Mongo's Mixtape Mansion

The Nod

2011-04-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

Straight from the spa suite of the music mansion comes a swag of beats that's sure to get your neck crackin and your head noddin.

*get mixtape*

01 Ghostpoet - Liiines (Demo) [b]
02 John Legend & The Roots - Our Generation (J. Period Remix) Feat. Pete Rock & CL_Smooth [d]
03 Dela - Can It B So Simple [d]
04 Macy Gray - I Try (Jay Dee Remix) [b]
05 Keaver & Brause - Awake [b]
06 RJD2 - Work [b]
07 Nicolas Jaar - Nico's Feelin Good [d]
08 Frank Ocean - Novacane [d]
09 Roots Manuva - Dub Styles (Micachu's M.A.T.H.E.S. Remix) [b]
10 Alix Perez - Solitary Native [b]
11 Cornbread & Elevated Soul - Relaxin' f. Aloe Blacc & Maya Jupiter [b]
12 Cujo - Fat Ass Joint [b]
13 How To Dress Well - Can't See My Own Face [b]
14 Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers [w]

nice photo

Xmas Mixtape

2010-12-15T00:52:00.000-08:00

My bad... I've been super busy/lazy to do any mixtapes for a while and, to avoid the daunting task of trying to select a choice few number of tracks from the past few months, I have decided to take the 'get out of jail free' card and make a very special Christmas mix for ya'll.

As is Mongo's way, this collection steers clear of the usual festive stylings that generally harass your eardrums at the local shopping centre as you power your way through the last minute Christmas shopping rush. You won't find any crooning Bing Crosby ballads or over-produced Phil Spector moments here. What we have instead is a seriously warped take on the season's stereotypes that probably won't sit too well with your Grandma - unless she's a fan of Eazy-E in which case she'll be the first on the floor doing the running man.

I hope you all enjoy this tape and may you have a very Mongo Xmas and a crackin' New Year!!

***download mixtape***

01 Kurtis Blow – Christmas Rappin’
02 Barry Gordon – Nuttin’ For Christmas (DJ Unite Remix)
03 The 69 Boyz - What You Want For Christmas
04 Hard Call Xmas - My Christmas Bells
05 Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis
06 King Stitt - Christmas Tree
07 Soul Saints Orchestra – Santa’s Got a Bag of Soul
08 2 Live Crew – 2 Live Christmas
09 Jiggie Gee – Chrismas Fuckin’ Day
10 James Brown’s – Soulful Christmas (DJ Catalist Remix)
11 Wynton Marsalis - Let It Snow
12 Mayer Hawthorne - Christmas Time is Here
13 Akil the MC - Buck Santa
14 The Granville Williams Orchestra - Santa Claus is Ska
15 Sweet Tee – Let The Jingle Bells Rock
16 Eazy-E - Merry Muthafuckin Xmas

***download mixtape***

Sonic Sedatives

2010-08-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

The runaway success of the Aural Antidepressant has motivated Dr. Mongo to venture further into the lucrative world of pharmaceuticals. Hitting the market after an all too brief testing phase involving our lovable lab monkey Eugene (pictured above) is the Sonic Sedative - a collection of tracks that are guaranteed to calm you down, ease agitation, tuck you in and gently rock you to sleep.

***download mixtape***

01 The Avalanches - Little Journey [mongo edit] [buy]
02 Nightmares On Wax - Les Nuits [buy]
03 Unknown - Tears [buy]
04 Kid Koala - Moon River [limited free download]
05 Trentemoller - Miss You [buy]
06 All-Seeing I - Pickled Eggs & Sherbet [buy]
07 Four Tet - My Angel Rocks Back And Forth [buy]
08 Squarepusher - Iambic 5 Poetry [buy]
09 His Name Is Alive - Someday My Blues Will Cover The Earth (Ectomorph Electro Storm mix) [buy]
10 Fat Freddy's Drop - Dark Days [buy]
11 Radiohead - No Surprises (Lullaby) [buy]
12 Ella Fitzgerald - I Get A Kick Out Of You (Cinematic Orchestra remix) [buy]
13 Aphex Twin - Ruglen Holon [buy]
14 Alison Krauss & Emmylou Harris & Gillian Welch - Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby [buy]

"Two drifters, off to see the world
There’s such a lot of world to see"

The inspiration for this tape came from a very dear friend of mine, Angie, who recently set off to travel around Central and South America with her lovable boy, Troy. Before she left she made a request for mix that she can listen to when traveling on long winded journeys, be they plane, train or automobile. Now I don't usually do requests but this seemed like a nice specific brief and Angie is such a lovely girl that I couldn't help but to run with it.

