Simon Little, aka Monochrome Echo, is back with an all new chapter in his ‘Moonkeeper’ musical saga. This time he returns with Moonkeeper Exous, a continuation of the story he began on 2020s Moonkeeper. The “Europa Outpost” story continues with Little telling the tale via electronic tomes and cosmic melodies.
When Simon Little isn’t playing bass in his main gig The Divine Comedy, he’s twisting knobs and weaving circuital tales in Monochrome Echo. Little has a knack for musical narratives, in particular with these fantastical sci fi tales. On 2020s Moonkeeper he created amazing songs that had melodies you can grab onto that went from dark and foreboding tension to melancholic and 80s pop-infused. Moonkeeper Exodus continues that tale(and one that is a planned trilogy) to stunning effect.
Here’s the synopsis of the continuation of the Moonkeeper saga, as told by Little himself: “Following a daring escape and rescue mission, the survivors of the Europa Outpost have sought refuge at Haven Station, orbiting Callisto. A few days later the mining base on Ganymede goes dark, closely followed by Io and Jupiter V… Now the commander at Haven issues emergency orders for all Jovian outposts to abandon operations and return to Earth immediately. A disparate fleet of science vessels, mining ships and passenger cruisers races to rendezvous with a military escort dispatched from Mars. But, one-by-one, the ships arrive deserted…”
Monochrome Echo wastes no time bringing us back intothe saga of the Europa Outpost with “Lost Transmissions”, a low key masterpiece that builds from melancholic drama to a driving crescendo. “Earthbound” brings to mind some of the great 80s scores, in-particular Brad Fiedel’s Terminator and Charles Bernstein’s Nightmare On Elm Street, but with more grandeur and widescreen excellence. There’s also epic beauty in tracks like “A Message From Mars” and “Empty Vessel”.
Elsewhere “The Proclamation” gives us Tangerine Dream cosmic vibes while adding an emotional heft to the album’s narrative. “A Final Stand” is a cosmic electro ballad of the highest order which then leads into the climactic finish “Moonkeeper Exodus”, a rich and captivating finale to Monochrome Echo’s operatic electro space epic.
Moonkeeper Exodus builds on the promise of Moonkeeper, with a heavier, more emotionally rich sonic exploration of the survivors of the Europa Outpost. What has become of them? We’ll have to wait for the next chapter to find out. In the meantime, dive into Moonkeeper Exodus.
‘Moonkeeper Exodus’ is out now via Spun Out Of Control.
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