THE DEY WAY is the spectacular second full album release from the brilliant bassist Mohini Dey. This fast and furious funk album showcases her talent across the board—from composing fab funk riffs, incredible bass skills, and intricate use of Konnakol, a form of Indian vocal percussion or “scatting” in Western vernacular.
Mohini was already a successful bass player in India when she came to the U.S. about five years ago at the suggestion of some colleagues. She released her first self-titled album, Mohini Dey, in 2023. She first hit my radar at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2025, playing with Willow Smith, who guest slots on Xtroverted Soul on this album. I got to see Mohini perform her own set at this year’s Newport Jazz Festival (see video) and then again just a couple of weeks later at The Perfect Note in Atlanta (see video) and she absolutely blew me away.
The album uses a customized mix of musicians on each track, especially rotating in an all-star lineup of drummers including Larnell Lewis (of Snarky Puppy fame), Dennis Chambers (Parliament-Funkadelic, Santana), Gergő Borlai, Marco Cirigliano (now in her touring band), Roni Kaspi, and Eric Moore. For me, it was also wonderful to see Jonathan Mones of Ghost-Note playing alto sax on both the album here and on tour!
Mohini Dey is a bass phenom, that is certain, and there is tremendous depth and feeling in her music. The speed, precision, and slapping have gained widespread recognition, but the musicality and sensitivity are sometimes overlooked. Having seen her perform live and hearing some of the stories behind the songs strengthens the connection. It shows that Mohini is indeed a badass on the stage but a very thoughtful and intelligent individual. Many of the songs on this album bounce from sonic explosions to soft and lush melodies. Knowing the backstory only enhances the allure of the tunes. Get ready to have a blast listening and reading about The Dey Way track-by-track!
The reason its called ‘THE DEY WAY’ is because this is how I do it and why I do it. This project is a huge piece of me.
It’s emotional, vulnerable, soulful & playful… all at once. It carries my roots, my rhythm, my love for groove, improvisation, Carnatic influences, heavy unison lines, bass-driven melodies, and the freedom to create without boundaries.
Some of it came from pain. Some from joy. But most importantly, it came from my experiences, from a deep place in my heart.
If you heard my Debut Album ‘MOHINI DEY’ then think of this one as my next era. This album is an evolved version of me. This album showcases more of who I am becoming and my potential.
And because Bandcamp has always felt more personal and artist-supportive, I wanted you all to hear this from me directly first.
Thank you for valuing music deeply. And thank you for allowing independent artists like me to keep creating freely.
We’re just getting started!
– Mohini (on Bandcamp)
Track-By-Track
THE DEY WAY blasts off with some massive chords and dynamite drums from Gergő Borlai. The video is visually stunning with a light show framing Mohini looking fab. She establishes her bass creds with some great slap and thumb work. The combination of the synth and sax is very futuristic and drops into a gorgeous bass solo from Mohini that showcases her two-handed plucking technique as well as a softer side. It then picks up into a master class on funk rocketry with Mohini chanting and scatting beautifully along with the bass. The production values of the video and the tune are off the charts. What a way to start!
- Mohini Dey – Bass, Vocals, Composer, Producer
- Gergő Borlai – Drums, Co-Producer
- Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal – Guitar
- Jonathan Mones – Saxophone
- Dániel Szebényi – Keyboards
- Kash Iyengar – Keyboards
XTROVERTED SOUL has Willow Smith on vocals, and the tune slays. It’s a companion song to Introverted Soul that appeared on Mohini’s debut album. It kicks off with some banter from Willow and jumps right into the lyrics accompanied by a machine gun drum and bass attack. There’s a terrific bass solo embedded in the middle as the tempo abates, and that’s followed by an extended guitar solo smash from Jack Gardiner, who plays against the synths from Dániel Szebényi and/or Button Masher. The lyrics and frenetic pace resume to wrap up this exhilirating tune.
- Mohini Dey – Bass, Composer, Producer
- WILLOW – Vocals
- Gergő Borlai – Drums
- Jack Gardiner – Guitar
- Jonathan Mones – Saxophone
- Dániel Szebényi – Keyboards
- Button Masher – Keyboards
XTROVERTED SOUL is built around deep pocket, explosive energy and fearless improvisation, this track brings together my world of rhythm, harmony and raw emotion with the incredible Willow Smith who is a deep lover of rhythm & harmonies. She was just the perfect fit for this song due to her mature understanding of music and her true voice.
As someone raised in India surrounded by fusion music that involves ragas, konnakol and polyrhythm from a very young age, I’ve always been drawn to music that represents my foundational years. XTROVERTED SOUL and the upcoming album reflects that completely.
This song blends progressive elements, heavy grooves, vocal expression, unison lines and experimental textures while still holding onto soul and feel at its core. It’s intense, vulnerable and beautiful all at once.
