era and I grew up going to the Miami-Dade Public Library to read music theory books. I learned about chord changes and progressions. I would start off at the beginning of the books and methodically read through them, study and take notes. I was never good at school, but I always loved music.
What music did you listen to in your youth?
Growing up, I listened to a lot of Cuban crooners, dudes like Benny Moré and Miguel Cuní, classical music too, stuff like Mozart and Beethoven, and also jazz. My mom and godfather hipped me to the ’80s Funk, groups like Earth, Wind and Fire, The Gap Band and stuff like that. The Miami Players Club and I have been collecting records since we were little kids.
As a kid, we also jammed a lot of Gloria Estefan (The Queen of Miami) and Miami Sound Machine. That group, to me, was the most gangster shit ever. It was a bad time in Miami in the ’80s and ’90s, our shit was completely fucked up and that music made people happy, and still does today.
When did you start to make music?
It was my grandma who steered me in the direction of music. She wanted me to be into something and to have a positive outlet. She bought me a guitar and saxophone and encouraged me to pursue it. I seriously owe everything to her and my family. Over time, I learned how to play instruments. I took up the drums in junior high school and have been playing the bass since I was 12. I also know how to play the piano and guitar.
The Cosmic Chronic catalog has a distinct visual aesthetic and vibe to it. Who comes up with the cover art concepts?
Before I record the music for a project, I work on the design and cover art. It’s a lot of fun, opens up my imagination and helps guide my creative process. It started off with scissor and glue collages, but I recently learned how to use a scanner and Photoshop.
Muhammad Ali was great, but Mike Tyson was the greatest. He started from nothing and became the World Champion; we also started from nothing, my G.
How often do you record? What instruments are in the Cosmic Chronic headquarters?
I have a lot of music, but it never seems to be sufficient. We don’t think about it too much. If we really like something, we’ll put it out. We are always playing and always recording, and we don’t really wring our hands thinking about it. We do what we like. I’ll use whatever is in our Overtown studio, where we record, pretty much anything that I can get my hands on; piano, Rhodes, Yamaha DX7, Moog Rogue, Roland Juno-60 and also Prophet and Mono/Poly for Reason Korg.
What’s your vision for the future?
I’m trying to do something for my town, my city. At the end of the day, I want to make the shit that my people and I want to make. That’s it. My focus is on my records. We just feel this shit and listen to this shit. It’s our lifestyle, and not a dance party. You can quote that, Papi. Muhammad Ali was great, but Mike Tyson was the greatest. He started from nothing and became the World Champion; we also started from nothing, my G.
