Monolithic Undertow: In Search of Sonic Oblivion

Beck's Monolithic Undertow explores the power of the drone, an audio carrier vessel capable of evoking womb-like warmth or cavernous dread. It traces the line from ancient traditions to the modern underground, navigating archaeoacoustics, ringing feedback, chest plate sub-bass, avant-garde eccentricity, sound weaponry, and fervent spiritualism. The drone is the ultimate folk music, a potent audio tool of personal liberation, allowing us to step outside of ourselves and experience an aural expression of a universal hum.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 464 pages
Publication date: 10 February 2022
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Beck's album Monolithic Undertow is a captivating exploration of the drone continuum, offering an inspired and intuitive navigation through new and enlightening psychedelic truths. This monolithic album alights on a crooked path, traversing musical, religious, and subcultural frontiers, tracing the line from ancient traditions to the modern underground. It delves into a myriad of sonic elements, including archaeoacoustics, ringing feedback, chest plate sub-bass, avant-garde eccentricity, sound weaponry, and fervent spiritualism.

From the Neolithic beginnings to bawdy medieval troubadours, Sufi mystics to Indian raga masters, cone-shattering dubwise bass, Hawkwind's Ladbroke Grove to the outer reaches of Faust and Ash Ra Temple, Monolithic Undertow encompasses a vast spectrum of musical styles and influences. It explores the power of the drone, an audio carrier vessel capable of evoking womb-like warmth or cavernous dread, alike.

In 1977, Sniffin' Glue's iconic illustration "this is a chord; this is another; now form a band" perfectly encapsulated the musical zeitgeist of that era. The drone, unlike traditional music forms, does not require chords or bands, representing the ultimate folk music. It is a potent audio tool of personal liberation, allowing individuals to step outside of themselves and immerse themselves in hypnotic and repetitive sounds. These experiences are akin to an audio portal, transporting listeners to a silent world where the hum and fizz of the unceasing inner voice are silenced.

The drone exists outside of us, yet paradoxically, it is also within us all. It is an aural expression of a universal hum, a shared experience that transcends boundaries and cultures. Monolithic Undertow invites listeners to embark on a journey of sonic exploration, where the boundaries between music, religion, and culture dissolve, and the listener is transported to a realm of infinite possibility and discovery.

Weight: 340g
Dimension: 129 x 304 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474615259