Promis (musician)

José Francisco Promis Hoyuelos or Jose F. Promis (born January 28, 1973 in Viña del Mar, Chile) is a Chilean-American singer-songwriter and composer,[1] son of the well-known Chilean literature professor José Promis[2]

Promis
Promis at the Hungry Roses concert,
Berlin 2016
Born
José Francisco Promis Hoyuelos

(1973-01-28) January 28, 1973
Viña del Mar, Chile
Musical career
GenresNouvelle chanson, pop, indie pop, electronic music
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Keyboards
  • Piano
Years active2005–present
Labelsdarumeshi records
Websitewww.promis-music.com

Personal life

As a four-year-old he and his parents emigrated from Chile to Tucson, AZ, as his father fled from the Chilean regime under dictator Pinochet. Promis graduated from the University of Arizona in Media Arts & Journalism and in 1997 he moved to Los Angeles, working several music industry related job.[3] Promis also learned to write songs and piano performance becoming a full-time musician in 2008.

Music career

Promis' music combination is a style of music which he calls "Electric Cabaret"; the songs can either be played on a solo piano or arranged with electronics and real musicians[4]

First three albums (2005–2008)

His first self-titled album (2005) already shows the influence of French chanson and pop in a mature way, although the recordings are rather rough. While his second album "Promis 2" from 2007 shows more influence of epic, gothic and orchestral soundscapes, Mediterranean and Balkan music. Leonard's Lair states that the album "...is too long an album to take in one sitting but overall it's the slower, subtler songs that should ensure Promis has a future beyond the reputation of a showman."[5]
From 2008 Promis teamed up with British producer Ian Matthews in Los Angeles, who produced the third album "Promis III". Matthews would become a musical partner throughout his career. The basic idea for this album was to combine Promis chansons with electronic production, putting the Promis songs to darker synthesizer sound.

Life Is Grand! and Love Stories (2009–2011)

In 2009 Promis wanted a turn back to Mediterranean music and recorded "Life Is Grand!", which was produced and co-written by New York-based Turkish music producer Ayhan Sahin. The album was released on Sahin's label "Young Pals Music[6]" and featured a full pop sound where he duetted with several other singers like Karine Hannah on the song "Lovesick".[7]
Promis turned back to his original sound in 2011. He teamed up once again with Ian Matthews for his fifth album "Love Stories." This project was recorded as his mother was dying of cancer, which is reflected in some of the album's darker ballads. But the album also features lighter moments and again songs inspired by Balkan sounds.

Albums since 2013

In 2013 Promis and his producer Matthews began to produce "Indiscretions," which was another big album filled with all Promis' influences, from cabaret and Balkan to electronic to straightforward pop/rock. The album also features two song covers: Nick Cave's "The Weeping Song," recorded with a Portuguese band, and Greek singer/songwriter Stavros Papastavrou's "From the Beginning" (Greek: Απ' την αρχή), which was a huge hit in Greece 1982. Leicester Bangs reviews "Indiscretions" in his blog: "All in all it's the sort of record that the dedicated listener can really get their teeth into and I'm happy to recommend it – unreservedly.[8]"
After a break from the solo-Promis, he moved to Berlin in 2016. Promis and Matthews finished Promis' ninth offering "Electric Cabaret". This was Promis' first album released by the label darumeshi records and had three singles released to date: Dragons,[9] We're Grown Up People (2 versions)[10] and Can I Just See What it Feels Like to Kiss You. Also Promis released several exclusive videos of other songs from the album.

Promis and Matthews

The first Promis & Matthews album "Vertigo Heights", and sixth Promis album, titled "Vertigo Heights" was released in 2012, featuring two Promis original songs that had not found homes on previous Promis solo albums.
The second Promis & Matthews album, and eighth overall Promis album "Sunset Blvd." was released in 2015, and had direct quotes and inspiration from the classic 1950 Billy Wilder film. It also features an electro remake of Amanda Lear's "The Sphinx". The Rainbow Hub reviews "Sunset Blvd." as "… a worthy listen that brings you intimately into a world that many of us dream of but few of us ever get a chance to see.[11]

Musical and film

In the beginning of 2016 his original songs comprised most of the musical A Night at the Black Cat Theatre at the Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica.[12] Together with Juwelia St. St. he wrote the musical "Hungry Roses" which contains original songs by both with weird lyrics in English and German. Also, Promis plays the show "Black Market" with Parisian actress Anne Wagret performing songs by Kurt Weill, Friedrich Hollaender, Promis himself, and other artists[13]

Promis and Juwelia St. St. will also appear in the movie "Überleben in Neukölln" (English: "Survival in Berlin-Neukölln") by German filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim, which premiered at the Filmfest München.[14]

Discography

Albums
  • 2005 Promis
  • 2007 Promis 2
  • 2008 Promis III
  • 2009 Life Is Grand!
  • 2011 Love Stories
  • 2012 Vertigo Heights (as Promis & Matthews)
  • 2014 Indiscretions
  • 2015 Sunset Blvd. (as Promis & Matthews)
  • 2017 Electric Cabaret
  • 2020 Lust & Found

Compilations
  • 2016 As Promised – The Best of Promis, Vol. 1 & 2
  • 2018 Disco Cabaret (Remix Album)

Singles and EPs
  • 2010 Say Good-Bye To Summer
  • 2014 Christmas With Our Friends
  • 2016 Martinis at Noon EP
  • 2016 The Sphinx (as Promis & Matthews)
  • 2016 50 Bucks From Me EP
  • 2016 Dragons EP
  • 2017 We're Grown Up People
  • 2017 Can I Just See What It Feels Like to Kiss You
  • 2017 Flash and a Flame (feat. Juval Porat)

Musicals and shows
  • "A Night at Black Cat Cabaret" Edgemar Center for the Arts, Santa Monica, CA (2008, 2016)
  • "Hungry Roses" with Juwelia St. St. (2016)
  • "Black Market" (songs by Kurt Weill, Marlene Dietrich a.o.) with Anne Wagret (2017)

Side projects
  • 2014 Fashion Invasion feat. Promis – Feeling Free (single/collaboration)
  • 2017 Promis x Flixxcore – 50 Bucks from Me 2K17 (single/collaboration)
  • 2017 Marq Aurel & Rayman Rave feat. Promis – In Time (single/collaboration)
  • 2017 "Hungry Roses" – An Evening With José Promis & Juwelia (soundtrack for the film "Überleben in Neukölln")

References
  1. "Article "Music is Expression – Music is Experience" by Quentin Harrison". Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  2. "Biblioteca National Digital de Chile, Dr. José Promis [artículo] Eddie Morales Piña" (in Spanish). Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  3. "AllMusic Review by Jose F Promis, 1999". Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  4. Leonard's Lair. "Review of Promis (First album), 2006". Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  5. Leonard's Lair. "Promis 2, Review 2007". Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  6. "Young Pals Music".
  7. The Smoking Nun. "Review "Life is Grand!", 2009". Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  8. "Leister Bangs Review Promis – "Indiscretions", 2013". Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  9. "Review Promis – Dragons, 2016".
  10. "Review Promis – We're Grown Up People, March 2017". Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  11. "Review Promis & Matthews – "Sunset Blvd.", 4th May 2015". Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  12. "A Night at the Black Cat Cabaret, February 2016". Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  13. Lankow, Dirk. ""Hollywood, Barcelona" by Promis & Anne Wagret (live, 2017)". Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  14. "Filmfest München "Überleben in Neukölln", June 2017" (in German). Retrieved July 24, 2017.
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