Features

Written By: Around in Sound

De Novo is the latest release from Ill Mondo on Circle Into Square, a production duo based out of the San Francisco bay area. Ill Mondo is JRK of Wide Hive Records and Johnny Red of One Little Indian Records, and while many of their previous recordings explored hip hop and funk sounds De Novo offers a completely different recorded approach for the duo. Their influences from 70's rock and soul come true on De Novo as they recorded on classic, vintage equipment in authentic 70's style in order to create a psychedelic exploration of epic proportions. What's more? This album is completely FREE!!

Ill Mondo employed dozens of studio musicians and a variety of vocalists to complete the album, and this is no more apparent than on the below track 'Budello'. Budello is an excellent psychedelic rock track fully embodying the sonic journey Ill Mondo attempted to create with the album. Apparently, the De Novo recording started with a Kraut-rock influenced studio jam session, and the sessions were edited down before extensive overdubbing; Mellotron flutes and strings blend with live horn and string sections, latin percussion accents against the funky drums and a full choir section complements the space echo guitars. Tremendous arrays of sound arrangements are present on this album. A simple glance at all those involved in the De Novo project provides but a small clue for the full sounds found on the album: http://yfrog.com/z/h695911275j

Currently there are two songs from De Novo with official "music videos" if you will, though many of these songs have been posted on Youtube. Both songs - Budello and The Unblinking Eye - provide two very different approaches from the album. While The Unblinking Eye offers the listener with with a more traditional rock approach, Budello is that previously defined mental journey through a classic rock style. Each song on De Novo features a different vocalist with a vast range of influence, including R&B, Folk, and Blues Rock.  The result is as if David Axelrod produced a Funkadelic album with Talking Heads.  Featuring a credit list of over 25 players, expert recording and mixing, Ill Mondo's De Novo is authentic psychedelic music with a funky rock edge that sounds just as at home in 1973 as it does today.

Needless to say, the free LP De Novo is vastly different than their recorded project with the Los Angelas based MC rapper Neal Rames. That album (Self-titled) featured legendary guests such as Percee P, Sean Price, and Prince Po.  The album received high critical praise and stayed at #9 on the CMJ Hip-Hop charts for 2 weeks. With both De Novo, the Self Titled release, as well as their various mixtapes and singles, Ill Mondo continues to pave their own way with an incredibly diverse set of sounds.