Infinite Sounds UK: Album Review: Recetas by Mic Mountain

Recetas

Mic Mountain

The Upcoming Album from Washington DC’s Mic Mountain is based around the food that comes from his Puerto Rican heritage and promises to be a proper dining experience for our audible delight.

With Mic Mountain serving up these Recetas (Recipes) at the front of house, he has hired some top musical chefs to cook everything up, Mr Scratch Hook (Who also provides the cuts), Goliath Kong, and DNA Beats. There are also some top-notch additional ingredients that Mic Mountain has added to the menu to add his own spin to things. So, be on the lookout for these additional spices: Krook Rock, Jay David, La’Bori Dee, Duendy, The Microphone Prince, DJ Exes, CrDnlSn, Powerule, Thirstin Howl the 3rd, Cynical Minded, Sacx One, and Paco Loco (RIP).

With that said, I don’t want to keep you in anticipation too long. So, feel free to join me as I take my seat at the table to sample these delights and bring you take on the menu…

With sun streaming through the window and a slight chill coming from the AC, I take my seat at the table, ready for the first of thirteen courses. I begin with the Recetas (Intro), Heavy drums and horns bring an upbeat sound that fits so well with the hot weather and gets you bouncing. Mic Mountain mixes his vocals between English and Spanish as he greets me and sets out what I’m about to experience, how he approaches flavours, and how it’s all about each dish complementing the other and more. Now I’m salivating at the thought of the flavours I’m about to indulge in, and It’s time for my first dish, which is Pastelitos. Now Pastelitos are like little Empanadas, and it features Krook Rock and Jay David. The sound is heavy on the horns with congas that create a lively taste for your ears to digest with a smile. These three little starters have some subtle differences in taste, but all have that Spanish essence running through them. They do not fill you up but leave you knowing that these ingredients can bring flavour to a great many meals. Next up is a palate cleanser of Dulce De Leche (Candy Milk), which is infused with La’Bori Dee for an extra kick. The sound has a heavy beat which has bass guitar and flute flavours running through it, creating a refreshing energy dancing on your tongue. As you pause for a short time, Mic Mountain and La’Bori Dee cast your mind to what is going on beyond the glass windows. As the flavours come alive, the world does its thing, passing by as you watch.

Café con Leche brings Coffee with Milk to the table; now I’m not a coffee drinker, so this was an experience for me. Duendy and The Microphone Prince joined Mic Mountain here for a heavy shot of flavour. The sound and heavy horns with keys and more bring a sound that dispersed the bitterness with an energy that makes you want to bounce. The flavours here bring a constant mix of sweetness and bitterness that complement each other in your ears with each tasting, setting you up perfectly for the next course, which is Pineapple Pique, which sees DJ Exes join Mic Mountain on this one. The sound is upbeat, with the piano getting your whole body moving. Pineapple Pique is a Puerto Rican hot sauce, and the mix of flavours that go into making it are reflected in the lyrics and the vocal tones here, which mix things up and hit you from different angles just when you least expect it. After that heat, it’s time to change things a little with some Mofongo, a dish that is made with fried mashed plantains. Horns take the forefront here with a pounding beat, which gives you time for a little pause while still moving in your seat. Mofongo seems to be one of those dishes that can go with many things, such as rice and beans. Here, my Mofongo came with a heavy dose of Mic Mountain giving me the lowdown on what he is about on a daily basis. Just like we were having a laid-back chat over this part of the meal.

CrDnlSn is a part of Sancocho, a stew that is a comfort food in Puerto Rico. The sound has moving piano, horns, and an infectious beat. You really get the feel of how Sancocho is a feel-good food as you listen along; here it gives you the feeling that no matter what is happening around you, this dish will brighten and lighten any day. Next up, it’s time for a fried chicken dish, Pollo Frito, which has a burst of flavours including an appearance from Powerule. Cuts and a head nod beat make this one the kinda dish that heads will want to bounce to. As you sample the dish, it takes you back to the nineties hip hop era, giving you a huge dose of nostalgia along the way. As much as you might wanna stay in that reflective mind state, you have to bring yourself back for the next course, which is Bacalaito. A deep-fried salted cod fish dish that looks like a pancake, and this version of the dish features the flavours of Thirstin Howl the 3rd alongside Mic Mountain. Organ notes, horns, and a pounding beat give this one the kind of taste that will get your head nodding big time. The flavours in this one elevate it beyond a simple pancake-looking fish dish; this one will have you wanting seconds every time, even when the razor-sharp cuts slice through your awareness. I was enjoying this so much that I was only vaguely aware of the radio being on in the background and strangely introducing the next course, like the announcer was in the building; perhaps he was. That just heightened my anticipation for Morrir Sonando, which is a traditional drink of milk, orange juice, and sugar. This recipe also had a hint of Cynical Mind blended in for added flavour. The horns and piano brought a laid-back air over the beat, giving you pause to sit back and enjoy every mouthful. The lyrics and the vibe give this a reflective feel that has you casting your mind back alongside Mic Mountain and Cynical Mind as the taste refreshes your palate.

