Monde UFO: Vandalized Statue to be Replaced with Shrine

Bands like Monde UFO aren’t made for these times. First of all, they require time and patience; both commodities severely lacking in a world that continues to move at freight train speed in the quest for instant gratification.

Even applying these two facets, and the subtle, sun-drenched dreamscapes Monde UFO produce aren’t all that immediate. Blink and you’ll miss them, and it’s only by standing in a certain place and catching the light at the perfect angle before you realise the full effect.

The Los Angeles band, consisting of core members Ray Monde and Kris Chau and are joined by drummer, Kern Haug, came onto the scene in 2021 with their debut, 7171. Causing a mild stir with their vague, off-kilter delivery, they followed it up with last year’s Fugazi covers EP, 4 Songs.

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Vandalized Statue to be Replaced with Shrine is different gravy, though. A band revelling in technicoloured washes and the slow-motion freefall in what could be described as the psychedelic fever dream of a James Ellroy protagonist trying to escape their horrors. Yes, Monde UFO’s alternative universe is certainly one of which to seek refuge.

And the fun begins as Monde UFO gently guide us through the hazy bossa nova sprawl of Rectory. A moodscape designed to lift you out of a drug-induced black hole.

Whilst gentle in nature, Government Employee showcases Monde’s twisted and unique songcraft. With a thread soaked in tie dye, Monde unveils a pervasive sequence of poetic magic, almost like a cosmic drifter rattling off a bit of coffee shop poetry that is destined for much higher plains.

Visions of Fatima is like a backyard sing-along between Stereolab and Sun Araw with an infectious groove that slowly creeps under the skin. Just a total vibe moment that crystallises the joy and letting the chips fall where they may.

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“It’s not really boss nova but we think you’ll dig this,” confesses Monde, through a haze of herb before easing into Air Quality – a dubbed out trance that’s like a swoon through the summer where you can almost smell the freshly cut grass and nicotine. And speaking of, the saxophone during The Woods Behind St. Martha’s is like a thick curl of smoke that accompanies this beach-side reverie with more of Monde’s lyrical vignettes that become more abstract and drug-inspired the deeper we go.

Baked by the L.A. sun, Garden of Agony passes off a similar vibe to Vanishing Twin, but here there’s a locality that segregates both acts. Chua takes the reins for the finale, I’m So Tired, which is delivered with a wariness to match its title. It’s a nice end to Vandalized Statue to be Replaced with Shrine – a multi-faceted statement that could be your soundtrack to the summer as much as it could be the perfect companion to a comatose Sunday trying to shake off a hangover.

Containing the kind of dreamy, abstract quality, Vandalized Statue to be Replaced with Shrine should reach more ears, but such as its impenetrable nature, it’s destined to be a cult classic for the devoted few.

And someone, Monde UFO will probably be okay with that.

Vandalized Statue to be Replaced with Shrine is out now via Quindi Records. Purchase from Bandcamp.