Falcao and Monashee

"starts out like something transmitted from the other side of the television set in Poltergeist, and ends up capturing the feel of Vancouver on a tombstone-grey fall day."
- The Georgia Straight / "Songs you need to download this week"

"There's an almost religious feel to Falcao & Monashee's pastoral psych folk....'Fools' has a real late 60s flowers in the hair hippie vibe, all peasant blouses, flowing skirts and hemp bags. 'Dusty Temple Light' sounds like it was recorded in a monastery by Clannad's distant Canadian cousins. Merry Go Round sounds likes it's been beamed in from another world, a world of angels, ambrosia and bliss while 'Money' borders on the operatic with the voices of Falcao and Monashee complimenting each other perfectly...."

Read more: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=368354121&blogId=540370733#ixzz14Riu6Gf8 - The Devil Has The Best Tuna

"we’ve got a video from Vancouver duo Falcao and Monashee for Fighting Challenge. Being perfectly honest, I know nothing about either Falcao or Monashee, but they sent us an email with the subject “our new video involving Kung Fu”, which, lets face it, is awesome. It turns out the video does indeed involve kung fu, so enjoy some Shaolin styles with your “post-gregorian art-Goth”, courtesy of Falcao and Monashee" - Herohill

"Falcao and Monashee released their greatest album yet, Fools. Their debut album, Falcao and Monashee, gave us a glimpse of the wondrous musicianship of Rodrigo Falcao of Sao Paulo, Brasil and Monashee Sun of British Columbia, Canada. “Fools,“

...a breathtaking adventure through the landscapes they’ve once called home. “Money” is reminiscent of the tribal dances of Runa Pacha while “Hollywood Cigarettes Off Road” hangs on the vibes of a bollywood sitar-like sound.


Monashee’s beautiful compositions on violin, keyboard, mandolin, harp, banjo, dulcimer and vocals paired with Falcao’s drums, bass, guitar, organ and vocals create a lovely unity to their experimental, folk, and sometimes funk vibes. Lyrics like “there is no past, no yesterday, only today/ there is no town we wouldn’t stay, only today” capture the essence of the duo.

The harmonic vocals of “Investigative” creates a gothic lullaby for the mind and the quick drums and eclectic mix of instruments that grace “Merry Go Round” are upbeat dance vibes. It’s no wonder Falcao and Monashee inspire a fan-base that covers all of North America, Brasil, Spain, and Belgium." - Beatcrave (LA)

"Independently of your musical taste, if you like music, you should support this band...
Falcao and Monashee are a Vancouver based duo with roots in this city and São Paulo, Brazil, and they’ve been together for three years now. “Fools” is their second album, and it was recorded in the course of three days back in December 2009 by Colin Stewart at The Hive Studios.

The album has its quality for all the instruments used in the process - F's drums+ M's harp; violin; keyboard; mandolin; banjo; mountain dulcimer; pre-recorded bass, guitar and organ loops and samples; city birds; flute, accordion; a gong; Tibetan cymbals; bells; and whatever they could put their hand into, but definitely the most creative part are the snippets from snippets from YouTube...

Dark would be the perfect word to define Falcao and Monashee’s music. This 14 song album takes you in a Inner Journey, where while going on a Merry Go Round you get glimpses of places like Hollywood and Kathmandu." - Soul Magazine US

"We picked up our wristbands at this inviting (in an abattoir kind of way) basement spot (I see myself drinking many a lonesome whiskey here) and stayed to watch this duo. Male/female duo, drums plus banjo/keyboard/xylophone/???, singing in harmony all the freaking time...impressive. Deceptively catchy and captivating songs made for a promising kickoff to the evening." - room907 blog Vancouver

"I’ve lost a lot of sleep over the last year because we never got time to review Falcao and Monashee’s self-titled album. Their epic, wiry dark-folk songs creep up and lay waste to your inner space. I’m not sure from what dimension they’re beaming in from, but I do know I don’t wanna go. They’re scary and a little strange, and they’ve a new album out soon which I’m desperate to hear." - Leicester Bangs (UK)

"Psych folk with Middle Eastern influences and rich, rich dark, dark flavors." (album image featured) - KZSC Santa Cruz

Y el sello castellonense está que no para. Esta misma semana ha anunciado el lanzamiento a nivel internacional del nuevo disco de Falcao & Monashee, otra pareja artística y personal que se suma a las de cabecera de Borne! Recordings, Arborea y Mi and L’au. El CD-álbum, de título homónimo y con 8 canciones, ya se puede adquirir en la web de Borne! Recordings y saldrá a la venta en septiembre con una tirada muy limitada.

