Nando Vazquez & Mutado Pintado – The “Sweet Smell Of Florida” Ransom Note Mix

 
Music

Sometimes in life you'll find yourself on the hunt for something truly original. As the above artwork may suggest, this mix from Nando Vazquez and Mutado Pintado is anything but ordinary and they've got an hour-long aural treat for you to delve headfirst into, just because you know it's the right thing to do.

As you flow through the sonic rivers of soul, beats and just about everything you could want to hear, read on as we get quizzical about Warmduscher, mottos and a hell of a lot more.

Eyes and ears at the ready;

Please introduce yourself…

Who are you:

Clams Baker aka Mutado Pintado aka Disco Face

Where are you:

In the heart of enemy territory, South London on the battle front, yuppie takedown. All over the place really.

What are you: 

A voice amongst many, a switch flicker in a sea of darkness. Vocal man for Mutado Pintado, Paranoid London, Save, Sworn Virgins, and the mighty Warmduscher.

How would you describe the music you love most?

Anything with a pulse, heart, passion, or duende.

What's the ethos behind Mutado Pintado?

Keep it from the soul, don’t think if you don’t have to, and spend as little time worrying about it as possible.

Where does the inspiration for the music come from?

A life filled with adventure, love, and headaches and being surrounded by a lot of talented friends and family.

How good are you at colouring?

I've been making it look beautiful for years, I can turn a rainbow gray.

Can you keep inside the lines?

It's more about knowing when to scribble, I only keep it neat if its necessary.

If your sound was a visual thing, what would it look like?

It would be a parade, it would be a woman, it would be a party in a tiny room with sweaty faced texans with comb overs and woman on their laps.

What was the music of your teenage rebellion?

Fortunately with life cycles and innocence I am still having it, I never shook it. The sounds stay with me to this day and sort of melt into one. There are far too many to list, but soul, hip-hop, dancehall and 80’s hardcore bands definitely moulded me.

If you were a cat, what type would you be?

Silly question, I am a hyena.

If you had to come up with a motto like posh schools have, what would yours be?

Get up and take whats yours then shove it in their faces. Your next breath could be your last, so make it count. If you find your breath sucking the life of those that have no choice but to give it up to you, do us all a favor and suffocate or at the very least give it back with something good. Long live it.

Why do you think we care so much about music?

We all like a ride and we all like to feel special, I’d like to think we all like to close our eyes and let them tell us we are in our own movie with the credits rolling walking down a familiar street to the high fives of the neighborhood we live in, feeling good or bad but being alive.

What would be your ransom note?

Either make a donation to the Bernie Sanders campaign in the form of everything you own or send me the head of Elton John, otherwise the kid gets it. Here’s a toe, tomorrow an adams apple. Long live it!

What's the true smell of Florida? Does it smell like Flo Rida?

Cherry chapstick on pistols and tattoos on hips. I can imagine he would smell like Virginia Slim 100 cigarettes and powdered mints.

What would be in your magic box?

LSD crowd bombs, defibrillators, some kind of six shooter and a lot of money.

Tell us about the colouring in book.  

The coloring book came about as Lightnin’ Jack Everett and I were working on Warmduscher artwork. Lightnin was doing a bunch of drawings and as a sort of thing we said why don’t we make a coloring book to go out with albums or whatever. Then I wanted to make a donation to the Bernie Sanders, but something of substance, so I figured we would make the book and then donate any profits to Bernie. Once that started I just began asking everyone I knew in the music/arts and wallah, you got a keeper. Bernie, if you are listening, thank you.

What’s your relationship with Saul from Fat Whites. Is it, like the drawings… a bit strange?!

Strictly platonic, all business. We meet on the third Thursday of every month at the Chariots in Streatham and discuss strategy without making much eye contact.

Warmduscher. Discuss.

Warmduscher was created out of the necessity of a party. It was NYE and Saul & FWF were putting on a party at the Queens Head and they wanted Black Daniel to play which was a band I used to front.  We couldn’t get it together so we decided to do something improv with Jack, Saul, Adam, and Lias, and basically we got up and smashed it, with an unexpected start of me giving the front row a vomit bath.  Anyhow it was so much fun that we decided to continue on with the same ethos.  No rehearsals, no songs, yadda yadda.  Then of course we went into the studio exactly the same way and recorded an album without knowing what we would do, just a few riffs and thats it, and presto Khaki Tears was born.

What a luxury.

You seem like a man interested in many aspects of the artistic process. Are you a nightmare at the pressing plant?

Not at all, I like to hand it off and see what happens, and Im a lazy boy so the less I need to do the more happy I am.

How did your love affair with Ivan Smagghe come about?

I gave him a tattoo on places only to be seen in the dark.  He asked me what I was doing there and I told him just killing time.  We had a coffee then we shared some music, then I went to France with Paranoid London and we did a number on the Rex club.  Now its like we have never been apart. One day we will consummate the marriage but until then the glow is still strong.

How many is too many?

When you know you are going to die, it is really never enough.  Turn off the thought if you can’t get enough done, you will be surprised with what comes out of your soul if you have one.

The mixtape was mixed by the one and only Nando Vazquez aka the Cobra. We have put on a mix series for the past five years or so and here he is:

Where was the mix recorded?

Kew.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Tossup between George Clooney's gaff on Lake Como or The Grand Union Canal in Alperton.

What should we be wearing?

A Nicky Holloway cardboard party fun mask.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

Black Ark Studios.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

Warmduscher – Yolk Buns USA

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Mel Gibson's Summer Jamz 1986

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Junior Vasquez; so I could kick him in the nuts for being a fucking twat.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

One Technics SLBD22, a JVC L-A31, Phonic SM1000 Mixer.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

The start. 

What were the first and last records you bought?  

Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger, Queen – Flash Soundtrack… Our Price Richmond 1982. Last record was Paranoid London LP.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Fish.

If it was an animal what would it be?

A Klebb.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

An extremely sun-warped copy of Turntable Orchestra's You're Gonna Miss Me.

Upcoming in the world of Mutado Pintado?

Lots. I will be releasing an album that I have been working on for quite some time, and one that I am really proud of. Its an album called Poke A Hole and Let it Flow with the insanely talented composer/pianist Jonathan Dryden. I am putting it out with the Piano Man, aka Alexander Sebley near the end of the year with some performances. Its really scary for me because its really important, but I'm sure it will be great, please look out for it.  

Apart from that, another Warmduscher album, a Save album that will be coming out this year on Les Disque de la Mortes, a lot of Sworn Virgins, and a lot of touring with the only electronic act Ive known to turn down Tel Aviv money, the unstoppable Paranoid London!  

We are heading to Canada, the US, and working on a tour of Asia and South America next year so all things go. Also stay tuned for what will be a seminal album between a certain meat raffler of Streatham and myself, a lot more details to come but almost in the bag. Long live it. 

Anything else we need to discuss?

I've said enough really, it all makes for one big mess if it goes on too long. If you can, discuss amongst yourselves, ask if you feel ok and if you think your doing something good or bad if thats what you want. Discuss the mating habits of endangered species if you cant think of anything else, or maybe even how much you can give to Bernie Sanders or Jeremy Corbyn or maybe someone that needs something. Then again maybe just do nothing at all and see what happens.


Mutado Pintado's 336 W 17th St. is out now, grab your copy here.