British multi-hyphenate artist James Alexander Bright meets cosmic Americana-disco DJ/producer duo Flying Mojito Bros on ‘Mirage In The Mojave’; an album of collaborations and reworks of tracks handpicked by them from James’ !K7 catalog. Injecting a dose of discerning cosmic-acid-house vibrations, rigorous dancefloor exertion, and occasional slatherings of slide guitar awesomeness; FMB refashion James’ smooth-but-wonky indie-soul with their trademark “Refrito” magic.

Like all the best ideas, ‘Mirage In The Mojave’ was conceived in a dream after a long weekend in a field. The morning after a day of deejaying, tequila (100% agave of course), and losing their minds at Flying Mojito Bros’ Rabbit Hole set at Glastonbury, James’ manager woke him up and explained the idea that had formed in his delicate head. Both parties jumped at the chance to work together and less than a year later the project was reality. Dreams do come true.

‘Mirage In The Mojave’ is headed up by ‘Let’s Get Lost’, a brand new exclusive track created between the two camps, made for playing at full volume when racing down a long desert highway into the sunset. Ode to the magic of the radio ‘Wheels Keep Turning’ bumps into morality refresher ‘Soul’, both from James’ 2022 ‘Float’ album, hitting the disco sweet spot in the bullseye.

From 2020’s Headroom album, ‘Gold’ channels slo-mo dub disco a la Grace Jones, Imagination and Idjut Boys. Originally a standalone single in 2019, ‘Tigers Roar’ (chosen by BBC Solent to soundtrack Portsmouth FC’s journey to Wembley – awkwardly, James is a Saints fan) is a slab of big cat funk getting its whiskers pulled…and liking it.

‘Which Way’, the oldest track here from 2018’s ‘Strange Folk’ EP, sounds like a late, late, late night in a dark basement rave before ‘Sundown’ featuring Fink turns up the hands in the air, eyes closed, we’re-all-in-this-together energy to the acid-Balearica maximum.

James says, “Flying Mojito Bros really came at my songs with a different perspective. The grooves are outrageous, I was dancing around the kitchen when I first heard it back. There is real light and shade though, it feels like it’s a whole new album all of its own”. The Bros respond, “James entered El Mondo FMB burning up through our atmosphere like a white-light-bright ball of molten creative energy. Shades on, we looked up and awaited his inevitable impact. Smiling”.

Following the release of debut album ‘Headroom’ (2020), James featured on Groove Armada’s album ‘Edge Of The Horizon’, contributed ‘Under The Sun’ to the Too Slow To Disco: The Sunset Manifesto compilation and released collaborative single ‘It’s Alright’ with Feiertag. James’ second album ‘Float’ was released by !K7 in July 2022 and a new side project, with Groove Armada’s Tom Findlay as Bright & Findlay, will see a debut album released on Athens of the North this summer.

With their boots firmly planted in dusty 70s sunsets, Flying Mojito Bros’ pan-USA productions take cosmic country funk and rock to modern dancefloors via NYC Latin disco and baggy acid house – on a bed of hefty contemporary rhythms. Their music has turned party people loose in clubs, parties and late-night festival tents at Glastonbury, Pikes Ibiza, Austin City Limits and Mojave desert saloons. ‘Greatest Hits (1970​–​1983)’, a compilation of their much-demanded party weapons, was released last year to rave reaction from DJ luminaries. In addition to residencies at The Social, Spiritland and Nobu, they’ve been invited to work their hoodoo on remixes of Flamingods, Raf Rundell (The 2 Bears), Black Peaches, Jouis, 77:78, Scott Hirsch, James Matthew VII, Katy J Pearson, Jeffrey Silverstein, Rudy Norman and more – releasing on prestigious independent labels such as Heavenly, Paper Recordings and Ubiquity.