Falcao & Monashee hacen una especie de folk psicodélico, épico y minimalista, que al mismo tiempo mantiene miradas al pasado y hacia el futuro. Se trata de la confluencia de dos aventuras creativas muy diferentes: la del brasileño Rodrigo Falcao, batería que creció escuchando a Iron Maiden; y la canadiense Monashee Sun, hija de músicos que se formó rodeada de viejas baladas y todo tipo de instrumentos. Se conocieron en Vancouver y saltó la chispa. ¿El resultado? Una extraña mezcla de sonidos orgánicos y artificiales, luz y oscuridad, envueltos de una producción muy especial. Para escuchar.

- nomepierdoniuna

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O?a??? ?a? t? e??f?????. ???ede???????? ?? a?t?. - Then We Sat On Our Own Star blog - Greece

"Negli anni Novanta era molto fico leggere Siddharta, vedere film su Buddha e convincersi di essere buddhisti. Il frullato esotico funzionava anche in musica, dove bastava aggiungere un loop vagamente indiano alle peggio tamarrate techno per trasformarle in sciccheria da intellettuali. E come sempre in questi casi, una volta finita la buddhamania si è rapidamente passati all'eccesso opposto: il ghetto sonoro della "chill out" è diventato da allora uno dei modi più facili per stanare il cafone di turno che cerca di darsi un tono, magari comprandosi l'ennesima compilation mixata da Dj Ravin.
I Falcao meravigliao però non sono Dj Ravin, non sono neanche suoi lontani parenti e probabilmente (buon per loro) non l'hanno mai nemmeno sentito nominare. Perché qui l'incontro fra Oriente e Occidente avviene per via diretta, senza la mediazione del loop precotto (e senza gli stereotipi del relativo sottogenere). A dire il vero gli otto brani che compongono il loro omonimo album scaricabile qui pescano sì i titoli dal più classico immaginario new age ("Teleportation", "Strange Universe", "Starlight", "Heaven"), ma d'altra parte esibiscono una componente pop che li rende neopsichedelici in un modo tutto loro.
Prendiamo ad esempio proprio "Teleportation", la traccia iniziale; che parte appunto all'insegna del post-buddhismo, con l'introduzione di uccellini e poi il riff di mandolino sopra un moderato ritmo funk (metronomo 122) a base di batteria e sintetizzatore. Però quando entrano in coro le voci di Monashee Sun e Rodrigo Falcao, a 1'09", l'effetto è spiazzante: una melodia così lamentosa che sembra una preghiera, non si capisce se indiana o gregoriana, e va il doppio più lenta della base strumentale sulla quale si inserisce. Una trovata che potrebbe voler significare il trionfo fricchettone della tranquillità soggettiva (la voce appunto) sull'ambiente frenetico (il groove); mentre il mandolino continua il suo riff, sottolineando così l'integrazione fra le due componenti.
Questa strofa viene ripetuta, più o meno variata, nella tipica forma AABB; dopo la quale però non arriva un ritornello, ma siamo a 2'10", metà del pezzo ­ un breve assolo del mandolino, che si allontana un po' dalla sua formula ricorrente. A 2'26" ricomincia la parte vocale, ancora in forma AABB, e al termine di nuovo il solo del mandolino. Come si capisce, l'architettura complessiva di "Teleportation" è molto lineare e non offre ulteriori sorprese; essendovene del resto già abbastanza nello stile dei Falcao meravigliao." - complotto e mezzo

appearance date May 22-2009

(about "The Emerging Artist Series is a rare gem in commercial radio. This weekly program showcases a new Canadian artist, giving local talents well-deserved time on FM airwaves. Every Wednesday at 9.50 am, we introduce artist's song. Every Friday at 9.45 am, host Sarah Pearson sits down with the artists to talk about their work, journey, and their dreams, and we play their song again. It is a refreshing and engaging look into the world of independent musicians, and a wonderful way to discover new music!") - 101.5 Mike FM - Montreal

