Welcome to the NAMM edition of Los Angeles Nista, NAMM 2014. I'm Edward Solis, and here representing all the percussionists and drummers here at NAMM is Fredo Ortiz, a well-rounded individual who has worked with PC Boys, Offspring, Money Mark Band, many more, currently has a ton of projects to talk about, and his own band Bongaloids. Fredo, how are you? I'm good, brother. How are you, Eddie? I'm good. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Thank you, man. Just over here running around at NAMM. Let's talk about your first NAMM experience. How old were you? I was probably about 16 or 17. I went with one of my best friends, Louis Bettis, and he says, hey, my dad's going to this thing in Anaheim. You want to go? There's a bunch of instruments. I'm like, yeah, that's cool. He's like, but shoot, we need a badge for you, but here, you're going to be Robert Tovar for today. For today. For today. So I put on this badge. I was Robert Tovar. That was before they checked in. They checked IDs at the door. Yeah, exactly. And we walked in, and I was young enough, probably didn't care about gear as much, but when I walked in, it was like total candy store. And we just kind of followed his dad, and his dad had to do all these little meetings and stuff like that, and we just kind of ran off and did our thing. But that was first NAMM. That was my experience. And didn't really soak in the fact that I was here looking at new products or looking for people to represent me as a player. I was just 16, 17. It was about being here, and it was like you said, being a kid in a candy store. Yeah, exactly. Wow, wow. Okay, so let's talk about the dynamic of coming in, not as experienced, to coming while you're in the BC Boys. Let's talk about that dynamic. Now there's a lot of people that endorsed you and still do. It is work when you come now, isn't it? Definitely a lot of work. It's a lot of... I mean, for one thing, they're here to exhibit their new products. Not only one to the players, but more to people who are going to distribute and sell their product. But as a player and musician, you come in and you see what's new. For me, I didn't get into looking at endorsements until after I had toured with the BC Boys for a couple years. They had their own endorsements, so I kind of just came into a built-in system where here are the drums you're going to play. These are cool, right? I'd be like, yeah, that's cool. The first year that I actually did get to choose what I wanted... It was 2007. It was the mix-up tour for the BC Boys. And the person that usually dealt with the connection with all the companies wasn't there anymore. So I had to call myself and go, hey, what's going on? I'm touring with the BC Boys. They're like, sure, what do you need? And the deal that the BC Boys has, they would buy the product and they would own it. So I really didn't get the endorsement just yet, but I did get to choose what I wanted. It wasn't until after that that I finally said, hey, I want to do this. I want to do this. I want to do this. And then the next thing happened, I was like, hey, I should go check this out. I should go talk to these companies, since I am representing a band that's well-known around the world, and that usually helps with them wanting to help you out with their gear. So I went to all these companies. I went to Pearl, went to Zildjian. Zildjian was a big sponsor of the BC Boys. Vic Firth as well. Vic Firth came in through when I was playing in a band called Morningwood from New York, and I was just like, try these sticks. Now they make me signature sticks. Zildjian, the rest of the band, just the small ones. and Kirsten at Zildjian, you know, great deal, great people. They're all great people, and, you know, it's like, you know, you don't come here to expect anything for free. It kind of seems like the thing, like, oh, you know, I represent a band. There's so many bands here in L.A., like, how do you just expect to get something for free? You've got to work at that, too. You've got to be able to be the one to go out and talk to these people, you know, tell them what you're about, say that you're willing to, you know, use their product. But in the end, you know, you have their guitar, you have their drums, you have their microphone that you're using because that's what you've used all along since you were a kid. I went to Guitar Center and bought Remo drum heads, and, you know, so we supported these companies all along, and then now here we are, you know, older, you're part of a touring band, and they want to help you out. So now I come here to say hello, represent, take pictures, you know, and then look for the new stuff, see what's going on, and then, you know, want to use that. I go, hey, like, you know, now that I'm playing guitar in a band, you know, and I was just in the gig. You know, I met a couple of people there, you know, so it's like, you know, I'm going out there, and you have to do the front work yourself, you know. Right. Yeah, I think that's the business model for the music industry more than ever. The infrastructure is what you build, definitely. Yeah, yeah. Now, as far as the people you work with, as far as manufacturers, who do you work with as