MARINERO

214 fans

Hella Love, the Hardly Art debut from Marinero, is an album about closing a chapter. It’s Jess Sylvester’s grand farewell, and love letter to his hometown and the place he grew up, The San Francisco Bay Area, before relocating to Los Angeles after finishing his debut release. Using the moniker Marinero (which means “sailor” in Spanish), Jess Sylvester was drawn to this name as a means to honor his parent’s stories -- his father, a sailor, and mother, a Mexican-American who grew up in San Francisco. This record blends many worlds from beginning to end, and as you go deeper it hits harder. It’s his goodbye to The Bay.

Pulling sonic influences from classic Latin American groups and international composers from the 60’s & 70’s: Los Terricolas, Ennio Morricone, Esquivel, Carole King and Serge Gainsbourg, Hella Love finds Sylvester fusing classical arrangements with a variety of different genres, evoking a sonic nostalgia blended with other contemporary artists like Chicano Batman, Connan Mockasin, and Chris Cohen. The album was written, played, and produced by Jess Sylvester with help from Bay Area engineer Jason Kick (Mild High Club’s Skiptracing) at Tunnel Vision and Santo Recording in Oakland, California.

On the standout single “Nuestra Victoria,” Sylvester shares “It’s my way of talking about gentrification in SF, or specifically the Mission where my mom and family grew up. The song is about a bakery, or panaderia called La Victoria, and was a place where my mother and tias went growing up, a place I also went to that is no longer there.” It was one of the oldest Mexican-American businesses in SF and I wanted to honor it”. “Through the Fog” highlights Sylvester’s exploration of his influences from the Tropicalia movement, weaving bossa rhythms with lush percussion and orchestration. Using SF’s infamous fog as a metaphor for “tough times”, Sylvester expands that it is a dedication to his friends and family who have helped him get through substance abuse issues, heartbreak, and other painful experiences. “There are a few easter eggs in the lyrics for Bay Area folks or people who have followed my music in the past but it’s mostly about getting through something difficult with the love and support from the homies and fam.” The album’s title track, “Hella Love,” summarizes both of his parent’s stories of how they ended up in the bay. The first verse is about his father’s voyage out west as a sailor during the late ’60s while the second verse follows his mother’s experience moving to The Mission District when she was a young girl.

It’s difficult to classify or generalize about Marinero’s music or identity. To him, it’s important to let his music do the talking. “I’m Chicanx, a bay native, biracial, and I’ve luckily gotten to travel and spend time in Mexico and I feel like my personality and specific musical tastes come through on this album. More than these generalizations we often make, I’m just a human who can both fear and love, and I’m just hoping to connect with others to share optimism and experience joy and laughter, even if for a moment.” Lean your ear to the ground because Jess Sylvester has been many things and will continue to share his journey. It is clear this gifted creator has more to say.
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Top tracks

01
La La La
MARINERO
La La La
03:11
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
04
Nuestra Victoria
MARINERO
Hella Love
04:14
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
04
Taquero
MARINERO
La La La
03:24
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
02
Cruz
MARINERO
La La La
03:46
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
02
Through the Fog
MARINERO
Hella Love
03:19
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
08
Sea Changes
MARINERO
La La La
04:01
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
10
Die Again, Yesterday
MARINERO
La La La
03:52
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
09
Cinema Lover
MARINERO
La La La
03:44
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
06
The Mystery of Miss Mari Jane
MARINERO
La La La
04:01
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
12
Pocha Pachanga
MARINERO
La La La
03:14
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
05
Dream Suite
MARINERO
La La La
03:54
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
11
Hollywood Ten
MARINERO
La La La
04:29
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
07
Cha Cha Cha
MARINERO
La La La
00:51
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
01
Fanfare
MARINERO
Hella Love
00:46
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester

