A new collab of four veterans of avant/progressive music, Monotrope exists in a realm of instrumental rock that is prog in its musicality, but punk at its core. In a space between the twists and turns of Don Caballero, and the raw, heartbreaking power of Slint or Rodan, Monotrope’s compositions drive forward, equal parts complexity and grit. Guitars intertwine in dissonant, polyrhythmic webs, while the rhythm section forges ahead on a straighter, unrelenting path. Abstract and intricate when viewed closely, Unifying Receiver rocks hard from the bird’s eye view; its six songs are emotive, guitar-driven tales of struggle and catharsis, travel and arrival, tension and release.
Tracked in a DIY fashion at four locations across the nation, and mixed by Tim Green (Melvins, Sleater-Kinney), the recording is as live and natural as can be – straight from the creators’ hands to your ears – yet the sound is rich and full, and a joy to get lost in. The album was mastered by Carl Saff (Unsane, Big Business). Guitarist Edward Ricart, known from bands such as Hyrrokkin and Matta Gawa, is owner of New Atlantis Records, the label handling the Unifying Receiver release, whose catalog boasts an awesome range of acts from the experimental fringes of jazz, rock, and noise. Bassist Matthew Taylor is a member of Bellini, alongside Girls Against Boys drummer Alexis Fleisig, and worked for years as art director for Touch & Go Records, designing iconic album layouts for the label’s revered roster of bands.
Ricart and Taylor are flanked by guitarist Dan Wilson (ex-Hurl) and drummer Joe Barker (Unraze). Between the four of them, these men have collaborated in one way or another with a phonebook’s worth of eminent musicians: from avant icons like Glenn Branca and Merzbow, to members of hardcore and indie-rock royalty like Black Flag, Fugazi, Brainiac, and Tortoise.
Monotrope’s debut album, Unifying Receiver, is out November 10.