(from Hebrew) "West Coast tradition well established on the basis of drums and voices, they added a variety of weapons of destruction like a harp, banjo, mandolin keyboards and other similar atrocities...dim the lights and then you will understand what it is. Not enough that they are so good, they even philanthropists and divide the two Albums free of charge! Without any shadow of a doubt, this week's recommendation" - Kingdom of Uza

"Lovers of creepy pop should take note: Vancouver duo Falcao and Monashee’s Fools is available now as a free download...All of the songs are good, but there’s no clear standout, so it was hard to pick which song to post. Here’s the harp-laden “Merry Go Round,” which kind of reminds me of the film Coraline (remember this song?), as it has a baroque atmosphere that’s somehow peaceful and a little eerie at the same time."
- chippedhip.com

"...São seis músicas e 25 músicos, representantes de todos os estilos e todas as gerações.Nomes como Sandra Coutinho (Mercenárias) e Tonho Penhasco dividem tranquilamente o bolo com Judas, Amleto Barboni, Ricardo Vignini, Bruno Serroni (Ludov, Pullovers), Vanessa Krongold (Ludov), Bruna Caram, Janaína Pereira (Bicho de Pé), Tiziu (Trio Uraripe), Wado, Ronei Jorge ( Ronei Jorge e os Ladrões de Bicicleta), Chuck Hipólitho, Laura Wrona (The Apple Sound), Tatá Aeroplano (Cérebro Eletrônico, Jumbo Elektro), Falcão e Monashee (do Canadá), além dos mestres Jards Macalé e Genival Lacerda." - MTV Brasil

"Hecuba’s third release Paradise has a strong dark wave sound. Stilted lyrics with sharp synthesizers and even sharper beats there is a Kraftwerk like delivery mixed with almost a Dead Can Dance or Falcao and Monashee feel. Sound odd? Well it is, but the combination does work. Not for everybody, this baroque synth pop band will appeal to anyone looking for something different." - WRUV Vermont

"Falcao and Monashee’s press materials proudly note that the duo’s second album,Fools, was captured live off the floor in just three days, using zero overdubbing. Listening to the album’s 14 tracks, however, you’d never guess that it was so bare-bones. Recorded by local studio whiz Colin Stewart at the Hive, the band uses a combination of loops and vintage plate reverb to ensure there isn’t too much dead air. On “Inner Journey”, a scratchy guitar lays the foundation for an eastern-infused melody. A dense, pattering beat fills up the space on “Money”, as guitars and keyboards echo and burble, always sounding hauntingly out of focus.
The album’s creepy mood and slow tempos don’t vary much over its 47-minute run time, and the result is that Fools works best as a mood piece. Still, the album has got more going for it than just atmosphere. Monashee Sun switches instruments on nearly every song, so things never get too repetitive. Just as impressive as the multi-instrumental display is Rodrigo Falcao, whose loops and nimble percussion are so solid that you could swear they were painstakingly created in Pro Tools. If this is what Falcao and Monashee are capable of in a live studio session, it’s amazing to imagine what they could create with more time and a larger budget."

- The Georgia Straight, Vancouver

"Rodrigo Falcao (a Sao Pãulo percussionist) and Monashee Sun (a "BC psych-folk descendent") met in Vancouver in 2007 and a year later recorded these tracks at a Galiano Island cottage. Both musicians chant lulling melodies while holding down everything from organ and keyboard loops, bass, drums, percussion and guitar (Falcao) to harp, tenor banjo, violin, xylophone, keys and Moog delays (Monashee). For all the layers of sound though, the disc remains a pretty mellow ride. Shuffling drums pulse forward under the languid, winding melodies that lead many of these tunes to their close, but the groove remains relaxed and the mood ethereal. Repeat listens reward as well on tracks like "Teleportation" (featuring field-recorded birds by Falcao), "Special Agent" and "Strange Universe," as the innovative instrumentation reveals itself in the rattles and ebbs. Rooted in psych-folk but looking dreamily forward, the duo pull off an impressive debut, one that's expansive but not rambling. (Independent)"
-Jonathan Rothman - Exclaim.ca

translation:
"Sinuous dark-folk dirges gesturing smoky and seductive (around hypnotic banjo in "Teleportation", the mystical vocal duet of "Plot"), while the strength of a well-defined folk-pop...("Special Agent", "Parasocial") shine with colored reflections."