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  • Discography
Albums
℗ 2025 Hardly Art
14-02-2025
La La La
01
La La La
MARINERO
La La La
03:11
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
02
Cruz
MARINERO
La La La
03:46
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
03
Lost Angel
MARINERO
La La La
00:26
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
04
Taquero
MARINERO
La La La
03:24
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
05
Dream Suite
MARINERO
La La La
03:54
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
06
The Mystery of Miss Mari Jane
MARINERO
La La La
04:01
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
07
Cha Cha Cha
MARINERO
La La La
00:51
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
Access the complete album info (12 songs)
Hardly Art
21-05-2021
Hella Love
01
Fanfare
MARINERO
Hella Love
00:46
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
02
Through the Fog
MARINERO
Hella Love
03:19
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
03
Minuet for the Mission
MARINERO
Hella Love
00:27
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
04
Nuestra Victoria
MARINERO
Hella Love
04:14
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
05
Luz del Faro
MARINERO
Hella Love
05:08
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
06
Outerlands
MARINERO
Hella Love
03:17
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
07
Beyond the Rainbow Tunnel
MARINERO
Hella Love
02:35
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
Access the complete album info (11 songs)
Needle to the Groove
12-07-2019
Trópico de Cáncer
01
Xpachecx
MARINERO
Trópico de Cáncer
02:35
Writer: Jesse Sylvester / Composers: Jesse Sylvester
02
Carmen
MARINERO
Trópico de Cáncer
00:44
Writer: Jesse Sylvester / Composers: Jesse Sylvester
03
Flor de Jamaica
MARINERO
Trópico de Cáncer
03:32
Writer: Jesse Sylvester / Composers: Jesse Sylvester
04
Como Mariposas
MARINERO
Trópico de Cáncer
02:23
Writer: Jesse Sylvester / Composers: Jesse Sylvester
05
Pájaro
MARINERO
Trópico de Cáncer
00:30
Writer: Jesse Sylvester / Composers: Jesse Sylvester
06
Siempre en la Clave de D
MARINERO
Trópico de Cáncer
03:31
Writer: Jesse Sylvester / Composers: Jesse Sylvester
07
I Understand
MARINERO
Trópico de Cáncer
02:48
Writer: Jesse Sylvester / Composers: Jesse Sylvester
Access the complete album info (10 songs)
Singles
℗ 2025 Marinero
18-05-2025
Se dentro piove
01
Se dentro piove
MARINERO
Se dentro piove
04:03
Writer: Donato Russo / Composers: Donato Russo
℗ 2025 Marinero
18-04-2025
Come va?
01
Come va?
MARINERO
Come va?
04:05
Writer: Donato Russo / Composers: Donato Russo
℗ 2024 Hardly Art
18-09-2024
Taquero
01
Taquero
MARINERO
Taquero
03:24
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
Hardly Art
16-09-2022
Ixchel & Lonely Girl
01
Ixchel & Lonely Girl
MARINERO
Ixchel & Lonely Girl
05:07
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
(P) 2021 José Carlos Pesina Siller, Jess Sylvester
19-11-2021
Siempre en la Clave de D (Micropapitas Remix)
01
Siempre en la Clave de D (Micropapitas Remix)
MARINERO
Siempre en la Clave de D (Micropapitas Remix)
03:16
Composers: Jess Sylvester
Hardly Art
16-07-2021
Last Chance
01
Last Chance
MARINERO
Last Chance
04:07
Writer: Jess Sylvester / Composers: Jess Sylvester
℗ 2015 ZYX Music GmbH & Co. KG
16-01-2015
Lucia
01
Marinero
Lucia
Lucia
07:09
Composers: Piccolo, S. - Savio, T.
Featured in
Sub Pop Records
28-10-2022
The Eleventh Hour: Songs for Climate Justice
