Breakthrough Jew - Mikey Pauker

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Name: Mikey Pauker

Age: Never ask a gentleman his age

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Breakthrough Cred: Poised to be the next Matisyahu

As Los Angeles born and bred musician, Mikey Pauker puts it, he’s “breaking the boundaries of traditional Jewish music with his liturgically inspired, spiritual repertoire.”

The multi-hyphenate describes himself as a Folk/electronic artist, writer, performer, producer, and educator. The music industry, conversely, is describing him as the next Matisyahu (who incidentally, he’s already shared the stage with) —but something that would give any up and coming musician pause. Currently based in Laguna Beach, CA, Pauker practices yoga and Torah and Chassidic text study daily. A sense of mysticism and spirituality is infused into the fabric his music, which he uses to connect with the listener.

“The main portion of why I play music is it’s not about me, it’s not about you, it’s about us. It’s about bringing people together through unity, and through song. If I can get everyone to sing there, and everyone to participate in a way, either by jamming, clapping their hands, or whatever it is, we all have a voice, and we also have a rhythm, and if we can all appreciate that, then I’ve done my job,” he explained to Tree Living.

Pauker’s forthcoming full-length album, Extraordinary Love (set for release on October 1^st), incorporates a myriad of different genres including folk, reggae, electronica, pop, and hip-hop. It also doesn’t hurt to have the likes of hip-hop producer/DJ, Diwon, at the helm. Known the world over for remixes of acts like Lana Del Rey and The XX, Diwon brings some hefty clout to Pauker’s record. Not to mention, that Y-Love himself is featured on Extraordinary Love, plus Jamaican dancehall artist Tj Di Hitmaker, and Israeli reggae musician Lior Ben Hur. With a pedigree behind it, said album seems poised to get the music industry and audiences alike, talking about Pauker.

Although he has collaborated with some impressive names, Pauker’s not content to sit back on his laurels, nor does he have irksome aspirations of fame and fortune.

“There’s an idea that I really want, my friend Liz and I have been thinking about it for a record, is why don’t we create records that we could plant into the ground? So our next record, what I would like to do, I want to actually make the c.d. case out of seeds, and what I want to do when you buy our record, you’re going to be able to plant a tree. So you plant the tree in the ground, and therefore you’re just not supporting music, you’re supporting and taking the product, and putting it back into the ground where it belongs -- so it’s a full cycle, and I think that’s what music should be doing, it should be a complete full cycle, and it should be bringing people together. It should be supporting the ground that we eat from, and the land that we live on,” he told Tree Living.

Pauker’s empathic, down-to-earth quality translates into his music, and that’s what’s getting him noticed. In an industry that’s riff with ego and posturing, it’s refreshing to see an artist who is genuinely interested and concerned with substance. Undoubtedly, big, big things are in store for this West Coast boy.

Check him out at http://mikeypauker.com/ and on Twitter.