★★★★☆
Passport, suntan lotion, sunglasses, Mungoldelics – sorted. Anything to declare? Well in quickly following last year’s Schlungs, progressive deep house and cosmic disco heads for the secret inlet slash tourist trap selling you a pittance of eight tracks, but pledging magic in the air from the get-go. The Norwegian pair’s showdown with Jaga Jazzist on opening act “Toccata” has the potential to be this year’s sun-hits-the-sky moment, where Knut Saevik and Pal ‘Strangefruit’ Nyhus carry a friendly, stick-with-us vision (forgive the titles for sounding goofy) within the happy phantasm of the Mung science.
Fleetwood Mac-ish house pours casual drinks on the balcony before stepping onto the dance floor with the ready and set “Smells Like Gasoline” – deep house 101 admittedly, complete with breakout piano chords, but integral to developing a spirit matched with a doggedness. “Mung’s Picazzo” inserts a dubby, ‘find yourself’ trudge that seems kind of inevitable, but again fits the grand scheme in always keeping the lounge open.
“People on Strong Stuff” disappoints with its pasty vocal and is not the sung encouragement that would top the album off (not sure about the soft rock screeching involved either). “Ghost in the Machine” redeems with a stepper that’s hard-nosed, bassy, bouncy, mind-opening and with a great funky switch-up all in one, and “The Dark Incal” gives an end-of-the-night performance locking onto ravers’ spheres of emotion. Don’t leave home without it.
File under: Lindstrøm, John Talabot, Knights of Jumungus