Mandy Mayhem – Singles
Mandy Mayhem – Singles Review
Mandy Mayhem is gonna “Make You Feel It” – the question is, are you READY for that?
I mean, I can only hope we’ve at least prepared ya a little bit – we did spin two of her cuts back-to-back on the most recent episode of the SBS Podcast when we played “Life Of The Party” and “Too High” from her latest EP out there. If you tuned into the show, then you already know you’re in store for a wild ride through the Electro circuits here in review today – if you didn’t, no worries…you know we’ve got ya fully covered! Click here to check out the SBS Podcast with Mandy’s music on it & hear more of my thoughts on what we had learned when we were first starting to dig into what this Electro wizard is all about.
So let’s see here…what can I tell ya & how should we go carvin’ up this selection of sound in front of me on my playlist here… Technically, we’ve got three cuts from Mandy’s Too High EP, two cuts from her Dystopia EP, and two other singles that she’s released in 2021 as Mayhem continues to savage the scene, armed with stellar beats, big ol’ EDM drops, and a remarkably stellar balance on display in her production. Based out of Las Vegas at the moment if I’m reading the online pages correctly here – and you gotta dig how the sound she’s workin’ with would have no problemo at all fitting into the glitzy gloss of that shiny city…what Mandy Mayhem creates would be perfect for the Vegas scene without a doubt.
As I had mentioned on our show, from what I could find out there online, it appears she’s been rockin’ the decks & studio boards with confidence & style, releasing music onto the net professionally for the past year or two now, including records…wait…record? Did I blink too fast here? At the time we did the show we had both Global Mass Communication and Project Neptune online…the latter or which seems to have disappeared in between then & now. So…okay that’s weird…I should have been expecting that I suppose – it was just yesterday that I was ranting in my last review about how this happens all the time. Anyhow…there was a full lineup of cuts there on Project Neptune that’ll hopefully make a comeback in some way, shape, or form later on down the road…more music is always a good thing Mandy my friend. At the very least, I can tell ya that every cut we’ve got here has been put out this year in 2021 as she breaks ground in the Electro scene and pushes her career forward with a plethora of highly vibrant cuts.
Let’s start with the rumble & shake of “Bring It To Me,” which was the only cut I could see was released as a single prior to its appearance on the Too High EP – everything else you’d find on it is all-new for ya. It’s EDM, yes…but definitely with a large focus on the D&B of it all…ain’t nothing wrong with that of course, I’m just settin’ ya up to know what to expect is all. You’ll find that’s the main strength fueling the energy of this cut at its core, but that’s hardly to say there isn’t anything else goin’ on – Mandy’s got a solid grip on how to make Electro move in a variety of ways, and flexes the finesse of her production right from moment one here with impeccable balance. “Bring It To Me” has a perfect glide through its peaks & valleys of dynamic sound at work, and ultimately makes for a great introduction to her music that will give you a peak at & a taste of what she’s capable of without giving the whole story away in one sonic dose, you dig? You’ll find a bit more flash & flair in the cuts to follow for sure, but in terms of a first impression, “Bring It To Me” delivers a good one without question, diving deep into the Electro rhythm & grooves from the lefts to the rights & instantly confirming that Mandy’s got the skills to make the magic happen. At the end of the day it’s a pretty static vibe she’s rockin’ with in the sense that “Bring It To Me” doesn’t make a bunch of major transitions or changes from start to finish, but it’s also a cut that uses its short length to maximum effect by sticking with something that works & tweakin’ it just a little bit here & there, making subtle changes that are still more than enough to keep us fully engaged.
In the context of the Too High EP’s lineup, “Bring It To Me” gives her the opportunity to expand the vibe & sound Mayhem is workin’ with as “Make You Feel It” takes over & the journey continues on into track two. Lots of amped-up energy at the core of a cut like “Make You Feel It,” expertly designed with build-ups & breakdowns that start right from the very beginning…all-in-all, Mandy flows fluidly through her material at every possible twist & turn, and remains in full-control the entire time in every situation. There’s an argument to be made that there’s still space to include a bit more in the mix perhaps, but it would really depend on what the goals are for her sound & style…and at the same time, what’s added makes an impact every time, no matter how subtle a change or transition may be. Essentially, you’ll find that Mayhem’s tunes always pack in just the right amount of what they need & never feel overstuffed with filler as a result…she’s rockin’ with dedicated grooves and exploring the options in front of her without drifting into a bunch of BS that wouldn’t really suit the song, just for the sake of doing it. Music is like acting in a scene in that sense; if what you’re about to put into it doesn’t add anything significant, just stay still & let it all play out…and in that respect, Mandy makes her decisions wisely, and when she makes a move, she’ll “Make You Feel It,” because it makes a difference and stands out in the right way.
