Monolith Cocktail Blog

A RUN-THROUGH OF RECENT ALBUM RELEASES/ GRAHAM DOMAIN

OUTER LIMIT LOTUS ‘Dazzling Darkness’
(Sheep Chase Records) (Digital Download)

This is the dark new album from Norwegian post-punk band Outer Limit Lotus whose influences include Bauhaus and Christian Death. ‘Let the Night Ride You Home’ sounds like a Cure song played by Bauhaus – all spikey goth guitars, cobwebs and dark baritone with a screaming sax solo akin to the Pop Group. ‘Again Like Yesterday’ is reminiscent of Bauhaus and 80’s bands like the Sisters of Mercy. Meanwhile, ‘The Beach’ sounds like a song that could complete the soundtrack to any teen vampire flick. If you like your music dark, goth, with the sound of 1980’s alternative, then this is for you!

BOOM PAM ‘Royal’
(Batov Records) (Vinyl/Download Album)

The Tel Aviv band produce another album of disco surf spaghetti western instrumental mish-mash music that would be great played at Butlins whilst waiting for the next terrible act. If it was an album recorded in the 1970’s it would perhaps be a much sort after holy grail of cheese fest! I kind of like it for lots of non-musical reasons! Terribly good!

THE KINGFISHERS ‘Reflections In a Silver Sound’
(Last Night From Glasgow) (Vinyl/Download Album)

The Kingfishers formed in 1982 and split a year later after playing gigs with Aztec Camera and Prefab Sprout, their album unfinished. 40 years later their debut album is now available and what a great album it is. It is an album of melodic memorable pop songs that owes much to the sixties in its beat group sound that lies somewhere between the Searchers, the LA’s and Aztec Camera. A lost classic? Perhaps!

SACROBOSCO ‘IVXVI’
(Travarobato) (Digital Download Album)

An arresting album of electronic music from Italian producer Giacomo Giunchedi. The album is sprinkled with samples from some of the greats of Spiritual Jazz including Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. The single ‘Faint’ begins with a looped female choir that is hypnotic to listen to and reminds me of Julianna Barwick while the music has echoes of The Cinematic Orchestra and DJ Shadow. ‘Hashimoto’ meanwhile sounds like a Japanese Garden grown by AI and is disturbing in its repetition. An interesting album of cool ambience that will appeal to many but won’t be to everyone’s taste!

Psyché ‘Self Titles Debut Album’
(Four Flies Records) (Digital Download Album)

This is a brilliant album of funky Mediterranean psychedelic instrumentals that sits somewhere between Khruangbin and the Barry Gray Orchestra! Every track is a Gem! Wonderful!

ELEVEN MAGPIES ‘Two for Joy’
(Cuculi Records) (Bandcamp – CD / Digital Download)

This is the second album from Bristol based Folk Instrumental Quartet Eleven Magpies. The album consists of thirteen instrumental pieces that could easily fit into any documentary or film about the countryside or farming. The music is also interesting enough to be listened to without visuals with its calm rustic feel and hints of traditional Gaelic music.