Monster Movie

Christian Savill and Sean Hewson, a London-based indie rock duo, first began collaborating under assorted monikers back in 1989, among them a short-lived project called the Eternal that issued a lone single via the Sarah label. Having previously performed with Slowdive, Savill resumed musical activity alongside Hewson in 2000 under the name Monster Movie, a choice almost certainly drawn from the Can album of identical title. Following their 2001 debut—a five-track EP issued on Clairecords—the pair issued several further EPs and full-lengths: Last Night Something Happened (2001), a split EP with Dreamend (2002), Transistor (2004), To the Moon (2004), All Lost (2006), and Everyone Is a Ghost (2010). Across these recordings their sound moved through neo-shoegaze, direct indie pop, and synth-based work modeled on the dance-focused wing of the Factory roster, notably Section 25 and New Order. Slowdive’s 2014 reunion prompted the duo to assemble a proper band, bringing in Air Formation’s James Harrison on drums and Slowdive’s Nick Chaplin on bass. They entered the studio once more with longtime producer Ryan Graveface, resulting in the 2017 release Keep the Voices Distant, their most expansive recording to date.