The title cut from her latest EP was the track that gave me everything I was looking for in terms of a bit more diversity & thangs goin’ on…”Too High” jams! One thing that sure can’t be argued against on any of these cuts is just how tight they are when it comes to Mandy’s execution…whether it’s something more simplified & straightforward like “Bring It To Me,” or the more expressive & involved vibes of “Too High” pumpin’ up the bass beat atcha…from the low-end to the high frequencies, absolutely everything is spot-on & right where you’d hope to hear it. Definitely a gifted producer without question when it comes to the mix, and tracks like “Too High” speak stronger on behalf of Mandy flexing more innovation as she continues on…right now, you could consider this track to be the cliffhanger of season one before her new album Primal Resonance drops officially on May 28th this year. Technically, this being the last cut that was released prior to that, all signs point to good times to be had and Mayhem’s music still evolving, as it should be…like I always tell ya, the last thing on earth I’d want for any artist or band out there would be to hit the ceiling of what they’re capable of within five years of starting out…that’s always a tragic story, and it’s entirely avoidable. The way you avoid it is by doing what Mandy’s done throughout this latest EP – you confirm progress every step of the way…sometimes it’s a small step forward, sometimes it’s a giant leap, but if you stay interested & invested in what you do, you find exciting new ways to diversify your own sound along the adventure, and challenge yourself to reach new creative heights in the process. “Too High” was like the summation of what Mandy Mayhem does so very well, with just that added touch of a bit more wildness through the brilliant use of vocal samples & more presence established between the contrast of the low-end and what’s dazzling us on the surface.
Diving into the middle of Mayhem’s Dystopia EP, you’ll find the cut “Funk Me Harder” – and I ain’t gonna lie, if I had had room to play three of her tracks on our last podcast, I would have had no problem dropping this dynamic cut right into that space & spinning this too…this is a powerfully gritty cut that’s dark & sensual & dirty & sexy & I just freakin’ love it! The rumble of the rubbery bass grooves threaded into this Electro experience are beyond awesome…that’s just the facts, Jack – and when you combine this expertly cut & assembled sound with the vocal samples Mandy adds into this dark alley groove…I mean c’mon folks – what’s not to love about this? No joke – this one savage cut earned Mayhem’s Dystopia EP one of those shiny ‘Parental Advisory’ stickers on the front, and it’ll only take a single spin through it for you to know why that’s the case; Mandy pulls no punches here in going for a deep rhythm & groove that hits just as hard with its vocal samples & the mood it creates – for the prudish out there among us, they’ll be washing their ears out with Jesus soap and clutching onto their pearls real tightly. For the rest of us, we’ve got a P-H-A-T Electro jam that’s certain to satisfy…”Funk Me Harder” is filled to the brim with all-out deadly & sexy sound designed to get noticed…and believe me, it sure was over here – I funk’n LOVE this track and every time it came on again in rotation, the immaculate rumble of this song and it’s slick & sleek arrangement was every bit like the audible orgasm it was intended to be.
“I’ve always believed the ultimate dystopia is the inside of your own head.” #FuckIfIDontFeelThatDaily. I really dig what I’m hearing off of the Dystopia EP as well…fantastic texture to be found in the title-cut specifically, which wraps up the set of three you’ll find on it out there online. Once again, the vocal samples are a massive piece of the puzzle in what creates the big picture…even after all these years, I still marvel at how just a couple words here & there in a song can really help direct or dictate an entire vibe as a result. You get this like…half-laboratory, half-cinematic feeling when you listen to a track like “Dystopia” – like you spend equal amounts of time cookin’ it up & testing its mettle in the studio before it becomes the complement to somethin’ happenin’ on the ol’ silver screen, you feel me? As you sink into the grooves supplied on the way into the first minute, “Dystopia” expands and starts tearing at the seams of its audible fabric, bending space & time around ya whilst you listen and get mesmerized by the hypnotic & addictive rhythm that hits hard throughout this whole experience. Mandy even employs a somewhat scorched earth approach at times, breaking it right down to damn near nothingness, and ramping it right back up again with ease into new exploratory directions along the way. It still sticks tight to its main theme overall, but you’ll be more than stoked to hear how Mayhem is able to flex her ideas straight to the fringes of the style she’s working with, adding in wild elements & transitions along the way that reveal remarkable technique, clever patience, & cunning instincts on how to entertain ya.