01
Over Ice
Fake Fruit
The Eleventh Hour: Songs for Climate Justice
02:17
Writer: Hannah D'Amato / Composers: Hannah D'Amato - Alex Post - Miles MacDiarmid - Dylan Allard
02
Black Is Red and Blue
Death Valley Girls
The Eleventh Hour: Songs for Climate Justice
02:37
Writer: Bonnie Bloomgarden / Composers: Bonnie Bloomgarden
03
Friend Array
Cloud Nothings
The Eleventh Hour: Songs for Climate Justice
02:51
Writer: Dylan Baldi / Composers: Dylan Baldi - Jayson Gerycz
04
Going In Reverse
Kathleen
The Eleventh Hour: Songs for Climate Justice
02:42
Writer: Kathleen Brady Ross / Composers: Kathleen Brady Ross
05
Gliding Through The Atmosphere
Ya Tseen
The Eleventh Hour: Songs for Climate Justice
02:53
Writer: Nicholas Galanin / Composers: Nicholas Galanin
06
Cigars All Around
Deerhoof
The Eleventh Hour: Songs for Climate Justice
02:29
Writer: Ed Rodriguez - Greg Saunier - Satomi Matsuzaki - John Dieterich / Composers: Ed Rodriguez - Greg Saunier - Satomi Matsuzaki - John Dieterich
07
Table
Frankie Cosmos
The Eleventh Hour: Songs for Climate Justice
01:51
Writer: Greta Kline / Composers: Greta Kline
Access the complete album info (20 songs)
2017 Gold Trade Music
01-01-2001
Vatos locos klan
01
Intro
Karramba
Vatos locos klan
01:31
02
V
Karramba
Vatos locos klan
04:19
03
Po pierwsze
KaRRamBa feat. Domi & 4Real
Vatos locos klan
03:53
04
Cała Polska w temacie
KaRRamBa feat. Domi & Dziura
Vatos locos klan
04:54
05
Jednaściecha
Karramba
Vatos locos klan
00:45
06
Vatos locos klan
Karramba
Vatos locos klan
05:01
07
Pocałuj mnie w d***!
Karramba
Vatos locos klan
04:02
Access the complete album info (25 songs)
(P) 2012 Croatia Records
27-09-2012
Melodije Hrvatskog Jadrana '98, 2
01
Projdi Vilo
Gibonni
Melodije Hrvatskog Jadrana '98, 2
04:21
Composers: Zlatan Stipisic
02
Čekala Sam Kao Žena
DANIJELA MARTINOVIĆ
Melodije Hrvatskog Jadrana '98, 2
03:39
Composers: Tonci Huljic - Vjekoslava Huljic
03
Za Sva Vrimena
Mladen Grdovic
Melodije Hrvatskog Jadrana '98, 2
04:14
Composers: Mladen Grdovic - Alka Vuica
04
Nikad Niko Neće Znati
Zrinka
Melodije Hrvatskog Jadrana '98, 2
03:41
Composers: NENAD NINČEVIĆ - ZDENKO RUNJIĆ
05
Jagode I Čokolada
Đavoli
Melodije Hrvatskog Jadrana '98, 2
03:29
Composers: Lošić Saša
06
Rano
Minea
Melodije Hrvatskog Jadrana '98, 2
03:21
Composers: Tonci Huljic - Vjekoslava Huljic
07
Pjevaj Sve
sandi
Melodije Hrvatskog Jadrana '98, 2
03:37
Composers: sandi
Access the complete album info (16 songs)
(P) 2022 LÁTIGO
30-08-2019
Ensamble of Organic Amazements Vol. I
01
Wander
Lemat
Ensamble of Organic Amazements Vol. I
05:08
Composers: Anton Cerda
02
Primal Instinct
Lemat
Ensamble of Organic Amazements Vol. I
02:45
Composers: Anton Cerda
03
Born in Illusion - 30 Ways or So
Lemat
Ensamble of Organic Amazements Vol. I
04:19
Composers: Anton Cerda
04
Sane Lust
Lemat
Ensamble of Organic Amazements Vol. I
02:53
Composers: Anton Cerda
05
Glow
Lemat
Ensamble of Organic Amazements Vol. I
02:52
Composers: Anton Cerda
2019 Lemat
30-08-2019
Ensemble of Organic Amazements, Vol. I
01
Wander
Lemat
Ensemble of Organic Amazements, Vol. I
05:08
Composers: Antón Cerda Zúñiga
02
Primal Instinct
Lemat
Ensemble of Organic Amazements, Vol. I
02:46
Composers: Antón Cerda Zúñiga
03
Born in Illusion / 30 Ways or So
Lemat
Ensemble of Organic Amazements, Vol. I
04:20
Composers: Antón Cerda Zúñiga
04
Sane Lust
Lemat
Ensemble of Organic Amazements, Vol. I
02:54
Composers: Antón Cerda Zúñiga
05
Glow
Lemat
Ensemble of Organic Amazements, Vol. I
02:53
Composers: Antón Cerda Zúñiga