What we have here, essentially, could be considered a chill-out compilation - similar to the albums that got flogged to death in every restaurant during the late nineties but the difference being this selection has a touch of Mongo-lian class. In keeping with the brief the songs chosen are relatively subdued and meandering in a sense. I have tried to create an almost lullaby aesthetic to the tape so that it gently entices you to slip into the land of sleep without fear of being rudely interrupted at any point.

A task this specific required me to dig way back through my collection meaning there are some stone cold classics in the mix. There's not really too much to be said about this mix other than get comfortable, put your phone away and rest your head 'cause it's time to swallow some sonic sedatives and drift away...

***download mixtape***

Short But Sweet

2010-07-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Do goldfish make mixtapes? I'm positive they do and this here is what they would sound like. A compact collection of tasty treats that are short and sweet and good enough to eat. With only one track rocking in over four minutes you can leave your short term memory at the door but be sure you don't blink or you just might miss it.

01 Darwin Deez - Radar Detector
02 The Roots feat. Dice Raw - How I Got Over
03 Bonaparte - My Horse Likes You
04 Bran Richards - Ride the Mullet Stallion
05 Cali Swag District - Teach Me How to Dougie
06 Aloe Blacc & The Grand Scheme – Billie Jean (Michael Jackson Cover)
07 Mount Kimbie – Bave’s Chords
08 The Morning Benders - Excuses
09 Andre 3000 - All Together Now (The Beatles Cover)
10 Ludacris x Joe - How Clap Low Trap (dj Orgasmic bootleg)
11 Koreless - Up Down Up Down
12 MC Huz and the Riverina Crew - Anywhere But Here (Produced by A-Trak)
13 Lee Fields & the Expressions - Love Comes and Goes
14 Shlomoshun - Antigravity
15 Cordrazine – Sunshine
16 James Murphy - If You Need a Friend

Get your mixtape here

Racing to pole position this time round is Darwin Deez and the super addictive ditty 'Radar Detector'. I have been obsessed by this song in the past month, so much so, that even before the fade-out begins I'm already reaching for the rewind. It's just such a playful, energetic, danceable tune that makes me want to wave my hair like a Wella Balsam ad while shaking my limbs to the hokey pokey. Admittedly, it almost got me in a bit of trouble on an overcrowded train recently as I rebelled against the limited space and had a little upright boogie... only to find that I was rhythmically tapping the crotch of the lady beside me with my ipod. We had a moment but it was brief and drenched in embarrassment and physical violation - it seems she catches a different train now.

On to more relevant matters we have some incredible covers in the mix with Andre 3000 bringing the bounce to The Beatles and Aloe Blacc paying tribute to MJ with a truly moving and respectful interpretation of 'Billie Jean'.

Keeping on the soulful tip are The Roots with the title track from their brilliant new album 'How I Got Over'. ?uestlove sets the tone with a trademark break then Black Thought shows his versatility by singing the first verse - seriously is there anything these guys can't do? Cop the new album and you won't be disappointed.

For those of you that are finally getting sick of randomly uttering the phrase "I'm at the Pizza Hut..." then may I introduce you to Bonaparte, a German electropunk collective, and their utterly addictive and raucous single 'My Horse Likes You'. Subtlety is not really their style but they'll have you trotting around and neighing wildly like Mr. Ed on a peanut butter binge (note: always be wary of personal space when on public transport).

On a more innocent tip we have the return Cordrazine, one of my favourite Australian groups from the mid-90's who were responsible for the falsetto-drenched classic 'Crazy'. That was 14 years ago and the band is back with a new album and lead single 'Sunshine'. Stunning.

Benefiting from the production talents of Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear is the centrepiece of this mix by The Morning Bender. Harking back to the Wall of Sound era, 'Excuses' has a distinctly warm fuzz where succulent strings seem to swoon about your head as the vocal harmonies take you back to 1960's.

