Mndsgn

about the artist
Mndsgn, aka Ringgo Ancheta, is a producer, beatmaker, and songwriter born in San Diego, raised in the southern region of New Jersey, and now currently based in Los Angeles. Born in 1988, he grew up the youngest of four, in a family of Filipino descent. From childhood, he recollects the sounds of his father playing covers on the guitar, frequent visits to his uncle's house whose garage was a rehearsal space for a local naval base cover band, watching his sisters learn choreography for school talent shows, attending local church revivals, delving into the art of bboying, self teaching piano…
MoreMndsgn, aka Ringgo Ancheta, is a producer, beatmaker, and songwriter born in San Diego, raised in the southern region of New Jersey, and now currently based in Los Angeles. Born in 1988, he grew up the youngest of four, in a family of Filipino descent. From childhood, he recollects the sounds of his father playing covers on the guitar, frequent visits to his uncle's house whose garage was a rehearsal space for a local naval base cover band, watching his sisters learn choreography for school talent shows, attending local church revivals, delving into the art of bboying, self teaching piano on the household keyboard, and his big brother introducing him to rap music and beat production at a pivotal age. The love and joy of the music was always synonymous in the lifestyle of his family.
His inspiration, profoundly sourced from both the beauty and discomfort of the unfamiliar, tastefully illustrates the harmony coded in moments; His work, constantly shifting and evolving, exists as an effort to discover resolutions that can gravitate us closer to our truths.
As instrumental beats bloomed in 2008, platforms like Myspace and the sharing capability of AIM messenger played a key role in bringing together contemporary beatmakers Knxwledge, Suzi Analogue, Devonwho, and Mndsgn to form a voltron of kindred musicality & sensibility, known as Klipmode. An undeniable synergy was present amongst each other which led to playing showcases in Philly, Richmond, Portland and Los Angeles and releasing a series of beat tapes through a then budding platform, Bandcamp. As the music gained a cult following, Ringgo embarked on an exodus to Los Angeles in 2011, where electronic/beat music had already long begun establishing a fortified haven. His reunified residency on the west coast birthed continued works in which he would showcase at various hubs such as the infamous Low End Theory. Although most of these developmental works were self released, Leaving Records and Fresh Selects were some of the first record labels to officially release tangible beat tapes of Ringgo's.
His debut studio album with Stones Throw, Yawn Zen (2014), contains early explorations of Ringgo introducing his vocal talents to reach further into these concepts. "It's such a shame the pain we put ourselves through.." Ringgo laments on "Exchanging," and continues "I guess it's somewhat necessary to get where we belong." Body Wash, his follow up 2016 release, also gives a refined glimpse into Ringgo's expansion, utilizing a palette with evident traces of R&B from his decade of birth. In the chorus of the track "Cosmic Perspective," he invites us along for the ride singing: ."..let's get redirected- to the land of music."
Throughout his work you will find a journalistic collection of music that chronicles an evolution of self through raw, mixtape-style titles such as Snax (2018), Snaxx (2019), Gonna B OK (2020), and his ambient, live recorded collaboration with Lionmilk, Forever In Your Sun released in May of the same year through Leaving Records. However, in the Fall of 2018, Ringgo had already begun building upon what he described as "dreams & sketches" of songs that would later sprout into new epiphanies for his work, Rare Pleasures (2021.)
In 2023, Mndsgn's discography has become further enriched with the release of "Snaxxx," the latest offering in his 'Snax' series out now on Stones Throw Records. Capturing his signature playful rhythms and melodies, this album is a delightful collection of "fun-sized treats," striking a balance between a casual beat tape and a full-blown album. It oscillates between moods and features collaborations with close friends like Anna Wise, Liv.e, and Devin Morrison. Following the iconic release, he held the direct support slot for Flying Lotus in London, embarked on a tour through Europe, and graced the Spotify stage in NYC at SOBs.