Monkey the album – the latest installment in the collaboration between Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett is released this week. As its based on the opera of the same name which directed by Chen Shi-zheng which is in Mandarin, so don’t be expecting Gorillaz MKII. What you do get however is something similiar to that eclectism and melody with moments of ephemeral beauty locked within. With 22 tracks varying from 3 seconds to 6 minutes in length, it’s basically a soundtrack album for what came before it, full of Eastern instruments and voices yet married to a Western pop sensibility. Don’t make the mistake that this is a pop album however. It’s more analogous to an aural work of art.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
3:50 into monkey bee.. wow!
like the akira oST vs. britpop. cruhayzeeeeee. i listened to it twix so i did