Full Original text:
Rispettando in maniera ossequiosa la regola della coppia uomo-donna in ambito alternative-folk, il duo Falcao And Monashee raggiunge il debutto dopo una lavorazione fine ed elaborata. Conosciutisi a Vancouver nel 2007, Rodrigo Falcao (brasiliano di nascita) e Monashee Sun (canadese, figlia di musicisti) si stabiliscono su un’isola chiamata Galiano Island. Immersi in un microcosmo incantato, i due artisti esprimono la loro ispirazione con un primo Ep da cinque tracce. Lasciata l’isola, con tappa intermedia a Sao Paulo, tornano a Vancouver, dove aggiungono altre tre tracce per un totale di otto canzoni, proprio quelle che vanno a comporre il loro debutto omonimo.

Nell’ultima decade il folk, in ogni sua mutazione e sfumatura, è stato ben approfondito e dunque non c’è (quasi) più niente di cui sorprendersi. Il discrimine attraverso il quale distinguere puro mestiere e operazioni valide è la passione interpretativa, l’ispirazione nelle liriche, i riferimenti poco scontati. Nel caso specifico, ci troviamo di fronte a un folk sommesso, malinconico ma non pessimista, decadente ma non funereo. I toni acuti del cantato femminile stanno in contrapposizione alle pennellate distaccate della nutrita strumentazione. Si possono ben distinguere un organo Hammond, tastiere di vecchia data, chitarre, banjo, percussioni di ogni genere, arpa, violino e perfino un mandolino. Non un baccanale confusionario, bensì una solida stratificazione della realtà strumentale gestita con discrezione e professionalità.

Sinuose nenie dark-folk gesticolano fumose e seducenti (il giro ipnotico di banjo in “Teleportation”, il duetto vocale mistico di “Plot”), mentre la robustezza di un folk-pop ben delineato arricchisce la proposta con brio (Monashee fa la musa in “Special Agent”, “Parasocial” splende di riflessi colorati). Fra sfumature elettroniche ben dosate (i field-recordings in “Heaven”), e altre gemme di folk errante (l’intreccio acustico di “All Terrain”, le trasparenze ben archiettate in “Strange Universe”).

A metà fra sperimentazione freak e sensibilità pop, il duo Falcao And Monashee si cimenta con la materia folk mostrando sensibilità e gusto nell’allacciare stili differenti. Un buon viatico per costruire una carriera fruttuosa e slegata da canoni e proposte ordinarie.

(23/11/2009)
- Ondarock.it

"often evocative and moving...a dense rich folk sound...fills its space with warmth, longing and a certain sense of dread. Falcao & Monashee are already at a peak of virtuosity and vision on this debut. Such rich music demands to be heard for its nuances..." (9/10)
-Mike Wood, FoxyDigitalis.com September 2009 - Foxy Digitalis

"It's an urgent sound that carries forward the ideals of the post-rock movement of the '90s and early '00s, as they use instruments often associated with the rock tradition for making clearly non-rock sounds. They also use instruments from other genres such as the banjo, mandolin, and harp. Rodrigo Falcao's drumming seems to indicate some kraut influences, especially on tracks like "Starlight", which is probably the album's best. Monashee Sun's vocals feature prominently in every song and are reminiscent of the '60's folk songstress Joan Baez."

"...its strength lies in the talented intertwining of the duo's songwriting skills. In addition to their vocal duties, each member plays at least five instruments on the album. They draw on what we can only imagine is almost every musical instrument at their disposal..."

"...this album contains eight tracks of beautiful musicianship."
- Jordie Yow, JULY 2009 - Discorder.ca

"an epic, gothy sound which brought to mind the Cure or Joy Division. A complete surprise"..."I found myself thinking about the end of man and the wars of the Romans as I listened to them play..."
Stacy Thomas, January 2009 - Discorder.ca

"..Special Agent" the soundtrack to an arthouse film about former spies, retired to the coast but about to be embroiled in political intrigue once again—maybe..."

