Monument Builders
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Monument Builders
| type = studio
| artist = Loscil
| cover = Monument Builders.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2016|11|11}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 37:40
| label = Kranky
| producer = Scott Morgan
| prev_title = Sea Island
| prev_year = 2014
| next_title = Equivalents
| next_year = 2019
}}
Monument Builders is a studio album by Canadian composer and record producer Scott Morgan under the pseudonym Loscil.{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/loscil-mn0000215557 |title=Loscil |website=AllMusic |first=Heather |last=Phares |access-date=July 6, 2025}} It was released on November 11, 2016, through Kranky.{{Cite web |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/loscil-announces-new-album-monument-builders-kranky |title=Loscil announces new album Monument Builders on Kranky |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |first=Patryk |last=Mrozek |date=September 8, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}} It received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Background
Monument Builders is Loscil's first studio album since Sea Island (2014).{{Cite web |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/loscil_announces_philip_glass-inspired_monument_builders_album |title=Loscil Announces Philip Glass-Inspired 'Monument Builders' Album |website=Exclaim! |first=Gregory |last=Adams |date=September 8, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}} He drew inspiration from rewatching a VHS copy of the documentary film Koyaanisqatsi (1982), as well as its score composed by Philip Glass. He was also inspired by the works of photographer Edward Burtynsky and the writings of philosopher John Gray.{{Cite web |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/loscil_explores_end_times_on_monument_builders |title=Loscil Explores End Times on 'Monument Builders' |website=Exclaim! |first=Daniel |last=Sylvester |date=November 16, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}} A music video was released for the song "Drained Lake".{{Cite web |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/loscil-drained_lake_video |title=Loscil "Drained Lake" (video) |website=Exclaim! |first=Brock |last=Thiessen |date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 77/100{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/monument-builders/loscil |title=Monument Builders by Loscil |website=Metacritic |access-date=July 6, 2025}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/monument-builders-mw0002987297 |title=Monument Builders - Loscil |website=AllMusic |first=Heather |last=Phares |access-date=July 6, 2025}}
| rev2 = Exclaim!
| rev2score = 8/10{{Cite web |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/loscil-monument_builders |title=Loscil |website=Exclaim! |first=Daniel |last=Sylvester |date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}}
| rev3 = The Line of Best Fit
| rev3score = 8/10{{Cite web |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/loscil-monument-builders |title=Loscil's Monument Builders processes darkness in order to expunge it |website=The Line of Best Fit |first=Ian |last=King |date=November 2, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}}
| rev4 = Pitchfork
| rev4score = 7.4/10{{Cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22563-monument-builders/ |title=Loscil: Monument Builders |website=Pitchfork |first=Brian |last=Burlage |date=November 14, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}}
| rev5 = PopMatters
| rev5score = 7/10{{Cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/loscil-monument-builders-2495407995.html |title=Loscil: Monument Builders |website=PopMatters |first=Brian |last=Duricy |date=November 30, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}}
| rev6 = The Skinny
| rev6score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/loscil-monument-builders |title=Loscil – Monument Builders |website=The Skinny |first=Finbarr |last=Bermingham |date=November 3, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025}}
}}
{{Metacritic album prose|Monument Builders||77|11}}
Heather Phares of AllMusic stated, "Monument Builders is a powerful reminder that ambient music is a fine conduit for emotionally and politically charged messages, and it's one of Morgan's finest works yet." Daniel Sylvester of Exclaim! commented that the album "finds Loscil at his most focused, political and meticulous, a bleak but fulfilling listen whether you're aware of the album's brainy themes or not." Finbarr Bermingham of The Skinny stated, "This is a breathless and dense record, built on layers of crackle, fuzz and dystopian fugue." He added, "What really capture the imagination, though, are the fleeting, stark melodies Loscil introduces on almost every track."
= Accolades =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ Year-end lists for Monument Builders |
| scope="col" | Publication
! scope="col" | List ! scope="col" | Rank ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Ref.}} |
|---|
| scope="row" | AllMusic
| Favorite Electronic Albums | {{center|—}} | {{center|{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/year-in-review/2016/favorite-electronic |title=AllMusic 2016 Year in Review: Favorite Electronic Albums |website=AllMusic |access-date=July 6, 2025}}}} |
| scope="row" | Somewherecold
| Top 10 Albums of the Year | {{center|4}} | {{center|{{Cite web |url=https://somewherecold.net/2016/12/09/somewherecold-awards-2016/ |title=Somewherecold Awards 2016 |website=Somewherecold |date=December 9, 2016 |access-date=July 6, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614212013/https://somewherecold.net/2016/12/09/somewherecold-awards-2016/ |archive-date=June 14, 2022 |url-status=dead}}}} |
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Scott Morgan.
| headline = Monument Builders track listing
| title1 = Drained Lake
| length1 = 6:46
| title2 = Red Tide
| length2 = 5:25
| title3 = Monument Builders
| length3 = 4:43
| title4 = Straw Dogs
| length4 = 4:57
| title5 = Deceiver
| length5 = 4:41
| title6 = Anthropocene
| length6 = 4:39
| title7 = Weeds
| length7 = 6:29
| total_length = 37:40
}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.{{Cite AV media notes |author=Loscil |author-link=Loscil|date=2016 |title=Monument Builders |type=CD booklet |publisher=Kranky}}
- Scott Morgan – production
- Nick Anderson – French horn (2–4, 6)
- Erik Nielsen – French horn recording (2–4, 6)
- Joshua Stevenson – synthesis (2, 6)
- Ashley Pitre – vocal sample (7)
- Rafael Anton – mastering
- Bob Weston – lathe cut
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|1091548}}