During the mid-1990’s a new crop of bands appeared on the music scene. These bands, often hailing from Britain, were a blend of hip-hop, pop, and electronica and came to be known widely by the term “trip-hop.” Leading the pack were acts like Morcheeba, Beth Orton, Sneaker Pimps, Portishead, and even at times Everything But the Girl. But in addition there were other lesser-known creations churning out nearly as entertaining music. One such act was the London, England based Mono.
Mono formed in 1996 while trip-hop was still in the toddler stage. Portishead and Morcheeba were already making a splash, and other acts were quick to follow. While Mono is on the surface similar to any other band of their subgenre, they also infuse other elements often stemming from pop and jazz to create a new groove. Usually it worked well for the duo, but at times they come off sounding like a bad James Bond soundtrack. Consisting of Siobhan de Maré on vocals and producer Martin Virgo, Mono has to date recorded just one album.
By no means is Formica Blues perfect. As already mentioned, it sounds rather like a soundtrack to a bad movie. Although with that said, at least it doesn’t grind on the eardrums too badly. The problem is that Formica Blues it utterly unremarkable. After releasing the 1997 debut, Mono gained further notoriety as a direct result of the appearance of Life in Mono on the Great Expectations soundtrack. So in a lot of ways Mono, as a band, will go down in history as a one-hit-wonder.
And this is a fair assessment. Virgo is a talented producer and programmer in his own right having worked with acts ranging from Björk to the Propellerheads and on various soundtracks and compilations. de Maré on the other hand is also working as vocalist of alt-pop band Violet Indiana. Mono is finished and leaves just Formica Blues to chomp on (for better or for worse).
Formica Blues is eleven songs in length. Using a variety of samples layered dreamily with de Maré’s voice amounts to a gallant effort, although not particularly inspired and certainly not ranking among the top half of the genre. Kicking off with Life in Mono, listeners will be struck by the duo’s sexy sound. But unfortunately, most of the album that follows repeats a similar formula. Life in Mono is dark and sweeping. Populated by ringing keyboards and a haunting melody, the Mono track is the likely candidate for the title of “album standout.” But even though the song sounds good it lacks outstanding or even interesting lyrical content. de Maré has a lovely, feminine voice but with the lack of great material she’s left without a sturdy leg on which to stand.
Continuing on, Silicone is a fluffy yet driving offering. Yet as it nears the end, it is clear that Mono has little flexibility. If you’ve heard one of their songs, you’ve heard ‘em all (unfortunately). Not to say that Silicone is bad. Mono seems to lack a force behind their music. What is their purpose? It is this lacking purpose that kills the songs and this album. Slimcea Girl is a bit of a deviation, but while the melody sets the track apart the overall jist is all-too-familiar. The one thing that strikes on a positive note is the chorus with a juicy choral harmony.
The Outsider begins slowly and as it progresses more and more elements are added. A synth here, a keyboard there. You get the picture. Mono could have benefited from a “real” instrument on occasion rather than being content to fiddle with synthesizers. Don’t mistake me, they do on a rare instance employ the random guitar or saxophone but these elements are by no means paramount to the making of the song. The continued pounding of electronica gets old. Fast. The Outsider could have been decent, but instead just comes off sounding like a bad movie soundtrack. Was that the purpose of Formica Blues? Just maybe…
Neither Disney Town nor Blind Man are particularly interesting. The former smacks of experimental European pop. Though, with that said it’s not done well enough to really equate it specifically to any band. de Maré again sounds good, even if what she says is crap. Don’t believe me? Check this out:
She throws up
He comes down
They watch TV
They live in
Disney Town
She’s his Barbie
Blind Man as already mentioned is also pretty mundane. The beats are more distinct than on the other ten tracks, but the expected snail-paced tempo paired once again with de Maré’s voice ruins any chance of the song making any impact. High Life is a welcome release from the sameness of the rest of the CD. The spacey synths paired with catchy melody and round, alluring drum beats resonate nicely. But even more noticeable is the up-tempo beat and happier melody. Even de Maré sound like she’s having a bit of fun.
With the robotic noisiness and incessant repetition of the synths on Playboys, it is difficult to estimate the song’s importance. It sounds good, even slight different and better than the rest of Formica Blues, but the melody is pretty lacking and the beats are too tedious for what could have been a better than average track. Penguin Freud is one of the least tedious offerings. It takes much too long for the song to finally kick in, not to mention the fact that the beautiful intro isn’t fitting. But once those obstacles are gotten rid of what is left is one of the three best songs of the album. The saxophone is brilliant and de Maré’s voice sparkles. If the rest of this disc would have looked toward this track for inspiration then it would have been a much more appealing vision.
The last original track is the piano-driven Hello Cleveland. Again, Mono makes a good attempt but the appeal that Penguin Freud provided just isn’t present here. It lacks cohesion and purpose. Mono seems to be coming at the track from too many directions and using too many elements. Simple, in this case, would have proven better.
Wrapping up, the eleventh track is a remixed Life in Mono. In all honesty, the remix is so very little different from the original that the purpose of having such a track on the album is a mystery. Sure the beats are thicker and darker, but little (if anything) has been done with the overall ambience and for that matter pace. Skip this one in favor of the original.
Formica Blues is a disappointment. Three songs stand out, Penguin Freud, Life in Mono and High Life. Aside from those three tracks, the album could be easily gotten rid of. Is it worth owning? Well, maybe if you’re a die-hard trip-hop fan or if for some reason you believe Life in Mono to be the defining song of the 1990’s. If you don’t fall into either of those camps, then skip this Mono release.
Rating: 2/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Life in Mono | 02. Silicone | 03. Slimcea Girl | 04. The Outsider | 05. Disney Town | 06. Blind Man | 07. High Life | 08. Playboys | 09. Penguin Freud | 10. Hello Cleveland | 11. Life in Mono [Alice Band Mix]
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