MONTANA COLORS SPOTIFY… WE ARE ON THE AIR!

Text by Mark Dix

The Montana Colors Spotify account is now active. Two playlists, selected by the teams from the Montana Shop Barcelona stores in Born and Gracia, start off this adventure that aims to explore the musical palates of different graffiti scenes from all around the world through our official stores.

Graffiti and music have gone hand in hand from the very start. From the Futura’s collaborations with The Clash and the Black Sabbath reference of Seen’s seminal wholecar to Banksy’s work with Blur, aerosol art is often the go-to aesthetic for the new tunes of the youth.

Although we are attached to out vinyl collection as anyone, there is no escaping that the most convenient and well-used platform for sharing tracks is Spotify. It’s taken a while, but Montana Colors has finally set up its own channel with the streaming giant.

The potential of the platform is incredible. We’re constantly trading tips of new artists, discovering forgotten gems and catching up on podcasts, before sharing all our findings on Instagram. We don’t want to give too much away, but make sure you stay tuned to our blog and socials to be up on the latest drops centred around the graffiti artists that inspire us.

Montana Shop Born Playlist

Speaking of which, we’re truly hyped to introduce you to our first series of compilations: the Montana Colors Shop Playlists. We lowkey dropped our first list last week with tracks selected by staff and regulars from   our flagship spot in Barcelona’s Born neighborhood, illustrated by resident pop artist and true Barcelonian Kamil Escruela.

Featuring tracks from the golden age of hip-hop by Gang Starr and KRS One, the finest national rap by Yung Beef and Erik Urano, contemporary trap and latin jams from PNL and Bad Bunny plus a couple of cult tracks that only habitual clients will understand, the Montana Shop Born Playlist is the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon copping cans, flicking through new books, checking out the exhibition at the gallery or sinking an early afternoon caña at the Montana Cafè Restaurant.

Montana Shop Gràcia Playlist

We’ve already got the second set of songs selected, from its sister shop in Gràcia. The more mature music in the mix reflects the bohemian spirit and varied interests of the locals in the area: expect electronica from Aphex Twin and Yaeji, house from Moodymann and Hot Chip, plus backpack beats from MF Doom and Aesop Rock.

The cover comes from one of the most original and versatile Catalan capital and close friend of the MTN Crew, Dirty1984.

We’ve only just begin this project but each month we’ll have a new mixtape to play while you’re sketching, in the car on the way to the spot, or during your weekend jam.

With 25 Montana Shops worldwide, from Los Angeles to Tokyo, we can’t wait to take you on a sonic InterRail with a graffiti-themed soundtrack in each city. Search for Montana Colors on Spotify to be the first to listen to the exclusive playlists, and let us know which shop you want to feature next.