far as sponsorships and endorsements for drums and percussion? Well, the cool one was going with Pearl, Pearl Drums, because they also have a percussion department. And I was doing both with Beastie Boys. I was playing congas, timbales, tambourine, shaker, whatever. I was the auxiliary percussion. And not until 2007 did I get to play drums for them. So now I was Beastie Boy punk drummer and percussionist. So when I went with Pearl, they had the best of both worlds. You know, I love all the other companies. It's funny because you end up using every other company because every company has something that you can use. So how is it, you know, it's hard to, like, live, you know, live for just one company, you know. But you do it. You do it, yeah. So I signed up with them, and they were cool. They gave me a great drum set. They gave me a set of timbales, you know. And I've been able to use it on television. You know, they gave me a, they were making Japanese taiko drums. And, you know, I did a Jimmy Kimmel show, you know. So it was, like, stuff like that. When you're able, you know, I know with people like kids who are in bands starting out, you know, and they want to be at that level, it's just, you've got to just push hard and be in it. You've got to be in the game for a long time, you know, to actually, you know, gain these perks, too. It just doesn't come to you. I mean, it's definitely building a foundation. You've been off that foundation and being a work in progress. Yeah, totally. Now, as far as sticks, let's talk about your sticks. Sticks, Vic for sticks. You know, they're, they, I've used their sticks since I was real young. And that was something, I think, I think that was what I was saying earlier. I was like, I went to the companies that I was already using their product and liked it. And when I went to them and, you know, with the help of having the Beastie Boys and, you know, my resume, you know, it was one thing, and they said, yes, come on in, you know. And I, you know, the deal is sweet, you know, because when I'm not working, you know, I could get a little bit of discount. When I'm working, they provide, you know, for your job. You're going out for six months, dude, here, supply, you know. When you're not working, you know, they also take care of me, you know. And they do every, you know, for mallets, because I have a marimba at home. They do mallets. They do beaters. I was in marching band, you know. They do everything. Awesome. You know, so it's like, and then I have recently got a Bongaloids Fredo, you know, signature stick. So then, you know. They'll print my name on it, you know. And it's cool, man. It's such a pleasure to have that connection with the company, you know. That's great. I mean, you have your own sticks. That's pretty cool. Yeah, I mean, Lars Ulrich does, and so does Fredo Ortiz. There you go, you know. I mean, it's like, you know, since, like, when I was touring in 98, that was the world tour. And that's what these companies look for, is that you're going to be out there, you know, displaying their product, you know. On some platform, right? On some platform. And, you know, and I didn't do that. I didn't go after that, maybe because of where I was in life or, you know, the age. It really didn't concern me that much until later where I was just like, oh, shit, you know. I keep buying this stuff. I should probably be able to go in and see if I can, you know, strike a deal with them and see where I can still use their stuff and not have to pay as much because I am using it all the time. You know, and I'm working. I'm out there, you know. Exactly. I mean, it's so funny because it seems like, you know, a lot of people now talking about it. When I say a lot of people, I mean a local band that maybe has a little bit of a buzz in general, you know, that aren't really experienced, think that they're entitled to these endorsements and don't realize, as we stated earlier, that you've got to have a solid foundation built for yourself and touring and making records and the visibility. And even though you have the opportunity to be a part of the BC Boys and tour on that level in front of all those people, it's all about longevity and consistency. Yeah. You don't always have to be on that level. I mean, if you could provide a good product for them, records, pictures. Exactly. You know, in different scenarios, in the studio, video games. I mean, you do everything. I mean, you do a lot of work for video games as well, right? Yeah, definitely. Let's talk about that. Yeah, I just got done working with Woody Jackson over at Vox Studios in Hollywood, and we worked on the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto V. We had a team of, you know, 20 musicians that were rotating in and out of the studio, and Woody was capturing it all. Had the ideas, you know, we were doing, like, the funk tracks. And I came in as a drummer and a percussionist. Did mostly percussion, but drummers like Joey Waronker, you know, big-name people were coming through to play on this thing. And I had a buddy, this guy, Danny Chedwig, and he was my partner on percussion, you know. And so we had two percussionists, you know, and we had all this stuff. And, I