Released a week or so ago, A Psychedelic Guide to Monsterism Island is the next step in the Monsterism Saga and an impressive display of “compilation as art”. Short spoken interludes? check. The best arrangement out of a myriad of others? check. A fusion of vintage obscurities, well established new bands, and bands no one has heard?. check. Awesome theme? Check!

Cardiff based cratedigger and visual artist Pete Fowler’s bag of goodies is a 27 song deep bag (if you count the interludes) of folk, exotica, guitar based psychedelia and synth music featuring artists such as Ghost Box faves Belbury Poly & The Advisory Circle, Luke Vibert, Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals, Cherrystones, Circulus et al. There’s a hint of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, like most psychedelia coming form Britain, but it’s mixed with hulaish island vibes and to come up with something more tropical rather than electronic.

“Come, hold my hand and let me take you on a trip to a mythical realm. A realm where you will encounter all manner of strange and beautiful creatures…a land that will boggle both the mind and the eyes. Oh, and there will be music… not music like you’ve heard before, oh no dear reader, but the most other-worldly, unusual and beauteous music – psychedelic surf salutations, acid jug band blues and spooked voodoo lullabies. Music created by myself and my fiends to make your trip to Monsterism Island a truly unforgettable one.”

+ Don’t miss the DJ Cherrystones & Pete Fowler Oddcasts, if you’re into tropical psychedelia, folk and electronic oddities.