INTERVIEW: MAMI UMAMI

MAMI UMAMI have always thrived in the space where things start to fray at the edges, and ‘belly dancer’ leans right into that tension. It’s a track that feels constantly in motion, never fully settling, always threatening to tip into chaos, but never quite losing control.

Born out of Sweden’s underground scene, the duo have built a reputation for turning rhythm into confrontation, and here that instinct is sharper than ever. Jazzy, off-kilter pop melodies twist against distorted hip-hop drums and heavy 808s, creating a push-and-pull dynamic that feels as physical as it does sonic. It doesn’t just invite you in, it kind of pulls you off balance.

There’s a clear lineage back to earlier cuts like ‘Piraja’ and ‘Paper’, but ‘belly dancer’ feels more immediate, more tightly wound. It mirrors the unpredictability of their live shows, where structure is fluid and anything can shift at a moment’s notice, from performance art spectacle to pure dancefloor release, sometimes all within the same breath.

We had the opportunity to sit down with the amazing MAMI UMAMI to chat all about the track, plans for the EP and much more. Check it out now at FLEX.

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Hey MAMI UMAMI, welcome to FLEX! How are you doing?

Hey Flex, we’re doing great! We have a single and ep coming up and they might be the release that we’re most proud of so far. We’re living in happy land of finalising something we both really enjoy listening to! 

Please sum up your new single 'belly dancer' in three words for our readers!

Gritty, Danceable and careless 

Your music sits in this really striking space between control and chaos. How intentional is that balance when you’re writing, and does it ever surprise you where a track ends up?

To some extent it’s very intentional, but I also think it’s kind of inevitable. Even though we have a hand full of “straight forward bangers” on our hard drive ready for more ears; chaos and dynamics is an always gonna be a big part of our writing. When we write songs it’s a bit like having a long lively conversation with a really good friend, every topic have depth to it, it’s not always easy to have a single answer or opinion.

How has growing up and creating in Sweden shaped the sonic identity of MAMI UMAMI?

Sweden has shaped the identity of our music in a lot of ways! Everything from Swedish hardcore- and punk bands that we enjoyed as young teenagers to jazz jams that we partipated in while living in the cultural hub (Malmö) has impacted us. As well as the growing underground hip-hop scene in Sweden that has been bubbling forever!  I think the diversity found in Swedish underground music communities has greatly influenced the way we approach music in a very broad and specifically genre bending way.

Even though we come from two different musical backgrounds with almost opposite perspective, we always seem to unite in Swedish pop and melancholic melodies while writing. We’d say that is definitely one of the biggest impact Sweden has on our music. 

You can take a swede out of Sweden but you can never take the jantelag out of a swede.

Is ambiguity something you actively aim for when writing?

DEFINITELY! Like mentioned before nothing is ever black and white even though it might seem that way at first. One story can speak to lots of different people in lots of different ways. This song and ep is an uproar to this spiralling capitalist society that we find ourselves in, but it doesn’t mean that we’re not benefitting and actively participating in it. 

What do you want people to feel when they step into a MAMI UMAMI show?

Present! 

Watch the video for 'belly dancer' here:

What role does friction between the two of you play in shaping the final sound?

We’re really good friends outside of the creative world which mean we discuss, fight and scuffle all the time. When we’re in the studio it’s like all those differences are highlighted and we finally understand each other and each other’s actions. We’ve known each other for a really long time now so we kind of pick up where the other one left off naturally. 

On your upcoming EP 'AFTERWORK', what does this represent to you as a project compared to your previous releases?

Even though it still is a part of our musically chaotic world, it’s more of a  channeled and clear concept. Prior to the project, we lived life caught in the chaotic stage between being an older teenager and a young adult. We lived (and still live) in a fast-paced society with heartache, happiness and world disasters constantly streamed through our phones 24/7. We have seen friends and strangers sell everything from phone cases to themselves in pursuit of trying to own more of their own time. Yet no matter how hard one tries your time always seems to be owned by others. This ep is a reflection of the contemporary capitalistic society seen through our combined four eyes. Now I feel like we’ve grown up and established ourselves more broadly as young adults and that has impacted our process on this project. We feels less conflicted and focus more on solutions.

It all started with an outro and an intro song that we fell in love with but kiiiind of had a really long and complicated process of making. So we got a bit fed up and gave ourself one week to create the rest of the ep. This was the smartest decision we’ve ever made. Ideas was flowing like never before and one week later we had an ep on our hands that we didn’t just love but also made us understand a lot of the things we’ve ben discussing and reflecting on over the past year. It brought back a lot of joy and love for the writing process for the both of us.

What’s the one thing you haven’t explored yet as MAMI UMAMI that you’re most excited to push into next?

Jackie found her old Sony Ericsson flip phone so I think we gonna try to make a song on that next session!

Stream 'belly dancer' now: