MONKEY3 - Welcome to the Machine

MONKEY3

Album: Welcome to the Machine

Genre: Instrumental Psych Rock

Release Date: February 23rd, 2024

Country: Switzerland

Label: Napalm Records

Band Links: WEBSITE / BANDCAMP / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

This still young year already saw a strikingly high number of releases from Switzerland, and on February 23rd, Lausanne-based Instrumental Psychrock four-piece MONKEY3 landed to share their new magnum opus with us. “Welcome to the Machine” is inspired by movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, Solaris and 1984, and over 47 minutes, they unfold an intense mankind vs. machines story. The cosmic, detailed cover artwork by Sebastian Jerke immediately woke my interest, and is also worth a closer look.

While Instrumental Postrock often tends to be too repetitive for me personally, “Welcome to the Machine” draws me in every time and manages to fully grab my attention. MONKEY3 know how to tell a captivating story without words, melting a rather rough Psychedelic Rock sound with Progressive virtuosity.

The compositional basis is clearly rooted into Postrock with smooth bass lines and groovy rhythm patterns. Dense synth soundscapes build up a cinematic vibe, on which the guitar or keyboards lay mesmerizing melody lines that don’t need to shy away from a Pink Floyd comparision. There’s a haunting dynamic within the songs in volume and tempo, carrying the listener away like waves. Everything flows seamlessly together, merged by an excellent production, setting the mark high within the genre.

With "Welcome tor the Machine", MONKEY3 invite us on a marvelous instrumental journey - Take a seat and enjoy the ride…

Written by Katha