Various Artists -‘A Psychedelic Guide To Monsterism Island’ (Lo Recordings)
A Psychedelic Guide To Monsterism Island has been assembled by one Pete Fowler, who has bought together a collection of some very cool and hip names from the underground (but also chart-botherers as well) to ‘make your trip to Monsterism Island an unforgettable one.’
One of the best known contributors here is Super Furry Animals; Gruff Rhys who has indeed been making wonderful out-there pop songs for well over a decade now. Other contributors include Jonny Trunk (no stranger to compilation godlike status himself), Amorphous Androgynouos (an alter-ego of members of Future Sound Of London), Luke Vibert, Richard Norris (of the Grid)…I could go on. The thing is, as impressive as the list of names is, the album doesn’t quite hit the spot.
It isn’t a weak album, it’s nice in the background, without ever becoming aural wallpaper, and nor is it offensive by its’ very inoffensiveness. It’s worth hearing…but I think the Je Ne Sais Quoi… that it lacks comes down to the fact that as irish website State pointed out, “the names that appear on the compilation however as they are about as incidental as the songs. It would be hard to tell Gruff Rhys’ contribution from Dammers’.”
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A Psychedelic Guide To Monsterism Island is out now.
To stream click here