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Boorloo / Perth-based experimental psych outfit Monotonic are preparing to bestow upon the world their mind-melting debut single, ‘The Purple Chords Play Belle Fourche’, out 14th November on Hidden Shoal. The track is all fuzzed-out wizardry, lethargic acid rock drenched in a thick haze of psychedelic dissonance. The drums march along, almost begrudgingly, keeping the pace for a melodic bass and hypnotizing guitar. The vocals weave their way through the mix, almost taking on the role of a fourth instrument. It’s a heady fusion of early 70s dub, space rock, and psychedelia, calling on the wisdom of pioneers as diverse and boundary-pushing as Lee Perry, King Tubby, Hawkwind, Tractor, Spacemen 3 and Wooden Shjips. Monotonic was formed during the pandemic by veterans of Perth’s golden alt-rock era: Liam Coffey (Header), Allan Balmont (Ammonia), and Jack Lucas (Yummy Fur/Six Mile High). Reuniting decades after their respective bands made waves in the '90s, the three longtime friends found a fresh creative spark in loose jam sessions that continued to evolve into something greater than intended. Jams turned into songs, and while there were no initial plans to record, they became so committed to the music they were creating that an album eventually became an inevitability. “It feels like a luxury to be able to record music that doesn’t privilege vocals over other instruments or attach prescriptive meaning to lyrics,” explains vocalist and bassist Liam Coffey. “It allows sufficient time and space for one or two-chord progression songs to really settle into a groove.” The title of the track was inspired by a throwaway geographical fact: that Belle Fourche, South Dakota is the closest town to the physical centre of the United States, a detail that led to a bleak, imaginary narrative of a third-rate 60s psych band on a shoestring winter tour of indifferent Midwestern bars. The single was recorded in 2024 at Aerial Recording, a secluded studio in the Perth Hills owned and run by Ronan Charles, who also engineered and mixed the track, with production by Liam of the band. It was mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios, known for his work with Joy Division, Mogwai, Blur, and Scott Walker, among others.