Photo by Andy McQuade

As with new age shoegaze of Dummy or the burgeoning hardcore noise-jazz collective, Expose, Monde UFO have been mentioned within these pages as sonic outliers that are returning the California DIY underground back into a fertile, fascinating scene for esoteric music creation right now. The mastermind of Ray Monde joined by Kris Chau, the Los Angeles duo is a fusion of psychedelia, avant jazz, post-punk, and world beats that elicit a transfixing auditory experience like the waking dreamstate you hear on “119”, the latest highlight from their forthcoming third full-length album, Flamingo Tower. The instrumental melisma behind the listen itself is a beguiling displaye of sonic waves in motion. Lushed at its base layer in gauzy keys while sputtering percussion and sax accents poke holes through the clouds, there’s just enough of them so that Monde’s séance-like vocals can push through them. We’re not sure what’s on the other side, but Monde UFO make you want to go there.

Monde UFO’s Flamingo Tower will be released March 7th on Fire Records.