Elsewhere we have a well worked mash up featuring the rhythmical rumblings of Joe's Claptrap infused with the vocal stylings of Ludacris and a mesmerizing piece from new-comer Koreless. A-Trak recently visited the Wagga Wagga, NSW where he put together a track with some ot the boys from the Riverina Juvenile Justice Centre. To help out their cause get along to A-Traks page.

Well that's about it for now. I hope you like the mix and always remember to keep you hands close to your body in crowded places... it'll save you a lot of embarrassment later.

Unnatural Selection

2010-05-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

Richard Ashcroft really summed it up when he sung that the drugs don't work they just make you worse and after a hefty overdose of aural antidepressants I now feel surrounded by a strange sensation of numbness. So, it's from this delirious state of comedown confusion that I bring you the Unnatural Selection - a truly random selection of tracks that have been rocking my boat for the past couple of months.

click here to download mixtape

01 Flying Lotus - Do The Astral Plane [buy]
02 Dert - On The Hunt [Free D/L]
03 The Piranha Sounds - La Turbie Pirhanienne [buy]
04 Bonobo - Eyesdown Featuring Andreya Triana [buy]
05 Foals - Spanish Sahara [buy]
06 Calibre - Step Toe [buy]
07 The xx - Crystalised (Dark Sky Remix) [buy]
08 Shabazz Palaces - 32 leaves dipped in blackness making clouds forming altered carbon [buy]
09 Jay-Z feat. The Dap Kings - 99 Problems (Prince of Ballard remix) [Free D/L]
10 Broken Bells - The High Road [buy]
11 Method Man, Ghostface & Raekwon - Our Dreams (Feat. Inspectah Deck, Sun God) [buy]
12 MIA - XXXO [buy]
13 dbridge, Instramental and Skream - Acacia Avenue [buy]
14 Fantastic Mr Fox - If I [buy]
15 Emancipator - Shook (Mobb Deep & Sigur Ros Remix) [Free D/L]

Kicking off the mix is none other than Flying Lotus, the most exciting producer in the world today, who recently dropped his contender for album of the year, Cosmogramma. "Do the Astral Plane" sees FlyLo don his cosmic disco flares and serves up a slice of future funk that puts the 'ooooo' back into grooooove.

Dert keeps the head nodding with a cut from his truly inspired Bjork beat-tape while elsewhere Shabazz Palaces, a project of Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler of Digable Planets, spits mind-bending rhymes over off-kilter beats and eerie alien aesthetics.

Incredibly horn-y French outfit The Piranha' Sound mesmerise with bedroom eyes, take your hand and lead you back to the swinging sounds of a 1960's mod party. Meanwhile soul revivalist The Dap Kings never sounded so trouble free as when they have Jay-Z nestled on top, delivering the iconic "I got 99 problems... but the b*tch ain't one".

Foals' "Spanish Sahara" starts as a quiet murmur, building gradually and purposefully in a way that causes goosebumps to manifest themselves in anticipation for the inevitable. And it's in those immediate moments before the song's peak that you cannot resist the urge any longer to jump around and wave your arms in the air but somehow as the song topples over its climax you feel the need to hold still, in quiet reflection as a testament to the immense journey you've been through that's brought you to this moment. Definitely one of the best songs of 2010.

As for some dancefloor action I've been known to jump around at home recently, flicking the light switch and screaming "TUUUUUUUUUNE!!!!" to Dark Sky's remix of my 2009 faves The xx. A proper sound system banger that harks back to the glory days of the 2-step sound, Dark Sky proving they are a crew to keep an eye out for in the future. Also, the bass heads holy trinity of dbridge, Instramental and Skream don't disappoint with a half step gem that's worthy of the hype while the delightfully named Fantastic Mr Fox delivers with a unique take on the modern garage sound.

Join the Revolution

2010-05-26T05:33:00.000-07:00

The mansion has found its way onto Facebook so come join our little group to get all your regular updates along with a warming sense of well-being that can only come with being a part of an online community!

Sign me up!

The Aural Antidepressant

2010-05-10T05:26:00.000-07:00

Feeling gloomy?

