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‘Infinity’ is the third EP in two years from Naarm/Melbourne artist Juno Mamba (real name Vinci Javier), following June’s ‘Freedom’ and 2020’s critically acclaimed ‘Light Echoes’, which gained support from tastemaker DJs including TSHA, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Bob Moses as well as Annie Mac and Sian Eleri at BBC Radio 1.
Born in the Philippines into a musical family, Vinci was surrounded by music in his formative years – it is said that to be Filipino is to have a soundtrack embedded in your life – leading him to become a multi-instrumentalist from a young age. After moving to Ballarat at age five, Vinci found himself a staple in the thriving local music scene, which saw him play shows across Australia, and in the UK.
As he moved into adulthood, he began to discover club music. Having always played in bands and looked to external inspirations, this discovery of something deeper shifted his musical output; it was when he started to focus inwards, that his drive to create emotionally driven dance music flourished, and Juno Mamba was born.
He details: “I hope this music will encourage people to show love for one another because life is a short journey, and the world can do with some right now. Like with all my music, it’s intended to be contemplative and reflective with the hope of unifying us to celebrate life. For me the memories we create will live beyond our physical life.”
Opener and first single ‘Blue Light’ is a slow burning, euphoric dance track dedicated to the feelings tied to youth and first times. “My first experiences going to underage discos was otherworldly,” Vinci explains. “Being surrounded by friends, strangers, lights and loud music was pure joy. There was a moment when someone who I’d been thinking about for days approached me and at that moment, life could not be better. I wanted to capture that youthful and euphoric energy in this song. Sonically I was guided by my beautiful memories of this time. The vocals were written by my friend who was with me that night at the underage disco.”
‘Borders’ is an emotional thank you to Vinci’s mother and the sacrifices she endured for him and their family. “Leaving me behind in the Philippines for a few years, while she set the foundations for our new life in Australia, was not easy for her and she is still saddened by the memory,” he recalls. “We were blessed to have my Lola (Filipino for ‘grandmother’) take care of me during that time. When I was writing this song, I was envisioning taking off from Manila Airport, having the window seat and staring out through the clouds. All my early memories of fog-filled mornings and icy winters in Ballarat are embedded in this track, and I’m forever grateful for mum.”
EP closer ‘Rainbow Infinity’ is a gentle offering that Vinci dedicates to his Lola, who sadly passed away three years ago. The sequel to the already-released tribute to his father (‘Slow Malady’), the track features embedded snippets of audio from her funeral and a sample that references death and grief. “She gave our family the gift of music, so I owe a lot of it to her. I’ll never forget when she visited us in Australia in ‘98. She taught me how to cook eggs, something I will cherish forever. I remember the night we dropped her off at the airport, I came home, and she’d left presents under my pillow. I cried all night.”
The title ‘Rainbow Infinity’ references her favourite song ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, as a way for Vinci to memorialize her memory. “Saying goodbye to her three years ago was difficult but that moment gave me strength and I was no longer afraid of death. I wanted this song to be a celebration of her life.”
‘Infinity’ follows this year’s acclaimed ‘Freedom’ EP, which has collected over 700,000 streams and extensive airplay from BBC Radio 1, with lead single ‘Siargao Dreams’ featured as their ‘Chillest Record’. Together, ‘Freedom’ and his 2020 EP ‘Light Echoes’ have drawn praise from Mixmag, Complex UK, The Ransom Note, Our Culture Mag, KALTBLUT and NME, plus adds to electronic tastemaker playlists including Spotify’s Brain Food, Electronic Rising, Friday Cratediggers, and Apple Music’s Chill House, Breaking Dance, and Trance & Progressive.
Release date: November 3rd, 2021.