There’s a certain magic in the electro-psych wanderings of Pamplona, Spain duo Mondo Lava. James Ketchum and Leon Hu approach their lo-fi experimentalism in a way that invites company, suggesting that any answers to be found in the oscillating fluorescence of their music lie in shared thought and experience. They revel in the dissolution of expectations and careen through what they see as the absurdities of traditional rhythmic structures.
Their forthcoming album, Utero Dei, is a gargantuan statement piece that illuminates the ways in which Ketchum and Hu’s musical dialects have shaped one another and led to the development of a new language with few antecedents. Burbling Casio tones, saxophone, extensive blankets of synths, washed out guitar riffs, and countless other melodic ephemera lay the foundation for what becomes a vivid cauldron of sonic adventurism and exploration.
Their latest single, “Lady in the Lake”, is a swirling vortex of bubbling synth affections, 8-bit inspiration, and spiraling ambient movement — it’s the soundtrack to a DIY journey across the heavens, shooting stars and comets hurtling past in an effort to reach some distant planetary body. There’s a curious wonder to be found in their emphasis of repetition through the endless tones of droning resonance. The song sets itself up to be a player on a larger stage than we can conceive, doling out a cosmic radiance that warms and embraces, saturating our senses in day-glo atmospheres and extended enigmatic detours.
Listen to the song below.
Utero Dei is due out August 12 on Hausu Mountain. Pre-order the album here. Follow the band on Facebook and Instagram.
