Formica Blues

by Mono

Overview

Caught like many other mid-'90s male instrumentalist/female singer duos were in the commercial slipstream of Portishead's success, Mono deftly steered clear of the trip-hop conundrum for the most part with Formica Blues. Certainly there was a certain shared sense of cinematic drama and haunting gloom that informs plenty of songs -- consider the Get Carter-sampling "Silicone," while "The Outsider" has an emotional directness Beth Gibbons would be proud of. The fact that lead single "Life in Mono" samples Portishead favorite John Barry and works with breakbeats didn't necessarily help Mono stand out more, for instance. But observations that Saint Etienne rather than the Bristol duo makes for a better role model are actually more accurate, and certainly on "Life in Mono" the keyboards and melancholy yet wistful singing of Siobhan de Mare suggests the likes of "Avenue" more than it does "Sour Times." Either way, like those groups, Mono works with a variety of English, American, and continental musical inspirations, and as such is able to find a balance between a particular style and a wide number of variations on the same where differing approaches suggest a range of deliveries. The use of David Sylvian's "Approaching Silence" to signal the start of "Penguin Freud" works very well, while the Pet Sounds-goes-splashy mainstream star turn of "High Life" gives de Mare a true in-the-spotlight moment worthy of Dusty Springfield. Then there are the elegant French pop kicks evident on "Disney Town" and "Slimcea Girl," the latter tinged with more than a little Bacharach and gospel both, and the polite but still noticeable dub turn on "Blind Man." The secret highlight is probably "Playboys," with both a full-bodied beat and a halfway-to-industrial instrumental break to recommend it, while the combination of de Mare's voice and subtle orchestration really hits the spot. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	06/07/2024
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	8719262035577
Rank:	117291

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mono   Primary Artist
Colin Graham   Trumpet,Trumpet
Geoff Smith   Dulcimer
Bernard O'Neil   Double Bass
Martin Virgo   Keyboards,Bass,Piano,Guitar
Lauren Hughes   Triangle
Paulo de Oliveira   Vocals
Matt Coleman   Trombone
Jim Abbiss   Tambourine
Jim Abiss   Keyboards,Tambourine,Guitar
James Thorpe   Guitar
Bernard O'Neill   Double Bass
James Lee Thorpe   Guitar
Martin McColl   Guitar
Mikey Hartwell   Percussion
Chris Margary   Saxophone
Siobhan de Mare   Vocals,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Mono   Animation
The Aloof   Remix Engineer
Patrick Doyle   Musician
David Sylvian   Composer
Luke Gifford   Engineer
John Barry   Composer
Propellerheads   Mixing,Producer,Remixing
Natural Born Chillers   Mixing
Paul Motian   Engineer
Sol Brothers   Remix Engineer
Martin Virgo   Composer,Engineer,Lyricist,Producer,Programming,Mixing,Arranger
Matthew Herbert   Mixing
Konstatin Johnannes   Engineer
Paul Motion   Engineer
187 Lockdown   Mixing
Ashley Beedle   Mixing
Burt Bacharach   Composer
Dave Pemberton   Engineer
Hal David   Composer
Bill Nelson   Composer
Gareth Parton   Engineer
Les Rythmes Digitales   Mixing,Remix Engineer
Jon Carter   Composer
Jim Abbiss   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Roy Budd   Composer
Jim Abiss   Producer,Engineer
Evan Gillis   Composer
Lem Latimer   Engineer
Patrick McGovern   Engineer
Next Century   Mixing
Banana Republic   Mixing
Lee Hubbard   Drum Programming
Kat Gibb   Illustrations
Siobhan de Mare   Composer