Well, Dr Mongo's got the perfect prescription to get you back on your feet and slap a smile across your face. From the producers of Prozac Radio comes The Aural Antidepressant - a swanky collection of feel good jams that are guaranteed to have you dancing in your underwear and waving your hands in the air like our little turtle friend above! The wonder drug for the ipod generation that's been medically proven to eradicate work place stress, mend broken hearts and even turn daft emos into bubbly cheerleaders all in the space of one listen...

Click here to download mixtape

01 The Bees - Chicken Payback [buy]

02 Ben Westbeech - So Good Today [buy]

03 The Meters - Handclapping Song [buy]

04 Otis Redding - Hard To Handle [buy]

05 Mr Scruff - Music Takes Me Up (ft. Alice Russell) [buy]

06 DJ Mehdi - Lucky Boy (Outlines remix) [buy]

07 Jamie Lidell - Another Day [buy]

08 EZ Rollers - Lady Jam [buy]

09 Dude 'N Nem - Watch My Feet [buy]

10 Aretha Franklin - One Step Ahead (Featurecast Re-Edit Feat Marvin Gaye) [D/L]

11 Lupe Fiasco - I Gotcha [buy]

12 Kid Koala - Skanky Panky[buy]

13 RJD2 - Ghostwriter [buy]

14 Paul White - Floating Free [buy]

15 Blur - Music Is My Radar [buy]

16 Mr Oizo - Last Night a DJ Killed My Dog [buy]

17 The Cure - The Lovecats [buy]

You can sing it in the shower or dance along the streets cause this brand new mixtapes bound to give you happy feet. We've got stone cold classic soul from Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin and some nu-skool hip hop joints from Lupe Fiasco and Dude'N Nem.

You'll be chicken dancing from get go with The Bees “Chicken Payback” and bouncing on your furniture with your cat claws out by the time The Cure closes the mix. Though nothing sums up this mix more than the quite delightful Ms. Alice Russell who wails with such conviction that "music takes me uuuuuuuuup". Yes, yes it does...

DJ Mongo presents Mongo's Drum'n'Bass Mix #4

2010-04-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

click to download

Back to the old skool... back to your roots...

Well this might not be quite back to the old school but it's definitely a trip down memory lane. I recently came across an old drum'n'bass mix from the days when I lived, ate and breathed at 170bpm. With my partner in crime Phibre we dreamt of taking over the world armed with a killer snare and a junglist vibe. While our visions of grandeur were somewhat hijacked by Pendulum, their hybrid guitar'n'bass'n'crap sound and a maturation of our sonic palette, quality D'n'B is always guaranteed to get my feet steppin' and the fist a'pumping.

This here is a mix I did back in 2004 on a pair of crappy 1200s and a jaded Nu-Mark mixer. Starts off with a bit of a reggae vibe that slides nicely into some tunes from the golden era of jungle only to be shattered by some hard crunching sounds towards the end (not quite Speaker Wrath hard but tough enough for me). The mixing's not too tight and the sound quality is a bit scratchy but I think it'll go nicely in the car stereo or as a soundtrack for a long run...

btw if you're wondering where mixes # 1-3 are... so am I. Who knows - maybe they'll show up sometime soon...

Tracklist:

01 Reggae Superstar – Unknown
02 Drop It Down – Calibre
03 Li-Li - Scorpio
04 Truly One - Origin Unknown
05 Warning (Remix) - Firefox & 4 Tree
06 Brown Paper Bag - Roni Size & Reprazent
07 Sleepwalk - Photek
08 Dude (DJ Zinc Remix) - Beenie Man
09 Tricks - Gridlock
10 Dreadlock - Future Prophecies
11 Headhunter - Calyx
12 Warpath - Universal Project
13 Lightweight - Total Science
14 Dread Come to Conquer - Twisted Anger
15 Science - Ganja Kru

Special thanks to Clinton for the many years of supplying me super sweet vinyl and soulbridgemedia for the photo so that I can have my ugly mug appearing on the screens of your iphones...

click to download

What's So Good About Myrrh? Mixtape

2010-03-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

What's so good about myrrh? Absolutely nothing! But that didn't stop some supposed wise man grabbing the first spice from the rack and heading out to the baby shower of the lifetime. If he was so wise then he would have known that the greatest gift he could have given was the gift of music... in particular, a Mongo's mixtape...

