Check Out My Audio!!!
South Bay Record Collector Drops Gems
By: David Ma
Commercially released or homemade, mixtapes are seldom exceptional. They usually inundate you with mediocrity or just go unnoticed. But the clamor is fleeting when something like Audio emerges.
Adrian Mendoza [who goes by Age] is a record collector from the South Bay whose latest mixtape, Audio, elbows it’s way above recent releases. But this shouldn’t imply that the project is conceptually new. “As far as it being different from other mixtapes, it really isn’t,” Admits Age. “If anything, it’s a personal bond to share music with your friends and show them what you are into. I just wanted to hear a lot of these songs and it just happened to all fit together.”
Audio’s song selection is colorful, and its execution is clean. It’s not overwrought with turntable tricks or ironic mashups. It’s an uncomplicated blend of great songs—case in point is when Quinn Harris and The Masterminds’ “All in the Soul” emerges at around the 4-minute mark. Dense records with dusty drums and vibrant arrangements mark this song, and others like it, on this 49-minute listen. And all that’s needed to hear it is a computer. “You know, I just figured it would be easier for those who have a burner and a connection to the Internet”, says Age, who just wants it readily available for interested parties. “If you got a computer and three bucks, it’ll be one less trip out of he house. And if people just want to download it, by all means”. But for those who want a tangible product in their hands, and are from The Bay, this can be found locally. “I made a few copies and pushed them to local stores like Streetlight and Groove Merchant too”, says Age, who included ten custom copies strictly for local folks. “ There are ten packages with all different artwork and you can turn them into a mini-canvas. I just figured that would be fun”.
Among a constant flow of gimmicky mixetapes, Age’s approach is refreshing. Audio meshes funk & soul thoughtfully, with attention to rhythm and pace. And Age, a soft spoken cat, was refreshingly dismissive of the mystique that normally surrounds mixtapes. “Oh and the insert is the song list. It’s a collage of all the LP covers I used for the mix. But I also put my email address on there, just in case people wanted to know what the songs were.”
In short, pick this up. It’s well worth $3 and a couple mouse clicks.
By: David Ma
*For more info on Age and “Audio”, visit www.45apparel.com, www.newmedinamusic.com, or contact Age directly at agesnufone@gmail.com
**A special thanks to DJ Ennui for coordinating the above feature