mean, you know, since we're talking about gear and stuff, like, I look at our gear on the floor, and it's all mixed up. It's all, like, stuff from, like, Africa, you know. You just, you find your own parts as a percussionist, you know. But huge selling game, you know. We just did a live performance. The biggest. Biggest. I mean, it's crazy. And we just did a live performance of that soundtrack for the VGX Awards, the Video Game Awards. And they had a performance outside in downtown L.A. We backed up the game. Tyler, the creator. And there's all these hip-hop artists that rhymed over these songs that we created in the studio and now is in a huge hit-selling game, you know. So it's, you know, I'm grateful and lucky that I still get these jobs. But I have, you know, been in this world long enough to where, you know, I have a lot of people that, you know, respect what I do as a musician and want me to be involved. And, you know, then I get to do it, you know. That's really admirable. So let me ask you this. When you're in the studio making music for a video game, and the biggest video game in the world at that, I believe it is, or one of the biggest, when you listen back, I mean, what's the feeling you get knowing that, like, people aren't going to be playing this in their car as far as listening to a record, but every kid in their living room is going to be playing this and hearing your music? They're going to be hearing the music. And, you know, it's a trip because I was reading the message boards and people were like, oh, they're not using, you know, like licensed songs, you know, because there was all these, like, 80s songs. You could change the channel, you know, on the car. And now it's, like, you know, some down home, you know, just, you know, organically made music for a video game. And it's a trip to see their response to it. But, yeah, mainly they're into the game, you know, and the music in the background is just kind of a filter, you know, kind of keeps you interested, you know. And, like, I lost my train of thought. But what I wanted to ask was, that leads me to the next question. I mean, you front and lead your own band. You have a band called Mongoloids. You play guitar and sing. As an independent artist that has created his own band and has taken the driver's wheel and been at the helm of leading the band with everything that it takes to do a band, video games are important because that equals music placement and music placement equals money. Definitely. So what do you think as far as creating music and then once it's done and recorded and released, taking avenues to get it placed? I think if you, if that's what you're looking for, then you definitely have chances to do that and get your music out there. For me, I've met a lot of people along the way, you know, working with the BC's, Money Mark, you know, all these people that I, they all do that type of work. Money Mark scores movies and stuff like that, you know. So I've met a lot of these people. And now that I have my own record to promote, I get to hand them this record. And it's not going to guarantee me, you know. But video games are important. It could be a platform. I mean, you look at, you know, all the skate videos, I mean, all the skate, the video games, you know, you got the Bronx on there, you know, it's cool stuff. And those are all our friends, you know. So I was like, hey, you know, I think definitely I can be a candidate for that. And, you know, I try to listen to my music. Actually, I did think of movies and video games when I was making my record. Not necessarily that this is going to get placed on it, but I was just like, hey, you know, why not make something that you like, the sound that you like, and then maybe they'll like it, too, and put in their video. Well done. Now, let's talk about you being a very, you know, a purist when it comes to percussions and all these sub-percussions under the umbrella and full kit, everything. And having the experience you have playing with an act like BC Boys in arenas, in big, in big halls. In theaters, in, you know, stadiums around the world, being on that platform and even touring with Offspring. As far as that goes, and Money Mark was on some of those tours with the BC Boys. Being in that situation behind the kit and even in club situations with these major acts, and then now being out in front of the kit. Right. Is that a different dynamic for you? I mean, how much of a comfort zone is it? Is it not? It's definitely not a comfort zone for me because you're fronting, you're in the front. You know, you always make fun of the guy in front because he has to act crazy and be like, he's got to entertain. And as a drummer, I'm behind my wall of drums. I'm protected. You know, I'm sitting down. And then, you know, that's what I grew up doing. That's what I know. That's from the back of my head. It's a natural extension of you. Natural extension. You know, and percussion came along because my dad was starting introducing me to even the music. From Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, you know. So I knew what Latin music sounded like. And then he bought me those instruments and I, you know, related the two. And I was