CMON

After nearly ten years shaping their experimental pop/rock outfit Regal Degal, Josh Da Costa and Jamen Whitelock pivoted to dance-oriented sounds under the name CMON. Retaining some atmospheric textures from their earlier work, the pair emphasized programmed beats and disco-pop rhythms throughout their first full-length release, the 2020 album Confusing Mix of Nations.

The two musicians connected in New York after both had relocated there toward the close of the 2000s. They launched Regal Degal in 2009, a project that explored a wide range from distorted synth punk to extended, repetitive Krautrock-style improvisations across subsequent years. During one of the group’s last tours, Da Costa and Whitelock observed audiences remaining largely unresponsive until a DJ took over and prompted dancing. That contrast prompted them to explore electronic production techniques. While Regal Degal wound down, the pair divided their time between Los Angeles and New York, with Da Costa settling in L.A. to concentrate on dance-pop songwriting. He exchanged files with Whitelock, still based in New York, and the two eventually crossed the country to track material together in person. CMON issued a self-titled five-song EP in 2018. The release sparked sufficient interest for the duo to sign with Mexican Summer, which issued Confusing Mix of Nations in spring 2020.