The last two cuts I’ve got here for ya, as far as I know, are dedicated singles to-date at this point. Along with “Too High,” we played “Life Of The Party” to give you a fairly well-rounded sample of what Mandy Mayhem is capable of on the SBS Podcast – but of course, as you can tell here by this review, there’s still a whole lot more goin’ on than what we were able to spin on a single show. The clarity & production on these tracks has pretty much been award-worthy as far as my ears are concerned – and in my opinion, “Life Of The Party” is one of the cuts I found exemplified Mandy’s impeccably high standards the most. Ultimately, that’s likely a result of the fact that it’s a bit more involved when it comes to the ingredients to be found and the contrast between the low-end & high – but it’s because of the fact that there’s such an array of sound at work on a cut like “Life Of The Party” that you get an opportunity to appreciate the skillset an artist like Mayhem brings to the game even more. I mean, let’s just be as real as real can be here & say it as plain as day – Mandy Mayhem has an incredible ear for sound & knows exactly how to get the most out of a mix…there’s not a single track I’ve heard that doesn’t completely prove & confirm this 100%. Samples always make a difference in cueing us into where the inspiration came from, so do titles as well – “Life Of The Party” tells ya directly what you’re in-store for, and proceeds to deliver, amping up the fun-factor just that more and squeezin’ all that good-good juice outta the colorful vibes to be discovered throughout this song. If you’re listening closely enough, you might even learn a thing or two! Whether that’s by osmosis, or hearing the moves Mandy makes in fluctuating & morphing the lively sound of this cut, or taking your cues from the vocal samples that’ll spell out some of the recipe for ya directly – “Life Of The Party” could technically be just as informative for some as it is entertaining for us all. Bottom line is, Mayhem adds a significant amount of fun into the mix that you’ll notice & dig on.
“Come And See” is the final track I’ve got here on my playlist, which also happens to be the longest cut of the set by about a full minute-plus. The first impression I got from it was definitely regarding how righteously a song like this could potentially go off with its massive stomping beat & hand-clap driven percussion sound added in…you put a track like “Come And See” in front of a live Vegas audience and it’s pretty much a case of stand back & watch the magic happen as the vibe takes over the dance-floor, you feel me? There’s every opportunity for the crowd to get involved with a cut like “Come And See” and connect to it hard in the throes of a wild Friday night…and of course, thanks to good ol’ Mayhem here, you can spin this track any day of the week you wanna get loose & do your thang on your own whilst we’re all waiting on those clubs to fully open back up. To a degree, “Come And See” felt more akin to something like how this whole review started with “Bring It To Me” in that it leans on reliable digital grooves that invoke that hypnotic & trance-like effect on us, keeping us locked-in & captivated by supplying more of what we love at all times and not deviating too far away from the main ideas at work. At nearly six-minutes in length, you’ll find Mayhem still supplies more than enough subtle additions & slight transitions to keep ya completely entertained, and personally I enjoyed how having this particular cut at the end of my set-list here always seemed to bring her story around full-circle, practically inviting me to push play all over again, which I was more than happy to do over the course of this past week or so. It’s always awesome to muse on where the future could take an artist/producer with the attention to detail & skill that she has…and with a new album set to be released right around the corner at the end of this month, there’s an excellent chance we’ll get another peak into the evolution of Mayhem’s music overall as she continues to surge through the Electro scene online, & dominate the Vegas circuit.
Find out more about Mandy Mayhem from the official pages below!
Official Homepage: http://www.MandyMayhemMusic.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/imandymayhem
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mandymayhemmusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Ib7mXw6I4Mh6zJWNIelLQ
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQ3qL9YJRkeO9vedqyTq5g
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