When Flagstaff label Fang Over Fist Records put out a sampler this past summer called Recollections, there was plenty of great hip hop and beyond to be found on the compilation. A lot of the tracks were familiar names to those that follow the label, such as An Illustrated Mess and Tre Orona. There was one name on the track list, however, that most people didn’t know - Mood Patrol, who performed the song “Goku.” As it turns out, Mood Patrol is a new trio, consisting of producer Tsoh Tso (fka Whatever Cecil of An Illustrated Mess), vocalist Lady Quasar, and emcee B.Moore. They are now presenting their first project as a group, a self-titled EP.

It doesn’t take long into listening to this EP to understand how these three felt the creative chemistry between each other. After experimenting with other production techniques, Tso returns to his homebase of sample-base production. He keeps the beats fairly minimal and midtempo, but manages to create this really beautiful melancholic mood throughout the EP. This suits B.Moore perfectly, who hops on the mic and starts spitting these really personal and introspective stories and philosophical ponderings. He’s not too boisterous on the mic, but he’s creative with his lyricism and he keeps finding all of these interesting pockets as he switches up his flows with the different beats, which in turns encourages some really active listening as he’s laying these stories out over Tso’s production. Together, they have a chemistry that reminds me of Dark Time Sunshine. But then that brings us to the third heat of the group, Lady Quasar. Quasar is a great vocalist, and she provides the perfect contrast to B.Moore’s rapping and Tso’s beats. She never overdoes it with her singing, but she has great control and a really nice tone to her voice. Most importantly, she has a great feel for where her vocals fit into each song, always weaving between providing background texture and stepping out front to give a song an emotional punch. This is where the group really finds this unique balance and carves out their own little niche.

Mood Patrol is a nice introduction to a new trio. They have a distinct sound, great chemistry, and a lot of interesting musical ideas. They’ve laid down a nice foundation with this EP.