Manifestations EP by Mono/Poly
LABEL: Brainfeeder

Mono/Poly, the moniker of the electronic musician, Charles E. Dickerson is an absolute fiend when it comes to making infectious music. His glitchy, blippy sounds are brought to life by his ability to infuse elements of numerous genres that include jazz, hip hop, blues, dubstep, and funk. Mono/Poly’s latest release, Manifestations EP, is no exception to his wondrous production.

“While it’s creepy and unsettling, I just can’t shake the feeling of wanting to dance my ass off.”

Manifestations EP is a 22-minute adventure that explores a slew of sounds—and wonderfully, I might add. Track opener, “Manifestations”, gives listeners a brief but sublime introduction. It’s a downtempo track that preps your nerves for the onslaught of sounds you’re about to hear. The second and best track off the EP, “Forest Dark”, is wild and throbbing— undeniably superb. It manages to be frantic and relaxing at the same, a paradox of the best variety. “Forest Dark” is flawlessly named, organic as the woodlands or the jungle. Dickerson displays his ability throughout to create music that’s outside the proverbial box.

The comparison that will come to most people’s minds while listening to this EP would probably be to that of Flying Lotus. Seeing how Dickerson and FlyLo’s Steven Ellison are actually good friends in real life, it makes sense that sounds are in the same vein—and, of course, Manifestions EP is on FlyLo’s label, Brainfeeder. Tracks like “Glow” and “Needs Deodorant” could have easily fit in Flying Lotus’ latest release, Pattern+Grid World. But, Dickerson’s Mono/Poly is not just limited to comparisons. Each song for Dickerson is of a different genre. “Toe Jam” is a finely-tuned hip hop-esque composition that’s relentless, and EP closer, “Vibrations”, is Dubstep/House piece that features sound bits of someone saying, “I am nightmare walking.” While it’s creepy and unsettling, I just can’t shake the feeling of wanting to dance my ass off.

Mono/Poly’s Manifestations EP is a journey of genre changes and electronic production that’s just stellar. Dickerson has an uncanny sense of making sure he gets experimental, while at the same time creating music that’s absolutely fun to listen to. Though the EP isn’t necessarily the most accessible piece for everyone, with patience, it’ll find a place in your mind to burrow and nestle its way into admiration.


REVIEWED BY ADRIAN ROJAS
ADRIAN’S FAVES: “Manifestations” • “Forest Dark” • “Vibrations
Read more from Adrian on his blog, On the Importance of Being Rash