Music is in Cochemea Gastelum’s blood—he comes from a long line of musicians on both sides of his lineage. For over 25 years, Cochemea has built a distinct career as a soloist, and composer/arranger, collaborating on stage and in the studio with artists across genres —from his long tenure with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings to work with Kevin Morby, Run The Jewels, Jon Batiste, Amy Winehouse, The Roots, Archie Shepp, Mark Ronson, and Quincy Jones, among many others.

His forthcoming album on Daptone Records, Vol. 3: Ancestros Futuros, completes a trilogy that includes All My Relations (2019) and Vol. 2: Baca Sewa (2021). For Vol. 3: Ancestros Futuros, he gathered a core group of longtime collaborators—a powerhouse octet of New York City percussionists and members of Daptone’s famed rhythm section. Gabriel Roth (aka Bosco Mann) returned as producer and mixing engineer, capturing the band live to 8-track analog tape.

Cochemea’s previous releases have been praised by DJs and critics alike. His Daptone debut, All My Relations, was a family reunion of sorts, uniting spirits, musicians, and melodies across time and space. Leading a nine-piece ensemble, he recombined ancient elements—drums, winds, and voice—into a deeply personal meditation on the interconnection of all things. Vol. 2: Baca Sewa expanded this exploration into the archives of family history, mythology, and the cultural imaginary.

Pitchfork called All My Relations “equal parts spiritual journey and irrepressible funk.” MOJO awarded the album four stars, noting “its message of harmony and oneness is universal,” while Downbeat described Vol. 2: Baca Sewa as “radiating like a flower from beginning to end.”

Vol. 3: Ancestros Futuros is anchored in the cultural fabric that has nurtured Cochemea from the beginning. A California native of Yaqui ancestry, Cochemea describes a central part of his work as “accessing ancestral memory that comes in different forms— sometimes when you visit a place, sometimes in dreams… it’s in our DNA.”

“For me, it’s about seeking wholeness in these zones of fracture.” Dreams play a vital role in his creative process. “A lot of melodies come to me through dreams,” he shares. “I’ve kept a dream record for years, shaping the language into what I call dream scores.” One such score appears on the back cover of Ancestros Futuros, reflecting the intuitive and layered nature of his work. This dream-guided approach carries into the album’s opening track, “Transmisión del Soñar,” which serves as a “portal” between dimensions, echoing his connection with both the dream realm and the dynamic interplay of time and space.

The album is also shaped by stories of survival and resistance. Regarding the title track, “Ancestros Futuros,” Cochemea explains, “I was thinking about survival as a continuum connecting past and future generations,” a theme that echoes throughout his compositions.

Cochemea’s musical and spiritual synthesis is made possible through his reverence for the horn, and the music and traditions that precede him. His distinct voice as a saxophonist and flutist places him within a lineage of players who honor the past while blending dexterity with invention.

Inspired by heroes like Eddie Harris, Yusef Lateef, Jim Pepper, and Gary Bartz, he coaxes his instruments into intimate and expressive realms, bridging ancestral rhythmic traditions with forward-looking vision, to create a signature sound that is both deeply rooted and expansive.

With Vol. 3: Ancestros Futuros, Cochemea continues to expand his work, blending past, present, and future into a ritual offering—an evolving sonic fiction carried across space- time, where memory, survival, and imagination converge.

Cochemea recently signed to Red Light Management (Alex Kadvan and Sam Connor) for management and Crossover Touring (Josh Brinkman and Kate Begani) for touring.

Praise for Cochemea:

“A thought-provoking, welcome addition to the cosmic jazz uprising.” – MOJO

“equal parts spiritual journey and irrepressible funk.” – Pitchfork

“Cochemea channels cosmic jazz-funk on ‘All My Relations.” – Rolling Stone