"Do I know what egg punk is? I've certainly heard the term before, I have a feeling someone once called me egg punk. Whatever the meaning, Bristol-based band MÖNEY self identify as egg punk, and if their EP Hegemony is anything to go by, I like egg punk.
The EP consists of five tracks, starting with a one-two punk of Poisoned Again and No One Can Stop Me. Both are fast, loud, and surfy punk rock songs that do a great job at introducing you to who this lot are. There's an energy to the music that is seldom seen in more recent releases, nothing sounds sequenced or synthetic, and I wouldn't be surprised if the whole track was recorded as one live performance. The recording and the mix would be enough to make a TikTok music production influencer weep and that alone is pretty refreshing, it's lofi but without feeling like anything has been held back by the mix. These two tracks are quite similar in feel but I think they each stand up on their own two feet as well, at times evoking some of the Dead Kennedy's more fun moments.
If you were worried about this band being a bit one note though, you would be relieved upon hearing title track, Hegemony. Unlike the first two songs (and the as-yet-unmentioned fourth song, UCSOM (Ultra Capitalist State Of Mind), this one is slower and moodier, swapping its surfy aesthetics for something much more aligned with post-punk. The way the drums and bass groove and are complimented by a shimmering lead guitar part and passionate shouted vocals make for something really compelling, a track worth naming an EP after. It's really, really great.
That leaves us with the fifth and final track, the wonderfully titled Traditionally, power was what was seen, what was shown, and what was manifested...Disciplinary power, on the other hand, is exercised through its invisibility. Where the tracks prior to this were traditional songs, this one is an instrumental tone piece. Six minutes of introspection, of ambient hums and swirling guitar warbles, that feels as oppressive as something like Godspeed You! Black Emperor's darker and less explosive pieces. It's very cool, and despite being quite different and less traditional than the tracks that preceded it, it's something that I think would still sit well with anyone who liked those earlier songs.
MÖNEY are part of the Collector's Series DIY label. I had reviewed a compilation they put out a while ago and loved the hell out of it, and this EP gives me a lot of the same feelings. Of finding joy in energetic and raw sounding punk music, a genre that's simple on the surface but has an infinite depth that means it never gets old even if I myself will continue to age. I dunno if it's egg punk and I dunno if I'm egg punk but I do know that this EP is worth a crack."
Text by Thomas / _Nsigned.com.
From Obstinato to Thomas: Once again, our sincerest thanks and congratulations on your brilliant review. One of the primary goals of our distribution and label is to share our work across various media outlets. It is incredibly important to see that the message—in this case, from a project that sought our help and with whom we deeply identified regarding our musical philosophy—resonates with others. It is gratifying to connect with people involved in culture or counter-culture who are moved by the same sentiments and messages that make us feel good—people who share our principles. Principles that, rooted in humility, always strive to uphold humanism and respect for the environment and those around us. Although Möney hail from Bristol, they have ties to the Alpujarra region of Granada (Andalusia, Spain). I suppose "Eggs Punk" could be interpreted as "Punk with guts" (or "uncensored" punk—playing on the metaphor of eggs as testicles or ovaries). Mind you, I’m not entirely certain; but for anyone visiting Granada—a place where veteran punks and hippies live amidst mountain landscapes and a generally combative culture—it’s likely that these British artists absorbed something of the spirit of the ancient Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.
