MCP, aka Master Control Project, is an Australian psychedelic-experimental trio, whose music is as unique and invigorating as their striking visuals
Emerging as one of Australia’s most exciting talents, MCP, blends psychedelia with 80’s pop, transforming the entire experience into a 3D adventure.
Their debut album, After Midnight, follows up from their self-titled EP in 2022 – and it’s safe to say the musical phenomenon that is MCP has only got better with time.
The album is accompanied by a 24-page graphic novel, written by bassist and producer Wesley von Grabill and illustrated by Blue Mountains native Ben Toupein. There’s also a double-sided poster that requires 3D glasses on one side.
After Midnight is quite literally an immersive experience; you can really see and feel every sound that you hear, which creates this uniquely vibey and hardcore experience.
On the album, James McKenna shared that, “We tried to approach each track as if it were a short film or movie rather than trying to write the music in a traditional verse chorus style structure…It gave us the freedom to really expand on what we did with the EP and everyone’s really happy with the end result.”
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The album opens with “Now We have to Kill You”, a track that starts with a low drones, harpy runs, and static vocals.
Similar in many ways to The Avalanches’ Frontier Psychiatrist, and yet taking its own unique approach to electronica, this track builds incredible energy with synths that are both entrancing and unsettling.
Next up is “Mr Doobie”, a nearly 6-minute experimental piece that is pretty much a psychoactive orchestra of eclectic synths, complex beats and hard-hitting percussion.
This is a personal favourite, because you can never quite tell where it’s going, and yet it’s perfectly harmonious in a beautifully chaotic way.
Following is “Not The Parent, Not The Teacher”, which is a soft and slow take on their enigmatic sound, gently managing to provide that same unnerving feeling.
The horns really come into play on this track, giving it a rhythmic, jazz feel that only MCP could blend with fast-paced electronica.
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“After Midnight” follows, which is another vibey track that builds into a cacophony of synths, drums and percussion.
This is a track that really personifies their electro-rock style, as the guitar is shredded to the absolute, atop heavy and fast-moving sounds.
“The Destruction of Earth”, the most popular of the album’s singles, sounds and feels exactly as its title suggests.
It’s unsettling, as though it were the theme song to an apocalyptic film, it is also undeniably cool with its guitar riffs and constant ebb and flow between quiet voices and sonic mayhem.
Following on from that is “A State of Extreme Terror”, which tells the story of a panicked young woman knocking on people’s doors, and is backed by horns, an 80’s feel and hair-rising screams and heavy breathing that flow in and out.
“The Cosmic End Point” is next, and is a slower-paced but just as cool track, feeling bluesy in its rhythm and yet never losing its psychedelic edge.
Closing the album is “Late For Therapy”, the shortest track on the album and a perfect indicator that the story is coming to a close.
As the whole album tells a narrative, the closing track feels dramatic, climactic and introspective, fading out with a whistling of strings that brings a sense of harmony to the whole album.
MCP has undeniably brought one of the most unique offerings of this year, and you can buy the album and its special add-ons here.
At the very least, I highly recommend you to listen to the album while you read the comic here, to get the full MCP experience.