like, oh, okay, this is what I got to learn. But definitely, you know, playing and like the offspring and all that, like they hired me as a percussionist, you know. And I was looking at their frontman. Money Mark, a keyboardist, wrote his own record and became a frontman. I was like, okay, well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let me see what this is like. Let me see what I can do with this. And definitely stepping out, putting on a guitar that, you know, I've jammed on my own in my bedroom. You know, I learned a couple of bar chords when I was in the Villains from Louie and, you know, stuff like that. But I'm not a virtuoso guitar player. And all of a sudden I'm like, oh, damn, I wrote these songs. Now I've got to perform them. I had to step it up. I had to go back to school. I had to sit down and really learn my parts and then sing along to them. Be like, okay, I have a big responsibility. You know, like I've learned a new craft. I have to learn to be an entertainer. I have to learn to be someone who's going to communicate with the crowd now. Before, I didn't have to say anything. I mean, after a while, I was the drummer with the mic. We were like, oh, who gave the drummer a mic? You know, nobody wants to hear the drummer talk. And it's like, you know, but I used to do backup vocals, you know, in most of the bands and stuff like that. So I kind of had having that experience, you know, doing backup vocals for a punk band or anybody else, you know, gave me the confidence to try to sing. You know, up in front. And definitely, it's a huge task to take. And, you know, you got to work at it like anything else. You got to work at it, you know. And that was the point I was trying to articulate to all our listeners is the fact that even though you've done so much percussion around the world on different levels, it's a natural extension of you. And you've had the, you know, the ability and, you know, being great enough to go out and be on the platforms with the beat. And, you know, you've had the ability to go out and be on the platforms with the beat. And, you know, you've had the ability to go out and be on the platforms with the beat. And these huge places, whether it's a stadium, an arena, a club, Moneymark or Offspring, and then, you know, whoever else at the time you were working with, you know, and play these venues that are in between. It's kind of a thing like no matter how much experience you have, by fronting your own band like you do now, it's like relearning something, right? It takes work, energy, commitment. It's a new craft. Yeah, and being used to, like, you know, playing arenas. And, you know, one thing that kept me going. What kept me grounded was having good friends at home that I can come back to. And I always, you know, playing at huge arenas, I would always come back home and play, like, you know, a pizza shop in Whittier called Ambrose. You know, it's like I'd go from traveling the world to playing that. So it's like, you know, doing that really humbled me to the point where it's like, you know, I felt comfortable. I felt comfortable doing this, you know. Let's talk about your specs. Like, what gauge are your sticks? I use 5Bs. Wood tip. And I don't use anything else. I use Zildjian Timbali sticks, which are actually the Luis Conte model. And then for, like, because I do different styles of music. So for my rock stuff, I use the 5Bs. For my, like, Latin stuff, when I play Timbales mixed in with the kit, then I do, like, a 7A, you know, stick. Now, for a full kit, like, if you're going to be working with a band, you know, if, say, for example, you get hired on to do a tour, what specs do you use in full kit, like, for straightforward rock? Straightforward rock, I guess, that would be the band Tito and Tarantula that I played for. And we worked in Europe. And I had a 24-inch kick drum by 16 at a 13-inch rock tom, 16, 18 floor. So big drums, big cymbals. You know, I went to Zildjian and got, you know, the washiest cymbal. And, I mean, we were rocking out. We bashed, like, you know, it was, you know, we were doing soundtrack songs, because all of Tito's songs were on soundtracks, like Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, like all these movies. They're controlled recordings, you know, but live, like, he wants to rock. Like, he came from that world. He wants to fucking turn it up to 11 and just bash. And that's all we did. And I brought that energy. And we had, for that run of 2008, 2009, like, that's what we had. So that's kind of a rock setup that I do, you know. So now that you're currently fronting and leading your own band, Bongaloids, you're a drummer, a percussionist, a well-rounded one. And now you're out front writing the songs, playing guitar, and singing. Do you have a lot of requirements for the drummers you work with? Like, do you have to play this gauge? I'm looking for this sound. Tell me about it. I think I recently asked my drummer, Alexander Gonzalez, which ride he was using. And he's like, oh, yeah, you know, it's the 20-inch K light ride. I'm like, yeah, you got anything heavier? Because I wanted that. Like that bad religion ping ride, you know. And he's like, yeah, I think I got one