[link removed]

01 Damian Marley & Nas - As We Enter [buy]
02 Destiny's Child - Bills Bills Bills (Harmonimix Remix) [buy]
03 KiD CuDi - Cudderisback (Feat. Vampire Weekend) [free download]
04 Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) [free download]
05 James Blake - Limit To Your Love (Feist Cover) [radioshow]
06 Anti-Pop Consortium - Volcano (Four Tet Remix) [buy]
07 Flying Lotus - I Feel Like Dying [free download]
08 Laneous and the Family Yah vs Dubmarine - E.V.O.L.V.E. [laneous dubmarine]
09 The Maccabees - Empty Vessels (Feat. Roots Manuva) [buy]
10 Deadboy - U Cheated [buy]
11 Devlin - London City (radio edit) [youtube]
12 Efterklang - Modern Drift [buy]
13 El Michels Affair - Shimmy Shimmy Ya [buy]
14 J.Period & K'NAAN - Don't Think Twice (Messengers Remix) [free download]
15 Gil Scott-Heron - New York Is Killing Me [buy]
16 Benga Coki - Night (Cloak and Dagger remix) [free download]
17 Jose James - Save Your Love For Me [buy]
18 Reflection Eternal ft Jay Electronica, J Cole and Mos Def – Just Begun [free download]
19 Pariah - Detroit Falls [free download]

It's been 6 months since my last ~~confession~~ post mainly due to laziness, indecision and a severe obsession with Grizzly Bear that stopped me listening to any music unless it involved avant-garde folk-pop sensibilities. Anyhow I brought myself back to the real world and put together my first collection for 2010.

I should have called it something like "Anything you can do I can do better..." (as opposed to choosing a title that referenced the confused state I was in while performing my role in a childhood nativity scene) because there is an definite trend towards quality remixes, covers and collaborations here.

Indie meets hip hop as Kid Cudi tackles Vampire Weekend while Roots Manuva shines on "Empty Vessels" alongside The Maccabess, giving an incredibly heart-felt performance reminiscent of his pairing with The Cinematic Orchestra. While elsewhere K'naan and DJ Premier pay their tributes to the influence of Bob Dylan on "Don't Think Twice" and Beyonce's sister Solange plays up to her indie darling status with a smooth take on the Dirty Projectors. First up though is the strong opening pair of Nas and Damian Marley who head out to bat with a bubbling slice of party stylee that really does bring the best out of each player involved.

On the remix front I couldn't go past Four Tet's master touch-up on Anti-Pop's "Volcano" which still rocks my world months after it was unleashed, Flying Lotus provides a haunting re-rub of Lil' Wayne while Cloak and Dagger prove that all is not as it seems with a jazzified take on dubstep's first global anthem "Night".

My two favourite Brisbane bands as we move into 2010, Laneous and the Family Yah along with the mighty Dubmarine, combine forces on the bass-driven jam E.V.O.L.V.E.D. in anticipation for their joint show at The Zoo. Laneous simply owns this tune with a superbly understated delivery that sounds like the vocal equivalent of being on a hammock sipping cocktails from a coconut.

Special mention on this tape must go to the extremely talented and promising musician known as James Blake. He burst onto the bass scene late in 2009 with powerful synth lead productions that seemingly reached through to your insides forcing involuntary, semi-rhythmical body convulsions that should really be performed in the privacy of your own home. But this was just the tip of the iceberg as Blake has started to flex his considerable talents with a Tom Jenkinson styled remix of Destiny's Child done under the Hamonimix pseudonym and, more impressively, a showcase of his vocal pedigree on a touching rendition of Feist's "Limit of Your Love". Keep you eyes peeled for this guy in 2010...

Devlin is also set to make his mark this year showcasing some Mike Skinner-inspired reflections on "London City" while Jose James is back with his second album featuring the smooth stylings of "Save Your Love For Me". Gil Scott Herron returns form incarceration with a modernized sound that takes nothing away from his vivid, poetic style and the El Michels Affair are on hand to help get your Wu's in the air.

Enjoy...

