The Mon

Ufomammut vocalist teams with Neurosis' Steve Von Till on upcoming solo LP as The Mon (listen)

Ufomammut vocalist Urlo is gearing up to release his second solo album as The Mon, Eye, on May 26 via Supernatural Cat Records (pre-order). The album was written, performed, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Urlo himself, but it also features some guests, including vocal/lyrical contributions from Neurosis’ Steve Von Till, Amenra’s Colin H. Van Eeckhout, and Francesca De Franceschi Manzoni, as well as violin from SubRosa/The Otolith’s Sarah Pendleton and guitar from White Hills’ David W.

We’re premiering new single “Confession,” a haunting, droning song with guest lead vocals from Steve Von Till. Urlo says, “When I was in the middle of creating Eye, I thought it would have been cool to ask some friends if they wanted to join me and play something on it. I was so happy when Steve Von Till told me he was in. Steve is what I would call a ‘maestro’ in Italian; It means ‘master, but also ‘teacher.’ When I sent ‘Confession’ to him, the song was just guitars, some synths, a repetitive arpeggio and the final vocals, looping the same phrase over and over. He wrote the lyrics, sang, and added synths and atmosphere to the entire track. He taught me some tricks too, and it’s been great to share music in this way. He also suggested some ideas for mixing, and it was amazing to have him forge this song with me.”

Steve adds, “When Urlo asked if I would contribute to a track on his upcoming album, I was honored and didn’t hesitate. He and I have been friends for many years now and I consider us to be part of an extended global musical family. As a member of the art collective Malleus, he has designed many posters for Neurosis over the years. They even designed a poster for my wedding. His band, Ufomammut, has toured with Neurosis and our label, Neurot Recordings, has released their last five albums. In other words, we have history.”

“The basic track he sent for ‘Confession’ had the title, and contained a very simple yet haunting repeating figure that instantly suggested the fundamental vocal melody,” Steve continues. “I processed the entire basic track through filters, delays, and reverbs, distilling it into a cloudlike texture that would suggest other less obvious harmonics to incorporate. The words came quickly and naturally. Like so many of my lyrics, they were not premeditated, and I am not completely sure what they mean, but reading them now, they do imply some sort of internal conflict. Metaphorically hunting oneself down and putting oneself on trial, to be held responsible for some guilt we all suffer. As if Mother Earth herself has been embodied and subjected by us all to what amounts to a witch trial, and we are all burning her and ultimately ourselves at the stake. But that’s just what it feels like today. Tomorrow it may be different.”

About the video, also created by Malleus, Urlo adds, “I wanted to do something special for ‘Confession’ and I put myself on the video, drawing like hell for days, to make this short story happen. I know it’s not a ‘Disney clip,’ but I think the atmosphere of the song reflects perfectly in it and I’m extra proud of this amazing collaboration with Steve.”

Check it out:

Tracklist
1. The Sun
2. Secret
3. Confession
4. The Manure Of Our Remains
5. This Dark O’Mine
6. Burning From Afar
7. To The Ones
8. Mimmi
9. Where
10. Vampyr
11. Pupi