of those. But not right now. I was like, I'll lend you mine, you know. I'm not too picky. I try not to be picky. I try to, like, let everybody control their world. Because that was what people did for me when I came into a situation. You know, I didn't know their music. You know, now I'm playing their music. I'm like, what do you need? How can I adapt to this? How can I make you sound good as well as me keep happy as a drummer? You know, some drummers come in showing their chops. And sometimes bands adopt that, you know. Sometimes somebody wants a specific part, you know. Money Walk's a good example where he, I came in early on with him coming from the Villains. I was used to punk rock. I come in with him and he's doing, like, down-tempo funk stuff, which just requires a simple beat, like a do-tsh-tsh, do-tsh-tsh. No fills, nothing, just simple beats. That's something I had to learn, you know. The discipline. The discipline to adapt to his music. Because he even told me, he was like, no, don't do all the fills. I don't want a lot of cymbals. Just give me a beat. So I had, you know, I had to learn that. So I don't expect a lot from my drummers. I do expect them to know what they're doing. Of course. Of course, of course. But I guess that's me and searching, you know. And I haven't really been that picky, you know. People that have been interested, you know, they're like, I'll play, you know. And I'll see their, I'll hear their level, you know. And I won't criticize it. I'll let it happen. I'd have to adapt to what they're doing, you know. Gotcha. If it's somebody who still needs a lot of work, you know, I'll work with them and try to, because I can speak their language. That's one thing. That's exactly what I'm saying. That's one thing that the drummers enjoy is that I can speak the language with them. But then because I did record the drums on all the records, whatever I did, you know, is not, the next person can't just copy it because they have a different style of their own, you know. So they're trying their best to try to emulate what I did. And in the end, I'm just like, get the idea and make it yours. You know. And I think that's, again, another point I was trying to bring to light was the fact that, you know, if you're behind the kit playing for someone and the guitarist turns around, you know, who's singing is like, dude, no, I want this. But he doesn't know anything about drums. You're like, what are you talking about? But when you or Dave Grohl turns around to their drummer, it's like, you know what you're talking about. Yeah. You know what I mean? You get the quick result and, you know. Yeah. Yeah. So it's kind of like, you know, you know, the kind of sound that comes off certain sticks that rebound off snare skins. Yeah. And. Yeah. The kick pedal and a certain dimension of a kick drum. You know, you want a bigger wash. You get the, you know, you want the Bad Religion ping. You want a wider, you know. So I think all that comes into play and you probably are able to get what you want quicker. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. You know, and I've noticed that most of the drummers I've worked with, you know, because I've done some patterns of my own and some songs, you know, it's a challenge for them, which is awesome, you know, because it's awesome. Like, you always want to feel challenged when you're playing, you know. And. And you also want to, you know, make it easy too on yourself. You know, you don't want to work too hard. So some, some people, you know, they take their time and take it home and practice like, you know, like I'm still doing that to this day, even though I'm fighting my own band, I'm still, you know, touring with bands that I have to learn their songs within a day or two. You know, that's like 13 songs. Well, that's been a professional, though. You're called on and you're, you're conditioned with your eyes and ears and your hands to do that. I mean, some people can't even fathom. You can't fathom doing 13 songs in 13 days. Right? Right. No, exactly. Yeah. So, so tell me, let's move on to guitars. You're playing guitar in the band. Do you have any guitar influences and vocal influences that you want to share? Not really. I've always been one, I guess, that never paid attention to the name or who was doing it, but knew what I liked. Neil Young was definitely one sound that I liked. And only because I heard him in concert. And that was only like a couple of years ago at the Hollywood Bowl. And I was just like, I was blown away by the notes he was playing. And then you're like, I get it now. This is why he's great. Yeah. You know, and then like, but I, I had, you know, I had direct influences around me, which were, you know, became family. But it was like David Hidalgo and Luis Perez. Luis Perez, who was a drummer in Los Lobos first, but it became a guitarist. And I would listen to his style, totally different style from Dave, you know. And you got Cesar Rosas that, you know, has a different style. Right. So I was picking up from them. And then I had direct teachings from Luis's son, LP3, Luis Perez III, who was showing me bar chords. And when I was younger as well, I had lessons in guitar. I went to Cal