Introducing… Robbie and Mona

Experimental pop duo Robbie and Mona created their forthcoming album ‘Son Kiss’ in the British seaside town of Margate. Described as the time “our baby son was getting ready to beam down into womb”, it appears the duo were creatively fertile, too. I stumbled across the duo’s music during one of my many Bandcamp tag crawls and was instantly blown away by both of the singles from their upcoming album. They are both hypnotic, uneasy, and live in a state between dream and wake.

The lead single, ‘Awestruck’, starts with detuned guitars and twinkling synths before a hollow-tuned percussive boing beat takes control. The vocals are faerie angelic, yet also stilted, with mini-cuts of “mmm, yah” that serve a dismissive sass edge. Angelically uneasy and hypnotic, I’ve had it on repeat for ages.

The latest single, ‘Marionette Lines’, is a strange mix of lo-fi beats, strange gurgle bleeps, and harsh moments of dreampop guitar fret picking. There is an underlying tension simmering under the hazy, disembodied vocals. The music video features a slow-motion jumping on a bed person, which feels like a haunted home video clip in waiting. Despite all the unusual noises and subtle, drifting ethereal vocals, and unique sound design, everything still carries a tune and a hook. It’s experimental pop at its finest.

Both singles are out now. You can pre-order ‘Son Kiss’ on Bandcamp. The album is due out on the 29th of May. I’ll be snapping up Robbie and Mona’s previous albums in the meantime. I’ve clicked with their off-kilter vibe instantly. Expect an album review upon release.

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