Mello Exotica

Mello Exotica Tiki• Tao • Rum • Records
The Ritual of Sound

Wednesday Tiki Oasis Walk Around (Pre-Ppls)
08/14/2026

Wednesday Tiki Oasis Walk Around (Pre-Ppls)

Tiki Oasis 2026: Healing GemsThis was Mello Exotica's first year sponsoring Tiki Oasis. Our group, Healing Gems played ...
08/12/2026

Tiki Oasis 2026: Healing Gems
This was Mello Exotica's first year sponsoring Tiki Oasis. Our group, Healing Gems played the main stage Thursday night.

The six piece exotica and psychedelic band from Los Angeles, California brought vintage synthesizers, marimbas, and vibraphones to play out their original blend of Latin rhythms, tropicalia, psychedelia, and exotica.

📸 Jeff Ross

08/06/2026

Tiki culture dates back to the 1930s and is now making a comeback with large, shareable formats that go beyond rum-only recipes, all served in fun, tropical settings.

05/15/2026

Here’s why tropical-themed bars and cocktails are entering a new (and improved) golden age.

🪘 Les Baxter & His Orchestra • Le Sacre Du Sauvage 💋Enter Exotica… Ritual of the Savage is released May 17, 1951 on Capi...
04/26/2026

🪘 Les Baxter & His Orchestra • Le Sacre Du Sauvage 💋
Enter Exotica… Ritual of the Savage is released May 17, 1951 on Capitol Records. The 10” vinyl features eight songs including what would become exotica’s most famous song “Quiet Village”.

The album invited listeners to imagine distant jungles and tropical ports. A symphonic tone poem that owes much to Stravinsky (Les admired Stravinsky - listen to Petrushka and The Rite of Spring). The opening track Busy Ports was described by Skip Heller as dancing “odd 6/8 rhythms” before hitting “Latin groove and mind-altering orchestration.” For us, every track is its own journey - Stone God weaving a hypnotic musical spell; Jungle Jalopy a joyride of orchestration; Love Dance a cinematic romance tip toeing into the forbidden. But the final track, The Ritual, is Conga Drum heaven drum 🪘

The great John Mulder of Eekum Bookum created a spectacular mug for The Reef at The Caliente Tropics which was based on the cover art.

🌋 Power Tiki 🌋Always a pleasure to talk with one of the central architects of the modern Tiki revival: Otto Von Stroheim...
04/22/2026

🌋 Power Tiki 🌋
Always a pleasure to talk with one of the central architects of the modern Tiki revival: Otto Von Stroheim ☕️ 🍩

AZ Tiki Oasis 2026 is in the books and was as beautifully overwhelming as any tiki head could ask for. So with a couple days gone by and some reflections, I wanted to thank Otto von Stroheim and Baby Doe for building this adventure in the desert.

If you’re new to the details of contemporary Tiki, Otto is one of the most important torchbearers since the 90s when the original mid-century movement created by Donn Beach and Trader Vic had in many ways faded. As a revivalist he helped build a community, curate, bridge eras, preserve and shape tiki and all its adjacent and integral communities.

The best part of Otto’s story is that he’s still living it, seeding it, and helping it grow while remaining humble and approachable - like the best of philosopher kings 👑

Tiki didn’t comeback on its own - it was built by ppl who loved it more deeply than most of us can know. With that, Tiki is all of ours to continue carefully, thoughtfully and joyously building. May another generation get lost on the magic of the flames 🔥

Looking forward to San Diego and the next wave 🌊

🦂 Scorpion Bowl 🦂Trevor Foster x Trader Vic’s have created the best scorpion bowl I’ve ever seen. This red oxide beauty ...
04/19/2026

🦂 Scorpion Bowl 🦂
Trevor Foster x Trader Vic’s have created the best scorpion bowl I’ve ever seen. This red oxide beauty joined our private collection and is so mesmerizing. The texture is just so rich. Limited to 150 Red Oxide.

🌴 A true highlight of AZ Tiki Oasis today.Getting to snap a photo with Sven Kirsten — whose work helped shape and preser...
04/19/2026

🌴 A true highlight of AZ Tiki Oasis today.

Getting to snap a photo with Sven Kirsten — whose work helped shape and preserve so much of the tiki & exotica world many of us love — was a real honor. We didn’t get a chance to talk, but even this moment meant a lot.

Some people document culture. Some people create the path for others to discover it. Mahalo, Sven. 🍹📚🌺

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