MONSTER ISLAND/ CHILDREN OF MU DOUBLE LP SET

A new limited edition double LP set has been produced by End is Here records and Book Beat. The Children of Mu is a group of songs, lyrics & extended performance revolving around the psychic and mythic origins of Mu, a Pacific island or ‘œlost continent’ (and counterpart to Atlantis) some believe to be fiction and others the ‘cradle of civilization’ and relevant to our present condition. The founder of Theosophy, Madame Blavatsky contends that Mu was a land bridging India and Africa, inhabited by our spiritual ancestors, non-physical “psychic beings.” The Children of Mu Lp charts the historic migration of Shadow Theater, the earliest form of visual-musical storytelling from Mu to China, to India and the invention of cinema in avant-garde Paris at the end of the 19th century.

Works on sides A and B follow the Mu/ sun culture migration and are performed in Chinese, French and English. An early 1907 wax recording of poet Apollinaire (reading Bridge Mirabeau) and the first Chinese Opera are mixed into collaged sections within the music suite. Sides C and D are a single long improvisation over the channeled voice of Madame Blavatsky who reveals the history of creation according to Mu theology. This is the fourth album by Monster Island, a four year project, whose previous recordings included; From the Michigan Floor, Dream Tiger and Peyotemind.

Performances on CoM by; Anneke Auer Vox, Aliccia Berg (Slumber Party) Vox, Lee Ambrozy Vox , Noelle Christine (Scarlet Oaks) Vox, Bill Brovald (Larval), Matthew Smith (guitar, organ, bass, Outrageous Cherry, THTX), Robert Waller (synth, Pere Ubu), H.H. Ma Meenakshi Devi (Indian Saint and classical Hindi singer), Anneke Auer (psychic voice), Johnny Evans (sax, Howling Diablos), Len Bukowski (bass clarinet, Northwoods Improvisers), Tim Barnes (percussionist, Quakebasket), Mattin (avant-noise, Sakadda), words & music: Cary Loren (guitar, Destroy All Monsters), mastered by Warn Defever and recorded in Detroit at Koko studios.

The Children of Mu 2x Lp set is a limited edition of 500 copies with freakized coverart by the master of ratty art Gary Panter. The LP set includes a two page insert describing” The Theater of Mu”, a live shadow theater and musical performance based on the creation and history of Mu. A live music and shadow theater work is scheduled for production at the CAPC Contemporary Art Museum in Bordeaux, France in 2008.

Visit the Monster Island website with several mp3s available for download at: http://myspace.com/monsterisland13 The first Monster Island LP, From the Michigan Floor (Ecstatic Peace records) is planned to be reissued in late December with 11 bonus tracks.

Monster Island was formed in 1995 in Detroit, Michigan. Their music has been described as psychedelic folk rock, noise, conceptual art music and acid-folk. They have been exploring unusual album ideas and investigative verse since their beginnings. Monster Island performs live on rare occasions and recorded with a variety of guest artists. For more information, contact: The Book Beat, 26010 Greenfield, Oak Park, MI 48237. Further information and online purchase of the LPs can be made from the Book Beat at Children of Mu.

DISCOGRAPHY: From the Michigan Floor LP, 1996 (Ecstatic Peace!), Detroit Live at Alvins CD, 1999 (Time Stereo), Dream Tiger CD, 2001 (The End is Here) , Peyotemind with John Sinclair CD, 2002 (The End is Here).

MONSTER ISLAND reviews:
From the Michigan Floor:
“The band unfurls each song like a found fairy tale gene spliced with the most exotic of flowers.” Scram Magazine

“11 songs about death, Jesus, war, magic mirrors, and Japanese movie monsters with such conviction that it doesn’t take much suspension of disbelief to imagine this album is some lost psych-rock gem.” — All Music Review

Dream Tiger
“I just got this CD in the mail today and I’ve already listened to it three times because I love it. Even if I listen to something twice in a week, it usually means I love it. Take the very first track, ‘Dream Tiger’, a delicate little string band song, driven by tambura, sung by Erika Hoffman in a dreamy sweet voice, totally living up to its title until it ends aprubtly as the listener snaps to after two minutes and two seconds. Next song ‘Hob Goblin’ is a little more minor-keyed, and a little spookier, being a completely kitsch-free monster story.” — Blastitude

Dream Tiger

Peyotemind:
There are really only two other bands who readily pull the same kind of obvious jam-band mentality off: Laser Temple of Bon Matin and, of course, the No-Neck Blues Band. I have a feeling this style was arrived at by all three bands entirely independently, which is why these three wipe the floor with almost all of their inevitable competition. A good example of Monster Island’s independence and maturity is the way (on track four of this disc) Matt Smith so eloquently plays Ra-styled free jazz piano, something that wouldn’t pop up with NNCK. –Blastitude