Studemont Project

Studemont Project formed in Houston’s Heights in 2003, joining hip-hop vocals with live instruments, turntables, and experimental production. Lyricists Gilbert Galvan, known as Caption, and Christian Saldivar, known as 25CRUZ, worked within an ensemble that drew from jazz, rock, and electronic music. The Avenue of Observatory EP (2005) appeared on the group’s Esthetic Noise label, followed by Warmth of the Midnight Sun, recorded at SugarHill. Its songs addressed neighborhood change, poverty, and community, giving the project a distinctly local perspective while expanding the instrumental vocabulary of Houston independent hip-hop.