"Parasocial"..."...the creepiest: trilling keyboards with a steady, unnerving beat. Hip for your Halloween party, or any time you feel a sense of looming disaster. The real keeper of the album is “Starlight,” nearly five minutes of Monashee’s gorgeous translucent voice doing what can only be described as “pretty high things,” plus judicious use of xylophone. I reserve high praise for a song that not only uses esoteric instruments but can get you laid (no, seriously)...."

"...Falcao & Monashee are wholly listenable, alternately terrifying and soothing. They give us a mean ambient soundtrack that grows better with repetition."
- Kai Green - TheUbyssey.ca

"Sao Paulo's Rodrigo Falcao and Vancouver's Monashee Sun team up to make psychedelic folk that should appeal to fans of current playlist artists like Bowerbirds and Megafaun, or the freak folk of Wildbirds & Peacedrums and older Akron/Family. Check out "Plot," "Special Agent" and "Starlight"." - WLUR

"Falcao and Monashee's self titled debut starts with a folk sounding alternative sound. The second track has almost a spanish sound while still maintaining the folk/alt sound. The combined vocals of Rodrigo Falcao and Monashee Sun create a beautiful sound that fits with the mandolin that is prominent throughout the album. The deep voice of Falcao and light voice of Monashee remind me of Dead Can Dance. A haunting album that has an original sound yet undefinable sound that adds some mystery to the music."

- WRUV.org

Falcao and Monashee‘s debut LP begins with birdsong; we can hear it ring out in the distance while the wind blows through the trees. The mind speedily conjures up imaginary of an idyllic countryside through vast fields of green, surrounded by trees in which birds are nesting and singing their spring melody. I imagine that what I’m about to hear will be the ‘regular’ type of homemade folk doodlings everyone seems to be making nowadays in their backyards, somewhere out there, yonder in the countryside. Harmless fun, for loving psych and improv couples all over the world, scribbling down their thought onto obscure CD-Rs…

Almost instantly the music kicks in and my expectations are immediately shattered. This is folk music all right, and it does have a homemade charm to it – it is a bit rough. This time around though it all seems to be about the groove, most compositions centered around pulsating near-krautrock vibes, comfortably sliding into one and pulling you in. It kind of makes you want to dance along or at the very least obligatory tap your foot whilst sitting on the front porch in your self-made rocking chair, smoking your pipe or whatever it is you youngsters do these days. The music sounds fun and engaging; multiple layers of banjo, violin, mandolin, drums, looped bass, harp, keyboards and a playful 1940’s Hammond organ all start to dance and twirl together, like a slowly shifting night’s firmament. In contrast, the vocals come across as almost mournful; semi-monotony runs like an unity, remaining close to an eulogy in spirit. It doesn’t offset the other happy, upbeat spirit, offering it a pivot around which to revolve, giving it more character and making it deeper. Every song is unique and stands on its own but the whole flows seamlessly together. When it’s finished, you’ve just woken up and want to press play once more to go back to sleep.

Falcao grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, listening to heavy metal and playing in various bands, whilst Monashee was “raised on radio, old time ballads, homespun songs” and apple-pie, I imagine in Canada. It’s where they’ve met and have decided to live on an island, composing things of their own. Sounds something like a fairytale or dream, but so does their music. (77ships, the hedonistic monk) - the cookshop blog

"...a wigged out Galiano Island session that could’ve been from Nottingham in the sixties. The fragile, Spartan grooves grow grander with each listen..."
- Stuart Derdeyn
" - theProvince.com

"There is this band that you may like - their name is Falcao and Monashee, and I saw them play last night in conjunction with the Music Waste Festival opening 'What Does Info Want?' @ Blim. Everyone seemed to enjoy them throughly, or so I concluded from the nodding heads, and swaying bodies of approximately 100 onlookers.

Their music is a delightful electro-acoustic mix composed and performed live by two individuals, Canadian, Monashee Sun (who operated mandolin, keyboards, violins, xylophones), and Brazilian, Rodrigo Falcao, (who played drums, samples).

Such fantastic vocal harmonies! Such talented multi-instrumentalists! Also, I can say that in speaking with them, they seem very sweet and kind which is always nice..." - Smoke Signals