ALISA CORAL’S {Mono Chrome} – World in Grayscale – review

ALISA CORAL’S {Mono Chrome} – World in Grayscale – review
Atomic Age Records

If you’re in the habit of delving around in the dark underbelly of underground spacerock (and you should), then the name Alisa Coral may not be unfamiliar to you. Mainly for her Space Mirrors related work. Of course you know Space Mirrors. You wouldn’t be here otherwise. Seems like forever since I first stumbled across her. Twas, probably, via the late lamented Aural Innovations.

Anyway, fast forward into this godawful reality and Ms Coral is still knocking out some belters. Assuming that dark, ambient spacerock can ever be described as a belter.

This sees Alisa on synths, guitar, FX, samples, bass and electronic percussion, with a mysterious guest drummer. And for your money, you’re getting a half hour long, opening track. This is behaviour of which I approve. The title track, for it is so, would definitely work as a despairing voyage into outer space, assuming there was an outer space. Tangerine Dreamy in places, there are more synth swooshes than you can shake a stick it, with pulsating beats creeping up hither and thither. It’s monumental. In a good way.

There’s then a four minute interlude where ‘Fading Into White’ almost acts as a bridge between the title track, and the closing 21 minutes of ‘Sepia’. And the closer is my favourite. It throbs, in a very unsettling manner, with less ambience than the opener, and more melody. It’s all rather menacing. The kind of thing that you would hear, faintly, at the end of a candlelit passageway, heralding a doom you can’t avoid. It’s a tremendous album that’s been on repeat round my way. Something the neighbours, who already look askance, seem slightly worried by.

https://spacemirrors.bandcamp.com/album/world-in-grayscale