Mixtape - Sept 2009

2010-01-22T04:45:00.000-08:00

Florence And The Machine - You Got The Love (The XX Remix) [Free Download]

Spinnin' by Speech Debelle [Buy]

Chaka Demus by Jamie T [Buy]

Honolulu Rock-a Roll-a by Kitty, Daisy & Lewis [Buy]

A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke cover - live BBC Radio 1) by The Fugees [Buy]

Shakeytown by I Heart Hiroshima [Buy]

Crazy (Feat. N'fa) by Diafrix [Buy]

Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap [Buy]

Bubblegum by Laneous & the Family Yah [Buy]

Night By Night (Skream's SexStep Remix) by Chromeo [Free Download]

Aidy's Girl's A Computer by Darkstar [Buy]

Bird on a Wire by Sarah Blasko [Buy]

Crystalised by The xx [Buy]

Digital Flora by Zomby [Buy]

Hyph Mngo by Joy Orbison [Buy]

Download Mixtape

here it is finally.

its not quite a "dancing around the table" mix but, as per usual, its a sizzling collection of tunes. theres a lot more indie sounds inspired by my recent obsession with the xx and there is a strong local representation with a third of the tracks from australian artists. theres some bestival memories from kitty daisy & lewis and skream's sexstep remix of chromeo. also, darkstar - them of "need you" fame - return with a charming slice of warped vocals and gentle melodies.

its good, nah, its great and it cannot be listen to through computer speaker so put it on your ipod and get some earphones or a decent stereo with bass.

treat the mixtape like you wish the mixtape to treat you

Mixtape - June 2009

2010-01-22T03:22:00.000-08:00

This is my favourite tape from last year...

Track List:

Chase That Feeling by Hilltop Hoods [Buy]
Combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell (Wallpaper Remix) by Das Racist [Free Download]
Check Out My Keychain by Kotchy [Buy]
Love Dub (Refix) by Cooly G [Buy]
Shiverman by Fat Freddy's Drop [Buy]
Quiet Dog Bite Hard by Mos Def [Buy]
The Dance by Zombie Disco Squad [Buy]
Lisztomania by Phoenix [Buy]
Make It Fast (Unadulterated Mix) (feat. Diz Gibran) by J Dilla [Buy]
When you hear the bassline feat. Ms. Thing by Major Lazer [Buy]
Revenue (Untold Remix) by Ramadanman [Buy]

Get the tape here!

hooray they say as the email comes through
i can't believe he waited til the last day of june
but alas here it is and its bound to be great
cause its time to unleash the next mongos mixtape

i know you're all very excited by this news and i must admit that i have truly outdone myself on this one. each track is a super tune in its own right and when so lovingly put together they meld into a seamless mix of musical mongoness.

There is a nice selection of quality hip hop with the crackin new single from the hilltops, a deep rhythmic cut from the new mos def album (a definite top 10 album for 2009) and some classic j dilla beats. Some wackiness floats by in the form of Das Racist with a truly catchy little ditty that makes me smile and kotchy's take on a jamie lidell styled electro funk is a grower.

Mongo takes you to the club with Zombie disco squad and the shoulder shrugging tune The Dance while Untold (this guys is going to be BIIIIIG!!) comes good on the twitchy remix of revenue. Major Lazer are diplo n switch in Jamaica pop out some serious raggatown beats - they are playing the monday at notting hill carnival, hopefully for red bull, and i will be at the front going fully sick.

The pride a joy of this mixtape comes in the form of an epic 10minute masterpiece from the new fat freddys drop album. Shiverman sees the drop delve into almost dub-techno territory that builds slowly but surely with the crackin horns signaling a truly awesome crescendo of kiwi goodness. I can listen to this song over and over like its a 2 minute punk track - its glory seems to transcend time and place. essential.

Site Under Construction

2010-01-21T05:24:00.000-08:00

This is my first attempt at blogging so please be patient and if you see something wrong please let me know.

There will be a number of additions over the next week so stay tuned...

Enjoy the music!

Mixtape - May 2009

2010-01-21T04:58:00.000-08:00

Tracklist:

1    Jazz Liberatorz    - Music Makes the World Go Round feat Declaime (20SYL Remix) [Buy]
2    DJ Vadim - Hidden Treasure feat. Sabira Jade and Kwasi Asante [Buy]
3    Mos Def - Casa Bey [Buy]
4    Blu - Amnesia [Free Download]
5    Erykah Badu - The Healer [Buy]
6    Clouds - Protecting Hands Part 2 (featuring Tiiu) [Buy]
7    Bjork - I Miss You (live mix) [Buy]
8    Empire Of The Sun - We Are The People [Buy]
9    Sparklehorse + Dangermouse - Little Girl (feat. Julian Casablancas) [Listen]
10    Hud Mo (Hudson Mohawke) - Ooops! [Buy]
11    De Tropix - Brap [Free Download]
12    Henry & Louis featuring Steve Harper - Rise Up (RSD Remix) [Buy]
13    Mos Def & Talib Kweli - Respiration Rmx Feat Black Thought
14    The Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses [Buy]
15    Gerry & The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone [Buy]

Click here for the mixtape!

