I call them my secret weapon. As a DJ, that is.
They are rather un- or little-known around these parts, and I’m not sure how well they are known overseas, but I know for sure that without being a household name, they are certainly not complete unknowns.
I’m talking about the Mungolian Jet Set, also known as The 16th Rebels of Mung, among other monikers.
Pål “Strangefruit” Nyhus, Knut Petter Sævik, Reidar Skår and their variable geometry crew, are, to this humble but savvy DJ, among the most creative music producers of recent memory.
No, I’m not exaggerating. And no, I’m not saying this because they are Norwegian and I think Norway (where I’d move anytime given the opportunity) is the best and most beautiful country in the world — as well as being second only to the UK, maybe, in terms of the quality of the music that comes out of it.
I’m saying this because the Mungs consistently produce epic tracks and remixes of Psychedelic Disco, Abstract Ambient, Sound Collage, Trip Hop, even stuff that could be categorized as World Beat! You name it: they’ve done it or will do it one day, without a doubt, and you can be assured that they will constantly raise the bar for themselves in the process.
They’ve remixed a host of great names, among which Ost & Kjex, Lindstrøm, Dominique Leone, Mari Boine, Nils Petter Molvaer, Bebel Gilberto and LSB as well as collaborating with Altz.
Here are a few examples of their unbelievable ecclectism:
Clairevoyage (A Medley Performed By The 16th Rebels Of Mung) – Dominique Leone
Clairevoyage (A Medley Performed By The 16th Rebels Of Mung) – Dominique Leone
Bring Back the Love (Mungolian Jetset Dub) – Bebel Gilberto
Bring Back the Love (Mungolian Jetset Dub) – Bebel Gilberto
Jet Setter – The Mungolian Jet Set
Jet Setter – The Mungolian Jet Set
For everyone’s listening enjoyment, they’ve recently collected some of their best productions and remixes on a double compilation entitled We Gave It All Away…And Now We Are Taking It Back out now on Smalltown Supersound, even though the release date announced everywhere is Aug. 18th.
This is one of those instances where I cannot urge you enough to get yourself a copy of said compilation, because their releases are not always easy to come by.
Once you’ve accustomed your ears, and mind, to their mind-blowing sound, with all its cultural references — borrowing as much from Ornette Coleman as from Eminem —, seek out their first album, 2006’s Beauty Came to Us in Stone, released on Jazzland Rec.
That album is not for the faint of heart and the intellectually weak, but it is OH! SO rewarding!
Here’s a clip of the Mungs live on Norak national television (!) with Bugge Wesseltoft on piano:
