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Porcupine Tree: Drown With Me
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Friday, October 21, 2022
Mono: Formica Blues (released 10 February 1998)
01 Life in Mono (3:34)
02 Silicone (4:14)
03 Slimcea Girl (3:50)
04 The Outsider (5:08)
05 Disney Town (4:09)
06 The Blind Man (5:22)
07 High Life (4:10)
08 Playboys (6:40)
09 Penguin Freud (6:18)
10 Hello Cleveland (6:33)
Formica Blues is the only album by English trip hop duo Mono, which consisted of duo Martin Virgo (who wrote all the songs) and singer Siobhan de Mare. Melody Maker summarizes the "basic formula" of the album as to wallow in the sound of television and film theme tunes of the Sixties and Seventies, but both to embellish and underpin it with jazzy breakbeats and Massive Attack synthy atmospheres. The intent was also to unearth the dark, female-oppressive atmosphere of the times and the television portrayal of happy housewives kept in their place by society (see Disney Town for a clear example of this theme). The use of harpsichord melody mirrors John Barry's film scores of the 1960s by design (and by sampling), though it has also been compared to themes for 1970s action adventure television shows such as The Protectors and The Zoo Gang.
"Slimcea Girl" took its title from Slimcea, a low-calorie bread sold in the UK during the 1960s and 70s; the "girl" was one featured in the Slimcea TV ads, which featured a jingle inviting the viewer to be a "Slimcea girl". Another inspiration was Julie Christie's character in the film version of Billy Liar, whom Virgo described as a "liberated 'it' girl", saying found it a powerful image". The song has been called "a cynical stare at the dreams and fantasies of those people who live behind the blinds of Suburbia; musically, it has been described as reminiscent of Burt Bacharach, gospel music (in its use of backing vocals arranged like a choir, and a "Tamla torch song".
"The Outsider" is noted for a hammered dulcimer part, which Virgo had written on a synthesizer, imagined with a dulcimer sound; he subsequently called a dulcimer player (Geoff Smith) to play the part.
"High Life" has been compared to the music of 1960s girl groups like The Ronettes, whose production by Phil Spector is cited by Virgo as a style he wanted to incorporate and update.
"Hello Cleveland!", a complex instrumental, was titled after a line from This is Spinal Tap. Virgo used the title ironically; taken from a stereotypical rock and roll context, it was then placed on a song that "wasn't very rock and roll". It is also the most musically esoteric song on the album.
02 Silicone (4:14)
03 Slimcea Girl (3:50)
04 The Outsider (5:08)
05 Disney Town (4:09)
06 The Blind Man (5:22)
07 High Life (4:10)
08 Playboys (6:40)
09 Penguin Freud (6:18)
10 Hello Cleveland (6:33)
"Slimcea Girl" took its title from Slimcea, a low-calorie bread sold in the UK during the 1960s and 70s; the "girl" was one featured in the Slimcea TV ads, which featured a jingle inviting the viewer to be a "Slimcea girl". Another inspiration was Julie Christie's character in the film version of Billy Liar, whom Virgo described as a "liberated 'it' girl", saying found it a powerful image". The song has been called "a cynical stare at the dreams and fantasies of those people who live behind the blinds of Suburbia; musically, it has been described as reminiscent of Burt Bacharach, gospel music (in its use of backing vocals arranged like a choir, and a "Tamla torch song".
"The Outsider" is noted for a hammered dulcimer part, which Virgo had written on a synthesizer, imagined with a dulcimer sound; he subsequently called a dulcimer player (Geoff Smith) to play the part.
"High Life" has been compared to the music of 1960s girl groups like The Ronettes, whose production by Phil Spector is cited by Virgo as a style he wanted to incorporate and update.
"Hello Cleveland!", a complex instrumental, was titled after a line from This is Spinal Tap. Virgo used the title ironically; taken from a stereotypical rock and roll context, it was then placed on a song that "wasn't very rock and roll". It is also the most musically esoteric song on the album.
Thursday, October 20, 2022
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