Stadiums & Shrines
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Monster Rally

 

Over the years, the universe of Monster Rally—hypnotic, sample-based exotica and vibrant collage work—has continued to expand and intrigue. Ted’s highly imaginative and productive spirit makes him an ideal collaborator (he was the first artist we thought to dream with). And as such, he’s an excellent choice to lead us all into the second year of Singles Club. The quarterly record club and music journal is releasing its 5th issue, today, with an expansive and beautifully presented digital feature alongside a new single available to subscribers on clear 7″ vinyl.

The A-side above, a vignette from multiple vantages, opens in stride, guided by spiraling arpeggios and real-time narration (“you’re slipping…), before resting briefly inside a beatless sequence. Things then pick up again, in a slightly different groove and place altogether—perhaps a ballroom under the stars—disorienting, pleasant… quintessential Monster Rally.

The B-side, an audio interview, gives a thoughtful glimpse into creative process and beyond. Explore the issue here.

 

The sonic work of Ted Feighan first sent us sailing back in 2010, and with each Monster Rally release since, he’s built on a sound which suggests a bent kind of exotica that feels strangely familiar yet infinitely unplaceable. It makes sense that his own collage work be pulled from a similar page of the subconscious (and it also makes sense that he be our first dreamer). The Ohio native has essentially constructed his own vibrant paradise, and he was kind enough to give us a detailed tour of it below, guided by his latest track:

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The clouds seemed to twist like trails from the hills, mirroring the dozens that spilt up from the countryside, as if to outline a gateway to some sun-dialed utopia just off the map and out of reach. This higher ground hinted at was indeed sacred, and while it lay miles away, its presence could be felt in the heart of town, in the people—stitched into the songs they sang and fabrics they wore—its energy as heavy as the altitude itself.

In a row stood three men, porters by trade. Behind two of them, shadows.

“I could show you how those mountains got there,” came from the shadowless one.

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Monster Rally is Ted Feighan, who recently dived into his own collage work with us here.