When Jon “Li’l Jay” Pelletier self-describes Fly Sugar Money as “electro-funk, house, trap that controls the masses,” you can get a sense of how seriously the group of Penticton musicians, artists and collaborators take the project.
“It’s really a riddle wrapped in an enigma,” Pelletier laughed.
The Martian Campfire Remix is surely unlike any music video ever before, with dance moves, BMX tricks, local actors and supporter of the arts and odd, quirky, hilarious digital animations.
Fellow member of Fly Sugar Money, Will “HOFF” Hoffman, a local visual artist, does the catchy beats and additional vocals, digital animation and editing for music videos, while Pelletier has a more traditional musical background.
“For me, I’ve been making music since I was like five when I was first put into piano lessons because I kept smashing the keys on pianos whenever I saw them. Since then I’ve just had to (play). I’ll get this anxious energy and I’ll have to bash out some music. That’s what music is for me, but Will is…”
“Just having fun,” Hoffman laughed. “The last album we wanted to be almost listenable.”
Fly Sugar Money put out their first mixtape in 2012 and the group recently released a music video shot in Penticton with the help of Daniel Larusso of the grunge/punk duo the Karate Kids and hip-hop dance instructor Jake Evans. The avant-garde style of Fly Sugar Money is humorous and bizarrely engaging, stepping up their profile with the notable inclusion of New Jersey rapper Pacewon.
Best known for his work with Mr. Green and prior to that the group Outsidaz (who at one point collaborated with Detroit megastar Eminem and the group D12), Pacewon was approached digitally by Hoffman to do a verse on Fly Sugar Money’s remix.
“I messaged him on Twitter and said something like ‘hey, can you do a verse, I’ve got X amount of money,’ and he said ‘yeah, sure.’ I pestered him with emails for a couple of months and he came through with the verse,” Hoffman laughed.
Indicative of the shrinking world in the Internet age, Hoffman did it on a whim as a fan of Pacewon.
“I thought he was a really good lyricist and somewhat well-known. I thought he could bring something different,” said Hoffman. “He was just doing his thing and it’s a good contrast with the rest of the song because he’s just so aggressive in it, really punching those lines.”
Laurosso shares a verse on the remix which was recorded at Saint Germaine’s Café, where they had to “turn the radio down,” in the café to record it.
To check out the video visit www.willhoff.ca and a digital download is available for $2.