Perth's alt-rock veterans are back, but not in the way you might expect. Monotonic, a freshly minted experimental psych outfit, are gearing up to unleash their mind-bending debut single, ‘The Purple Chords Play Belle Fourche’, premiering today on ahead of its official 14th November release via the esteemed independent label Hidden Shoal.
The track itself is a gloriously murky affair. It’s all fuzzed-out wizardry and lethargic acid rock, creating a soundscape utterly drenched in a thick haze of psychedelic dissonance. The rhythm section is the solid anchor: Alan Balmont’s drums march along, almost begrudgingly, yet holding the essential pulse for Jack Lucas’s hypnotic guitar work (complete with electric bouzouki flourishes) and Liam Coffey’s melodic bass. Coffey's vocals weave themselves through the colossal sonic architecture, effectively taking on the role of a fourth instrumental texture rather than leading the charge.
This heady, immersive fusion calls on the collective wisdom of pioneers across genres. It skillfully draws a line connecting early 70s dub masters like Lee Perry and King Tubby with space rock behemoths such as Hawkwind and Tractor, and the minimalist drone of outfits like Spacemen 3 and Wooden Shjips. The resulting sound is a cosmic journey delivered via the grubbiest, most compelling rehearsal room floor.
Monotonic’s genesis is rooted in the pandemic, bringing together Coffey (Header), Balmont (Ammonia), and Lucas (Yummy Fur/Six Mile High) decades after their original bands made waves in the '90s. The three longtime friends initially planned nothing more than loose jam sessions, but the music they created proved too committed, too compelling, for an album not to become an inevitability.
Vocalist and bassist Liam Coffey notes the philosophical shift inherent in their new direction: “It feels like a luxury to be able to record music that doesn’t privilege vocals over other instruments or attach prescriptive meaning to lyrics,” he explains. “It allows sufficient time and space for one or two-chord progression songs to really settle into a groove.”
This devotion to atmospheric expansion is reflected in the single’s wonderfully bleak title. It was inspired by the geographical fact that Belle Fourche, South Dakota, is the closest town to the physical centre of the United States. This seemingly mundane detail sparked an imaginary, melancholic narrative about a third-rate sixties psych band on a shoestring winter tour, traversing a series of indifferent Midwestern bars—a perfect metaphor for their outsider sound.
Recorded in 2024 at Aerial Recording in the Perth Hills, the track was engineered and mixed by Ronan Charles, with Liam Coffey handling the production duties. Crucially, the final touch was provided by mastering engineer Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios, whose impeccable pedigree includes work for UK giants like Joy Division, Mogwai, Blur, and Scott Walker. Arkwright’s involvement guarantees a sonic quality that belies the track's hazy aesthetic, turning Monotonic's debut into a masterclass in slow-burn psychedelic power.
You can stream the new single above exclusively here, and for more, be sure to follow Monotonic today on Instagram and Facebook.
