Ultra Mono was sonically constructed to capture the feeling of a hip-hop record. Across all twelve brutally relevant tracks, the band double down on the vitriolic sneer and blunt social commentary of their past work, with themes of active presence, inclusivity, class, gender inequality, nationalism, community, and toxic masculinity remaining ever-present.
Ultra Mono also features guest vocals from Jehnny Beth (Savages), and additional guest contributions from Warren Ellis (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), David Yow, and Jamie Cullum.
If their last record – 2018’s Joy As An Act Of Resistance - was meant to detail IDLES’ manifesto, then Ultra Mono is the sound of the band heading into battle, battering ram in hand, for those tenets.
Release: September 25, 2020, Partisan Records/Liberator Music
Words: Mushroom Group