After turning up the heat with their single “Birdwatcher,” Hot Mustard is back and officially cooking with “Hall of Giants.” Serving as the opening track to their forthcoming album, Monster Season, “Hall of Giants” channels classic boom-bap energy fused with retro soul, setting the stage for an electrifying musical journey.
Making a stunning debut on the track is Via Mardot, whose expressive theremin weaves an ethereal layer through well-placed tubular bell hits and the distinctive clang of the Marxophone—an instrument known for its percussive hammers striking strings to produce reverberating textures. The groove is anchored by drummer AJ Hall (John Cleary and the Monster Gentlemen, Left Field Drum Breaks), who delivers his signature blend of funk and soul, with local talent Wes Powers—originally Powell’s kids’ drum instructor—joining the rhythm section.
Adding a brassy flourish, dynamic horn arrangements by Jordan McLean (Antibalas) were recorded by Dave “Smoota” Smith (TV on the Radio) in Brooklyn, NY. Meanwhile, Ross Bogan brings the funk on organ, while the Hot Mustard duo of Jack Powell and Cary Carusos round out the production with their trademark guitar, synth, and clavinet chops.
The accompanying music video for “Hall of Giants” was meticulously crafted by Jack Powell at Opus Thimble Studios. Built from archival footage, educational materials, propaganda, old home videos, and mid-century ephemera—predominantly from the 1940s and ’50s—the video is a surreal, multi-layered collage.
“The music video is the culmination of a style I’ve been developing for many years—assembling film defects, fragmenting animations, and isolating pieces of vintage footage to create shapes and visuals that I find interesting. My goal is to depart completely from the original context of the source materials and transform them into something entirely new.”
– Jack Powell, Hot Mustard
Watch the “Hall of Giants” video here: https://youtu.be/fKGG9ie2LXE
Hot Mustard has previously been featured in Relix, Glide Magazine, Jazz Weekly, and can be heard in rotation on KUTX, KCRW, WNCW, and more. The forthcoming Monster Season album boasts contributions from musicians who have shared stages and studios with Aaron Neville, Roger Waters, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, Amy Winehouse, Antibalas, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Norah Jones, Run the Jewels, Medeski Martin & Wood, Black Pumas, Valerie June, Dr. Dog, Hozier, Vetiver, Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Cass McCombs, and others.
