Jose Barrionuevo ‘16 (Killer Bee) is a Mexican American instrumental electronic artist from the New York City metro area. Upon graduating from Colby College, he quickly rose in the Brooklyn beat scene, playing live all over New York City at mainstay DIY venues and platforms like Trans Pecos and the Beat Haus Show. He has been featured in various prominent publications such as the Bandcamp Daily section and has released several albums in a short period of time, amassing a cultlike following by topping the Hype Machine charts and garnering millions of streams across platforms. He has participated in residencies from Italy to Japan, and his music has been played on international stations such as BBC Radio 1 and NTS.
Barrionuevo’s work consists of manipulating and synthesizing sound using a mix of analog hardware and software, all while interpreting nostalgia and memory through the use of samples and everyday Foley. He frequently blurs the line between genres, and his music investigates everything from the impermanence of being to Zen Buddhist and Christian themes and symbology within the context of his own Mexican identity. At the Lunder Institute, he is working on his next major effort, Sagrada, an album centered around spirituality and familial relationships in Mexican culture, specifically looking at how Christian iconography played a vital role in the dynamics and power structure of his upbringing.
