Notes from the Studio: Lunder Institute Fellow Shares Music Demo

Editor’s Note: Jose Barrionuevo ’16 (Killer Bee) shares an excerpt from astuwiku (it comes together), a piece of music developed during his residency at the Lunder Institute for American Art. “Astuwiku,” which translates to “It comes together” and refers to a traditional meeting place for the Wabanaki tribes, reflects Barrionuevo’s research into the history of indigenous communities in Maine and his reckoning with the ways colonial history has principally been taught. 


“The clip is from a lecture entitled “Rethinking Wabanaki History” by Professor Jennifer McCutchen of the University of Southern Maine. Over the course of my residency at the Lunder Institute for American Art and throughout my research here, I’ve discovered the histories of indigenous people in the United States and Mexico intersecting. As an artist, I always strive to use my privilege and my platform to shed light on the destructive consequences of colonialism and its erasure of native people and their culture/history. Professor McCutchen recounts the forced resettlements of the native Wabanaki people as well as the removal of Native American children from their ancestral homes in an effort to whitewash their history. This, in combination with the horrifying discovery of the mass graves of First Nations children in Canada, led to the composition of the piece. Its fast tempo and scattered melodies reflect the hysteria I feel as I learn more about the erasure of native people across North America, information that was absent in my own US history high-school experience. I came across the term “astuwiku” in my research, which translates to “It comes together” and refers to a meeting place for the Wabanaki people on an island located near modern-day Northeast Harbor. The term made me realize just how deeply our history and institutions have been rooted in racism when it comes to learning about Native American history.”

-Jose Barrionuevo (Killer Bee)


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.