More than anything, this track is about embracing the parts of yourself that are passionate, emotional, eccentric and unapologetically alive.
Thank you for listening and supporting independent music directly.
LYRICS
They said ‘too weak’
But I broke that chain
Every note that I play
I carved my space
Music is my truth proof way of life
They tried to write off
But I kept every promise I made
Scar turned to flame
Turned it around
Now I own my name
Source: Bandcamp
WHAMMY AWARD has just been released in full video format, featuring Mohini looking spectacular and getting into the supercar Lamborghini Aventador. She’s accompanied by four hot, synchronized, choreographed dancers—and we haven’t delved into the music yet! The tune is catchy, starting with a bass-heavy line that almost feels like it could fit on Chick Corea’s Musicmagic album. Mohini takes a slap bass solo leaning on the Lambo and then hits some amazing Konnakol scales and trades with Marco Cirigliano on drums. By the way, this trading at the live show is a guaranteed set highlight. Mohini prances in the video with a tiara and shows that she is truly a bass queen. This one’s definitely a showstopper, especially with the three-piece horn section!
- Mohini Dey – Bass, Composer, Producer
- Marco Cirigliano – Drums
- Mike Gotthard – Guitar
- Emmanuel Echem – Trumpet
- Jonathan Mones – Saxophone
- Shahar Amdor – Saxophone
- Dániel Szebényi – Keyboards
SLAPPA DEY BASS, an obvious play on words, refers to the slapping technique, widely attributed to Larry Graham as the originator and Mohini’s last name as a propigator of the modern technique. The song itself features a fantastic bass line, naturally, and when the melody takes flight, it is spirited by the horns. Mohini vocalizes the bass beautifully, and the horns accentuate the effort with staccato bursts. The horns sound to me like Ghost-Note influences, which happens to be another band that Jonathan Mones tours with regularly.
About 1/4 way in, there’s a break with a short spoken phrase leading into a mid-tempo, bass-keyboard (Dániel Szebényi) duet. Mohini plays a very cerebral, jazzy part that jumps quickly back to a slapping sequence. There’s another drop, another spoken phrase, and then a return to the head with Mones matching Mohini note for note and the keys bringing some electric juice into the mix. It’s a very interesting, non-linear tune.
- Mohini Dey – Bass, Composer, Producer
- Eric Moore – Drums
- Jonathan Mones – Saxophone
- Emmanuel Echem – Trumpet
- Dániel Szebényi – Keyboards
JOY is a stripped-down tune with Mohini in the spotlight. It features one of my favorite drummers, Larnell Lewis of Snarky Puppy, whose wife’s name is Joy, which may have influenced the song title selection. JOY starts with a dramatic flourish and then settles into a nice groove. Mohini is playing a six-string bass for the memorable anthemic theme. There’s matching accompaniment from Kash Iyengar on keys, although not visible in the video here. Midway there’s a bit of a dreamy sequence that leads to a different Mohini solo that fits in perfectly. Mohini and Larnell are dancing in circles in my mind’s eye until we get back to the main theme to close out.
- Mohini Dey – Bass, Composer, Producer
- Larnell Lewis – Drums
- Kash Iyengar – Keyboards
15 STEPS AHEAD features the rising drum phenom Roni Kaspi, who appeared in a video at NAMM with Mohini and another young talent, Jesus Molina. The tune starts with some whispered words that seem to permeate the rest of the track as well. Kash Iyengar is again on the keys and provides a trippy backdrop for Mohini’s intro section. About 1/3 through, the tune morphs into a fusion heater that plays like a video game theme. There’s tons of fun, running drum fills, driving bass careening like a go-kart, and the amorphous keys filling the space. The last section has the drums literally bouncing off the walls, and the bass line rebounds with it right to the ending crash.
- Mohini Dey – Bass, Composer, Producer
- Roni Kaspi – Drums
- Kash Iyengar – Keyboards
UNCLE DENNIS featured legendary drummer Dennis Chambers, so of course it starts with some monstrous depth charges of drum rolls. Rhythm Shaw blasts some guitar lightning bolts, and the group gels with some real metalesque power chords. This is probably the heaviest of all the tunes on the album. The power surge drops down to some wild drum forays, and Shaw again plays like Van Halen’s ghost. It’s full throttle throughout this one with Uncle Dennis leading it all the way. Definitely prepare for some head bangning when listening to this one.
- Mohini Dey – Bass, Composer, Producer
- Dennis Chambers – Drums
- Rhythm Shaw – Guitar
- Jonathan Mones – Saxophone
DAD is a short homage from Mohini to her father, who passed away a few years back (as she mentioned at her shows.) It’s a tender melody with gentle accompaniment from Rhythm Shaw on guitar and a touching way to close the album.
- Mohini Dey – Bass, Composer, Producer
- Rhythm Shaw – Guitar
Buy on Bandcamp