Sangria in Puerto Rico is a twist on the traditional Spanish drink and features rum, tropical and citrus fruits. The recipe I was presented with also featured a dash of Sacx One. That hit of Mic Mountain and Sacx One only drops after the initial beat flavour kicks in with percussion, piano and xylophone, to get you hyped up. This one goes down so easily that you realise pretty quickly that too much of this one will have you floating off in more ways than one; trust me, as I suddenly realised I was approaching the penultimate track. That track is the quick Hill Billy Skit which features Paco Loco. This one is a comedic answerphone message that was left for Mic Mountain at the restaurant, just a quick little giggle before your final plate is delivered. That final plate is a classic Puerto Rican dish of chicken and rice, called Arroz con pollo. Today that dish comes seasoned with Paco Loco for something a little extra. The initial flavour is one of heavy drums, horns and keys which literally gets you up and dancing from the get-go. As you consume this one, the addition of the vocal flavours gives you the impression that the taste of this dish brings a party vibe, not just to your mouth but to the entire restaurant as the whole place is buzzing by the time the meal is over.

It’s great to have fun with a review, and Recetas has the kind of vibe that allows me to do just that. Now, I might be from the UK and not speak Spanish, but that didn’t seem to matter here as sound, lyrics, and the entire feel of the album just seemed to fill you with a sense of good food, good company, and enjoying those things in a cultural sense and beyond.

Being from the UK, my knowledge of Puerto Rico has been mainly gained from my interest in subjects such as the Chupacabra; that’s another story, but Recetas and Mic Mountain have helped to give me another look at the culture and, in this case, the food that is a big part of that culture. The celebration of the food, and the drinks which complement it, allows you to drift off into your own mind and get a small feeling of what it is to be and experience a different culture, and that is invaluable.

The other thing here is that the album fuses Hip Hop and classic Puerto Rican musical vibes, musically and lyrically as well. What I felt was amazing here was not the fact that I was not aware of what was being said in Spanish but, the fact that everything flowed regardless of my understanding, which made me cast my mind to the likes of Cypress Hill and Hip Hop in other native tongues, you don’t always have to understand the words to feel the energy and the vibe of what is being said. Sometimes just feeling something is just as valuable as you understand it on a whole different level.

Recetas is a great, themed album that sees Mic Mountain displaying some solid lyricism and flows across both English and Spanish, showing that he is not about to slow down. You also get the sense that bringing his cultural heritage to the forefront is only a good thing, as it gives the listener a great insight into that culture and the energy it brings. The featured artists also have that bilingual rap delivery, merged with their own individual energy that just complements the album in all ways.

The production also merges that Hip Hop sound with the Puerto Rican sound, and it brings a feel-good energy from start to finish that elicits an energy throughout your body that is infectious and just wants to make you move. Recetas is a concept album that brings a focus to the Puerto Rican culture in a way that makes you not just enjoy what you hear, but also makes you want to try the food, sample flavours, and meet the people. This is what real Hip Hop does; it brings everyone closer together, reminding us that we are all one, in some way, shape, and form.

You will not want to miss this one as it has feel-good party vibes running through it. So, pull up a chair, order your plate and enjoy…

Recetas releases on 15th September, but check the Bandcamp link below for details of the Album listening party.

My humble thanks to Mic Mountain for giving me the chance to bring you my inspired thoughts on Recetas.

See you next time,

Steve.

LINKS

Pre-order the album here and check for Album listen party:

https://micmountain.bandcamp.com/album/recetas

Mic Mountain Website:

https://micmountain.com/

Mic Mountain Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/michael.mountain.34432