MUNDO Soundsystem on Seeing Representation in 'Spider-Man'

Think of the strangest place you've ever raved — if your answer isn't a bodega, it’s high time you met DJ Guari and Dos Flakos. Better known as MUNDO Soundsystem, the Bronx trio are also the producers of “Caribeño,” that Rauw Alejandro song you can’t get out of your head. They’re now teaming up with Tequila CAZADORES to help partygoers across the country experience what it’s like to throw it back where they buy their chopped cheese. 

Ahead of their tour, we sat down with the guys to discuss some of the hometown heroes on their collective Shelf. 

DJ Guari on “Robi Rob’s Boricua Anthem”: 

“It takes traditional Puerto Rican Caribbean rhythms and turns it into a house song. We see that pattern happening now with Latin music. For Caribbean music in the ‘90s, it was really revolutionary. When people hear electronic dance music, they don't think of it as music that people of color make, but that song is and was really popular in neighborhoods and communities of people of color — that's why it's personal.” 

Dos Flakos’ Rich on “Free the Universe” by Major Lazer:

“That album specifically showed me that EDM can be all these other things. There was always this EDM bubble — but through Free the Universe, I can enjoy dancehall, I can like reggaeton, I can combine reggae with dubstep if I wanted to. [Major Lazer] just knows how to bring it all back together, and for me, that was always something I really appreciated.” 

Dos Flakos’ Chris on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse:

“We're all music nerds, but I dabble in film as well. Within my 34 years of life, this was the first time I started understanding what feeling represented was, and it was weird for me because the main character was of Black and Puerto Rican descent. I'm Dominican, but Puerto Rican and Dominican forces are like the same thing at the end of the day … It was also how accurate it was. Every little possible fact or feeling about New York being intermixed with a true narrative, I felt very seen. I could relate a lot with the character and with the jokes. Since it's so special and a spiritual thing for me, I'm waiting at least another year before I watch it again.”

Rich on Victory Light:

“It's a culmination of true New York City. I'm from the Bronx, so I'm biased, but the Bronx is the best. So two legends from the Bronx when it comes to comedy come together, and they're funny, but they're also highly political. And they know what they're talking about. They do their research. You'll laugh at it, but it's very real.”

DJ Guari on Vampires vs. The Bronx: 

“I love movies about the Bronx, but it also has really good symbolism. In the movie, these kids fight vampires, and the vampires happen to be real estate developers that are trying to take over the Bronx. So there's a lot of symbolism of gentrification, the real estate market, and how it affects New Yorkers.” 

Rich on CAZADORES Cristalino Tequila:

“I'll be honest, I'm not a big tequila fan, but CAZADORES's brand is pretty smooth, and they've kind of changed my mind. I think that's a big indicator of how good it is. You can mix it with anything, and you could take a shot of it. It doesn't burn so crazy.”

Curious about what else MUNDO Soundsystem is into? Get real-time updates at shelf.im/mundosoundsystem