Push Button Objects

by Sean Cooper
Edgar Farinas is the Miami-bred producer behind Push Button Objects, whose artful fusions of hip-hop, electro, and jungle have appeared through the American Schematic and Chocolate Industries labels, and through the U.K.-based imprint Skam. While hip-hop remains the core element of the PBO sound, Farinas combines the raw beats with treated electronics, bizarre samples, and rhythmic deviations mostly foreign to hip-hops mid- to downtempo lope. His debut EP appeared through the Schematic label, now owned and operated by Josh Kay and Rom Castillo of Phoenecia and Soul Oddity, and remains his best work. Much ballyhooing attended his first Skam EP, due to the labels connection with electronica auteurs Autechre, but that EP is easily his least interesting work to date. Dirty Dozen, his first full length, appeared in 2000 on Chocolate Industries, followed by a few singles. Fly (You Aint), an EP, was released in 2002 to prepare fans for his sophomore full length, Ghetto Blaster.