In Storm the Mondo Boys

MONDO BOYS is everything Girl Talk wants to be. This self-described “NY/LA mixtape/ sound collage collaborative” has elevated the art of the mash-up with their latest release Tidal Wave. Released via Aquarium Drunkard, an LA based music blog founded by Justin Gage, one of the MONDO BOYS' very own, this digital mixtape shows the group evolving with confidence toward their handling of their source material.

Rather than simply matching beats and juxtaposing flash in the pan Billboard singles, MONDO BOYS rely on samples mined from the depths of obscure A and B-side hits, taking the listener on a constantly undulating journey from Beck to The Drifters to Thee Oh Sees (after whose single the album was titled) in the span of a minute and a half. This diversity in source material is much of what sets MONDO BOYS apart from their contemporaries. Where the aforementioned Girl Talk might come off as shallow and similar sampling acts such as Onra and his Chinioseries appear obsessive, MONDO BOYS handle their fast moving and potentially noisome transitions with such finesse that it becomes hard to pin down which songs stand alone, and which have had an extra element of backing track or esoteric vocal added.

Tidal Wave stands out from their previous efforts as it sees the group operating with a much more concrete direction in mind. Drawing more from mid-50s to late 60's R&B cuts as well as a host of otherwise ignored yet catchy hits from modern outfits, this collection is lent a hint of fuzzy nostalgia and the feeling that you're impatiently flipping through your uncle's 78 collection. Somehow MONDO BOYS manage to find the balance in their organization, and what could be another tired exercise in condensed listening experiences is dealt with so balletically that it only begins to grow tiresome moments before the record ends. Hopefully the BOYS continue to set their energy toward compilations with a clear narrative direction, as it is the strongest distinguishing factor between them and their generally spastic and inattentive competition.