Mastering Engineer - Saif Bari
Yesterday, Mammyth released his Mythical LP through Ill Gates’ Producer Dojo Label. The nine-track project is a pleasant mix of peaceful rhythms and lo-fi-inspired beats.
This funky project blasts off with one of its most upbeat and euphorically style additions, “Liftoff”. Featuring quick rhythms and space-themed vocal samples, the track feels like the ignition sequence to a great project. I really couldn’t think of a better way to start off this LP.
“Liftoff was just such a cool vibe, and message from the start. It spoke of the epic-ness (if that’s a word) of space travel, and the emotion of what that whole experience is – where it be take off, to being away from home, to missing family. I really enjoyed the sound design choices and mixdown of this track too and thought it was just so fun start to finish.” – Mammyth
Following up the euphoric banger is “Funk Garden”, featuring funky chopped saxophone samples and irregularly syncopated beats that emphasize the unique sound design and composition of the track.
Up next is “Morning”, a tune that slows things down and certainly fits its title. This one feels like an unexpected left turn, you don’t really know how you ended up here but you like it. “Morning” bridges the gap between the upbeat styles of the opening tracks into the upcoming section of heavier bass with tranquility and ease.
“Cap’n Crunk” is eccentric and is the first bass-heavy addition to the project, with emphasis on the trap-inspired beat. Followed up by another melancholy change-up, “Floating”. This pensive addition to the LP brings the energy back down and inspires relaxing and nostalgic feelings, giving the listener a moment of peace to reflect. You’re instantly hyped back up for “Shake”, with a high-intensity, dance-inducing beat.
The next track on the LP is “Wandering”, the only single released from the project. Mammyth offered me his thoughts about this particular effort. Here’s what he had to say:
“It was always just a vibe to me, and love that track. It’s super fun, and I love all the melodic content. Simply put, it’s just a good time.” In the same way, Mammyth also has especially fond feelings for “Nostalgia”, a very relaxed hip hop inspired beat, with ethereal sound design that adds space, giving the listener room to breathe. “Nostalgia was just a vibe that came out into the DAW really fast. I’m into lofi for sure, but wanted something with a little more flavor, and think that it came out sounding kinda like downtempo lofi hiphop if that makes sense. Super fun and easy track to write, and really just enjoy the spaciousness of the track, and how simple it was. Literally, I think there were like 7 elements/instruments for the entire track haha. Super stoked on how it turned out.”
Finally, the closing track of the LP is “Take Your Pain”. This track was, unironically, the most painful of the LP to finish. “[“Take Your Pain”] ended up being the most painful track of all due to many issues in the bass-lines, and other technical mixing issues. I ended up (after what seemed like months) having back and forth feedback with Dylan, then I finally just decided to scrap the entire part that wasn’t working and just start over. That’s when I realized I shouldn’t have been so stubborn the whole time, and wish I just made that move in the first place. That was probably the biggest hurdle of the LP by far. Hurdles outside of the mixdown would just have to be mental garbage and lies that I had to walk through and conquer. For instance, just believing in myself that I could do this. Especially in my earlier days, I would find myself doubting my own skill sets, or back and forth wondering if I was even cut out to do this.”
Beyond the difficulties faced mixing the track down, “Take Your Pain” also held a special meaning to Mammyth, “Take Your Pain was awesome. When I found the lyrics, it evoked a conversation with God that reinforced a lot of change that took place in my life over the years. The name of the track just speaks about that conversation. As far as the mix, even though it was a complicated mix down for a while, it really ended up coming together easily after I decided to scrap the part that was a struggle, and replace it with something better. Overall this track has a fun, pop-sensibility that was chock full of emotion.”
Overall, Mammyth really enjoyed writing this LP despite the challenges he faced finalizing it, “Being that the LP is so full of variety, I think that really made it special to me because a lot of times, releases get boxed into just one category, like “house,” or “drum and bass” albums, or whatever. I think that alone for me was cool to just feel the freedom to have full expression without the constraint of it needing to be a certain genre. Of course, I do have favorites off of the album, but I definitely love each track in it’s own way. I think that the ones that I emotionally connect with the most are Liftoff, Nostalgia, and Take Your Pain. But it’s not like the other tracks are void of emotion at all, I think it’s like, these are the tracks that give me the “feels,” so to speak.” – Mammyth
- Jimmy Grant (https://hearditherefirst.blog/2021/04/17/mammyth-drops-mythical-lp-through-ill-gates-producer-dojo-label/)