This mixtape was created for some friends living over in the UK. Here is an extract of the email written to introduce the tape.

hello london friends

i had a horrible thought the other night. i was picturing you all heading home very late on a friday night for another legendary gathering around the coffee table. I could see the makings of a plimsoll party - the scattered participants lost in a wonderland that can only be describe as being somewhere between here and there, talking gibberish, smoking unwanted cigarettes and downing poorly mixed drinks. The idea alone brings back many very fond memories.

But then my thoughts turned ugly... a black cloud of paranoia began to circle the image in my head. I began to worry. Exactly what music were they listening to in that beloved lounge room?

Were youse being manipulated like helpless puppets around the furniture to the gut-wrenching sounds of the sugarbabes? Maybe the Fat Freddy's Drop was being played for a countless time attaching a worn and over-used sense of repetition to the proceedings. Possibly Sam was around adding some monotonous 4/4 that is only suitable at a certain time and place - finsbury park at 3am not really fitting that bill.

I was truly and honestly horrified.

I felt i needed to do whatever i could do to avoid the realisation of my nightmares and I have thus decided to make you two a mixtape. Now I of all people understand the importance of a mixtape and the strict rules governing its creation but the urgency of the situation require some corner cutting. So the revised rules and restrictions of Mongo's Mix Tape (May 2009) are as such:

    * The selection was culled from songs that i have been listening to this week that are contained on my laptop (not my harddrive) - a majority of the music has been downloaded in the past day or two.
    * The whole tape was created in 3 hours from start to finish including selection and ordering. (definitely some sort of mix tape record)
    * I have tried to refrain from adding dubstep to the mix, well, too much dubstep at least.
    * The mix needed to be no more that 1 hour long
    * My tune of the moment is from Empire of the Sun meaning it should have lead the mixtape but because of the structrure of the song it didnt work well as an opener. shame really i do like that track.
    * There was some sort of attempt to tailor the mix towards your music tastes but I have had to make a few exectutive decisions about what is to be left in and what had to be cut - which was based on personal preference.
    * Feel free to hold an invisible scarf above your head and sing with much gusto for the final song... i do!

I hope you all enjoy the Mongos mixtape for May 2009...

Mixtape Madness

2010-01-20T02:46:00.000-08:00

Its funny how one little red button will start a fixation that will last your whole life.

As a child, when I received my first tape deck from a fat man in fancy dress called Santa, I was instantly drawn to the somewhat magical button labeled "RECORD". Initial experiments with this mysterious contraption resulted in 30 minute broadcasts of bird sounds, toilets flushes and arguments with my sister.

As I further refined my skills I realised that it was possible to hold the microphone of my tape deck to the speaker of my TV enabling me to record my favourite songs as they appeared on my favourite music program, Rage. After this discovery, the tapes began to fill with a strange array of songs and artists including The Beatles, John Farnham, Michael Jackson and that "everybody do the dinosaur" song. Once I filled both sides of a C60 I would take it to my friend’s house and play it for anyone who would listen. I loved how people would respond and react to my creations especially when someone would say "Hey, this song's great. I got to get myself a copy". From this moment, the Mongo Mixtape was born...

Further developments in technology such as high speed dubbing, radioREC and, eventually, CDRs and MP3 helped refine the process of creating a mixtape but the purpose has always remained the same - creating a compilation of great tunes that you can play for others.

I've made tapes for girls whom I would crush on, mates who I was trying to impress and work colleagues who needed a bit of excitement to get them through a shift in the dank kitchens of Sizzler.

I hope you enjoy my mixtapes. They are made for you and, ultimately, I hope you find mountains of music that will be with you forever. If you find something you like then please go out and support the artist and buy their product. Also, please feel free to comment on anything you like, love or even hate.

Enjoy,

Mr. Mongo