BSKi EP RELEASE AT 12 GRAPES THIS THURSDAY – A BLEND OF LATIN RHYTHMS, 90’S R&B, FUNK AND HIP-HOP

(December 27, 2016) – 12 Grapes in Peekskill is one of the most influential proponents of local, live music. In keeping with this, on Thursday evening (8:30 PM) the venue will host an EP release event for BSKi, the new solo project from Brian Collazo, frontman for Live Society.

Brian has always been a 12 Grapes favorite, and the venue is excited to celebrate his EP Release. BSKi’s debut EP “Keep It Light” blends Latin rhythms with 90’s R&B, Funk & Hip-Hop.

Brian Collazo, also known as BSKi (pronounced “bee-skee”), is a singer and songwriter based in New York City. The first generation “Nuyorican” grew up in Haverstraw listening to his father play guitar and sing classic boleros by the likes of Rafael Hernandez and Trío Vegabajeño. The youngest of four, he and his siblings followed suit and began harmonizing and singing along to their favorite jams by New Edition, Jodeci, Boyz II Men and countless others.

That family band became R&B/Pop Trio Élan, featuring his older brother Kevin and cousin Jason, and were developed and signed to Columbia Records before becoming a casualty of the notorious record industry cuts of the aughts.
Élan evolved into Soul/Pop collective, Live Society, who recorded three albums together and were fixtures on the indie NYC circuit regularly performing at notable stages like The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall, among others. Songwriting duties were shared between Brian and guitarist, John Kaiteris, adding an interesting mix of folk and pop-rock styles to Collazo’s R&B/Soul aesthetic. “I was listening to Tony, Toni, Toné & Mint Condition records, while John was coming from the Eagles and Extreme,” Collazo laughs, before adding “but it all worked because we agreed on an organic production approach and a love for harmony.”

2014 brought an air of upheaval as the dissolution of Live Society occurred simultaneously as a vocal injury threatened to permanently end BSKi’s singing career. Opting to undergo a risky procedure to remove what’s known as a sulcus from one of his vocal cords, BSKi wasn’t able to sing for four months and had to face the unanswerable question: “who am I if I can’t sing?” Fortunately, he had a full recovery and emerged from that period with a new focus, sound and record.

The five songs on BSKi’s debut EP “Keep It Light”, produced by Greg Mayo (Bernhoft, Brooklyn Sugar Co.), are the product of his most prominent influences. At times blending Latin rhythms with 90s R&B, Funk & Hip-Hop in a style he half-jokingly refers to as “sancochofunk,” (sancocho=stew or gumbo), he adds a tongue-in-cheek lyrical approach for a uniquely personal record. “Both musically and lyrically, these songs sound and feel more like me than anything I’ve ever done,“ Brian says.

“Keep It Light” is now available worldwide.

12 Grapes is located at 12 North Division Street in Peekskill.