State LA for a morning conservatory, you know. So I was getting schooled here and there, but never took it that far like I did drums. And even on drums, I don't have like specific people. I just listen and play, play along to it, you know. It's like, I mean, I, now, now. This older age, I do pay attention, you know. There's like Steve Gatson, you know, he's an old funk drummer that's played for all the hit records, you know. And he, that's somebody that, you know, I was like, oh yeah, you were who I was listening to. I just didn't know your name or even knew who your band was, but I knew the style, you know, would try to emulate, you know. So definitely, you know, I've been influenced by a lot of people. I just don't, I never really like to get into specifics. I don't know. I have, there's many friends that I have like, oh, you know, I got this guy and this guy. I play like this guy. Maybe that's. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For me, that's something that keeps my mind fresh where I don't have that on me where like, I'm trying to sound like, you know, Ace Frehley or whatever. It's like, I'm just doing my thing, doing what I think sounds good, you know. And I finally had to buy a better guitar because with the one my mom bought me, you know, it's like kind of flimsy. I was like, I was like, I look at Louie's guitar and he had nice heavy Gibsons, you know. And I'm just like, okay, I got to find something, you know. And I was on tour with Tito and Tarantula and they were endorsed by Duesenberg. And I was able to buy one through them. And, you know, it's, you know, I still couldn't tell you what the pickups are. You know, I couldn't tell you what kind of wood it is. It's half hollow body, but it sounds good. You know, that's one thing that I like, you know, I've plugged it into the amp and I get a good sound, you know, makes me happy. And lastly, articulate what the sound of your band, Bungaloids, is. If you had to file it in a record store, where would it be? Where would you file it? And tell us a little bit about the sound, because I know it's, you do all the writing, lyrics and music. What is it like? Tropical punk? Tropical? Tropical. Boom, tropical with a little bit of alterna, alterna cumbia. Man, my sound, I don't know, comes from what all the influences and experiences I've had playing music live. You know, I started in a punk band, went to a ska band, Latin jazz ska band, excuse me. Learned the Latin side of things. Then I joined the Beastie Boys, was the hip hop side of things, as well as punk rock and percussion. And then I'd come back home and I'd play with groups, local groups like Cava, you know, that were mixing ska and cumbia, you know. And I mean, even the band Yeska that I was in, like mid-90s, we were doing, we mixed Latin jazz and ska and we turned it into salsa. So I was learning salsa. So all that kind of mixed into my sound. And, you know, I was a big fan of Jawbreaker. So it's like, you know, that was a big influence. You know, that I have songs that sound like that. I have songs like, I don't even, I don't even know what they sound like. I always kind of hate describing my music. I'm just like, just listen to it. But I always wanted to like, no, I would like to describe it. But punk rock, hip hop, I'm a big fan of hip hop in the 80s. I used to buy Dr. Dre's mixtapes at Rhodium Swapmeet. So there's a very, you know, strong hip hop influence in my heart. And I did a cumbia on the record. You know, I even did some electro stuff. You know, I was into like drum and bass and stuff like that. So I was just, everything that I've been exposed to over, over the years, just kind of morphed into what the bongoloid sound is. And there is no category. And I kind of like it that there is. Because the feedback that I'm getting from people is they're like, they like the mix. They like it that it keeps changing, you know. And there's something fresh every time. But you would go look back and be like, man, if I was signed to a label, they would have to like kind of narrow me down. They're like, okay, well, are you going to do cumbia? Are you going to do the punk rock? Are you going to do the hip hop? Let's narrow it down. You know, and then you would have a hard time trying to be, you know, what other people wanted you to sound like other than what I want to sound like. And I'm sounding like what I want to sound like. And, you know, so far the feedback has been amazing. My record is about to come out. I just got the covers for it. I'm putting it out myself. I did a Kickstarter for it. Got funded, you know, had the support of people who bought the record, pre-bought the record without even knowing what it was going to sound like. You know, I don't have any videos out there. I don't have anything prior to the release. So this is going to be my debut release, you know, coming from, you know, touring for all these years. I want to do this on my own and share that sound with people, share, you know, what I'm doing. And still right now I'm trying to think of what I can call it, and I have no idea. Well done. Well put. And Fred Ortiz, thank you so much for being a part of the NAMM 14 Los Angeles Nista coverage episode. Thanks, brother.